Was there ever a Tighter band than...

[satchelbaglio]

Standing in shadows of Mowtown,
The Funk Brothers
Little feet, Kevin Gradney
Bonnie Raitte, Hitch Hutchison

 

[pnchad]

I think in the last few posts we're getting to the essence of what 'tightness' is.

Rehearsing is one way a set of players gets tight but mega live gigs with the same core folk really makes for communications and the ability to anticipate others playing.

Thrown together things, no matter the level of players, rarely works as a unit.

 

[Lobster11]

What He said!
That's why I've been listening to the Good Ol' Grateful Dead for four decades...but, gawd knows, they're not a part of This discussion...

"" indeed! The Grateful Dead will never win any awards for tightness, but they proved that tightness is overrated. Gimme some loosey-goosey!

 

[LT131]

I must have a different definition of 'tight'. To me, the Stones and Zep were good, but very sloppy. The exact opposite of 'tight'. Which can be cool.
Just MHO.

They are two of my favorite bands both very loose and sloppy live but, thoroughly entertaining. They had one thing, besides being a bunch of Limeys, in common. Incredible drummers. Without Bonham and Watts those bands would have been rambling wrecks. Still fun tho.

 

[lbbc]

Victor Wooten Band, Little River Band, YES, Eagles, Prince

 

[GwenOnBass]

"" indeed! The Grateful Dead will never win any awards for tightness, but they proved that tightness is overrated. Gimme some loosey-goosey!

Well I will say The Grateful Dead proved themselves very tight when I saw them on tour with Bob Dylan. Also they sounded way tight that night Ken Kesey rapped in eulogy to Bill Graham.

Edit: the 30 minutes that end the second set of April 29, 1971 at Fillmore East is massively top shelf, ultra-tight Dead, not a single note out of place, and Phil plays the most perfect two notes ever at the top of Cold Rain and Snow.

When I saw BB King in the 70s, he kept his band totally tight and playing on top of the beat. Out of left field: Horace Heidt Jr. kept his band tighter than your favorite metaphor (when I saw them). And my first response to tight is for Tito Puente.

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

So, who is this HES fellow?....

Dang it!! I was posting on a tablet. The apostrophe was on another page of characters.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Dang it!! I was posting on a tablet. The apostrophe was on another page of characters.

I pity the fool that has to type on a tablet

 

[Shortie]

Booker T and the MG's, The Meters.

 

[LT131]

Some of these posts are bringing back some really great memories! I've always defined tight as the ability to keep time, play together and generate a pulse that a live audience can't resist. It exists in different genres but even some really great bands don't possess it.

I got to see James Brown and Al Green in their prime and they were no surprise. My favorites and simply awesome. Some of the bands that surprised me were Bob Seger, Bad Company, Widespread Panic and Fleetwood Mac. Two that blindsided me were Lynyrd Skynyrd viewed in the mid 70's and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Strong, Strong, Strong, and I'm not even a huge fan of their songs or styles.

 

[Shortie]

I'd say any of the backing musicians for James Brown.

I'd say James Brown and his bands. JB was always behind it all.

 

[Shortie]

Motown - the Funk Brothers.

 

[Tbone76]

I'd say James Brown and his bands. JB was always behind it all.

An excellent point. Agreed

 

[Jafri]

 

[buldog5151bass]

It's hard to generalize. ACDC were a very tight band, but you can't compare them to a band playing more complex music.

 

[rtslinger]

Never mentioned but the we're REO speed wagon

 

[noahw1]

Any of Prince's various bands. I've been listening to a lot of bootlegs lately and damn! his live sets are extremely complex.

 

[Basshappi]

Listen to The Pat Travers Band album "Live: Go For What You Know"

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

pantera

 

[Stevorebob]

Studio bands don't count...
Zappa always had tight live players.
But, Steely Dan was built track by track.
Doesn't really count as a "tight band".

Though they have not played live often, Steely Dan is not exclusively a studio act. And they’re tight live.