Jump to content

Your Favorite Power Trios...


Armchair Bronco

Recommended Posts

  • Members

For my money, it's hard to beat a tight Power Trio. Here's my short list of favorites:

 

1. The Wipers - this basically means "Greg Sage + Rhythm Section", but all the same: The Wipers are one of the great unsung power trios of all time.

 

2. Nirvana.

 

3. The Minutemen.

 

4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

 

5. Rush.

 

6. The Police.

 

99. Big Tube Squeezer. (A now-defunct Seattle garage band from the early days of Grunge.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 126
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

As a 3-instrument band (albeit with a stand-up singer) which contributed immeasurably to the research and development of power-trio strategies and aesthetics, allow me to nominate (in their 1965-74 heyday) ...

 

THE WHO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

 

As a 3-instrument band (albeit with a stand-up singer) which contributed immeasurably to the research and development of power-trio strategies and aesthetics, allow me to nominate (in their 1965-74 heyday) ...


THE WHO.

 

 

if 3 pieces with stand up singer is allowed I'm gonna go Led Zep

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Sorry, guys, but by definition a power trio is a band consisting of THREE musicians. Period.

 

No fudging!

 

(But I'd have to agree that if you don't count the front man, then Zeppelin wins hands down. But, alas, Zeppelin is NOT a power trio. They're a Power Quad -- not the same thing.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

In fact, we can be even more specific:

 

A power trio is a rock band consisting of 1 guitarist, 1 bassist, and 1 drummer. At least one member is also a singer.

 

The guitarist generally plays the role of both rhythm guitarist and lead guitarist, although in some bands (like The Police) there really isn't much lead work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

JHE

Budgie

Mahogany Rush

Robin Trower

Cream

Groundhogs

The James Gang

West Bruce Laing

ZZ Top

Taste

Motorhead

Hot Tuna

Nirvana

Dinosaur Jr

Rush

SRV

Beck Bogart Appice

 

Some of these bands had added members at times but were at their peak as a trio with a couple of exceptions ie:Groundhogs Crosscut Saw and Black Diamond albums which were also great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Near the end of Nirvana's run, Cobain brought in another guitarist to fatten up their sound.

 

I remember him saying sarcastically in an interview: "Yeah, I hired a guitarist to help me out. It was getting too hard for me to remember which power chord to play and concentrate on singing at the same time..."

 

But I still consider Nirvana to be one of the prototypical power trios of all time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

For all practical and sonic purposes, a 3-instrument guitar-bass-drums band with a stand-up singer IS a power trio. Such a band sounds like a power trio, faces all the same problems in terms of live arrangements and studio production and requires the same strategies to make their music work. (Any harmonica and/or percussion stuff contributed by the singer tends to be minimal.) In this respect, bands like Led Zep, Van Halen, The Who (pre-addition of extra touring players), U2, The Smiths, Sex Pistols, RATM, Free, Gang Of Four, the pre-piano version of the original Jeff Beck Group and not a few others all qualify by association, and because they've all contributed to the development of the aesthetic of guitar-bass-drums arrangement, production and performance.

 

And any band with that instrumental line-up can learn something from the way those guys have constructed their music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Since the beginning I always been a BIG fan of the 3-piece band. 6-string, Bass, Drums. Ironically I started off and played in a 4-piece for the longest with the addition of a Keyboard. I do-not regret it what-so-ever though.

The keyboard player I grew up with and played with was an exceptional musican.

He would listen to a song for the first time, start fooling with the keys. And within a 1-10 minute period he already have started to get the song down.

Made it VERY easy for me. Without him..I would be the one doing this and their is fustration in breaking down new-music sometime's. But hell was it easy with this guy.

And the interaction between guitar and keys? Could be VERY stimulating.

 

 

Anyway my FAV'S

1] CREAM

2] Jimi Hendrix Experience

3] SRV w/Double Trouble

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...