Acts whose lineup is/was devoid of some central instrument

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

All acts using synths only are mentioned now in general, just to get rid of anyone proposing them.

As for the more obvious examples:

The Doors (Who needs a bass player when you have organ pedals?)
Ben Folds Five (Guitars are for suckers! Piano rules!)
Eyeless In Gaza (Drums? What is that?)
Keane (If, for some strange reason, you feel like you need a guitar, then just sample it and play it on a keyboard)
Emerson Lake & Palmer (Greg Lake would occasionally play a bass guitar as well as other guitars. However, quite often, a bass guitar wasn't needed as Keith Emerson's synths took care of that part anyway)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:34 (twenty years ago)

The Ornette Coleman Quartet

Two horns and no piano? What the fuck do you think you're trying to pull?

― 100% CHAMPS with a Yes! Attitude. (Austin, Still), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

Ornette Col...shit, x-post.

― PappaWheelie 2 (PappaWheelie 2), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:38 (twenty years ago)

white stripes: no bass
sleater kinney: no bass

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:39 (twenty years ago)

no sufjan: no credibility

― Seriously, Try Punching This Guy in the Face and See What Happens (Enrique), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:41 (twenty years ago)

Morphine = no guitar

― hank (hank s), Monday, 19 June 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

yeah, definitely Morphine. still one of my top picks for "weirdest band line-up of all time".

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:08 (twenty years ago)

Weirdest yet fullest sounding.

― mummy wrapped in bacon (nickalicious), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:10 (twenty years ago)

I'm being painfully pedantic, but I think Ray Manzarek played the basslines with his left hand (on a Rhodes piano bass) rather than with organ pedals. Not necessarily all the time though.

― mummy wrapped in bacon (nickalicious), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:14 (twenty years ago)

JSBX, no bass.
Tony Williams Lifetime, no bass.

― mummy wrapped in bacon (nickalicious), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:21 (twenty years ago)

Blackstreet: NO DIGGITY

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:24 (twenty years ago)

Milli Vanilli - No actual singer (odd for a vocal group)

― Vornado (Vornado), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:27 (twenty years ago)

Lycaon Pictus - no guitar

― the bass player from Lycaon Pictus (jm229), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:50 (twenty years ago)

Tony Williams Lifetime and the Doors (to a slightly lesser extent) are coming out of the jazz organ group tradition, wherein it was very common to have the organist play the bass parts in the left hand. So I think it's arguable whether those groups lack a "central" instrument.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Monday, 19 June 2006 19:55 (twenty years ago)

United States of America- violin with effects instead of guitar.

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:02 (twenty years ago)

attila (feat. billy joel, circa 1971). organ-and-drums psych-rock duo. no bass, no guitar. no songs either. but that wasn't the question.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:22 (twenty years ago)

Public Enemy, Eric B. and Rakim, Outkast, and all these rap groups: all they have is a "DJ" that plays other records and lots of wacky uniforms.

What's up that that?

― San Diva Gyna (and a Masala DOsaNUT on the side) (donut), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

dos (mike watt and kira roessler). two basses with vocals. no drums, no guitar.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

Motorhead did very well despite the lack of an accordion player.

― eyesteel (eyesteel), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:30 (twenty years ago)

What was that Randy Holden guitar, drums duo called- Population II?

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:31 (twenty years ago)

silver apples: oscillators & drums

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 19 June 2006 20:33 (twenty years ago)

Magma- For a long while, the guitar and bass 'switched' roles (the guitar was a secondary instrument, whereas the bass was the up-front/lead role, along with violin). And at one point, they had two bassists. However, nowadays the guitar has crept back up into prominence.

― Joe (Joe), Monday, 19 June 2006 21:08 (twenty years ago)

The Cramps were also bassless for a while, weren't they?

And Blurt had a weird lineup with a trombone as the lead, but I don't remember what they were missing.

― nickn (nickn), Monday, 19 June 2006 22:22 (twenty years ago)

rothko: two bassists, drummer, no guitar.

first line-up of ACR: no drummer (qv "all night party"). rectified this quickly by hiring one of the greatest drummers ever, but still.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 19 June 2006 22:38 (twenty years ago)

The Apes: drums, bass, organ

― Ned Beauman (NedBeauman), Monday, 19 June 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

Tortoise (mk1): 3 bass, drums, vibe/synth

is it time for a Tortoise revival?

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Monday, 19 June 2006 22:55 (twenty years ago)

oh my god has about the best guitar replacement organ sound.

― wes fu (aWESome), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 00:46 (twenty years ago)

Lightning Motherfucking Bolt

― Black Arkestra (Black Arkestra), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 01:18 (twenty years ago)

Wartime - Rollins and Bass ( was there a drum machine ?)

― grapple (grapple), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 02:50 (twenty years ago)

every band ever that didn't have a mellotron

― timmy tannin (pompous), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 02:52 (twenty years ago)

Another pedantic nit-pick:

Jon Spencer and Corin both play baritone guitars, which fills in the bass frequency.

― Matt Olken (Moodles), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 03:27 (twenty years ago)

http://images.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/normal/196/product-6005196.jpg

Dave Douglas: trumpet
Brad Shepik: electric guitar
Jim Black: drums

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 03:47 (twenty years ago)

Who's playing bass?

Umm duuuu baaaa.... No one?!

No bass!

No bass?!

That's right! The gypsies had no homes, The Doors had no bass. But don't let that scare you, my friend, let that liberate you! 'Cause when you're free flying with the Doors, man - what do you need a safety net for?

― Chinchilla Volapük (Captain Sleep), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 04:20 (twenty years ago)

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - no guitarist.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 06:34 (twenty years ago)

Soft Machine (after Daevid Allen i.e 99% of their career) - no guitar.

Van Dr Graaf Generator - no guitar (is this right?)

― Dr.C (Dr.C), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 06:57 (twenty years ago)

Dresden Dolls are just piano and drums.

― Marmot 4-Tay (marmotwolof), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 07:05 (twenty years ago)

Van Dr Graaf Generator - no guitar (is this right?)

Nope. Peter Hammill plays guitar; also Fripp sometimes guested with them (e.g. Pawn Hearts).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 07:16 (twenty years ago)

Cop Shoot Cop - no guitar (apart from last album)

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:41 (twenty years ago)

Ah! Thanks!

*Eyeless In Gaza (Drums? What is that?)**

Erm, about 75% of their stuff had a drum machine on it, Gier!

The Passage - no bass.

Primal Scream - no singer.

― Dr.C (Dr.C), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:45 (twenty years ago)

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - no bass.
Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, post-1972 - no drums. First band to replace drummer with drum machine. (Metal Urbain? Pah!)

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:50 (twenty years ago)

The Black Keys - no bass.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:52 (twenty years ago)

Guillemots - double bass instead of bass guitar.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Lieutenant Pigeon - no guitar.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 10:57 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005H4Y.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 12:19 (twenty years ago)

What's that got to do with anything?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 12:19 (twenty years ago)

Or:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000094T52.02._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 12:22 (twenty years ago)

Are you serious, Marcello?

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 12:22 (twenty years ago)

It's hardly an abnormal jazz group setting. It might have been fifty years ago, but it isn't fifty years ago.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 12:40 (twenty years ago)

Death Sentence: Panda - no guitar, only clarinet, oboe, & drums

― lukeeluke (soulex45), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:07 (twenty years ago)

It might have been fifty years ago, but it isn't fifty years ago.
True, but I'll bet there are still guys born today who wouldn't want to play without the safety net of a chordal instrument, not being born with the innate ear for harmony that allows one to hear, say, the Celestial Cadence of Comstock Carabinieri.

― A Study In Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Devo circa Duty Now For The Future: 4xsynths and (electronic)drums.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:51 (twenty years ago)

With regards to the White Stripes, TYYY, Black Keys, etc. I think it's been established that in rock of the oughts, the a bass is no longer an central instrument. See also: Dagons, des_ark, Modey Lemon. Now a postpunk band without a bassist would be somethin'. Early Cramps, Pussy Galore and Flat Duo Jets lacked bass, too.

Hugo Largo. No drums. Since they were an 80s ethereal band, perhaps it more notable that they were devoid of a drum machine.

― bendy (bendy), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:52 (twenty years ago)

Guitar-Bass-Drums-Vocals

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:55 (twenty years ago)

Here's a thing. If we assume that the bass electric guitar became widely established circa 1960, then the basic rock foursome/fivesome has been in continuous effect as a dominant presence in popular music, for 40 years. No rival group-instrumentation has had anything LIKE as long a run: is this good or bad? Any ideas why?
(I am of course somewhat assuming that the basic jazz quartet/quintet ? which has clearly has a longer run ? is not a DOMINANT form, any more than the string quartet is. I am not insisting that the rock foursome/fivesome remains THE dominant form today: but it still delivers many mnay top ten hits....)
-- mark s (mar...), June 21st, 2001.
v, g, b, d

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 15:58 (twenty years ago)

Deadweight! Drums, cello, viola (I think)!

― mummy wrapped in bacon (nickalicious), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 16:20 (twenty years ago)

the dream academy had no bassist, right? i mean, there were only three of them, and i know the girl just played cor anglais, so something must have been missing.

― Adolescence Mokushiroku! (gendo ikari), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 16:40 (twenty years ago)

"Devo circa Duty Now For The Future: 4xsynths and (electronic)drums"

No no no. Devo circa DBFTF: Normal Drums, Bass, 2 guitars (one with half it's strings missing) and the occasional synth.

Devo circa Freedom Of Choice: 4xsynths and electronic drums, maybe. Live Alan Myers played live drums (okay, syn-drums) and they used guitars too, though they were synth heavy.

― everything (everything), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 16:58 (twenty years ago)

No rival group-instrumentation has had anything LIKE as long a run

An orchestra lineup consisting of a lot of strings and some brass was the dominant lineup from the late 18th century until the end of the 19th century.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 20 June 2006 17:54 (twenty years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.