When is a band no longer a band?

Lisnaholic · 09-13-2015, 07:43 AM

^ Yes, considering how great their combined playing can be on those classic albums, a lot of Manzarek´s and Krieger´s later/solo material is pretty run-of-the-mill.

On the thread topic: I read once that Soft Machine have a good claim to Most LineUp Changes Ever for a band; something like 13 different line ups, during which time all the original members were replaced. So in a way they come close to being what Roger Waters accused later Pink Floyd of being - a franchise.
For some reason, that doesn´t worry me much though. Perhaps because SM is not built around some dominant vocalist and has not been prey to such ego squabbles as Floyd. These days, I think of Soft Machine the way I think of that guitar consortium, G3; a shifting bunch of musicians who come with some guarantees about quality and style. Sorry, Roger, but a franchise is not always bad.

Psy-Fi · 09-13-2015, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lisnaholic

^ Yes, considering how great their combined playing can be on those classic albums, a lot of Manzarek´s and Krieger´s later/solo material is pretty run-of-the-mill.

On the thread topic: I read once that Soft Machine have a good claim to Most LineUp Changes Ever for a band; something like 13 different line ups, during which time all the original members were replaced. So in a way they come close to being what Roger Waters accused later Pink Floyd of being - a franchise.
For some reason, that doesn´t worry me much though. Perhaps because SM is not built around some dominant vocalist and has not been prey to such ego squabbles as Floyd. These days, I think of Soft Machine the way I think of that guitar consortium, G3; a shifting bunch of musicians who come with some guarantees about quality and style. Sorry, Roger, but a franchise is not always bad.

Embryo and Savoy Brown have Soft Machine beat by a mile when it comes to lineup changes. In Embryo's case, they claim to have had 400+ different members since the band's founding in 1969!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoy_Brown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo_%28band%29

Lisnaholic · 09-13-2015, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psy-Fi

Embryo and Savoy Brown have Soft Machine beat by a mile when it comes to lineup changes. In Embryo's case, they claim to have had 400+ different members since the band's founding in 1969!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savoy_Brown

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryo_%28band%29

^ lol. Both those bands certainly beat Soft Machine, Psy-Fi! Mentioning Savoy Brown reminded me immediately of John Mayall and Alexis Korner, whose bands were like way stations for every aspiring blues-rocker of the time...

09-13-2015, 07:43 AM	#1 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	^ Yes, considering how great their combined playing can be on those classic albums, a lot of Manzarek´s and Krieger´s later/solo material is pretty run-of-the-mill. On the thread topic: I read once that Soft Machine have a good claim to Most LineUp Changes Ever for a band; something like 13 different line ups, during which time all the original members were replaced. So in a way they come close to being what Roger Waters accused later Pink Floyd of being - a franchise. For some reason, that doesn´t worry me much though. Perhaps because SM is not built around some dominant vocalist and has not been prey to such ego squabbles as Floyd. These days, I think of Soft Machine the way I think of that guitar consortium, G3; a shifting bunch of musicians who come with some guarantees about quality and style. Sorry, Roger, but a franchise is not always bad. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953