Good guitar player, but bad band?

[NiMo]

OP. Jimi Hendrix Experience weak link was Noel Redding. Mitch Mitchell's jazz style helped make their studio songs interesting. Jimi's creative mind was his/their best asset. Their live performances were drawn out and boring. Their studio work, sound exploration, layered guitar, Jimi's rhythms and fills far eclipses his live lead playing.

The youtube clip below from this (very interesting) documentary https://www.roku.com/whats-on/movie...-ladyland?id=88ec4102e9ca564f9aa51a91014526f8 provides insight.


Here's a few songs Mitch Mitchell shine on,
Starting with my favorite Hendrix Experience song first

 

[Miff]

Yeah, George Harrison's pickup band when I saw him back in the 70's. Some thrown together Tom Scott and the whatevers, a guy name Robben something or other on guitar. Horns squawking, ehh. I really wanted them all to shut up so I could listen to the best guitarist in the world (its true, I believe Playboy polls proved it).

Many of George’s albums were like that. He was a great songwriter but I don’t rate him as a self-producer or arranger - he seemed to allow everyone in the band to play too much, and all at the same time (but in a muddle rather than a Spector wall-of-sound).

 

[drmordo]

I can see your point. However, do you think SRV wanted a more dynamic band? They were the best roadhouse/shuffle band in the land.
Lest we forget, they were all still young of age when SRV passed away and didn't have the years to develop different sounds and dynamics. SRV and Double Trouble will always be tagged with "What if"? We will never know.

You raise an interesting but ultimately not relevant point. SRV may very well have wanted a boring drummer, many non-drummers think all they want is a "time keeper". But a time keeper is a drum machine, not a drummer, and - crucially - the OP asked for instances when the guitar player was way better than the band.

That said, I agree that SRV's bass player was great. It was just the drummer who was thoroughly mediocre.

 

[00HEFF]

I absolutely agree!
Shannon and Layton were also perfect foils for the Dynamic Duo Doyle and Charlie in the too short lived Arc Angels.
Tommy and Chris (and Reese) were completely up to the level of SRV.
Mitch Mitchell indeed lifted Jimi.
I thought Noel Redding was kinda lame, and Billy Cox was a better fit.
I’d have preferred Mitch Mitchell to Ginger Baker in Cream.
Badasses, all!

Well, now that you mention it, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Total slop.

Band of Gypsies was far tighter and professional.

I agree with this! Live at Fillmore Machine Gun has such a groove in it, huge difference. Of course it was live and magic caught in a bottle, but that was pinnacle Hendrix for me

 

[Colo Springs E]

One example that comes to mind was the band put together for Boston's first tour. I'll probably get crucified for this, but it's true. And this comes from a Boston fanboy.

I knew one of Epic's attorneys at the time; he said they signed only Scholz and Delp as 'the band' and the other guys were simply brought in by Scholz. Before the first tour, they played a few showcases that went "okay," but the first 10 or so shows were so bad, Epic came this close to canceling the tour and dropping the band. They just couldn't get it together onstage.

Which is weird because Goudreau, Sheehan, and Hashian were good musicians. It was a chemistry thing that took some time to develop.

I saw them Summer of either 78 or 79 as part of a fest. They sounded terrible. I wrote it off to their studio sound being so polished that maybe it just hold up well live, but whatever it was, they sucked.

Didn't help that a new up and coming band name Van Halen were on before them and blew everyone away.

 

[Colo Springs E]

Eddie Van Halen in all Van Halen bands post the original with David Lee Roth.

Hmmm, dunno about that. I didn't pay as much attention to VH after the second album, and never cared for Hagar's vocals or time in the band. But it still seemed to me Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony were a solid rhythm section for Eddie.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Does Glen Campbell’s stint with the Beach Boys count?

Or Joe Walsh's with the Eagles?

 

[Papanate]

Sure, outside of the 38 albums with numerous certifications, live albums, movies, tours, book, etc, he hasn’t had much going on.

Output doesn't mean Quality - I happen to not like his work over the last 25 years -

 

[MTPoteet]

Not a "band" but a backing band with a good guitar player comes to my mind. I am talking of Roy Buchanan.I never had the chance to see him live, but have watched some concerts on video. And I discovered the difference between (for my taste) a good and a "not so good" backing band.
I think on "Live from Austin TX" (1976) he has a very good backing band.On the other hand the backing band on "Live at Rockpalast" (1985) sounds a little bit boring and liveless to me.
I do not say I could have done it better , I am only talking of my personal impressions and taste.So I think - compared to the band he had in 1976 - the band from 1985 is "not so good". (Although I do not want to call them "bad") .

I think Roy would come to town with his guitar and amp and the promoter (or possibly his manager) would supply/pick the back up band.
I have some friends who played as his backup band in Denver at least a couple of times. I asked the bass player once how he got the gig, he said "They called me (I don't know who they are) and asked if I could play Green Onions. That was it, he had the gig.

 

[tlsmack]

Or Joe Walsh's with the Eagles?

I've had threads locked for less inflammatory remarks than that.

 

[Colo Springs E]

I saw the Cars the first time they came to the Roxy. PUTRID. Not a little bad, BAD. We were so bummed. Could not listen for awhile after that.. got over it. Don't know if they ever got their live thing together.

Wow, that surprises me! It also surprises me to consider that, I've never seen the Cars! Just never had the right opportunity I guess. But I am a little shocked that they would've sucked. Maybe just a bad night?

 

[getbent]

Wow, that surprises me! It also surprises me to consider that, I've never seen the Cars! Just never had the right opportunity I guess. But I am a little shocked that they would've sucked. Maybe just a bad night?

dunno. it was painful. When we got in the car, we were silent for a minute, then facing a long drive from hollywood to scenic anaheim, we went to Naugles, got food and just bemoaned how they must be a 'fake' band and they couldn't play... it was disturbing. I saw a ton of great shows at the venue (Muddy Waters, Springsteen--live on kmet) Ronstadt, jackson browne, I mean TONS of shows... it was terrible.

I remember going to see Dave Mason at the Long Beach arena (he later had a live album from the tour) and during the show we laughed that no one in his band including dave, ever moved. The stood still the whole show, during the 'acoustic set' they sat still. It was absolutely note perfect but my friend Rick forever called him 'no moves mason' after. When the double record came out and we saw that the show we saw was recorded, I thought, 'oh they were concentrating!'

The Cars hardly moved the night we saw them... maybe just a terrible night. I still think they are fantastic and I have spent money on them, but the night I saw them... it was hoogie boogieland.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I've had threads locked for less inflammatory remarks than that.

Yeah, I hear Glenn Frey never forgave Jeff "the Dude" Bridges for The Big Lebowski.

 

[HaWE]

I think Roy would come to town with his guitar and amp and the promoter (or possibly his manager) would supply/pick the back up band.
I have some friends who played as his backup band in Denver at least a couple of times. I asked the bass player once how he got the gig, he said "They called me (I don't know who they are) and asked if I could play Green Onions. That was it, he had the gig.

Yes, I think you are right.And the guys from this backing band of the Rockpalast Concert to me look more like some 80`s new wave musicians thrown into the adventure of a backing band for Roy.The second guitar player also plays organ on "Green Onions" but for my impression it seems that he does not really know the song, at least not good enough for a professional backing band.

 

[Sparky472]

I happen to not like his work over the last 25 years -

That is a very different story.

 

[NiMo]

The Cars you say?


Elliot Easton, dude had great leads on their early albums

 

[soul-o]

I have heard a number of people say that the Cars were an awful live act- one a musical legend who said they were all telling him how much they loved his work and then, when he saw them play, he felt really cruddy that they told him that. It’s hard to figure out. Elliot is a fantastic lead guitarist, Ric certainly had his rhythm guitar chops- those are some deadly 8th notes in most of their songs, Ben was a solid bass player and heartthrob vocalist and he and Ric had been gigging together for years before the Cars. Dave Ronbinson certainly had previous gig bona fides with the Modern Lovers and DMZ and Greg Hawkes was a creative force. How could they have been so lousy that so many people remember it?

 

[getbent]

I have heard a number of people say that the Cars were an awful live act- one a musical legend who said they were all telling him how much they loved his work and then, when he saw them play, he felt really cruddy that they told him that. It’s hard to figure out. Elliot is a fantastic lead guitarist, Ric certainly had his rhythm guitar chops- those are some deadly 8th notes in most of their songs, Ben was a solid bass player and heartthrob vocalist and he and Ric had been gigging together for years before the Cars. Dave Ronbinson certainly had previous gig bona fides with the Modern Lovers and DMZ and Greg Hawkes was a creative force. How could they have been so lousy that so many people remember it?

I saw them in, I think, early 78... maybe they had stuff going on, who knows. I still think they are awesome and the video that was posted of them in 79 sounds great. One thing I know about really really great bands is that they are THE most consistent and night after night, they can bring it. I know there are exceptions, but they ARE exceptions.

One of the great quotes Don Henley had was that he said about the Eagles 'the worst we were going to be was perfect'.... People slag the Eagles (among the most popular and best selling bands in history) but, having seen Led Zepplin 3 times (one of the performances had Page fall through the drums drunk and they had to pause the concert) or a much lesser band like Pablo Cruise where Jenkins passed out on stage... I saw the Eagles probably 30 times and Henley wasn't wrong. Funny, critics of the band complain that they were 'too perfect' and sterile. umm, yeah, okay... jealousy is a funny thing!

Elliot Easton is an AMAZING guitarist... I'm sure they got it down and became a rippin live act, I'm just recounting a true and personal experience.