# Bands with one great musician **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 10, 2019, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908 "2019-03-10T19:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/61 "2019-03-11T21:40:03Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’m no musician but… > > John B Sparks and The Big Figure were solid, Lee Brilleaux was excellent, but **Wilko** was the musical heart and soul of **Dr Feelgood**. > > People who are musicians, please now feel free to pile on. > > j Wilko Johnson/Dr Feelgood is a terrific example in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/62 "2019-03-11T22:15:10Z")
David Lowery is a great songwriter and was the force behind Camper Van Beethoven and even better, Cracker. Stan Ridgway was the big force behind Wall Of Voodoo. He is still putting out great material and tours somewhat in the Western US. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/63 "2019-03-12T00:57:45Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Sorry, but no. > > Alex Van Halen is an exceptional drummer. Anyone who says otherwise has never played. Wow, I’d disagree with that. Alex didn’t have a tenth to ability or innovation of his brother. Most of the first three or four Van Halen albums you could teach a rookie to play in a month. It’s not that hard to play in four with a doubled up bass drum on the three. And the first instrument I ever played in a band was drums. I wanted to be Neil Peart. I was quickly informed by experience that I ever would be. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/64 "2019-03-12T01:18:23Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That said, I give him the benefit of a doubt and find it difficult to discount his contribution as to the overall sound of the band. Really, no other band sounds like them, and no other keyboardist really sounds like him, so I have to give him a lot of credit for that. His style and “voice” was unique. I agree, and don’t see this as contradicting any of the points I made. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/65 "2019-03-12T01:26:49Z")
How about John Entwhistle? Townshend was a great rock guitar player, and Moon was a great rock drummer, but for my money Entwhistle was a better musician than either. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/66 "2019-03-12T01:42:15Z")
> [@Reindeer\_Flotilla](#): > > It took 59 posts for someone to mention Big Brother and the Holding Company? > > :p:p Too obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/67 "2019-03-12T02:18:10Z")
Mark Everett in eels Billy Corgan in smashing pumpkins ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/68 "2019-03-12T02:22:22Z")
Two come to mind for me: Camel and Japan. The other members of Camel are good - Peter Bardens in particular was a great keyboardist - but not really superlative. Andrew Latimer on the other hand IS a superlative guitarist. Every bit as good as David Gilmour, in my opinion, just more obscure. Likewise Japan had good personnel - not superlative but good - vocalist David Sylvian is sort of half Bryan Ferry and half David Bowie, very solid vocal performer and creative composer - but bassist Mick Karn was the star of that band. He had a really, really unique style. Any fretless bass virtuoso is inevitably going to be compared to Jaco Pastorius - except Mick Karn. Somehow he took that instrument and carved out a totally distinctive style of his own on it. Karn was a monster. (He died in 2011.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/69 "2019-03-12T02:50:27Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I agree, and don’t see this as contradicting any of the points I made. That’s good, because it wasn’t intended to contradict anything you said. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/70 "2019-03-12T03:56:40Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Of the prog rock bands (which, admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of as a genre), Tony Banks is by far my favorite keyboardist. I think he was an excellent musician. My local NPR affiliate plays classical music for much of the day, and one day, I had it on as background noise and the announcer said that the preceding piece was “composed and conducted by Tony Banks.” Yep. THAT Tony Banks. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/71 "2019-03-12T06:36:41Z")
> [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](#): > > It must have been over 20 years since I read it, so no cite I’m afraid, but I remember an article describing **Robert Smith** as the first (Post)-Punk guitarist who could _really_ play guitar. John McGeoch would like a word. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/72 "2019-03-12T14:25:36Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > John McGeoch would like a word. Well said! j ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/73 "2019-03-12T14:38:09Z")
Thought of a really obvious one we all missed: Eric Clapton while with The Yardbirds Jeff Beck while with The Yardbirds (but before Jimmy Page joined) Jimmy Page while with The Yardbirds (after Jeff Beck left) Beck and Page overlapped for a little while. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/74 "2019-03-12T14:42:01Z")
Two more: Drummer Tony Thompson with Chic. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were both rock solid players (and Midas-touch producers), but Thompson was on another plane. Duran Duran bassist John Taylor. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/75 "2019-03-12T15:09:01Z")
> [@P-man](#): > > How about John Entwhistle? Townshend was a great rock guitar player, and Moon was a great rock drummer, but for my money Entwhistle was a better musician than either. While it’s true that John was certainly a bass virtuoso, I’d have to give the edge to Pete in the “great musician” department. After all, a huge percentage of Who songs are covers of Townshend’s demos where he played almost everything. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken_1)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/76 "2019-03-12T16:14:43Z")
Alan Gorrie on guitar and bass with Average White Band. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/77 "2019-03-12T16:29:16Z")
> [@Treppenwitz](#): > > I’m no musician but… > > John B Sparks and The Big Figure were solid, Lee Brilleaux was excellent, but **Wilko** was the musical heart and soul of **Dr Feelgood**. > > People who are musicians, please now feel free to pile on. > > j I agree with Wilko. His unique style of finger shredding playing was the sound of Dr. Feelgood. > [@GESancMan](#): > > Gotta disagree on Primus, Chili Peppers, and ELP. All three have amazing drummers, right up there in musicianship with the member you listed. Yep, Will Farrell is outstanding in the Chili Peppers! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/78 "2019-03-12T16:51:40Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > Thought of a really obvious one we all missed: > > Eric Clapton while with The Yardbirds > Jeff Beck while with The Yardbirds (but before Jimmy Page joined) > Jimmy Page while with The Yardbirds (after Jeff Beck left) > > Beck and Page overlapped for a little while. You have reminded me: Steve Winwood in The Spencer Davis Group. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/79 "2019-03-12T18:13:00Z")
It’s a loaded question about musical ability versus ability to play their specific instrument. The latter of which might well exclude singers from the list. For instance, the main songwriter by a long shot in Pink Floyd was Roger Waters. But reports were he wasn’t the greatest of bass players. But boy could he write and arrange music. Plus the lyrics. In that band, David Gilmour was the one who could play the instrument of choice as well (up to you if you think Mason and/or Wright are in the running, but to me both disappeared into drugs). Yet he didn’t write very many songs of his own (were many really his, or were they just the solos?) in the main floyd run, and boy he couldn’t write lyrics. Sometimes the bass players are the musical talent behind the band, without the technical competency they demand from their instruments. Phil Lynott, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908/80 "2019-03-12T18:27:21Z")
Garth Hudson gave music lessons to the rest of the Band. Taught them all how to play their instruments. Does that count? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-with-one-great-musician/830908.md?page=5)