Form your own Prog band here
 

If you could choose anyone to form a Prog. Band, who would be in it? As I see it, you can go two ways with it (or anywhere in between). You can put together a super-group of all your favorite musicians or you can try to blend talents that you think would sound well together. I’m going to shoot for somewhere in the middle of the two.

Here’s mine,

Guitars: Steve Morse (great versatility and a technically excellent guitar player)
Steve Hackett (Blends well with any band, He would add atmosphere to the music, and can write some great Prog. Music)

Bass: Victor Wooten (I think he would sound great with Morse)

Drums: (wow so many great drummers) I think I will go with Terry Bozzio

Keyboards: Keith Emerson (goes great with the style I'm shooting for)

Lead Vocals: Peter Gabriel: (He is one of the greatest front men I have ever seen and will make for a great live show) (don’t argue Jon Anderson here, just put him in yours hehe)

Violin: (another real hard choice) Allen Sloan (I love his style and versatility)

Flute & Vocals: Ian Anderson (if he doesn’t push Peter off the stage he will be great!)


My thoughts for this band were… To build a band that could play well together so I chose very versatile musicians. I also wanted a band that could go from Classical to fast complicated timing in an instant without missing a note. I hope I got close.

NEXT……………

My personal experience tells me that Superbands never work as expected (Asia, GTR, etc), but it's always fun to create your own monster:

Vocals: Peter Gabriel and Annie Haslam, perfect balance with two different and opposite voices that would cover all the musical ranges.

Guitar: Steve Howe and Steve Hackett, would also cover virtuoso playing with Hackett atmospheres.

Keyboards: Even though Rick Wakeman is the greatest genius in keyboards, his presence would guarantee that the band wouldn't last more than one or two albums :D so I would go with Tony Banks, the perfect guy for band, his small ego (compared with Wakeman and Emerson) let's him be a part of the machine instead of the front man.

Bass: If we can choose dead people, I would go with Gary Thain, the greatest bassist in history (IMHO), but if you have to choose a living legend, I'd go with Tony Levin.

Drums: Even though there are great names to choose, I choose Manu Katche, he's incredible.

Flute and backing vocals: Who else, Ian Anderson.

Violin: Jean Luc Ponty, an underrated genius.

Iván

Geat Choices!

We are pretty close on this one, Steve Howe was on my short list.



I was struggling between Jean Luc and Sloan. I chose Allen because of Morse. Had I chose Howe we would have been incredibly close. I think the Dregs fan in me came out a little :p

Hey Argon, it's funny, I've done this excercize in many other forums and it's the first time I find one so close to my usual choice. What's motre impressive is that is the first time someone includes violin and flute.

To be honest I only read your post after I choose my names, because didn't wanted to use any reference.

I was also was having troubles with the violin and flute, because my runner ups are Robbie Steindhart (Kansas on Violin) and Thijs Van Leer (Focus on flute), but had to go with Ian because he's a great vocalist and guitar player (as backup) and Jean Luc because his technique is perfect.

Iván

Tricky.......
 

Vocals.............Jon Anderson
Guitar.............Steve Howe
Drums.............Bill Bruford
Bass...............Chris Squire
Keys...............Rick Wakeman

Hang on a mo.....

That's YES!!!

:D :p :D

Ivan,

Fascinating that you would choose Gary Thain. I always admired his work with Uriah Heep, but don't know of anything else he did. Any leads?

I'd have to hold out for Trey Gunn, either as the bassist or as the second (Warr) guitarist to add texture and atmosphere a la Hackett. He is one of the most creative forces in music today.

Max,

Go to:

http://www.garythain.5u.com/

Loadsa info you might like.

Being difficult again.....
 

I always thought that "supergroups" always ended up disappointing. I like Transatlantic (esp. live), but they could have been much better. I tend to think you need a blend better.

You never know how something is going to sound until you try. I always thought the Bruford incarnation with Stewart, Holdsworth, and Berlin was a great fit.

Unless you have that blend, you could match the best up and it won't work. Look at GTR!

Keith,

Thanks for the info. Makes me wish I had my turntable hooked up so I could listen to some old Heep.

Most of Thain's great work was during his few years in Uriah Heep, because he started playing in low profile bands, and after Heep he was to ill to really worry about the music.

Even that fact, his playing in Uriah Heep made him a legend, IMO the best bass player ever, along with John Entwistle and Tony Levin (the only one alive from this trio of virtuosos).

Iván

The reason I like Trey Gunn isn't just because he's a Crimsonite. He's extended the idea of playing bass into realms I've never heard anyone else explore. I think the Warr Guitar and its entire approach will revolutionize bass playing, at least in some circles.

Thain really was an excellent bassist. Like so many others, he died before his time.

Simple little prog-band:

Vocals: Peter Gabriel

Guitar: David Gilmour(he is a very versitile guitarist!)

Bass:Chris Squire

Drums:Bill Bruford

Keys:Rick Wright

The thing about "superstar" lineups is that there's a question of chemistry and musical direction. I can't see Gilmour, Bruford, and Gabriel going in anywhere near the same direction, fabulous choices though they all are. That's why Crimson is working so well together these days...even though Mastelotto and Gunn aren't the luminaries that Bruford and Levin are, the band is pulling together much more solidly than they have since the early 80s.

just like sports
 

Chemistry is always the issue - additionally, you need band members who will to a certain degree be subordinate in their thinking. I totally agree that's the most important element.

I have to take a small bit of issue with the Crimson reference. While I agree that their live shows accentuate the chemistry, they are still rehashing the same type of songs studio (the goofy Belew stuff especially). Not a big complaint, but one nonetheless.

Ah, get the Crimhead going, why doncha? ;)

Belew definitely has his silly side. Who would have ever thought to hear a Crimson song with the words, "Get jiggy with it!" Boo-dow! But the music is as complex and challenging as ever, just more compact -- 2003 Crimson is doing in 5 or 6 minutes what 70s Crimson was doing in 14 or 15. I do wish they would lose their fascination with variations on the chromatic scale (the famous "let's throw the instruments down the staircase" effect), but I think Belew's silliness lightens up the band. They certainly seem to enjoy themselves playing together, and all four members are willing to subordinate themselves a la classic Pink Floyd when appropriate.

The last album, "The Power to Believe," didn't catch me right off, but the more I listen to it, the more layers I hear. There's a tremendous amount going on that doesn't immediately strike the ear. But there are times when I miss John Wetton's dinosaur-stomping bass and David Cross's beautiful violin ("delicacy and wood," in Fripp's terms).

Very good point about chemistry in a band. That is very important indeed!

It seems that Fripp maintained well with different band members through years.:)