View Poll Results: Who is the least replaceable band member

Voters
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  • Lead Singer

    20 68.97%
  • Lead Guitarist

    4 13.79%
  • Rhythm Guitarist

    1 3.45%
  • Bassist

    1 3.45%
  • Drummer

    0 0%
  • None (all are replaceable)

    3 10.34%
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Thread: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

  1. #1
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    I'm just curious who you all think is the least replaceable member.

    Choices are lead singer/frontman, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, bassist, drummer, or none.

    In the next post I will rant and give my thoughts on it. We've talked about this about bands losing singers and my thoughts on it, but here goes.
    -Austin-
    Resident Guitar Slinger
    Fan of the Eagles from 1972-2016 #NOGLENNNOEAGLES

    RIP Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner

    "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key..."


  2. #2
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    I've been forever ticked at the amount of attention a frontman or lead singer gets. Everyone laughs at the "lead singer disease" but to me a guitarist's style is just as hard to copy as someone's voice. I don't buy the "a voice is more personable". Even if you copy a guitarist's licks, it wont have his signature on them be it in tone or in style. There is just as much of a personality stamp on guitars, bass, and drums as there is in singing. So IMO, if a guitarist is replaceable, so is a singer. I've seen Journey without Steve, Skynyrd without Ronnie, AC/DC without Bon, Styx without Dennis, on and on and I enjoyed all of them thoroughly. I wasn't sitting there thinking, geez I really miss "insert name here". Not to say I don't miss them, but it doesn't dull the show for me either. To be fair, same with a show without the original guitarist, like when I saw the Eagles. I miss Felder, but I enjoyed the show and wasn't thinking about it during the show. I really think a frontman gets waaay to much credit and attention, hence why they are all egomaniacs and the term "Lead Singer Disease" was created. So many of them are jaded. I'm not saying other musicians can't be, but I'm sorry - a band is an equal thing, or at least should be. Otherwise it's fronting an artist and the players are sidemen. But call it that, not a band.

    But then again, I also think all members should have equal say and song input and it should be more about music, less about business. I think there can be 5 leaders in a band. It should be compromise and not 1 or 2 dudes running the show. To put it in Irving-speak (from the doc), when he said Felder wanted it to be a "band" band in the purest sense of the words, I agree with that line of thinking. It should always be equal, or call it a solo act/duo with a backup band. As far as songwriting, I hate it when frontmen say 'well I took your idea and made it something'. If it weren't for that idea, you'd have had nothing to make out of it. So I don't put much praise in to those who say it was nothing and then they made it something. Because who's to say that original guy couldn't have done something with it. However if it weren't for that original guy, the song would have ceased to exist, he came up for the idea, therefore should get the most credit. Regardless of what the lead singer/songwriter did with it. Just my opinion. Just like I believe music is just as important as lyrics, if not more so.

    I saw an interview recently on YouTube of a frontman from the 80s and he pissed me off just by the tone of his voice and his holier than thou attitude. I'm like dude if it wasn't for your band (and fans), you'd be nowhere. The band makes the frontman, never the opposite. I'm not saying the voice isn't important, nor am I saying the others are more important, it should be equal. I love a signature voice and great singer as much as the next person - but they should never be the be all end all of a band, ever - no matter how great they are. I watch videos of bands live and they only record the frontman. It's like, you know there are other members of this band.

    I understand that the frontman thing means just that, but it should never completely overshadow the rest of the band. It's a team, pure and simple and they should all be equal. I also know in some bands it's a singer/lead guitarist duo (Tyler/Perry from Aerosmith, for instance). I'm a Joe Perry fan for sure, but at times I feel bad for Whitford, Hamilton, and Kramer, who almost never get any credit. On Twitter the other day Joe Perry tweeted about "we couldn't do it without our fans" when Steven and Joe were inducted into the Songwriters Hall. Joey Kramer (drummer) sent a tweet to Joe that basically he left out the rest of the band. Stuff like that gets on my nerves.

    Anyway, I just get tired of frontmen getting all the attention. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a guitarist but honestly I think they should all be equal.

    Rant over.
    Last edited by WalshFan88; 08-24-2013 at 05:45 PM.
    -Austin-
    Resident Guitar Slinger
    Fan of the Eagles from 1972-2016 #NOGLENNNOEAGLES

    RIP Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner

    "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key..."


  3. #3
    Stuck on the Border Prettymaid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    Great topic, Austin!

    I read your post, but unfortunately I don't have time to reply right now. But I will when I can.
    ~ Cathy ~

    And I dream I'm on vacation 'Cause I like the way that sounds,
    It's a perfect occupation for me.

  4. #4
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prettymaid View Post
    Great topic, Austin!

    I read your post, but unfortunately I don't have time to reply right now. But I will when I can.
    Thanks! It's something that really has bothered me and since we've talked some about it before about other bands (not specifically the Eagles) I figured it would be a good debate.

    After I saw the interview with Stephen Pearcy (who I DO like as a singer and I love RATT but is a total arrogant you-know-what), it put me over the edge lol and made me start ranting. Another one is Axl Rose. It irritates me to no end that IMO he caused the demise of GnR with his fits and his arrogant selfish ways and I'm sure the rest were no angels but it's this ego that I see ruin or cause trouble in bands.

    It's mainly a beef with the way frontmen are adored and that goes to their heads and can cause trouble. It also is about equality and not forgetting about the other members.
    -Austin-
    Resident Guitar Slinger
    Fan of the Eagles from 1972-2016 #NOGLENNNOEAGLES

    RIP Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner

    "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key..."


  5. #5
    Stuck on the Border TimothyBFan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    You know I love you Austin but I have to say for me it truly is the frontman. I just really have a hard time when I love a band & the lead singer gets replaced. I can think of only 2 bands that I was ok with when the lead singer was replaced, Van Halen & Styx & with Styx, I actually like Lawrence Gowan better than Dennis DeYoung.

    One band really stands out for me that when they replaced the frontman, it broke my heart & that was Steve Perry & Journey.

    As for Steven Pearcy- I love him but if you've read his book, you know how arrogant he is. But I have to agree with him, he has one of those distinctive voices I can't imagine trying to replace.

    Don't get me wrong, there's some guitarist, bassist & drummers that I can't imagine certain bands being without either.
    He sings it high, he plays it low

  6. #6
    Stuck on the Border
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    Equality is all very well in theory. In practice, as the Eagles found it, sometimes it could not work. Dividing every single decision amongst four or five people is impractical. In the Eagles the songwriters & lead singers, Frey & Henley, were more dominant than the guitar players. Saying that this should not have been the case is fair enough, but that is what happened.

    Dire Straits were dominated by Mark Knopfler, who was singer, guitarist & songwriter. I cannot agree that he should have deferred to his bandmates, none of whom had the talent that he had. They didn't write the songs. I give that as an extreme example. I guess you would say that they shouldn't have called themselves Dire Straits then. Well, they were a band, but they had a dominant member & that was reality. The same applied to Creedence Clearwater Revival. It is the case with most bands. Someone will always stand out & take the lead because that is how things work.

    NB: My generalisation was that they are all replaceable, because every band is different & I can't just put them into namelsss categories. I have to look at each individual case. If you hadn't put that last one, I guess I would have also answered 'lead singer'.

  7. #7
    Border Desperado pueblo47's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    I'll take the opposite and say that they are ALL replaceable. Seeing the various groups without some of the original members doesn't bother me as the sound stays basically the same and the music is what matters to me.
    So if you see me walking all alone, don't look back. I'm just on my way back home.

  8. #8
    Stuck on the Border WalshFan88's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    Quote Originally Posted by TimothyBFan View Post
    You know I love you Austin but I have to say for me it truly is the frontman. I just really have a hard time when I love a band & the lead singer gets replaced. I can think of only 2 bands that I was ok with when the lead singer was replaced, Van Halen & Styx & with Styx, I actually like Lawrence Gowan better than Dennis DeYoung.

    One band really stands out for me that when they replaced the frontman, it broke my heart & that was Steve Perry & Journey.

    As for Steven Pearcy- I love him but if you've read his book, you know how arrogant he is. But I have to agree with him, he has one of those distinctive voices I can't imagine trying to replace.

    Don't get me wrong, there's some guitarist, bassist & drummers that I can't imagine certain bands being without either.

    Yeah, I just get tired of frontmen overshadowing the rest of the guys.

    Now in the case of AC/DC, I honestly think the lead guitarist is the frontman. Everyone is going to see Angus. I saw a recent AC/DC doc and they talked about that and that Angus was the frontman. So I guess a frontman doesn't always have to be a lead singer. But it should be a united front, not one or two up front, and the others behind them. IMO anyway.

    Yes Stephen Pearcy's book was arrogant - BUT when I heard him talk about it instead of reading text, it bothered me more. Just his tone of voice of coming across like he was better than the rest set me off, let alone what he said. Where as words on a page of a book don't bother me as much. I like the guy, and I love his singing but honestly I love Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer, Juan Crucier, and Robbin Crosby just as much. Everyone has favorites but one guy should never overshadow completely the rest of the guys.
    -Austin-
    Resident Guitar Slinger
    Fan of the Eagles from 1972-2016 #NOGLENNNOEAGLES

    RIP Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner

    "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key..."


  9. #9
    Stuck on the Border TimothyBFan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    It's funny you should bring up AC/DC because after I posted last night, they came to mind also as one I was ok with the lead singer being replaced even tho I still think Bon Scott was the best. BUT my next thought was, even tho, I go to see AC/DC for Angus. Great minds.

    As for the Pearcy/Ratt thing, I don't know how familiar you are with the whole lawsuit over the right to use the Ratt name several years ago but maybe his whole attitude might have had something to do with that also. Since they've reunited, I've wondered about how much tension there might be still, because of it. And since reading Steven's book, I wonder how his account compares to, let's say, Warren's, who was always the quiet one. Do wish we had Robbin's account of it all but that's, sadly, never to be.
    He sings it high, he plays it low

  10. #10
    Stuck on the Border Topkat's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who is the least replaceable member of a band?

    There are a few lead singers that to me are not replaceable, MICK JAGGER of the Rolling Stones......NOBODY can replace him. Another being ROGER DALTRY of the WHO...I can't see anyone replacing him either.

    Then again, I cant see either Keith Richards or Pete Townshend being replaced either!

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