Dream Lineup/Ultimate Band

[Braddock]

I'm sure there are tons of these threads already and this likely won't be the last, but what the hey. In the spirit of fun and good vibes conversation, let's give it a shot! I'll kick things off.

Guitars - Allan Holdsworth, Frank Zappa
Bass - John Patitucci
Keys - Chick Corea
Drums - Vinnie Colaiuta
All members working collectively and contributing equally to all original compositions.
If vocals are needed - Frank Zappa, maybe Deborah Harry (Blondie) and Gabriele Kerner (aka Nena)

Well that's my wild and crazy lineup. What's yours?

 

[Bob_Ross]

Y'know, when I was young I used to play this same game. Then I started buying albums based on a similar approach: "Hey, look, this record has blah-blah-blah on sax and yadda-yadda on piano and whatshisname on drums...I think I'll buy it!"

The number of genuinely crappy albums I wound up with by using that criteria was truly alarming, and I think it cured me of ever again imagining that just because a bunch of musicians are masters of their respective instruments, that doesn't mean they will be complimentary or even compatible when thrust into a band together.

 

[Klaxxi]

I would say my ultimate lineup would be Maynard James Keenan on vocals, Danny Carrey on drums, Adam Jones on guitar, and Justin Chancellor on bass.

 

[Braddock]

Y'know, when I was young I used to play this same game. Then I started buying albums based on a similar approach: "Hey, look, this record has blah-blah-blah on sax and yadda-yadda on piano and whatshisname on drums...I think I'll buy it!"

The number of genuinely crappy albums I wound up with by using that criteria was truly alarming, and I think it cured me of ever again imagining that just because a bunch of musicians are masters of their respective instruments, that doesn't mean they will be complimentary or even compatible when thrust into a band together.

Thank you for the insight and your input. Yeah, I could imagine that and understand where you're coming from. But that isn't the idea here at all. This isn't meant to be taken so seriously. This is hypothetical talk just for fun and lighthearted conversation.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Not your average "super group", per se, just some out of left field names who I think would be monumental together;

Gimme

Warren Haynes - Guitar/Vocals
Otiel Burbridge - Bass/Vocals
Grace Potter - Guitar/Keys/Vocals
Joe Krown - Keys/Vocals
Jeffrey "Jellybean" Alexander - Drums
The Shady Horns - Ryan Zoidis (Saxes) Eric Bloom (Trumpet)

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Bruce Kulick (former KISS & currently with Grand Funk Railroad)
Lemmy
Jason Bonham (Ginger Baker if he'd come out of retirement)

 

[bearhart74]

Dennis Chambers on drums.
Giovanni Hidalgo - Percussion.
Jeff Beck - Guitar.
Herbie Hancock - Keys.
TOP Horns.
Ella Fitzgerald - Vocals
Bass - Pino

 

[Bob_Ross]

This isn't meant to be taken so seriously. This is hypothetical talk just for fun and lighthearted conversation.

I hear ya. One thing I always wondered about was, could you put together a hypothetical "supergroup" of bona-fide virtuosos on their respective instruments who were also world-class A-level singers? E.g., George Benson on guitar, and Narada Michael Walden on drums, and George Duke on keyboards, and...

um...

er...

Hmm. So that's where I would always get stuck: Who would be the bass player?
I mean, Stanley Clarke and Alphonso Johnson and Jeff Berlin have all sung...but I don't think anyone in their right mind would consider them world-class A-level singers. Is Mark King a bona-fide virtuoso on the bass, or is he just a slap specialist? Chris Squire was an iconic cutting-edge trendsetter on bass with a lovely singing voice, but he would've sucked in a group with Benson, Walden, & Duke. Likewise Paul McCartney. Maybe Tony Levin?

Actually, nowadays I would probably say Richard Bona or Nathan East, but back when I used to play this game they weren't household names.

 

[Braddock]

I hear ya. One thing I always wondered about was, could you put together a hypothetical "supergroup" of bona-fide virtuosos on their respective instruments who were also world-class A-level singers? E.g., George Benson on guitar, and Narada Michael Walden on drums, and George Duke on keyboards, and...

um...

er...

Hmm. So that's where I would always get stuck: Who would be the bass player?
I mean, Stanley Clarke and Alphonso Johnson and Jeff Berlin have all sung...but I don't think anyone in their right mind would consider them world-class A-level singers. Is Mark King a bona-fide virtuoso on the bass, or is he just a slap specialist? Chris Squire was an iconic cutting-edge trendsetter on bass with a lovely singing voice, but he would've sucked in a group with Benson, Walden, & Duke. Likewise Paul McCartney. Maybe Tony Levin?

Actually, nowadays I would probably say Richard Bona or Nathan East, but back when I used to play this game they weren't household names.

My favorites have already changed by now, lol. Now that I think of it, why couldn't we go a different route though and you yourself play bass with all your favorite musicians? Too bad I wouldn't know enough Jazz theory yet (or maybe never will) to keep up with my favorites. One of these I'll quit being lazy and try to work at it, lol.

In that train of thought, my dream band to play with would be:
Guitar - Allan Holdsworth and Frank Zappa
Bass - ME
Keys - Gus Fogle
Drums - Bill Bruford

Now if I can only find Doc Brown or someone else inventing a time machine, LOL.

 

[T_Bone_TL]

Meh - put the effort you might put into this into finding real live people in your area to actually play with. That's a lot more ultimately rewarding than fantasy bandball.

 

[Braddock]

Meh - put the effort you might put into this into finding real live people in your area to actually play with. That's a lot more ultimately rewarding than fantasy bandball.

Eh, this is just for fun and converstation but I agree. Unfortunately, finding dedicated musicians in East Kentucky that also want to play really obscure Jazz Fusion is near impossible.

 

[NullPorch]

I've got to do a few for different genres:

Heavy Metal:
Vocals - Johannes Eckerström (from Avatar)
Guitars - Dimebag and Buzz Osborne
Drums - Dave Grohl
Bass - Paul D'Amour

Experimental Metal:
Vocals - Andrew Mailleux (from Rishloo)
Guitars - Adam Jones and Jerry Cantrell
Drums - Baard Kolstad (from Leprous)
Bass - Jon Stockman (from Karnivool)

Grunge:
Vocals - Chris Cornell
Guitars - Matt Pike (from Sleep) and Jerry Cantrell
Drums - Matt Cameron
Bass - Al Cisneros (also from Sleep)

Stoner/Heavy-Psych
Vocals - Guy from Derelics and Layne Staley
Guitars - Rutger Smeets (from Sungrazer) and Adam Jones (possibly also George Harrison)
Drums - Matt Cameron
Bass - Jeff Ament (exclusively on fretless/double bass)

Noise/Art Rock:
Vocals - Guy from Bernelius (maybe Kurt and Steve occasionally)
Guitars - Kurt Cobain, Witold (from Black Temple), and Steve Albini
Drums - Danny Carey
Bass - Dominic "Forest" LaPointe (from Beyond Creation) or Linus Klausenitzer (from Obscura)


Might be some weird combinations or choices for certain groups but I was trying to come up with the most genuinely interesting and "freshest" sorts of sounds I could think of for each. Sorry for all the obscure people mixed in but once in a while you find those random gems that absolutely trounce any of the well-established icons. I know a lot of my picks I can't find their names reliably enough to cite here.