# What exactly makes a group a "power trio" in your opinion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [January 3, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600 "2023-01-03T20:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/81 "2023-01-05T21:44:32Z")
> [@Orville\_mogul](#): > > How does it work if a band has two lead guitarists, like Def Leppard? An 80’s band called **The Unforgiven** had 4 lead guitars, bass and a drummer who played standing up. So, maybe 2 power trios at once??? 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/82 "2023-01-05T21:50:30Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > What is so hard about the concept of there only being three people in a trio? Well, what if it’s guitar, bass, and drums with a very small groupie with only a broken castanet sitting on an amp just slightly off-stage… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/83 "2023-01-05T21:56:27Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > An 80’s band called **The Unforgiven** had 4 lead guitars, bass and a drummer who played standing up. Or, like 38 Special, with two drummers: [![](https://chasingthelightart.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20200229183104/38Special11-24-1980cBillOLeary005.jpg) ](https://chasingthelightart.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/20200229183104/38Special11-24-1980cBillOLeary005.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/84 "2023-01-05T22:01:34Z")
Piffle. The Dead had two drummers and I wouldn’t call them a “power” anything. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/85 "2023-01-05T22:02:05Z")
And the Allman Brothers, who had two lead guitarists and two drummers. Several versions of Traffic were a trio. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/86 "2023-01-05T22:07:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > An 80’s band called **The Unforgiven** had 4 lead guitars, bass and a drummer who played standing up. I saw a local band comprised of three guitars, that’s it. They played only their own songs and they played hard. No idea what they called themselves ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/87 "2023-01-05T22:08:00Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Well, what if it’s guitar, bass, and drums with a very small groupie with only a broken castanet sitting on an amp just slightly off-stage… I think that’s called a four way. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/88 "2023-01-05T22:26:47Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Piffle. The Dead had two drummers and I wouldn’t call them a “power” anything. Just two? I saw King Crimson in concert a couple years ago, and there were _three_ drummers. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/89 "2023-01-05T23:20:10Z")
West, Bruce, and Lang are undoubtedly a power trio. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/90 "2023-01-06T00:13:19Z")
Hey, my band has 3 members - I guess we’re a power trio! Of course, we are all in our 60s, and we play upright bass/clawhammer, guitar/fiddle, and cello mando! 😉 But we ROCK the old folks’ homes! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2023, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/91 "2023-01-06T01:09:38Z")
In the mid '90s Robert Fripp reformed King Crimson with a lineup of two guitarists, two bassists, and two drummers. He called it a “double trio.” He didn’t use the word “power,” though. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/92 "2023-01-06T03:10:41Z")
Yes, I know The Who isn’t a power trio, but Glyn John’s breakdown of “Goin’ Mobile” is an example of how Pete, John and Keith sounded without Roger on vocals. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Z5rGKrIpu4A/hqdefault.jpg "who's next part 4") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5rGKrIpu4A) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/93 "2023-01-07T06:17:06Z")
Speaking of power trios… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oAXi8WndhNY/maxresdefault.jpg "Hüsker Dü – Sorry Somehow") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAXi8WndhNY) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/94 "2023-01-07T09:57:18Z")
Hehehe, I was thinking of them when folks were mentioning that power trios were limited to a certain classic rock style, but I didn’t actually post about it. Certainly a power trio, and one of the best, (IMHO, of course). Thanks for mentioning them. Even though that track has four instruments being played at the same time through studio magic, I loves it. Plus, they could totally make it work without the organ. 😃 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zNKhCmvz2VA/maxresdefault.jpg "Sorry Somehow (Live 1985)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNKhCmvz2VA) But now that I think about it, one of my favorite bands was a power trio (after they decided they wanted guitar in the band). NOMEANSNO! Yeah, maybe one to rival Rush, even though they stuck to one instrument each (besides their voices). I kind of think the French have a way of making the best space rock, and now I’m starting to form a theory that Canada makes the best power trios. Maybe I’ll develop a theory of how bands seem to have more members as their home base approaches the equator! 🤡 Either way, I don’t know how you’d describe this live snippet as anything other than POWER TRIO!!! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7gtK_4gyf0M/hqdefault.jpg "Nomeansno - Two Lips/Rags & Bones Live and Cuddly 1990") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gtK_4gyf0M) Plus. Best. Comedy. Guitar. Solo. Ever. Seriously, the whole Live+Cuddly record rules. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2023, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600/95 "2023-01-08T13:35:04Z")
I missed if already mentioned but Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. A lot of sound from three guys. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-makes-a-group-a-power-trio-in-your-opinion/977600.md?page=4)