# Who were some relatively untalented members of otherwise-talented bands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 14, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681 "2011-03-14T18:16:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/1 "2011-03-14T18:16:34Z")
Who are some band members who were totally outclassed by their bandmates? Here’s a couple to start: Sid Vicious, by all accounts, was an awful bass player. Since Steve Jones and Johnny Rotten were pretty good as guitarist and singer, I think that counts. Meg White is/was certainly not as talented as Jack. But since Jack wanted a “dirty” sound for the White Stripes, this one can be argued,since Meg brought that to the table. Who else? ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/2 "2011-03-14T18:27:32Z")
Michelle Phillips was (in my opinion) the least talented of the Mamas and the Papas. Tragically, she’s the only one still living (I have a feeling this will be repeated, and that Ringo will be the only Beatle left at some point). ---
**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:** [March 14, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/3 "2011-03-14T19:57:11Z")
Yoko Ono, of course. With the Plastic Ono Band. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/4 "2011-03-14T19:58:06Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Yoko Ono, of course. With the Plastic Ono Band. And her Beatle-in-law Linda Eastman McCartney in Wings. Before they became big Stu Sutcliffe was a “Fifth Beatle” who had no great talent other than being well liked by the other Beatles, particularly John. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/5 "2011-03-14T20:47:28Z")
I thought Stu was John’s hetero life partner, and the other Beatles just put up with him. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/6 "2011-03-14T20:47:41Z")
I might vote for Tommy Hall, the would-be spiritual guru and electric jug player in the 13th Floor Elevators. He wasn’t really a musician, but more of a Big Idea Man, 1960s acid-style. He layered that dumb electric jug all over the Elevators’ music… kind of an interesting novelty the first time, but it wears thin fast, especially when it always sounds the same and seems to bear no discernible relationship to the rest of the music. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/7 "2011-03-14T20:48:35Z")
I may catch hell, but I say Geddy Lee. He could play bass just fine, but I always thought Rush be awesome if they just had a lead singer. His voice is unique alright, but it’s nails on a chalk board for me. ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/8 "2011-03-14T21:03:52Z")
Bez of the Happy Mondays - a kind of drugged up "dancing " mascot with maracas. Andrew Ridgely - Wham ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/9 "2011-03-14T21:08:47Z")
Bill Wyman. Every once in a while I used to hear an interesting Stones bass line and think, “Hey, Wyman finally turned one in!” Then I’d do a little research and find out the Keith Richards (“Let’s Spend the Night Together”) or Robbie Shakespeare (“Undercover of the Night”) or somebody played bass on that one. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/10 "2011-03-14T21:30:12Z")
He’s gotten better, but when \*\*Pearl Jam \*\*first came out, I wondered whose beginner kid was roped in to play lead guitar, but then found out it was a guy named **Mike McCready**. Lord he was awful in the early 90’s, but has gotten better. **The Beatles** are my favorite band and I deeply, deeply respect \*\*George’s \*\*taste (he always had the right chord or lick for the song), songwriter and overall presence as a musician, but he was not that great of a player, as I have commented many times…(but anyone who tries to cite Ringo for this thread is 100% wrong - and I don’t want to hear about it! ;)) The guitarists in \*\*Big Brother and the Holding Company \*\*supporting Janis Joplin - oh lord, they were bad. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/11 "2011-03-14T21:50:34Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I may catch hell, but I say Geddy Lee. He could play bass just fine, but I always thought Rush be awesome if they just had a lead singer. His voice is unique alright, but it’s nails on a chalk board for me. Have you listened to any of Rush’s more recent albums? Geddy’s voice has mellowed with age. He’s still Geddy, of course, but he doesn’t screech like he used to. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/12 "2011-03-14T22:01:18Z")
Perhaps he was better in the past but I saw the Pink Floyd “Delicate Sound of Thunder” tour at Nassau Coliseum in 1988. I was seated high and on stage right. Drummer Nick Mason scarcely played the drums at all that night, leaving most of it for the other drummer. Yet when video came out, it was edited to make it seem that Mason played more. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/13 "2011-03-14T22:01:31Z")
Eddie Van Halen’s brother? It’s not exactly on point, but I’ll cite Steven Adler for the proposition that you must be a serious f-ckup if your drug use gets you kicked out of _Guns’n’Roses_. ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/14 "2011-03-14T22:37:52Z")
Krist Novoselic, bass player from Nirvana. Kurt had complained he didn’t practice enough. The only remarkable work he did IMO was the opening bass line in Lounge Act. But then what do I know, he was the other founding member of Nirvana. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/15 "2011-03-14T23:05:50Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > The guitarists in \*\*Big Brother and the Holding Company \*\*supporting Janis Joplin - oh lord, they were bad. I totally, totally disagree. Technically they were kind of sloppy and unrefined, but it fit the style of music very well. I love the guitar on _Summertime_ and _Piece of My Heart._ ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/16 "2011-03-14T23:24:33Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > **The Beatles** are my favorite band and I deeply, deeply respect \*\*George’s \*\*taste (he always had the right chord or lick for the song), songwriter and overall presence as a musician, but he was not that great of a player, as I have commented many times. I agree with this to a great degree, and yet he played one of the truly great leads in all of rock on his composition “Something.” Go figure. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/17 "2011-03-14T23:41:46Z")
Poor Ringo in the Beatles had some of his tracks replaced by studio musicians on their later albums. I always thought that was because McCartney is a perfectionist. Ringo was a good drummer. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/18 "2011-03-14T23:47:37Z")
Michael Anthony of Van Halen was average at best. He was extremely lucky. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/19 "2011-03-14T23:51:51Z")
Everyone mentioned in this thread are musical geniuses, even Meg “Hey, Who Left These Drums Here?” White, compared to [Einar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einar_%C3%96rn_Benediktsson) of [the Sugarcubes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugarcubes) Dear Og, was he painful! ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681/20 "2011-03-14T23:57:15Z")
D’arcy of The Smashing Pumpkins. Only moderately talented and even moderate in the eye candy department. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-some-relatively-untalented-members-of-otherwise-talented-bands/574681.md?page=2)