The Lure of the Super Group

Every once in a while a band comes along that makes you wish time could stand still.  Even when you find out the record company had  a hand in putting a particular band together in an effort to sell records, the result is so fantastic; the sound, song writing, atmosphere...everything just seems to click.  There are also bands that got together simply because the members thought it would be fun to work together, and that has made for some excellent sounds on vinyl as well.  Of course, there are some "Super Groups"  that were better on paper than in the studio...

I believe in keeping things positive, so I am compiling a list here of super groups that earned the moniker.  In no real particular order--except for perhaps number one--here is a list of what I consider some of the best super groups assembled...whether by chance, determination, or a desire to clean up financially.

Super Group is defined as a band made up of members who were successful solo artists and/or members of other successful bands.  A very simple definition really and a clean way to sum it up.  So on we go...

#1- Cream has been hailed by many as the first super group, and it is certainly one of the best.  Eric Clapton had recently left John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (as famous for their fights as they were for their music) had played with Manfred Mann, Blues Incorporated, and the Graham Bond Organization.  Together this trio brought an ever appreciative audience such classics as "White Room," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strangebrew," and Tales of Brave Ulysses."  They were together for less than two years, breaking up permanently in 1968, yet managed to sell over 15 million albums...not a bad  career in and of itself.  Their blend of traditional and modern blues, hard and psychedelic rock, and that ever popular wah-wah pedal, made  Cream truly a band for the ages.  However the constant fighting between Baker and Bruce almost doomed the band from the start.

#2- Blind Faith was another group that successfully brought Eric Clapton together with Ginger Baker...and added fellow rock heavyweights Steve Winwood and Rich Grech.  I believe Winwood had left Traffic again; the "John Barleycorn Must Die" LP started out as a solo project...and more musical magic was thrust upon the masses.  The band's only album (self-titled) was released in 1969 and included such gems as "Can't Find My Way Home," "Had to Cry Today,"  and a phenomenal cover of Buddy Holly's "Well Alright."  The album itself has quite a history--and not only for the music.  The original cover was of a topless young girl rumored (falsely) to be Ginger Baker's daughter.  Banned in several countries including the US (where an alternate cover was used), Blind Faith managed to sell 500,000 copies in the first month of release...which fueled the appetite of the record labels for more groups like this that could bring in big sales fast.  But as fate would have it, another super group was doomed from the start...mix high expectation levels from the public, huge sales expectations coupled with the demand for a steady flow of albums to sell from the suits behind the scenes, four huge egos, and you have a fairly volatile potion just waiting to blow...

#3- Bad Company was the spawn of Free, where Paul Rodgers was the lead singer and Simon Kirke the drummer.  Not often thought of as a super group per se, the band was comprised of musicians who were successful in their own right prior to coming together in Bad Company.  Boz Burrell previously played bass with King Crimson and Mick Ralphs was with Mott the Hoople on guitar.  The original BC line-up lasted nine years--a long time for a super group--and released several excellent albums.  Despite their huge success and popularity, album sales were a roller coaster and in 1982 Paul Rodgers wanted out.  The band reformed in 1984 without Rodgers, who by then was busy with The Firm.  Bad Company continued on without the success of their original line-up until Rodgers returned in 1998.  Different line-ups ensued as Burrell left and Kirke retired from live performing.  As good as they were, they never recaptured that original spark...

#4- Emerson, Lake, & Palmer was known just as famously as ELP, and had originally been put together as a super group for the ages.  Built on excess, this trio sold out a 20,000 seat show before ever releasing an album...not an easy thing to do.  Coming from the Nice, King Crimson, and Atomic Rooster, the band infused jazz, electronics, keyboards, and classical music into their sound.  ELP also helped bring progressive rock to a more mainstream audience. But alas, as the story is so often told,  ego trips and in-house fighting led to the dissolution of another gathering of exemplary talent.  They released two dismal albums (for all the talent they had) to meet contractual obligations; "Love Beach" and "In Concert."  Over-the-top percussion and synthesizers upon synthesizers brought ELP as many detractors as fans.  I for one enjoyed their music, and still consider "Tarkus" one of the better progressive albums I have heard.  Break-ups and reunions through the 80's and 90's marked the end of what was intended to be a musical dynasty.

#5- Travelling Wilburys were as much fun as they were good; unfortunately the untimely death of Lefty Wilbury before the second album was recorded led to an early break-up of the band.  This was a super group that was able to check egos at the door and just have some fun.  George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne, and Tom Petty each had reached superstar status in their own right, so there probably wasn't much left to fight about.  Although two studio albums were released, the first was much more commercially successful.  Nelson Wilbury has also passed through the veil, so a reunion is highly unlikely.  The one super group I can think of that never toured, the Travelling Wilburys had a great sound that was just the right mix of five talented musicians.  Their first hit, "Handle With Care" was originally recorded as a B-side for a George Harrison single...but the band decided the song was too good to lay on the wrong side of the turntable and put out their own LP instead.

#6 The Plastic Ono Band formed in 1969 and produced some very good albums.  Basically The Beatles sans Paul McCartney along with Yoko Ono, Klaus Voormann, Alan White, Keith Moon, and Eric Clapton.  Quite a line-up and quite a band.  The band was widely perceived as a release for Lennon after the break-up of the Beatles, and the live performances were well received.

#7 Hindu Love Gods took R.E.M., removed Michael Stipe,  and added Warren Zevon.  Their cover of "Battleship Chains" on the one album released in 1990 is fantastic.

#8 Liquid Tension Experiment Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, Tony Levin, and John Petrucci put together some amazing progressive metal on the first two albums LTE I and II, and followed that up with a third release in 2007 called "Spontaneous Combustion."  Most of the songs on this third album were improvisational jams.  They also released a fourth album, "When the Keyboard Breaks: Live in Chicago" under the name Liquid Trio Experiment 2."  This was a live recording of improvised music recorded when Rudess' keyboard malfunctioned on stage and he was unable to fix it.  Sometimes the best things are not planned...

#9 Chickenfoot led by Sammy Hagar, the original trio (along with Michael Anthony and Chad Smith) added guitar master Joe Satriani when they realized they were on to something big and needed to do things right.  Their first album was released in 2009...and despite being an additional project for Smith, who also plays drums for Red Hot Chili Peppers, the band did release a second album and has been touring.  Apparently Chickenfoot is just too much fun and too damn good to stop the music...

#10 The Super Super Blues Band came together in 1967, made up of Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Spann, and Howlin' Wolf.  I just wish I was old enough in 1967 to listen to, enjoy, and appreciate what their sound must have been like...if only...

So there you have it; a list of ten Super groups in no particular order...because ranking them would be akin to asking who the better guitar player is--does it matter?  Each has a style and  their own particular sound.  And in the case of the ten groups listed here, each is better than the sum of its parts.  Trying to decide which band is better takes away from the reason the bands were formed in the first place--the music.

I know I have listed only ten groups here and there many, many more...if you have a favorite that isn't listed here my apologies...does not mean I do not like them.  Quite the contrary; I am not too proud to admit I might not have heard them play yet.  In that case, please fill me in as I am always ready for more music lessons.  There are also some super groups that in my opinion are really not-so-super...but I will refrain from listing them here.  No point in arguing and since it is my blog I get to choose what goes into it.

I chose the track below as much to educate me as to entertain you.  I have heard the Super Super Blues Band on the radio a few times, mostly on syndicated shows about the history of the blues.  I was pleasantly surprised (but not shocked) to find there were several posts on YouTube for this band. The way they interact live along with the playing is magic...luckily it was captured on tape and laid to vinyl so the masses would be able to appreciate it too.  Enjoy...

Glamrock

I know you remember  your parents hating the music you listened to as a kid--but do you remember why?  I mean the real reason...I think part of it was a fear of drugs and a total lack of understanding just what the heck was going on...let me explain-

My Mom was a huge fan of Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck (I can't believe I just wrote that), The Beach Boys, and The 5th Dimension.  My Dad listened to Neil Diamond, Andy Williams, Perry Como...you get the picture.  Pretty middle-of-the-road and predictable.  Then along came the Beatles in 1962 and my parents already had three kids and were locked into the "Hunt for the American Dream."  This left no time to explore the music scene--heck they couldn't explore any scene that did not include diapers and nap time...so I believe the music kept evolving but they got off the carousel.

Anyway, along comes the 1970's and us kids (now five strong) are starting to search for our own identities and things and people we can connect with.  Music was an obvious step in the walk through youth, and rock 'n' roll had not only grown--it had changed.  Man, had it changed.  Rare Earth, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, Jimi Hendrix, Derek and the Dominoes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and countless other bands were filling the airwaves of underground radio stations.  My parents didn't know what to make of it, and quite frankly were too busy trying to hang on to what they had to really take notice.  But as a kid time was all I seemed to have, and I was ready to explore.

I can honestly say now that there is no real rhyme or reason to the music I listen to.  I do profess a strong connection to progressive rock and a strong disdain for country, rap, and disco.  However I respect people who make their living in those genres.  For example; Chet Atkins is a great guitar player, I just don't appreciate that spectrum of the music world.  So back on course...most of what I listen to has a connection to some part of my life, which is why there are bands I do like and those I do not...even if it seems the choices are illogical based solely on who the bands/musicians are.  Remembering that the title to this blog installment is Glamrock, I will now try to explain my connection to this wing of the industry...

Glamrock was initially something that my parents hated.  They thought it was a waste of time, money, and energy, and the musicians were all talent-less and drugged up "punks in girls clothes."  But I knew better; The New York Dolls, Lou Reed, T. Rex, Gary Glitter, David Bowie, Roxy Music, and  Alice Cooper among others were a slap in the Victorian face to all that was normal.  Gender lines were smudged and the male/female roles would never be the same.  But from the smoke and glitter arose some very talented musicians.  Phil Manzanera, Brian Eno, David Johansen (AKA Buster Poindexter later in life), Andy Mackay, Dave Hill, Marc Bolan, and the aforementioned David Bowie are just a handful of the talent that was alive and well wearing make-up, flashy clothes, and sky high boots.

So while my first attraction to the music was the reaction from mom and dad, I soon I realized there was something to this glamrock stuff.  David Bowie's Diamond Dog days were some of his best, and prior to "Love is the Drug" not many people in the US knew much about Roxy Music.  T. Rex scored big with "Get it On (Bang a Gong)," Gary Glitter was doing his thing...and does anyone out there remember the band Mud?  The novelty of Glam wore off around 1976 but the music lived on...and a new breed of band was emerging as well.  The Tubes came out of San Francisco in 1975 with "White Punks on Dope," Sweet came from across the ocean around 1974, while Mott the Hoople and Be Bop Deluxe were busy making their marks.  The glamrock "movement" was still alive and well; I just believe there was more emphasis on the music and less on the shock value...even Fee Waybill had toned it down from his early days.  Bill Nelson is another guitarist with a stellar resume.

Like all things rock 'n' roll, some of the bands whose roots were sewn in glamrock soil were not so good--and some just plain sucked (IMO).  Bay City Rollers, Poison, Hanoi Rocks, David Essex, and Kiss are not bands and/or musicians I would choose to listen to...but many others did.  I prefer bands and musicians that have substance; I also understand that is an extremely subjective statement.  I believe the old saying is, "One man's fruit is another man's poison."

Glamrock was an important era in the evolution of rock 'n' roll.  It refused to follow norms, shocked our parents, and was fun to listen to; it also produced some musical heavyweights.  In the late 70's and through the 90's though, it morphed into something that pushed the envelope even further...Marilyn Manson and Bon Jovi for example...not my cup of meat but to each his own.

What separates the haves from the have-nots for me is talent, and again I understand that is a subjective thing.  Artists like Brian Eno went on to accomplish more in the music industry than many artists could ever hope to imagine.  Phil Manzanera has performed with John Cale, David Gilmour, Steve Winwood, and Godley & Creme among others.  David Johansen went on to be the band leader for Saturday Night Live in the 80's under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.

Yeah it was a fun time, but like all good things it came to an end.  Some bands still live on and most of the musicians who still have a pulse are performing somewhere, but it ain't the same.  Somehow the thought of a 70 year old Iggy Pop leaping around shirtless makes my retinas bleed...

  I found this clip on YouTube...The New York Dolls in their prime...should be self explanatory.  This one is for you Dad...