Fantasy rock band

[Ben Wilson]

I imagine everyone's thought about this at some point. I hope so, anyway. Put together your own superband from musicians alive and dead, who would you have?

I'm tempted just to say 'Queen' and have done with it, but going on a rule of only one person from each existing band...

Lead singer: Freddie Mercury. Greatest front man of all time bar none.
Lead guitar: Eddie Van Halen. rarely do guitarists get quite as... enthusiastic as him.
Drummer: Keith Moon. Simply the greatest drummer of all time.
Rhythm Guitar: Ronnie Wood. Guitar genius.
Bass Guitar: John Deacon would be my first choice here but sticking with my 'one band, one member rule', it'd probably have to be Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath.

Anyone else?

[Gavin Chipper]

Bah, music players are much of a muchness - it's all about writing the music.

[Jason Larsen]

My band would just be a group of singers. They would be composed of Des O'Connor, Cliff Richard and Tony Bennett.

[M. George Quinn]

Ginger Baker was better than Keith Moon.

[Damian E]

Lead Singer - Steven Tyler, the best rock singer alive today. The Demon of Screamin'.

Lead Guitar - Mark Tremonti - Creed and Alter Bridge god. The king of shredding.

Drummer - Stewart Copeland. The Rhythmatist par excellence.

Rhythm Guitar - Ronnie Wood - have to agree with Ben.

Bass - Gene Simmons. Kiss legend and freak of nature.

[DaveC]

Bringing chaos to the masses...

Vocals/Rhythm Guitar : Ihsahn - of Emperor, Peccatum, now mostly solo - distinctly classical leanings to go with all the crazy stuff. Here's Emperor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIea3I7Pix4

Lead Guitar/Backing Voc : Chuck Schuldiner - of Death/Control Denied - alas no longer with us, but at least his mum is cool.

Bass : Steve DiGiorgio : of Testament/Iced Earth/Sadus... anyone who'll pay him. - Them sliding notes on the fretless bass adding contrast.
Here's Steve DiGiorgio and Chuck Schuldiner .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdKYpEKEak

Drums : George Kollias - of Nile, Sickening Horror. - This man is just unbelievable.
Check out the youtube if curious... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DPu7zAV8SY - advise hold jaw in hand before 2:13 to prevent dropping.

Keyboards : Sergei Rachmaninoff - .. though he'd probably prefer the piano. A pioneer of manic music for sure.
Here's the reason why (very funny) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKKlhYF53w

Dave C.

[Paul Howe]

Keyboards : Sergei Rachmaninoff - .. though he'd probably prefer the piano. A pioneer of manic music for sure.
Here's the reason why (very funny) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKKlhYF53w

Dave C.

Ha, that's great. I'm trying to learn this piece at the moment (my hands are just big enough to get by without comedy props) as it makes a nice break from revision and sadly it's one of the few Rachmaninoff pieces I have the technique to play.

If we're allowed to include modern composers I'd sling Bartok in there somewhere. I'm not sure what he'd play, but he can definitely do the whole manic wall of sound thing.

Bah, music players are much of a muchness -

Obviously said by someone who's never heard music being played well.

[Gavin Chipper]

Obviously said by someone who's never heard music being played well.

Maybe I've never heard it played badly.

[Jon O'Neill]

Paul Howe, you get cooler every post.

You're just like a better version of me.

[Damian E]

You're just like a better version of me.

Can't really be any worse, can he?

[Paul Howe]

Obviously said by someone who's never heard music being played well.

Maybe I've never heard it played badly.

I can't tell if you're being serious, or just incredibly glib. If it's the former, I'm sure you'd find my playing very educational I think it's quite rare to find a musician who can master the technical challenges involved in playing and simultaneously convey the emotional power of the music to the listener. Getting the second part right is a genuinely creative act, even when there is no improvisational element, and anyone who can do it has my utmost respect. When you say music players are much of a muchness, you're reducing them to automatons who are mindelssly executing the composer's wishes, and if you genuinely believe that I really think you're missing something.

Paul Howe, you get cooler every post.

You're just like a better version of me.

Aww, that's very kind of you to say, but also ridiculously flattering. The only thing I'm completely sure of is that I have better hair.

[Joseph Bolas]

I imagine everyone's thought about this at some point. I hope so, anyway.

I can't say I have Ben, but then I don't have good taste in music

[DaveC]

Ben Wilson wrote:
I imagine everyone's thought about this at some point. I hope so, anyway.

I can't say I have Ben, but then I don't have good taste in music

Perhaps you could share it with us, and let us be the judge of that. I very much doubt that my list above appeals to all that many people who posted... but it was definitely different so worth throwing in there.

Clearly your taste in music is what you consider to be good, so perhaps you are seeing something we are missing, worth sharing surely.

While I'm here, definitely agree with Paul on the validity of excellent musicians who play well, express the intended emotions and all that. I think this is a kind of understanding you only get from listening to music that contains a variety of moods/emotions, which is like so many other things often somewhat lacking in what ends up in the charts.

DC