Opinions wanted, what's the most significant part in a band?

[metal4ever]

I also believe the songs/music are most important to bands. I find it difficult to listen to most songs that dont have vocals, but I like a couple of instrumental songs like call of kthulu by metallica and pendulous skin by mastodon. For my music (death metal), vocals cant be understood 95% of the time, but they add another layer of intensity and aggression to the music. Bad guitars and drums ruin songs for me. Bad bass can ruin a song if you can hear it. Which is sad as I am a bass player. Good audible bass can improve a band 100%. With out a guitar, piano/keyboard, and/or vocals a band is boring. Ive only heard one song that was just drums and bass anesthesia by cliff burton (fantastic). Other than that I cant imagine a band being fronted by drums or bass lacking guitar/piano/vocals. If there are good bands like this, let me know it would be interesting.

[jdaug]

damn, you guys are all stupid. what planet are you living on? the most significant parts of a band are hair, image, marketing, reality shows, and one of your members banging some really famous skank. and maybe a homemade porn video, crack smoking video, or very public drunk driving arrest. these are the keys to success.

[metal4ever]

good answer

[MegaDrummer]

Originally Posted by Sweet T

I am not a person to sit and listen to music that does not have a vocal line. I'm not heavily impressed with improvization or even jazz. I like jazz, I like to listen to improv once in awhile, but when I'm driving down the highway, I'm singing. I personally hear the vocals first, instruments are secondary. I love to sing though. Don't get me wrong, a good guitar solo gives me chills and thrills, but I won't listen to a song just because it has an excellent guitar solo sandwiched in the middle somewhere. If there's no vocals, the song doesn't have a chance to make it to my "favorites" list.

So to all the instrumentalists out there, do you hear the vocals first too, or are you more likely to listen to the instrumental parts? Is this how you fell for your instrument?

It really depends. There are a handful of LP's (the big black CD's with the little hole in the middle) that I love every track on. Jeff Beck for example is for the most part instrumental. I don't care who you put on vocals, they are just going to get in the way.

Then you take Jimi and put him in Band Of Gypsies and you realize even as bitchin as he is instrumentally and unique vocally, without Mitch or Noel it loses something.

Finally, a singer with great pipes and range can sing with anyone backing them and knock it out of the park every time.

So when posing the question "Opinions wanted, what's the most significant part in a band?", you really have to specify the type of band.

[lolgreg]

Depends on who you're trying to reach!

You want to reach people who love shredding, the guitarist.

Wanna reach a bassist, lol, Les Claypool GUYZ!

You want to reach someone who has no brain, get a bad singer. Singers are so important. Singers who can SING ON KEY. If you think the timbre of a singers voice is good, one billion people will agree and one billion will disagree. Personally, I have a weird timbre to my voice. Some people hate it, others come up to me and give me a better piece of mind. I remember opening up as a solo act for a local show I played in. I was super nervous and prayed about it and like 10 people came up to me after the show and said "wow, you can really sing." I don't recall that happening to me ever.

If you wanted to go real hard, you could say the most significant part of a band is the message they're conveying. Instrumentalists just make soundscapes, which can be absolutely beautiful and atmospheric.

On the other hand, some people sing about killing other people. It doesn't make me happy, it isn't good. Killing people isn't good no matter how you put it. I don't care about any philosophical argument about how morality is on an individual basis; killing someone ends their life, it doesn't change who they are. Nothing was ever solved.... enough of that rant.

Some people sing about getting stoned. Sounds a little immature to me... okay, when are you going to stop smoking and getting drunk, become composed, not die of a drug overdose and live a healthy life...?

Some people sing about struggle and overcoming it. That's great (no sarcasm).

Some people sing about love. Anyone who's ever loved anyone or anything knows love is good and even a DAMN cheesy song can find its way to be good.

Some people sing about religion. Being a Christian, I've heard plenty of music in my life, plenty of bands, I've gone to over 50 shows since I was 16 (not counting local shows). I went to a big ol' Christian convention and Jeff Deyo played music about Jesus and it was the only time I've ever literally fallen to my knees cried for 20 hours and felt every ounce of music and love in that room. Obviously this is a controversial issue and I couldn't care more to talk about it, but once you've experienced something that is "unworldly" in your life, you can never deny it. You cannot go back and pretend you didn't feel it. It is ridiculous.

So if you are ever curious what the most important thing about music is, you may find out it's what the content is. If you ever have the chance to go to a Christian convention of some sort where worship music is being played, go. If you're an agnostic, an atheist, a Satanist, whatever. You can't take yourself seriously until you've doubted yourself at least once and went out on a limb. Prove me wrong, please.

-Greg

[jdaug]

Finally, a singer with great pipes and range can sing with anyone backing them and knock it out of the park every time.

James LaBrie and Dream Theater are a good example of how this is NOT always the case (with me anyway). Supposedly he is an opera trained singer, and certainly has range and chops, but he ruins the otherwise sick music. I prefer to listen to Liquid Tension Experiment, which is basically DT without the vocals.

Regarding lolgregs opinion about lyrical content and christian music, i have a slightly different opinion. Right now I mostly listen to melodic death metal and other "extreme" genres. The lyrical content in these styles is definitely on the dark and violent side, even satanic or anti-christian in some cases (Dimmu Borgir, etc). However, I dont listen to it in order to get my marching orders for how to live life. Its fantasy and entertainment, and I listen to it for the overall feel and energy of the music. Most of these genres you cant even understand the lyrics. Im a believer and was raised hardcore catholic for 18 years, and I dont have an internal conflict with this, just as I dont have a conflict watching violent or satanic movies. Its entertainment, and Im smart enough to know the difference. Even the guys in Dimmu are not satanists-they are performers going after a certain market. Some of their stupider fans may actually buy into the act, but thats their problem. I've never been to a christian rock show, but i have felt a lot of love at Ozzy and Iron Maiden shows, among others. That being said, I have also attended christmas mass at the vatican, and the music there was awe inspiring, even though I didnt understand a word of it. I love old-school catholic mass music (i.e. pipe organs, choirs singing in latin, gregorian chants, etc). Thats real christian music in my opinion. While I know the contemporary christian rock has a really positive message, the music itself doesnt really do anything for me.

So the original question of the thread, while a good discussion starter, is about as useful as asking "whats the most important ingredient in food?" There are as many answers to this as there are people.

I still feel my earlier response to this thread was the best answer yet. See below.

[lolgreg]

Originally Posted by jdaug

James LaBrie and Dream Theater are a good example of how this is NOT always the case (with me anyway). Supposedly he is an opera trained singer, and certainly has range and chops, but he ruins the otherwise sick music. I prefer to listen to Liquid Tension Experiment, which is basically DT without the vocals.

AGREED AGREED AGREED. LaBrie was good on Images and Words. That's it! He BLOWSSSSSSSSSSS!

I listen to Opeth and other forms of death metal (not anti-Christian though, listening to anti-Christian death metal and believing in Jesus is like walking around with a shirt that says I'M A VEGAN with three Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger in your mouth (for non-comedical purposes, of course). I also watch horror films and read horror stories. Enjoying fantasy that is about a certain topic is fine. Supporting the injury of others through music isn't.

There is plenty of love to go around at an Iron Maiden or rock show. At least the better ones. I don't enjoy going to shows where people are stepping all over eachother and punching eachother senselessly. I got kicked in the face at a Hatebreed showl; Nothing broke or was scarred, but please, have respect for other people.

Uh... I've never been to the Vatican and I don't really care to, but again, Christian Youth Conventions are life changing events. Especially since I was brought up without religion and became religious.

Also, BASSIST. Bassist is the most important member of a band =).

-Greg

[brandondrury]

he is an opera trained singer, and certainly has range and chops, but he ruins the otherwise sick music.

I like hearing Opera in my ganster movies. I couldn't puke faster when combining wuess guy opera with prog rock/metal.

In debating the most important part of the band, I don't think Dream Theater would be a good example where vocals stand alone.

Brandon

[BannedPromotions]

Regardless of the style or age, the most significant (and vital) part of any band is COMMUNICATION.

IMHO...

[izzme]

when i first started the guy who could buy the pa was the most important in the band! yuk yuk. if his playing sucked i would spend the time it took to get him up to par. no pa, no play for pay.