# What is the Greatest Disparity in Coolness of Former Bandmates? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497 "2009-11-22T03:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/61 "2009-11-24T12:52:39Z")
Outkast: with Andre 2000 and the other guy ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/62 "2009-11-24T13:11:56Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Andrew Ridgley had no purpose other than to be a front. Both Michael and Ridgely later said, that Andrew Ridgely did virtually nothing in the band. All the stuff he was credited for was made up. Be he and Michael were friends so Ridgely was in and that was that. Thank goodness we have the tabloids to bring the earth-shattering news that [Andrew Ridgeley looks quite a bit older than he did 20 years ago](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1216592/Wham-star-Andrew-Ridgeley-succumbs-ageing-process.html). It’s almost as if he’s a normal human being with hair that falls out, and everything! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/63 "2009-11-24T13:16:34Z")
With a few exceptions, I’m not that sure I can truly tell which ones are cool/not cool. Big what if is the definition of cool. A lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes that would reverse your perceptions, I’m sure, if you knew. And like thoses “who’s the best \_\_\_\_” threads, YMMV extremely wildly. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/64 "2009-11-24T13:33:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Bob Dylan and Garth Hudson of his backing group (and later the Band). What? Garth Hudson was hella cool. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/65 "2009-11-24T13:42:07Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Mike Mills of REM always stuck out like a sore thumb in band photos as being especially geeky-looking. They should have airbrushed _his_ face! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/66 "2009-11-24T13:45:27Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman Is there someone here who’s not cool? My monitor is frosting over. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/67 "2009-11-24T17:41:47Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina. Actually, that’s more a disparity in subsequent success, 'cause I always liked Messina better. Speaking of Jim Messina, how about Buffalo Springfield… on the one hand you have Neil Young (incapable of being anything other than cool), and on the other you have Richie Furay and Jim Messina, purveyors of easy listening pop via such aggregations as Poco, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, and Loggins & Messina. (Where Steve Stills fits in on that continuum is a matter of debate; I put him towards the cool end.) ---
**Author:** ![akrako1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@akrako1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akrako1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/68 "2009-11-24T23:09:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Cher was kinda cool, but Sonny got all square and shit. Can’t speak about his later work, but in the 60’s, Sonny was especially known for being one of the best dressed in Hollywood - followed pretty heavily by the kids of the day. > [@Talon\_Karrde](#): > > I’m sure Paul has done some good stuff, but he’s the closest Beatle to being lame. John, on the other hand, became even cooler after the Beatles. I think Yoko had a good influence on him. > I’m sure lots of people strongly disagree with what I just said. During the Beatles later years, Paul was actually the ‘cooler’ of the bunch. While John spent most of his time living a bohemian lifestyle in his country house, Paul was actually more the hipster - living in London and staying ‘on the scene’. He seemed more up on the cutting edge of the day - even giving interviews trying to explain psychedelic music to the crusty establishment. > [@Talon\_Karrde](#): > > Mike Love and pretty much everyone else from the Beach Boys. > [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Dennis was cool. He was the cool guy Brian used as inspiration to write the surf songs of early Beach Boys. > Al Jardine, on the other hand, looks a bit funny. Brian, for the record, never surfed and HATED having to write music about surfing. And most music historians definitely wouldn’t call their early surf-music “cool”. Their “coolest” period started with “Pet Sounds”, continued into the “Smile”-era and into the early 1970’s. For those unaware, this is their period of maturing musically, analogous to the Beatles post-Rubber Soul innovative period. Building insanity aside, Brian was definitely the coolest of the bunch - writing and doing all the production himself, or with a cool, literate partner (Van Dyke Parks) Dennis was also pretty cool back in the day… even when he hooked up with Manson. See “Never Learn Not To Love” for a Beach Boys cover of a Manson song! Carl Wilson also had some cool periods. See “Feel Flows” for probably the most psychedelic Beach Boys number ever! Mike Love. never very cool at all… sorry cousin. Ever the square, he’s responsible for basically forcing Brian to dumb down the lyrics (and title!) to “Hang On To Your Ego”… \* “I was aware that Brian was beginning to experiment with LSD and other psychedelics,” explained Love. “The prevailing drug jargon at the time had it that doses of LSD would shatter your ego, as if that were a positive thing… I wasn’t interested in taking acid or getting rid of my ego.”\* Not very “cool” Mike, good thing you kept that ego too… or we might never have had “Kokomo”! ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/69 "2009-11-24T23:28:57Z")
Michael Stipe and Mike Mills (Oops. **Colophon** beat me to it.) ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/70 "2009-11-25T00:02:07Z")
The KISS band without makeup look like habidashers. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/71 "2009-11-25T00:10:25Z")
> [@SiXSwordS](#): > > Even dead, Jim Morrison has it over Robby Krieger. It’s a lot easier to be cool when you’re dead. Your fans never see you get old, soft, sell out, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Baldy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Gary\_Baldy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Baldy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/72 "2009-11-25T00:41:25Z")
How about Rick James and Neil Young? I guess it depends on the type of music you enjoy to decide who gets assigned cool or lame… ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/73 "2009-12-04T03:58:34Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Jefferson Airplane: Jorma & Jack became Hot Tuna & stayed cool. The rest became friggin’ Starship. Yeah, this. I was going through the thread thinking, “But…everybody’s cool! Some cooler than others (Freddie), but…” However, I saw a Where Are They Now interview with Gracie, and she’s doing art and letting her hair go gray. She seems pretty cool now. When singing how she built this city, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/74 "2009-12-04T04:39:40Z")
\*\*Neil Young \*\*and **Graeme Nash**. I mean, _Our House_ vs _Cinnamon Girl_ and about 50 other songs? Game over, folks. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/75 "2009-12-04T04:54:16Z")
IMO Annie Lennox massively outcooled Dave Stewart in _Eurythmics_. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/76 "2009-12-04T05:51:11Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Dennis was cool. He was the cool guy Brian used as inspiration to write the surf songs of early Beach Boys. > > Al Jardine, on the other hand, looks a bit funny. > [@akrako1](#): > > Mike Love. never very cool at all… sorry cousin. Ever the square, he’s responsible for basically forcing Brian to dumb down the lyrics (and title!) to “Hang On To Your Ego”… \* “I was aware that Brian was beginning to experiment with LSD and other psychedelics,” explained Love. “The prevailing drug jargon at the time had it that doses of LSD would shatter your ego, as if that were a positive thing… I wasn’t interested in taking acid or getting rid of my ego.”\* Not very “cool” Mike, good thing you kept that ego too… or we might never have had “Kokomo”! Yeah, I actually meant that Mike Love was the uncool one. I’m kind of embarrassed that anyone would think I’d call Mike Love cool. Funny looking or not, I like Al Jardine’s singing. > [@akrako1](#): > > During the Beatles later years, Paul was actually the ‘cooler’ of the bunch. While John spent most of his time living a bohemian lifestyle in his country house, Paul was actually more the hipster - living in London and staying ‘on the scene’. He seemed more up on the cutting edge of the day - even giving interviews trying to explain psychedelic music to the crusty establishment. John definitely had his ups and downs. It was later in his life that he was at his best. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/77 "2009-12-04T05:55:25Z")
The lyric about “pataphysical science” in _Maxwell’s Silver Hammer_, an obscure reference to a phrase coined by the eccentric late-19th century French playwright Alfred Jarry, was written by Paul and not John. That gives him some cool cred, in my book anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/78 "2009-12-04T06:11:28Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > I have the answer the this question! > > It’s the lead singer in The Monkees vs the guitarist > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts&feature=PlayList&p=0F68797C2F28586C&playnext=1&playnext\_from=PL&index=45](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts&feature=PlayList&p=0F68797C2F28586C&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=45) > > Look how cool the guitarist is with his composure, the riff, and even a hipster hat. Actually, the bass player is the coolest guy in that clip. He’s so cool, he’s invisible! > [@Colophon](#): > > Thank goodness we have the tabloids to bring the earth-shattering news that [Andrew Ridgeley looks quite a bit older than he did 20 years ago](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1216592/Wham-star-Andrew-Ridgeley-succumbs-ageing-process.html). It’s almost as if he’s a normal human being with hair that falls out, and everything! :eek: Holy crap, that guy’s _only_ three years older than me? ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/79 "2009-12-04T06:18:12Z")
Huh, I was told that he made up something that he thought sounded cool. The guy who told me that was usually full of shit, though. ETA: That was in response to **Argent Towers** ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497/80 "2009-12-04T08:38:52Z")
How about Vangelis and Demis Roussos? I don’t know if Vangelis is exactly “cool”, but Demis sure isn’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-greatest-disparity-in-coolness-of-former-bandmates/518497.md?page=3)