Rock Supergroups (Good or Bad)

[PSU Dave]

What are some of the "Supergroups" that you liked or disliked?

As an avid Yes fan, there were two I can think of. First being "Asia" which had members from Yes, King Crimson and ELP. Second was GTR which had Steve Howe (Yes) and Steve Hackett (Genesis). While I attended concerts for both, I'd have to say they were both huge disappointments. Both way too commercial for my tastes and could never come close to the bars they set with their own Groups. Conversely, I thought the Traveling Wilburys got it right.

 

[Woodpecker]

The Three Tenors
Well they're on this list

 

[TenerHallTerror]

Them Crooked Vultures. they put out the best rock album of the last 20 years.

 

[Lionguy32]

I thought Audioslave was great if that qualifies.

 

[CF LION]

Blind Faith

Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream)
Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation, Cream)
Steve Winwood (Traffic, The Spencer Davis Group)
Ric Grech (Family)

 

[GreggK]

I am going to go with bad. Music isn't sports, its art. These types of things to me, turn music into purely a commercial product. And most importantly, rarely is the music any good.

Part of what makes music groups what they are, isn't only the brilliance of the musicianship, but also the limitations. Constraints push music/art to bigger and better places, and a super group is the epitome of no constraints.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Mad Season, Temple of the Dog, The Ranconteurs, Velvet Revolver. Each had their moments, but none better than their originals IMO. Could add A Perfect Circle but it’s mostly a Maynard side project between Tool and his other side project Puscifer.

 

[TenerHallTerror]

btw just came across this on youtube a few days ago.

 

[TenerHallTerror]

also revisited this soundtrack to the film "Judgment Night" (vastly underrated!) with Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Denis Leary as the villain

the soundtrack combined heavy metal groups with rap artists. Some really intense pairings (Love the Ice-T/Slayer tune "Disorder") but this one is amazing

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

also revisited this soundtrack to the film "Judgment Night" (vastly underrated!) with Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr, and Denis Leary as the villain

the soundtrack combined heavy metal groups with rap artists. Some really intense pairings (Love the Ice-T/Slayer tune "Disorder") but this one is amazing

View embedded media

The Spawn soundtrack was sort of the same - but with rock and electronic bands teaming up. Filter and The Crystal Method’s ‘Trip Like I Do’ was the standout. Along with Manson/Sneaker Pimps. Would 1000 Homo DJs count as a super group?

 

[Connorpozlee]

Golden Smog

 

[sluggo72]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

 

[Cold Smoke]

What are some of the "Supergroups" that you liked or disliked?

As an avid Yes fan, there were two I can think of. First being "Asia" which had members from Yes, King Crimson and ELP. Second was GTR which had Steve Howe (Yes) and Steve Hackett (Genesis). While I attended concerts for both, I'd have to say they were both huge disappointments. Both way too commercial for my tastes and could never come close to the bars they set with their own Groups. Conversely, I thought the Traveling Wilburys got it right.

Wilburys. Why even discuss?

 

[TenerHallTerror]

The Spawn soundtrack was sort of the same - but with rock and electronic bands teaming up. Filter and The Crystal Method’s ‘Trip Like I Do’ was the standout. Along with Manson/Sneaker Pimps. Would 1000 Homo DJs count as a super group?

Butthole Surfers and Moby play my favorite track on that one

 

[Victor E. Bell]

The various incarnations of Ringo's All Starr Band have had some good runs. On the countrified side you had the Highwaymen.

 

[TenerHallTerror]

What are some of the "Supergroups" that you liked or disliked?

As an avid Yes fan, there were two I can think of. First being "Asia" which had members from Yes, King Crimson and ELP. Second was GTR which had Steve Howe (Yes) and Steve Hackett (Genesis). While I attended concerts for both, I'd have to say they were both huge disappointments. Both way too commercial for my tastes and could never come close to the bars they set with their own Groups. Conversely, I thought the Traveling Wilburys got it right.

not to get TOO pedantic, but technically ELP is a super group



Yes had a rotating lineup of musicians.

btw, one awesome, unheralded "super group" was the line up Steve Hackett brought to Tokyo for the 1996 "Tokyo Tapes" show:

John Wetton
Chester Thompson
Ian McDonald
Julian Colbeck

their version of "Court of the Crimson King" is still my favorite:

 

[Pinkhippo PeanutButter]

Yoso https://www.vintageguitar.com/4084/former-members-of-yes-toto-return-wtih-yoso

 

[Grant Green]

Golden Smog

Especially when Jeff Tweedy was involved. Anything with Gary Louris (Jayhawks) is great.

Blind Faith

Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Cream)
Ginger Baker (Graham Bond Organisation, Cream)
Steve Winwood (Traffic, The Spencer Davis Group)
Ric Grech (Family)

Interesting story on BF. Clapton was trying to get away from the madness of Baker vs Bruce. He went to Winwood for some peace and serenity in a new project. And then Ginger Baker shows up at the door and says "I'm your drummer".
Baker was (is?) an amazing drummer, but very possibly the biggest a-hole to ever walk the planet.

 

[loosey goosey]

I really enjoy the VH1 Crossroads concept of teaming up two artists from different genres as a live act.Also,can we consider The Deads addition of John Mayer as a supergroup?

 

[HazletonLion]

Captain Beyond

 

[sss]

I really enjoy the VH1 Crossroads concept of teaming up two artists from different genres as a live act.Also,can we consider The Deads addition of John Mayer as a supergroup?

Cream anyone? The original supergroup. Their music was pretty solid.

 

[Connorpozlee]

 

[rudedude]

 

[nittany119]

I really enjoy the VH1 Crossroads concept of teaming up two artists from different genres as a live act.Also,can we consider The Deads addition of John Mayer as a supergroup?

It's not just Mayer, it's also Oteil. Jeff Chimenti is no slouch either.
May want to consider Fare Thee Well a supergroup then, as Chimenti was in as was Trey.

I'd add Derek & the Dominoes as a great supergroup.

 

[rudedude]

 

[rudedude]

Just XTC in another guise but great psychedelia!

 

[rudedude]

Col Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains
Les Claypool Primus
Bernie Worrell Parliament/Funkadelic
Brains Primus
Buckethead
I saw them in Philly at Electric Factory

Oysterhead
Les Claypool Primus
Trey Anastasio Phish
Stewart Copeland The Police

 

[rudedude]

Fantômas
Mike Patron Faith No More/Mr Bungle
Buzz Osborne Melvin’s
Dave Lombardo Slayer
Trevor Dunn Mr Bungle

Saw them open for Tool in Wilkes Barre

 

[Howie'81]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

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The best of them all, IMHO.

 

[sss]

Fantômas
Mike Patron Faith No More/Mr Bungle
Buzz Osborne Melvin’s
Dave Lombardo Slayer
Trevor Dunn Mr Bungle

Saw them open for Tool in Wilkes Barre

Did they play any actual songs that you could discern? this sounded like a group I would be most interested in, and then I heard some things they were calling music which just sounded like people banging on whatever items they found laying around.

 

[LuvDaLions]

Maybe not the best by most peoples opinions, but my personal favorite was Bad Company.

-Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke from Free
-Mick Ralphs from Mott The Hoople
-Boz Burrell from King Crimson

So if your ranking them as "Good" or "Bad" I guess you have to say ther are "Bad (Co)"

 

[mrtailgate]

The Louisiana Gator Boys, the greatest assemblage of musical talent the world has ever seen.

 

[anon_1eeb2b426hv3y]

I am going to go with bad. Music isn't sports, its art. These types of things to me, turn music into purely a commercial product. And most importantly, rarely is the music any good.

Part of what makes music groups what they are, isn't only the brilliance of the musicianship, but also the limitations. Constraints push music/art to bigger and better places, and a super group is the epitome of no constraints.

Agree and respectfully disagree. Music is art. There are so many natural constraints on the creation of good and innovative music that having great artists collaboarate is a great thing, provided their diverted attention doesn’t detract from their own stuff.

 

[rudedude]

Did they play any actual songs that you could discern? this sounded like a group I would be most interested in, and then I heard some things they were calling music which just sounded like people banging on whatever items they found laying around.

Let’s just say they are an acquired taste.

 

[rudedude]

Down
Phil Anselmo, Pepper Keenan,

 

[fkkkjm]

Mad Season, Temple of the Dog, The Ranconteurs, Velvet Revolver. Each had their moments, but none better than their originals IMO. Could add A Perfect Circle but it’s mostly a Maynard side project between Tool and his other side project Puscifer.

Mer de Noms was a defining album of my high school years. Legendary album

 

[Nitt1300]

The group the word was coined for:

 

[rudedude]

Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes

 

[rudedude]

Stephen Stills & Manassass A song popularized later by Firefall

 

[Keyser Soze 16801]

Damn Yankees -- who would have thought that a Styx - Ted Nugent mashup could work? Their music stands up pretty well to the test of time....better than most 1980s power ballads at least