# Epic bands - past and present



## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

Somebody coined the phrase in the deep purple thread "Monster bands". This got me to thinking about the few uber-tight, larger than life, epic bands where the music became total magic by the culminated efforts of all members. Bands that had excellent musicians, but without the combined group, fizzled on their own. I know the answer is purely subjective based on a person's musical taste, but my top epic bands are these;

Deep purple
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Pink Floyd
Iron Maiden
Metallica
Guns and Roses.
Van Halen

Interesting how Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow was a wash and Slash without Izzy and Axel, is mediocre... Just shows you how certain musicians absolutely sizzle with just the right backing members.

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Oh, and the first guy to list Kiss as an epic band gets a throat punch...


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2014)

Scotty said:


> .. without the combined group, fizzled on their own.


Beatles. Except Sir Paul on his early stuff (Ram).


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

The Band
Led Zeppelin
The Beatles
The Rolling Stones
The Beach Boys
Everly Brothers (not a band per se but they had a lot of influence in the pop music genre)
Queen


I'm sure there are a number of others.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

laristotle said:


> Beatles. Except Sir Paul on his early stuff (Ram).


McCartney accomplishments mean nothing after the release of the most evil piece of sentimental slop ever recorded - Silly Love Songs. What a piece of vomitous wretch! 

Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" was better than any single Sir Pauly effort anyway,... so there,... I think.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

The only ones I would add to those already mentioned:

The Who (though not truly "uber-tight")
U2


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Judas Priest were big back in the day, and any lineup change seems to really take something away from them.
Not the most prolific band of all time though. They seem pretty happy to take long breaks, or are perhaps even done with the music business in any meaningful way.

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bw66 said:


> The only ones I would add to those already mentioned:
> 
> The Who (though not truly "uber-tight")
> U2


Townshends solo success has me on the fence about that one. I actually do think he could do pretty well without the others. his solo stuff is pretty legit, and not just clichéd novelty stuff the way for example Mick Jaggers is. 
Perhaps daltrey could too if he had a songwriting partner.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> laristotle said:
> 
> 
> > Beatles. Except Sir Paul on his early stuff (Ram).
> ...



I love that track, killer bass line.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Could we add?

CCR
The Eagles


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

bw66 said:


> The only ones I would add to those already mentioned:
> 
> The Who (though not truly "uber-tight")
> U2





Diablo said:


> Townshends solo success has me on the fence about that one. I actually do think he could do pretty well without the others. his solo stuff is pretty legit, and not just clichéd novelty stuff the way for example Mick Jaggers is.
> Perhaps daltrey could too if he had a songwriting partner.


I really liked Townsend's solo stuff, but he never really met with commercial success, as far as I know.

If we disqualify The Who based on Townsend, we might have to disqualify The Band based on Robbie Robertson's solo stuff, too. And I can't bring myself to disqualify The Band.


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## Disbeat (Jul 30, 2011)

MC5
Sonic Rendezvous Band, pretty short lived project but just something about them that I can't get enough of.
Roky Erickson, all the bands he has been a part of, seriously underrated musician/songwriter in my opinion.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to this list.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

In the country genre and rock basically came from there and the blues, we should add........

The Carter Family
Alabama


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

How about King Crimson...so epic together in their various combinations but no one really on their own...much like ELP and even Yes. Although Yes members individual work to me is quite enjoyable particularly Squire's Fish out of Water and Wakeman's Six Wives.


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## Guest (Mar 12, 2014)

+1 on Chris's Fish out of Water. Same with Rick.
If you have time. Check this one out.

[video=youtube;P0u7luCFMlg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0u7luCFMlg[/video]


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## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I Mother Earth
Metallica (up to the Black album)
Nirvana
Sublime
Misfits

You might not agree with all of them but they were Epic in my time. and that was just off the top of my head so mighta missed some.


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

Thought of Tull who produced amazing stuff from Stand Up, Benefit, ThickAAB, Aqualung,Passion Play, then a bit of a drop through the 80s and beyond IMO. Ian Anderson did his own interesting stuff but not to the level of the band as a whole.
On a slightly more recent note would be Pearl Jam...not as familiar with their own independent material, but wow put them together!


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## Axe Dragon (Aug 21, 2013)

Some of the new generation with epic guitar band potential (because epic requires time and endurance) are:

The Mars Volta
Tame Impala
The Black Keys
Queens of the Stone Age


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

Pantera
I didn't even care much for Damage Plan, but if they weren't stopped short, who knows........

Cream - no wait, I guess that guitar player did a couple good things after that.

I can't remember if Pink Floyd has already been named, but they should be.


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

The Tragically Hip - if there's an epic Canadian band, i think they have to be named (and if somebody named them, I missed it, so sorry  ). Same line-up since the 80s, pretty much the biggest band (Canadian or otherwise) among people I knew through high school and University. Much of the focus is on Gord Downie, and all have participated in solo or other projects, but, fan or no, together, they've been if not the biggest, one of the biggest Canadian bands of all time - especially since most of their success has been in Canada.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Chubba said:


> The Tragically Hip - if there's an epic Canadian band, i think they have to be named (and if somebody named them, I missed it, so sorry  ). Same line-up since the 80s, pretty much the biggest band (Canadian or otherwise) among people I knew through high school and University. Much of the focus is on Gord Downie, and all have participated in solo or other projects, but, fan or no, together, they've been if not the biggest, one of the biggest Canadian bands of all time - especially since most of their success has been in Canada.


did they ever break the college circuit in the US? 
I don't know if I'd consider a band with only marginal success in the US as epic.
I kind of think of them as more of a national treasure to Canada.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Chubba said:


> The Tragically Hip - if there's an epic Canadian band, i think they have to be named (and if somebody named them, I missed it, so sorry  ). Same line-up since the 80s, pretty much the biggest band (Canadian or otherwise) among people I knew through high school and University. Much of the focus is on Gord Downie, and all have participated in solo or other projects, but, fan or no, together, they've been if not the biggest, one of the biggest Canadian bands of all time - especially since most of their success has been in Canada.


Hmmm. Not sure about the Hip. 

But the phrase "epic Canadian band" brought Rush to mind - and I don't think they've been mentioned. (Not a huge fan of Rush personally, but they should be in the conversation.)


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## Disbeat (Jul 30, 2011)

I don't think mainstream/commercial success is how most people in this thread are measuring the bands they mentioned but I could be way off, however it's definitely not why I listed the ones I chose.


Diablo said:


> did they ever break the college circuit in the US?
> I don't know if I'd consider a band with only marginal success in the US as epic.
> I kind of think of them as more of a national treasure to Canada.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Disbeat said:


> I don't think mainstream/commercial success is how most people in this thread are measuring the bands they mentioned but I could be way off, however it's definitely not why I listed the ones I chose.


Then what exactly makes tragically hip "epic"? Success has to be part of the criteria. Otherwise we'd all just be listing our favourite indie artists.
i may be a harsher critic bc I never got the hype of TH (around here anyways....in the US, BareNaked ladies were a bigger band), TH were never more to me than an REM copy without the hooks.

i guess part of the problem is the slang use of the word "epic" in this thread. What does it really mean?
I tend to think of it as meaning legendary, monumental etc...but I suspect that wouldn't really describe some of the bands in this thread except to their fanboys. Ie I love def Leppard, but I wouldn't call them epic, just a great band of their genre.


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## Disbeat (Jul 30, 2011)

Diablo said:


> TH were never more to me than an REM copy without the hooks.


Your ears must be broke, not really a fan of the Hip or REM but really don't hear that comparison at all? 

I agree on the use of the word epic here though, but I think in this case it's probably more subjective and this being a musicians forum I assume a lot of what people list is gonna be below the radar as far as success and fame goes.
I think in terms of a band I listen too being epic by how the music sounds or is written or makes me feel etc, not how epic Cher is because she is legendary, monumental has had immense success, but I guess were not on the same page as far as this thread was meant to be taken.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Diablo said:


> i guess part of the problem is the slang use of the word "epic" in this thread. What does it really mean?





Webster said:


> *epic*_ -_ a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.


I guess we're down to Jethro Tull.


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## Scotty (Jan 30, 2013)

bw66 said:


> Hmmm. Not sure about the Hip.
> 
> But the phrase "epic Canadian band" brought Rush to mind - and I don't think they've been mentioned. (Not a huge fan of Rush personally, but they should be in the conversation.)


I'd vote for Rush over TH as they consistently produce top notch stuff. T.H fizzled after their 3rd or 4th album IMO

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bw66 said:


> _
> 
> I guess we're down to Jethro Tull._


_

I totally for got about Jethro Tull....fitting of epic in my books_


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

Disbeat said:


> Your ears must be broke, not really a fan of the Hip or REM but really don't hear that comparison at all?
> 
> I agree on the use of the word epic here though, but I think in this case it's probably more subjective and this being a musicians forum I assume a lot of what people list is gonna be below the radar as far as success and fame goes.
> I think in terms of a band I listen too being epic by how the music sounds or is written or makes me feel etc, not how epic Cher is because she is legendary, monumental has had immense success, but I guess were not on the same page as far as this thread was meant to be taken.


Me neither. You can't find it any more, but the TH SNL performance of Nautical Disaster is indeed epic.


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## sorbz62 (Nov 15, 2011)

As a Brit I have to add Thin Lizzy - an epic band who have influenced a generation of songwriters and guitarists, with a succession of awesome members - the classic Robertson/ Gorham, Gary Moore, John Sykes, Snowy White. I have seen them in every lineup and they are inspirational.... But.... Never the same after the classic lineup fell apart after Robbie cut his hand in a bar fight. 

The current lineup is amazing.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Chubba said:


> The Tragically Hip - if there's *an epic Canadian band*, i think they have to be named.


Wouldn't it be The Guess Who?


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

The Guess Who was the first Canadian band I remember growing up and really enjoying. Obviously Burton and Randy went on to establish their own careers afterwards which to me takes away a bit from the defined group "epic ness" the thread set up, however when new lineups were introduced, the band didn't have the appeal they had with their original members. Having that Winnipeg bond from the start was really cool and reading Randy's Vinyl Tap Stories introduces the reader to many of their "epic" adventures from the beginning.
Rush to me is the epic Canadian band. Yes there were side projects due to circumstances however their precision, adaptability to times, creativity in writing and musicianship and sense of humour make them epically, if that's a word, Canadian.


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## Chubba (Aug 23, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> Wouldn't it be The Guess Who?


good point...maybe the guess who is that band, but i guess i was thinking in terms of relevance in my lifetime...lol (I have nothing against them, and like some of their stuff, i just don't know) 
Points well taken, I don't really know about their success outside of Canada...at one time (mid-to-late 90s maybe?) I would have considered the Hip one of the biggest most successful bands I knew of...though I guess their epic-ness (as we're saying above) is debatable...I've certainly been to some of their shows that felt 'epic' to me...though I think I'm somewhere in between the uses of the word epic - the proper use of it and the way kids use it now....a sandwich could be epic to my kids...


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