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Thread: 100 greatest fusion bands

  1. #1
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    100 greatest fusion bands

    I saw this the other night and thought I would post it on here. It's good to see a list of fusion bands that is not necessarily from a prog perspective(ie. little or no prog fusion). Anyway, I'd be curious to know which bands you think belong on the list and which ones on the list you think shouldn't be(maybe they aren't well known enough or just not good enough or whatever).

    http://realityspeaks.expertscolumn.c...z-fusion-bands
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 12-02-2016 at 05:56 PM.

  2. #2
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    Don't really belong (although I understand why some are considered fusion):

    Henry Cow
    Animals As Leaders
    Cynic
    UK
    Ozric Tentacles
    Kayo Dot
    Thank You Scientist

    Missing:

    Sloche
    Blue Effect/Modry Effect
    Dedalus
    Arti e Mestieri
    Passport
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

  3. #3
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    ^I agree that U.K. doesn't belong on there. You may as well have Happy the Man on there. Bruford definitely belongs on the list though(and they are on there). I also agree with the Passport omission.

  4. #4
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Yes Passport is missing and Pat Metheny, Holdsworth ( although Tony Williams, or Soft Machine would not be on the list without him IMHO )
    There are some jam bands that are borderline for me - Galactic for one, Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit another
    Henry Cow?

    They might also add:
    Helmet of Gnats
    David Torn
    John Abercrombie
    Brian Auger Oblivion Express
    Some of the bands from Mexico, Pascal Gutman Trio, Cabezas de Cera,
    Last edited by markwoll; 12-02-2016 at 08:13 PM.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
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  5. #5
    Member zravkapt's Avatar
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    ^Keep in mind it's bands not solo artists.
    The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off

  6. #6
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zravkapt View Post
    ^Keep in mind it's bands not solo artists.
    Yes I get that. Pat Metheny Group mmkay ( see Bruford for example )
    Bottom line is that it is all extremely subjective.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  7. #7
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Uncle Moe's space ranch aren't on there either.

  8. #8
    Member Magic Mountain's Avatar
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    Neither was Morglbl ...otherwise a decent list just out of order

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    I wouldn't include Spyro Gyro if it were my list. They verge on smooth jazz if you ask me. If I had to put a melodic fusion act on the list such as Spyro Gyra, I'd opt for Dry Jack or Affirmation (who by the way both recorded for Inner City Records) who had a little more bite to them. It goes without saying Spyro Gyra enjoyed a massive following back in the day and would win a popularity/familiarity contest hands down against Dry Jack and Affirmation.

  10. #10
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FrippWire View Post
    I wouldn't include Spyro Gyro if it were my list. They verge on smooth jazz if you ask me. If I had to put a melodic fusion act on the list such as Spyro Gyra, I'd opt for Dry Jack or Affirmation (who by the way both recorded for Inner City Records) who had a little more bite to them. It goes without saying Spyro Gyra enjoyed a massive following back in the day and would win a popularity/familiarity contest hands down against Dry Jack and Affirmation.
    Agreed, although I still like Spyro Gyra to some degree. What about Steely Dan though? Do they really belong on the list? I personally think they were pop rock with strong jazzy elements and some fusion and jazz elements but over all I'm not sure I would lump them in with fusion.

  11. #11
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    ANIMAL LOGIC? They're as pop as you can get. Just because Stanley Clarke is in the band doesn't mean it's jazz fusion.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  12. #12
    Member rapidfirerob's Avatar
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    Lists are rather silly, but this isn't too bad overall.

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    Leb i Sol is on the list!


  14. #14
    Getting in a twist about this not being or being under the F-word umbrella aside. There are some real miracle whip and velveeta sandwiches on the list and maybe some jazz-rock/fusion 101 omissions. Maybe subtract a few and look at:
    Fermata
    Urban Sax
    Bella Band
    Perigeo
    Kraan
    Chase
    Matrix
    Phlox
    T.J. Kirk
    X-Legged Sally
    New York Mary
    Forgas Band
    Curlew
    Zu
    Ohm
    Compost
    Good God
    Jettison Slinky
    Alquin
    Dangerous Zhoms
    Back Door
    Gateway
    NRG Ensemble
    The Muffins
    Energit
    Deformica
    Lookout Farm
    Contact Trio

  15. #15
    Member mnprogger's Avatar
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    Pat Metheny Band?

  16. #16
    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Return To Forever
    Weather Report
    Mahavishnu Orchestra
    Tony Williams Lifetime
    Soft Machine
    Tribal Tech
    Vital Information
    Chick Corea Elektric Band
    The Brecker Brothers
    Henry Cow
    Koinonia
    Gong
    Cab
    Brand X
    Steps Ahead
    Planet X
    Colosseum
    Animals As Leaders
    Yellowjackets
    Snarky Puppy
    Casiopea
    Spyro Gyra
    Medeski Martin & Wood
    Soft Heap
    Dixie Dregs
    HBC (Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers)
    Nucleus
    Shakti
    Dirty Loops
    Cynic
    Bela Fleck And The Flecktones
    T-Square
    Niacin
    The Eleventh House
    Nova
    The Crusaders
    Backwater
    Gordian Knot
    Steely Dan
    National Health
    Vital Tech Tones
    U.K.
    The Aristocrats
    Hiroshima
    Embryo
    Orzic Tentacles
    Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit
    Go
    Fattburger
    Hatfield and The North
    Gilgamesh
    Exivious
    Area
    Potemkine
    The Fusion Syndicate
    The Headhunters
    Pierre Morlen’s Gong
    Zao (French Band)
    Ayers Rock
    The Shuffle Demons
    Dreams
    Finnforest
    Tauk
    Leb i sol
    Uzeb
    Bruford
    If
    Secret Oyster
    Chon
    Oregon
    Gutbucket
    Mezzoforte
    Animal Logic
    Vertu
    Kayo Dot
    Colosseum 2
    Kung Fu
    Isotope
    Aghora
    Maneige
    Ginger Baker’s Air Force
    Arcana
    Matching Mole
    Physical Therapy
    Caldera
    Opafire
    Galactic
    Magma
    Jaga Jazzist
    Ten Wheel Drive
    Manteca
    The Bad Plus
    The Slip
    Shakatak
    Jazz Mandolin Project
    Stratus (US Band)
    GoGo Penguin
    Thank You Scientist
    The Budos Band
    Azteca




    not many French (Transit Express for ex), Belgian (Placebo, Cos for ex), German (Kraan and plenty others), Dutch (Finch & Focus, for ex), Italian (Perigeo for ex) or Spanish (Fusioon or Iceberg for ex) bands in there...
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  17. #17
    Member hippypants's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by zravkapt View Post
    ^Keep in mind it's bands not solo artists.
    Some of those musicians though play with other people like:

    Billy Cobham
    Michal Urbaniak
    George Duke
    Jean-Luc Ponty
    Wolfgang Dauner

  18. #18
    David Sancious (& Tone)
    Fents
    Jan Hammer Group
    George Duke and Billy Cobham (band)

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by markwoll View Post
    Holdsworth ( although Tony Williams, or Soft Machine would not be on the list without him IMHO )
    Am I reading this right?

  20. #20
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Here's another list of artists that includes musicians http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/be...n_artists.html

    And here's one that includes just the musicians without their respective bands:
    http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/be...musicians.html

    That should cover just about everyone.

  21. #21
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffCarney View Post
    Am I reading this right?
    Yes. I prefer Soft Machine with Holdsworth more than without. IMHO.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by markwoll View Post
    Yes. I prefer Soft Machine with Holdsworth more than without. IMHO.
    Personal taste aside, the notion that Soft Machine wouldn't be in the top 100 fusion bands unless they made an album with Allan Holdsworth is logic that is hard to fathom, IMO.

    Be about like saying Yes aren't in the top 100 prog bands without Patrick Moraz having been in the band.

  23. #23
    Metheny for this song alone:



    I would also include the Hedvig Mollestad Trio:

    I'm not lazy. I just work so fast I'm always done.

  24. #24
    Outraged bystander markwoll's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffCarney View Post
    Personal taste aside, the notion that Soft Machine wouldn't be in the top 100 fusion bands unless they made an album with Allan Holdsworth is logic that is hard to fathom, IMO.

    Be about like saying Yes aren't in the top 100 prog bands without Patrick Moraz having been in the band.
    Lists like this are all about Personal Taste. 100 percent subjective. They may incorporate "group think", or Billboard/soundscan data for a more objective feel.
    Holdsworth is a personal favorite, whose playing has elevated some bands material to awesome IMHO. There are lots of examples of other situations like that, but it's just another list. There will be more. Maybe my opinion will change. It has before.
    "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
    -- Aristotle
    Nostalgia, you know, ain't what it used to be. Furthermore, they tells me, it never was.
    “A Man Who Does Not Read Has No Appreciable Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read” - Mark Twain

  25. #25
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    ^I think his point was that Soft Machine were an accomplished band before Holdsworth joined and that they would still quailify for a(maybe not necessarily yours)top 100 fusion band list. Of course tastes and lists are subjective but how seriously would you take a top 100 prog list that did not have Yes and Genesis in it. Even if you didn't like those bands you would have to admit any list without those bands could not be taken too seriously. I believe that was his point and I agree with him in that regard. Now if you said Soft Machine would not be on YOUR list without Holdsworth then we wouldn't be having this conversation.

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