# Indispensible Band Members ("It's Not \_ Without \_") **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408 "2003-08-11T15:57:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/61 "2003-08-13T01:38:02Z")
Would it be KISS without Paul or Gene? I think not. ---
**Author:** ![punkkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@punkkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/punkkid)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/62 "2003-08-13T02:01:29Z")
No **Rancid** without **Matt Freeman** ; **The Clash** wasn’t the same when **Mick Jones** got the boot, but I think the really indispensible one was **Joe Strummer R.I.P.** ; **Bad Religion** wouldn’t be **Bad Religion** without either **Greg Graffin** or **Mr. Brett** ; Finally, I think **Asian Dub Foundation** just sucks without **Deedar Zamaan** ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/63 "2003-08-13T02:09:06Z")
It would not be Genesis without Tony Banks. Was _Calling All Stations_ (an album without Phil Collins) a Genesis album? IMHO, yes (and it was a move in the right direction, too). Would The Police be able to reform without Sting? IMHO, all three members are essential. (The early stuff without Summers is more of a pseudo-Police to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/64 "2003-08-13T10:05:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > re: Roger Waters > If only he’d stopped with _The Wall_. Instead, he put out one essentially unlistenable PF album (_The Final Cut_), then released a handful of completely unlistenable solo albums that made it perfectly clear David Gilmour was responsible for the vast majority of all that great Floyd music. I love love love The Final Cut and listen to it often. I haven’t gotten into his solo stuff but would give it a listen. Basically, I dig all the PF stuff until Waters left. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/65 "2003-08-13T12:52:01Z")
Primus actually did suck once Tim Alexander left. I know Les Claypool was indespensable, but Tim’s drumming was impossible for them to match. Chris Cornell makes every group he is in. His vocals are incredible. The Who is nothing without John Entwistle. All the members of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are important to the band’s success. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/66 "2003-08-13T19:58:21Z")
No Bruce Springsteen without the E Street Band No Neil Young without Crazy Horse ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/67 "2003-08-13T20:04:56Z")
**moejuck** , I agree about Primus. I’m glad Herb will be with them for their tour this Fall. Hope I get to see it… It’s not Cream without Clapton, Bruce and Baker. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/68 "2003-08-13T20:18:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rolandgunslinger \* > \*\*Would it be KISS without Paul or Gene? > > I think not. \*\* depends. I think, image-wise, it wouldn’t, but as far as talent goes, Gene is expendable. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/69 "2003-08-13T20:23:10Z")
No Bruce Springsteen without the E Street Band No Neil Young without Crazy Horse ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/70 "2003-08-13T20:31:58Z")
No Nine Inch Nails without Trent Renor (heh heh) Also, I’m one of the Floyd fans who doesn’t care for Syd Barrett and liked post-Waters. I think that Waters’s solo stuff was terrible- I’d take Division Bell over KAOS, Amused, or Hitch hiking any day. I don’t think Gilmour gets enough credit; he’s written or co-written some of Floyd’s best. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/71 "2003-08-13T20:33:32Z")
Agree about no DK without Jello. Aren’t they calling themselves “The DK Kennedys” or something now? The Pixies without Frank/Francis wouldn’t be The Pixies. Or without Kim. Or without Joey. The Pixies without David Lovering might be The Pixies, though. ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/72 "2003-08-13T21:42:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*This question arises because my wife and I went to see Boston the other night (yes, we’re old fogies stuck in the 70s, and we freely admit it). > > Was it the original band? No- but Tom Scholz and Brad Delp are still there, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s still Boston. TO my way of thinking, Tom and Brad could hire ANY bassist and ANY drummer, ANY backup musicians they want, and it’s Boston. > \*\* Actually, from what I’ve read, the “original lineup” for Boston was pretty much done after the album was made … the album notes for the first album make it seem like they were a just regular band (“out of Boston …”) because it was easier to market that way. Boston has always just been a showcase for the studio wizardry of Tom Scholz, with Brad Delp’s sining to give it a distinctive voice. The touring musicians have always been rotated freely. ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/73 "2003-08-13T21:57:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\ ***moejuck** , I agree about Primus. I’m glad Herb will be with them for their tour this Fall. Hope I get to see it… > > It’s not Cream without Clapton, Bruce and Baker. \*\* Thanks Marley. I play bass, so originally I thought it was all about Les. Once I got older I started to listen more for the music and realized how incredible Herb was. Didn’t know he was going to be on the tour this fall, thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/74 "2003-08-13T22:23:25Z")
Yeah, Primus is releasing DVD on October 7 and doing a tour after that. They’ve only announced 3 dates so far, but it’ll apparently last through Thanksgiving and cover much of the US and Canada. It’ll be a two-set show, and the second set will be a full performance of _Sailing the Seas of Cheese_. ---
**Author:** ![Sikander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Sikander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sikander)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/75 "2003-08-13T22:29:31Z")
There’s no Pogues without Shane. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/76 "2003-08-13T23:09:22Z")
It’s not A without B. A. Traveling Wilburys B. Roy Orbison A. Duran Duran B. Simon Le Bon A. INXS B. Michael Hutchence A. Van Halen B. Roth A. Village People B. Leatherman A. Jan & Dean B. Jan/Dean ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/77 "2003-08-13T23:43:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vanilla \* > \*\*depends. > I think, image-wise, it wouldn’t, but as far as talent goes, Gene is expendable. > YMMV. \*\* GENE?! EXPENDABLE?!..BLASPHEMY! ---
**Author:** ![moejuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@moejuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moejuck)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408/78 "2003-08-14T02:27:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sikander \* > \*\*There’s no Pogues without Shane. \*\* Great call Sikander. I was actually at a Pogues show when McGowan failed to show. The band tried to play some tunes, but they really couldn’t do it. One of them tried to cover the vocals, but it was awful. Eventually an audience member went up and they actually let the guy sing! He was pretty good actually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/indispensible-band-members-its-not-_-without-_/194408.md?page=3)