Weakest Link!

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Who are the weakest links in your favorite bands?

Rush: Alex Lifeson
Led Zeppelin: John Paul Jones
Rolling Stones: Bill Wyman
Kiss: Peter Criss
Aerosmith: Joey Kramer
Sonic Youth: Kim Gordon
Black Flag: the singers
Bauhaus: David J
Queen: Roger Taylor
Black Sabbath: Bill Ward
Montrose: Sammy Hagar

― shad, Sunday, 21 September 2003 08:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Led Zeppelin: John Paul Jones

You are underestimating his sprawling sense of professionalism and top notch musicianship and overvaluing the two guys who were no more than one dimensional bluesy cock-rockers. John Paul Jones has more talent than Plant and Page put together. The guy is a very well rounded musician, and he finally got to prove it on In Through The Out Door. His ability to branch out into many different styles allowed the Bonham to finally show what he really had in his arsenal...unfortunately, the great Bonzo was not given the chance to grow as a drummer such as he was destined to if he only had straightened up and got his personal shit together.
John Paul Jones was the strongest link in Led Zepplin.

― bahtology, Sunday, 21 September 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Genesis: Pre-1978: Mike Rutherford Post-1978: Phil Collins
Beatles: Ringo Starr (obviously...)
Crowded House: Nick Seymour
Depeche Mode: Andy Fletcher
XTC: Terry Chambers, until he left

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 21 September 2003 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Bauhaus: David J

? I admit I'm curious about the justification here!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I always thought Terry Chambers was a pretty hot drummer, at least going by his work on English Settlement.

― d.w., Sunday, 21 September 2003 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I'm with Ned. The obvious answer is Peter Murphy!

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Sunday, 21 September 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Van Halen: Alex Van Halen
X: John Doe
R.E.M.: Michael Stipe
Rocket From The Crypt: Petey X
Radiohead: Thom Yorke
Rolling Stones: that bass player who doesn't get in any of the photos and evidently doesn't mind.
Depeche Mode: Andrew Fletcher (too easy perhaps)

here's the toughie: Fleetwood Mac. You can't say Christine because the new album misses her presence. And though Lindsey's the most annoying element now, it's hard to call him the weakest. Stevie might be loopy but she's the best songwriter in the group now. And whose gonna rip on that rhythm section. I can't do it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Lycia - Tara Vanflower

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Hold on, are duos cheating? It's not like you can pick Mike Vanportfleet, there's no band without him!

Depeche Mode: Andrew Fletcher (too easy perhaps)

Far too easy.

Yeah, I'm with Ned. The obvious answer is Peter Murphy!

Actually I can't choose any of them! This is one reason why I don't think I'll have any choices of my own here...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:31 (twenty-two years ago)

X: John Doe
R.E.M.: Michael Stipe
Radiohead: Thom Yorke

But John Doe had all of X's sex appeal! I see what you mean about Stipe and Yorke, especially Yorke, but at the same time I find that the best bits of Radiohead and REM - the rare moments when they don't piss me off - are entirely due to the vocals.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, I don't mean weakest to mean worthless.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

>Rolling Stones: that bass player who doesn't get in any of the photos and evidently doesn't mind

If you are referring to Darryl Jones, then you are sorely mistaken. He is the only true musician in the bunch and he is the glue that holds those relics together like they never had been held before.

― bahtology, Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

He is the only true musician in the bunch

I know you like Sting and all and therefore credit Jones's earlier work with the guy etc., but still, this is a ridiculous insult to Charlie Watts in particular.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.euweb.nl/photography/portret/mick-jagger.jpg

roight, befoah Jones joined up we was howible!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

metallica: lars ulrich (by a mile)
belle & sebastian: that guy with the low voice
beastie boys: Mike D. (by a furlong)
guided by voices: Robert Pollard's id

― p.j. (Henry), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

It seems easiest to pick the bass player for this exercise. Is this fair?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

tribe called quest - phife

wu tang - masta killa (u-god 2nd weakest)

― fsdh, Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

for Metallica I'm torn between Ulrich and Hetfield

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

haha, check out the Kirk Hammett love!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I would have thought the Sonic Youth weak link was...the drummer. As far as I can tell, Steve Shelley knows only one beat: buh-buh-bam, buh-buh-bam, buh-buh-bam. And it's his lack of creativity that's led to their slide into boring. Kim can be irritating, but she's also written/sung some good stuff.

I always assumed that SY spent two albums shaking off the influence of their older drummers (EVOL and Sister) and then embarked on a career of Shelley-compatible crap.

― dlp9001, Sunday, 21 September 2003 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

'tribe called quest - phife' OTM

"I'm a poem say-er"

― p.j. (Henry), Sunday, 21 September 2003 19:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Kirk Hammet is worse than Lars Ulrich, but easier to ignore. Not sure how Alex Van Halen could be the weak link in Van Halen (over Mike Anthony?!?)

― Kris (aqueduct), Sunday, 21 September 2003 20:31 (twenty-two years ago)

> I know you like Sting and all and therefore credit Jones's earlier work with the guy etc., but still, this is a ridiculous insult to Charlie Watts in particular.

His early work with Sting does factor in, as well as his earlier work with Miles Davis and then later with the awesome singer/songwriter Joan Armatrading. But the real reason that he is not deserving of a "weakest link" is that he proved on Stripped and later on No Security that his presence has taken these dinosaurs of rock to levels of tightness that they never achieved in their "glory days".
And as capable as I have heard Charlie Watts sound with his Big Band, I can only say that he has sounded as ragged and under-rehearsed as the rest of the Stones on the many too many live performances I have heard from them. I just don't get how anybody can appreciate and subsequently praise such mediocrity.

― bahtology, Sunday, 21 September 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Not sure how Alex Van Halen could be the weak link in Van Halen (over Mike Anthony?!?)

Sure, Alex is a great drummer and all...but those high register backing vocals (the ones which actually make Van Halen sound like Van Halen) are all Anthony's doing.

― Andrew Frye (paul cox), Sunday, 21 September 2003 21:15 (twenty-two years ago)

what Andrew just said, re: Michael Anthony.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

VH's rhythm section is amazing. so the weakest link has to be the lead singer ... both during and after the reign of mr. crotchless pants.

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Sunday, 21 September 2003 22:44 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread so far is preposterous. Sure there are bands that have weak links, but naming some of the classic bands whose success was in great part owing to the synergy between the musicians doesn't make sense. I disagree with every example so far named above. Each band would have been quite different, and most likely less successful, were you to swap out the supposed weak link. Also, calling the remaining members of the Stones mediocre and not true musicians is just about the most asinine thing I've ever read.

― Sean (Sean), Sunday, 21 September 2003 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

to make anthony smile --

EATB: ian mccullough

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Sunday, 21 September 2003 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

(I wouldn't entirely rule out the possibility that bathology is the PR of the Bass Players Trade Union ;)

MBV: Deb Googe...

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 21 September 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

haha if you wanted to make me smile you would have written EATB: The Bunnymen

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

McLaughlin/ DiMeola/ Paco DeLucia: the middle mofo
Last Exit: Laswell

But would someone venture their 'pinions on who's the least reliable in
Piano Circus?
The King's Singers?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 21 September 2003 23:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd vote for Brotzmann, Last Exit-wise. they could have just strangled a goose in front of a mic.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

plus there's that song on Noise Of Trouble I love (it sounds like some Roxy Music song off of For Your Pleasure) on which Laswell is key.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

XTC: Terry Chambers, until he left

So wrong that it renders every opinion you've ever expressed, or ever will express MOOT!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

beastie boys: Mike D. (by a furlong)

Each are essential to the overaul sound. There aren't enough Beastie Boys for one to be a "weakest link". Kate Shellenbach (sp?) then.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Killing Joke: Youth
The Clash: Terry Chimes
The Stranglers: I'd say Jet Black, but he's so integral to the band that it would be a preposterous statement.
Iron Maiden: Jannick Gers
AC/DC: Cliff Williams
Jane's Addiction: Perry Farrell (HA!)
U2: Adam Clayton

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Killing Joke: Youth"

Wwwwhhhhaaaaaaaatttt?!?!?!?

But Youth can play bass better than Paul Raven in his sleep!

[old Joke fans vs. new Joke fans - fite!]

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:22 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Clash: Terry Chimes"

Terry Chimes > Nick Sheppard, Vince White, Pete Howard....

[sorry Alex, I didn't mean to pick on you; I assume - like any good Clash fan - you've simply erased "Cut The Crap!" from your memory!]

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

But Youth can play bass better than Paul Raven in his sleep!

WRONG WRONG! WRONG

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Youth can barely SPELL bass, let alone play it. Listen to the live tracks on the "Jana" e.p.s and tell me he doesn't suck out loud. Raven may have his faults, but he can play fuckin' CIRCLES around that hairy hippie.

You're right...I totally block Cut the Crap. You're completely corect.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, Youth's completely smart, and a very cool guy, but his bass playing just ain't up to snuff (and he's probaby be the first to admit it).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The Damned - Algy Ward (messrs. Moose & Dollimore reprieved by virtue of Mr. Ward being such an arrogant, obnoxious, insufferable dickhead).

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Listen to the live tracks on the "Jana" e.p.s and tell me he doesn't suck out loud."

OK, granted Raven > Youth V.2.0 ('94-); but gimme Youth V.1.0. ('78-'82) over Raven every time! "Hairy Hippy" he may be, but in his prime he could smoke enough dope to tranquilise a small herd of elephants, stagger on stage, and still blow leave most of his contemporaries waaaaay behind!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The Jam - Paul Weller
The Style Council - Paul Weller

(I mean.... just look at his solo stuff - he must have been the weakest link, mustn't he?!)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

That reminds me:

Sham 69 - Jimmy Pursey

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

The Smiths - Craig Gannon
Talking Heads - Tina Weymouth (awwwww, shame! True 'though)
The Vibrators - Kip

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 15:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Pavement - Bob Nastovich obv. when it came to talent, but he did add a little excitement to the band, so I'll say Mark Ibold.

For Guided by Voices I have to say Nate Farley. Their shows have steadily declined since he joined the band and they went from a cooler full of beer to a cooler full of beer + a fifth of Jack.

― BrianB, Monday, 22 September 2003 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

The Cure - Laurence Tolhurst (it's funny coz it's TRUE)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 22 September 2003 16:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Nirvana - Krist Novoselic obv.
Nine Inch Nails - Trent Reznor

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 22 September 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

'The Damned - Algy Ward'

Obviously you never heard of his next band, Tank. "Blood, Guts & Beer" was a great song.

― dave q, Monday, 22 September 2003 18:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The Jam - Paul Weller
Viva Bruce Foxton!

Tough Call:
Yo La Tengo - Georgia (eh - it's a toss-up.. There's absolutely no deadwood in that band.)
Pere Ubu - The EML guy. Couldn't do without him/them, but Ravenstein/Feldman/Wheeler - didn't notice much difference when they changed.
Minutemen - Reluctantly, Hurley - who's totally unrecognized as a drummerfucker..Just a notch below Keith Moon.

― dave225 (Dave225), Monday, 22 September 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Duran Duran: Sterling Campbell
Cheap shot, yes, mainly because he was only in the band for one album and a couple of years, and yes, he's worked in so many other capacities, but he never really was a part of the whole songwriting process, and he never got the chance to really develop into something in the band aside from providing some live drumming for Liberty.

Japan: Rob Dean
Yes, another cheap shot, mainly because he left the band years before the band disbanded and because he didn't participate in the Rain Tree Crow "reunion", nor is he a prime player in any big post-Japan projects. (Witness David Sylvian's solo career and the whole JBK/Medium Productions series of projects.) I do really like him, though, and certainly think he was an integral member of the band.

Hm. That's it, I think.

― Legendary Nothingness (Dee the Lurker), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 02:20 (twenty-two years ago)

MBV: Deb Googe...

nuh-uh. it's Colm, definitely

there is no weak link in the "classic" fleetwood mac lineup, but if someone had to go it would be Christine

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Village People - The Indian

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"'The Damned - Algy Ward'"

"Obviously you never heard of his next band, Tank."

Oh yes I did - obviously you never met the little aresehole!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, I'd join in if I knew who anybody in bands was.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Village People - The Indian

hahhahahahahaha. I would've said the construction worker, myself.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd have said the copper.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Dave, you can reconcile your Hurley-love in this thread by calling out Ed Crawford in fIREHOSE.

― BrianB, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

.. But that's an easy one....
(and there was an Ed Crawford C/D thread that I can't seem to find.. consensus was "classic.")

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I`ve had really funny reading.
Could anybody tell me, whhat for was Andrew Ridgley 50% of Wham! He didn`t do absolutely anything but posing in the duo.
Maybe w all know the answer.

― Margus Kiis, estonian rock critic (Margus Kiis, estonian rock cri), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Ministry didn't have a weakest link until Chris Conelly showed up. He was such a weak link that he helped pull the whole band into a terrifying spiral of suckdom.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Dan OTM re: Ministry (Connelly also cursed the othewise promising Murder Inc. and Damage Manual).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

! Hey, you're both mean. (I'm a major Connelly fan, he's a grand singer and a friendly fellow when I met him, though since then I've heard a story or two about his dealings with small labels that made me a bit depressed, admittedly...)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Beach Boys: Al (due to Mike contributing too many lyrics and lead vocals, and Bruce doing some pretty good arrangements)

― dleone (dleone), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Smashing pumpkins-apparently any non-drummer judging by billy's attitude (we all know it was really d'arcy though, but MADM was even less useful)
talking heads-id say chris frantz, tina did a lot more for me than he ever did.

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

as much as i love daniel ashe back in 1983 when he was a sonic forece and could torture the guitar and slide up and down quickly and wow the crowd but i think his heaven needle smile solution burned him out in the resurection tour he couldn't do the the impressive guitatr parts of quick in the eye and terror couple kill colonel but he was the strongest weakest link of all time bauhaus was the most creative and heavyweight when it comes to the fact they never sold out they are without question the godfathers of alternative and the direction of modern pop pixies also too but modern pop has become corrupt and all puppets of industry mathmaticians bauhaus is the strongest force ever in the last 20 years no one more independent in pop history so even the weakest link of the band carried more weight than most most musicans dream of bauhaus has no equal no one band sounds even clos to the most unique powerful band of the 80's and my opinion ever. bauhaus forever and always the pioneers of alternative pop. Ivan Valez

― Ivan Valez, Saturday, 13 December 2003 23:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought I was a Bauhaus fan!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 December 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

sixteen years pass...

can't believe they're bringing this fucking show back

― frogbs, Monday, 28 September 2020 02:45 (five years ago)

five years pass...

took a lot of courage for quik to vote nate dogg 6:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1Ubm0rrx0

― corrs unplugged, Monday, 22 December 2025 10:35 (five months ago)

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