Bands Like Group 87?

**rcarlberg** · 08-24-2017

Following on my thread about "Albums like Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities" I'd like to pose another What Would You Recommend thread.

I love love love the 1980s band Group 87, which was instrumental high energy rock based on heavy riffs. There have been a few other examples which have sorta scratched that itch -- UK's first album, some Pekka Pohjola (like Pewit), maybe Djam Karet -- but not much and nothing really exact.

Would love to be turned on to other examples.

**Progbear** · 08-25-2017

Strangeness Beauty: Back to Nowhere?

**rcarlberg** · 08-25-2017

Hmmm. The sample here sounds nothing like Group 87. Nor does the rest of the album available here. But thanks for an album I've never heard of before.

**Sputnik** · 08-25-2017

It's been a long time since I sampled Group 87. Listening to some of their stuff on Youtube, the closest things in my collection are probably Tauk's Sir Nebula and the the album by Craft. Neither has quite that 80s vibe of Group 87, but both are instrumental high energy rock that is not Fusion, and the Tauk is highly riff based. You might not feel there is that much comparison with Group 87, but both are worth checking out anyway (Tauk has a bunch of earlier albums as well, I only have Sir Nebula).

Bill

**rcarlberg** · 08-25-2017

Originally Posted by Sputnik

Tauk's Sir Nebula

Not bad, not bad at all. Thanks!

**rcarlberg** · 08-25-2017

Originally Posted by Sputnik

... and the the album by Craft.

I'm guessing you mean this album rather than the metal band with cookie monster vocals.

This one's also not bad. Not really Group 87 territory but not bad.

**Sputnik** · 08-25-2017

Originally Posted by rcarlberg

I'm guessing you mean this album rather than the metal band with cookie monster vocals.

This one's also not bad. Not really Group 87 territory but not bad.

Yes, that's the album. I'm not a cookie monster type guy, I've never ever heard of the other band. I agree, not really Group 87 territory, but it's an album I really like that fit at least some of your criteria.

The Tauk is closer, and Sir Nebula is a pretty cool album. If they varied the rhythm a bit more, they'd be Prog... but then they'd lose their audience.

Bill

**Liquid Tension** · 08-26-2017

Originally Posted by rcarlberg

Following on my thread about "Albums like Alchemy: An Index of Possibilities" I'd like to pose another What Would You Recommend thread.

I love love love the 1980s band Group 87, which was instrumental high energy rock based on heavy riffs.

Would love to be turned on to other examples.

I gave them another listen since it's been decades and as I remembered the first album doesn't measure up to your description... Nothing even close to heavy on the handful of songs I listened too..

Good luck finding other bands...

**strawberrybrick** · 08-26-2017

Numerically speaking, there's Group 1850...

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

Originally Posted by Liquid Tension

the first album doesn't measure up to your description... Nothing even close to heavy

If by "heavy" you expect crunchy heavy metal guitars, you're right.

But I meant "heavy" as in prominent riffs. One thing I love about Group 87, and Mark Isham's composing in general, is that he takes a heavy riff and lays down a long sinuous multi-measure counter-melody over the top of it. Karl Jenkins does the same thing in "Rubber Riff" and "Seven."

**JKL2000** · 08-26-2017

How about some camples of Group 87?

**TCC** · 08-26-2017

Originally Posted by JKL2000

How about some camples of Group 87?

First album:
https://youtu.be/xlfOntAmyKA

"Group 87 - S.T. LP 1980 *Group 87's members are Terry Bozzio,Mark Isham,Patrick O'Hearn, Peter Wolf and Peter Maunu".

-- Terry Bozzio as a guest handles the drums --

From Gnosis:
http://gnosis2000.net/reviews/group87.htm

"The closest comparison would be the music of Pekka Pohjola"

Pura vida!.

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

Originally Posted by JKL2000

How about some camples of Group 87?

Good idea.

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

Here are camples from "Rubber Riff" to give you a sense of what is similar.

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

By the way, Peter Thelen's review (linked above) TOTALLY misses the boat, I have no idea what album he's reviewing but it isn't Group 87.

Originally Posted by Peter Thelen

Here's a very laid back, instrumental lite-fusion album from around 1980 by the trio of Mark Isham, Patrick O'Hearn and Peter Maunu, with guest drumming by Terry Bozzio. The overall thrust is highly melodic and very uplifting, but for the most part a little too light, happy, and "programmed" sounding for this writer's tastes. Occasional bursts of fire punctuate the album's overall safe approach - I suppose if this had been released a couple years later it might have found its way into the new-age bin catch all - although it does occasionally rock, but not much. I am most often reminded of Anthony Phillips' Invisible Men period, like programmed synths are making the music and the three are just playing along as soloists or incidental musicians. Bozzio's brilliance shines through on a few tracks, but that isn't enough to rescue the program from being much more than average. Most of the material here is stuff you could envision your grandparents grooving to in their Oldsmobile.

**JKL2000** · 08-26-2017

The first thing I thought of is this (it's instrumental, the whole album is):

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

Ah, here's a case of a recommendation sending me, not shopping, but back to something I already own and hadn't listened to in ages.

Yup, good call. Maybe not quite as much grandeur or gravitas as Group 87, but a wonderful set nonetheless. Thanks for the reminder! Lots of the stuff on Miles Copeland's No Speak label was severely overlooked.

**rapidfirerob** · 08-26-2017

There's a blast from the past. Unique instrumental band. I had a live recording I taped from KTIM, in Marin, at one point.
A bit too much on the techno side at times for me, kind of sterile sounding, but a band I enjoyed listening to from time to time.
Saw them once at Keystone Berkeley.

**Mark Newman** · 08-26-2017

It's probably obvious, but many of the early albums by Group 87's Patrick O'Hearn are in the same vein:

**Mark Newman** · 08-26-2017

Quintana and Speer are not a far leap from Group 87:

**rcarlberg** · 08-26-2017

Thanks Mark, have & love both suggestions. Incidentally Paul Speer did a few excellent albums with pianist David Lanz as well.

**interbellum** · 08-27-2017

This thread brought me back to these CD's, which I enjoyed years ago, but hadn't played them for ages.

Listening to them now tell me this was an excellent band, which had a typical 80's sound, which could also be found on albums from Private Music artists like David Van Thieghem:

Of course some of the music by Mark Isham on an album like "Castalia", featuring Terry Bozzio and Peter Maunu from Group 87, next to David Torn, Mick Karn and others, comes to mind too:

Occassionally I also hear some Bruford (in the melodic guitar-solo's), Kit Watkins and the obscure band Man Jumping on their E'G Records-album World Service:

I do think the first album is more rocking, while the second one is more electronic.

**bigbassdrum** · 08-28-2017

District 97
Level 42

See what I did there ???

**Finch Platte** · 08-28-2017

Originally Posted by Sputnik

It's been a long time since I sampled Group 87. Listening to some of their stuff on Youtube, the closest things in my collection are probably Tauk's Sir Nebula and the the album by Craft. Neither has quite that 80s vibe of Group 87, but both are instrumental high energy rock that is not Fusion, and the Tauk is highly riff based. You might not feel there is that much comparison with Group 87, but both are worth checking out anyway (Tauk has a bunch of earlier albums as well, I only have Sir Nebula).

Bill

Tauk is badass.