I know everyone has one in mind, so here goes… If you could put together a band, who would be in it? Dead people are OK, so is taking the stage yourself (egomaniacs!). Here’s mine:
guitar: Criss Oliva (Savatage)
guitar: John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
bass guitar: Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
keyboards: J.S. Bach
drums/percussion: Dave Lombardo (Slayer)
vocals: Ray Alder (Fates Warning)
P.S.: Coldfire, come up with your own list. don’t just second mine. 
guitar: Adrian Belew
guitar: Terry Kath
bass guitar: Bootsie Collins
keyboards: Mike Garson
drums/percussion: Neal Peart
vocals: Yma Sumac
Guitar: Allan Holdsworth
Guitar: Steve Lukather
Bass: Stanley Clarke
Piano/Keys: Chick Corea
Vocals: Van Morrison
Drums: Me!
Bass: Bill Laswell
Saxaphone: Bill Clinton (United States of America)
Drums: John Right (NoMeansNo)
Guitar: Kim Thayil (SoundGarden)
Glockenspiel: Katharine Blake (Miranda Sex Garden)
Irish Bouzouki: Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance)
Keyboard: cEvin Key (Skinny Puppy)
Vocals: Katharine Blake and Brendan Perry
A whole bunch of assorted goofy percussion instruments like guiro, thundersheet, and antique cymbals: Boris B
Who’s your favorite glockenspiel player?
Satan respectfully refuses to answer this on the following grounds:
(a) Bands are exactly that - a single force driven by several individuals. This bond transcends playing ability and goes directly to the relationship amongst the individuals.
Example: Lars Ulrich is a shitty drummer. Metallica made great music with him. Dave Lombardo is a much better player, but does that make Metallica better if Lombardo was just plugged in there in his stead?
(b) Being a good musician does not in itself make a band great.
Example: Tons of wanky prog discs from the '70s with impeccable playing, but zero spirit, soul, heart and gristle to them.
© Musical dexterity is subjective anyway.
Example: Yngwie Malmsteen is considered a God by many guitar geeks. I consider him a boring bozo who wishes he was Blackmore. He plays scales fast. Yeah.
Yer pal,
Satan
Malmsteen and Vai are slick players, but wouldn’t find a good melody if they stepped on it.
J, I’ll second you list
No, just kidding. Although I REALLY like yours.
Mine:
Lead guitar: David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)
Rythm guitar: Alex Lifeson (Rush)
Bass guitar: Geddy Lee (Rush) / Les Claypool (Primus)
keyboards: Tori Amos / Kevin Moore (former Dream Theater)
Drums/percussion: Neil Peart (Rush) / Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
vocals: Geoff Tate (Queensryche) / Steve Hogarth (Marillion)
Hmmmm Rush is in there entirely, how could that be ??
Also, I took the liberty of lining up a few substitutes (although that term REALLY does them not enough justice !), I figured, hey, if we’re gonna spend some bucks on player salaries we’d better do it well
I think the term for a band consisting out of musicians that have already proven themselves in other bands etc. is “Superband”. Am I off the mark here ?
Anyway, superb thread. I’ll watch closely.
Coldfire
“You know how complex women are”
Well I agree with Satan, a band is more than the some of it’s parts, and the parts aren’t necesarily interchangable,
larry