Power trios
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Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=24498
Printed Date: August 11 2025 at 08:48
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Topic: Power trios
Posted By: crimson thing
Subject: Power trios
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 10:44
I'm not terribly familiar with Rush.......in fact, listening to "Moving Pictures", I have to confess this is the first of their albums I've heard  , but I rather like it, even on first listen......it started an unfair comparison in my mind, about the different uses to which various bands have put the "power trio".
It's obviously a style I like - I'm a big fan of KC's version (even though they cheated with an extra guy on violin & another on sheet metal
 ); and I also like Cream's interpretation, which maybe was heavier on the bass; and Robin Trower's take, more bluesy, and with a great growling vocalist.......So, who do you reckon was/is the best/most interesting exponent of the power trio? I'm sure there are lots more I've forgotten or never heard of......but I still reckon KC did the most within the genre..... ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS 
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Replies:
Posted By: Bern
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 10:52
KC is my favorite of the one you mentionned but we cannot forget about ELP. Their music was really powerful indeed. 
-------------  
RIP in bossa nova heaven. |
Posted By: crimson thing
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:18
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I got interrupted in the middle of writing my first post here.....so lost my train of thought......meant to define power trio as the guitar/bass/drums combo - so, on that basis , I wouldn't include ELP, good as they are (and Tarkus blows me away......)
So, with apologies to Bern & others, can I restart this under that definition?
 I also meant to say, without disparagement to Rush, that they seem to play the trio concept pretty straight (on the extensive evidence of ...errrrrmm.... one album........well, most of it........)....although I love their stuff already......will definitely be getting more..........it's amazing how many different styles one can create from that simple threesome - Rush, KC, Cream, Trower & ?
And why is it always the poor bass player who has to make an arse of himself by singing? Does the rest of the band really think bassists do that little otherwise?  ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:19
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Cream and Rush are probably the best of this lot, but don't forget The Jam! Oh, and The Police.
Bass players never make arses of themselves but I don't know why most of the singers were bass players. Paul Weller would be the exception here, and Eric Clapton did his share of Cream vocals.
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Posted By: Urubaen
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:25
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ELP is the best power prog trio that ever existed. Rush a distant 2nd.
I would not count KC or the later versions of Genesis among trios (1990s Genesis sold out to pop).
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Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:28
| Rush, Cream, Budgie and The Police. |
Posted By: Proghat
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:34
| ELP, Rush and KC! |
Posted By: rushaholic
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:46
Uhm... I think you have that statement bass-ackwards. Rush is the greatest power trio ever; ELP is a far distant second.  |
Urubaen wrote:Posted By: rushaholic
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 11:48
| Although Red the only album that KC ever did as a trio (I think that's true), they still had considerable help with other players. |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:03
Check out 1974`s Dance of the Flames by Guru Guru. Houschang
Nejadepour`s speed of light guitar playing will make you think it`s
John McLaughlin. I`ve fooled more than one pereson with this album.
------------- |
Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:08
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I think you'd have to include the Who as a power trio because all Roger did was sing and pose. ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: tarkus2112
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:24
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Rush,Triumph and ELP ------------- Seasons change and so can I Hold on Boy No time to cry Untie these strings I'm climbing down I won't let them push me away |
Posted By: Someo Therguy
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:24
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I love power trios (I play in one!). Rush has always been my favorite in rock, but the format is used extensively in jazz/rock fusion and you don't have to hear any singing bass players: Shawn Lane/Jonas Hellborg/Jeff Sipe, Bozzio/Levin/Stevens, The Steve Morse Band, Niacin, Cab 1, Cabezas De Cera, Polytown, Ohm... I know I cn think of more... By the way, do power trios with a singer (like Tool) count?
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:27
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He said POWER TRIO.
Everyone is naming some great trio's but The Police and ELP aren't power trio's. -------------  |
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:28
outside of prog I'd like to mention the Manic Street Preachers. frankly even before Ritchie jumped off that bridge he was only contributing lyrics..  |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 12:47
No surprise but Rush are my favourite 'power trio' as for Cream, well I never paid any attention to Cream at al, because I've never liked Claptons other work. But, they showed their anniversary concert fairly recently, and I thought they sounded great. Baker was still a fine drummer. So, if you have any Cream reccomendations please let me know Alan.. I agree about The Police, excellent band! ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 13:34
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The Jimi Hendrix Experiance was a great power trio ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 13:56
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For pure prog power, ELP is The Only Way to go. From the Beginning these guys were electric -- prog surged with them.
There's a Time and a Place for talking about bands other than ELP, but this topic is not it. Take a Pebble, i.e. any band other than ELP, and then compare it to the massive rock of ELP... Miniscule, man, in the grand prog scheme of things cause ELP are massive Stones of Years -- just talking about them is making me approach critical Mass. These guys rock so hard I feel I'm in seismic
shock. They put "da bomb" in "da bombastic" with their explosive sound.
Explosive dy-no-mite. TNT ya know (oh wait, that's AC DC).
If you were to put ELP in a rocket ship powered by prog up against other bands in their own prog-fueled rockets, ELP would blast off so fast that the other bands would be left on the ground choking on their noxious flaming exhaust fumes while ELP shoots their prog missile into Infinite Space. They'd be shooting off for the stars faster than you can say Eruption! They were a prog volcano that shot for the stars,
man. ELP were explosive mountains of prog. They were dy-no-mite. ELP is
ballistically bombastic. Just their bombast alone could practically set-off a
nuclear detonation. They bang, bam!
For You, ELP... too bad the Taste of My [and your] Love was sour, or soured
somewhat, when you prematurely exploded with Love Beach -- I mean it bombed
big-time. So Far To Fall *sighs* Oh well, C'est la Vie, despite Love Beach,
Still..., ELP, You Turn Me On!
For you It was Love at First Sight? Nah, I'm not
so inclined, but it was love, or like at least. at first listen. Nobody Loves You Like I Do. Tank you ELP, your music has made me feel
like the true Lucky Man. Hallowed Be Thy Name!
All I Want is You, ELP, and I know I'm In
Honourable Company. After reading this post, I can only hope that the skeptics
are a little Closer to Believing. If music is Food for your Soul, then ELP is a hearty beefcake dinner as you can see...
http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3694&PID=78582#78582 - http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3694&PID=78582#78582 Only. of course I was just kidding around in an on-over-the-top (ELP is over-the-top) fanboyish manner.. Still,
all things considered, I will choose ELP -- this trio has true prog power, and
are about as synonymous with prog as a band can be.
------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Epitath
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 14:12
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King Crimson by far!!
Followed by Emerson Lake and Palmer!! ------------- 
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 14:17
I thought ELP were generally regarded as a power trio. Have I misunderstood the definition?: Three people making powerful rock music..??
------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: crimson thing
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 14:24
It's my fault......well, actually, my wife's fault.........well, to be precise, the fault of the guy who rang my wife & forced me to run outside to fetch her whilst I was starting this thread & thus forgot to define the thing properly........I always meant the strict definition guitar/bass/drums, but 3 guys in a group, that's a trio........ ........life's too short, etc,etc,..........so why has no-one mentioned Peter, Paul & Mary ?....... ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 14:45
I have to second that sentiment. ------------- 
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Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 14:46
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Maybe not Prog, but how can we not include Triumph!?! -------------
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 15:07
Ha! We proggers can be pedantic cant we! Well, it's my turn now. Progtologist was wrong about The Poilce. They are a 'power trio' by the strict definition. They are guitar, bass and drums! 
------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 15:10
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KC a power trio?...ok, anyone who knows a little about the band knows this is not entirily true...well, still Well among the power trios in prog nothing beats Rush!!! But nowadays their is also Muse (one of my favorite modern bands)...they are three...still Absolution sounds like if they where 15! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 15:13
That's why I clarified that ELP are a trio with
"prog power".
Still... Though I'm familiar with the common definiton of a
power trio, and there are progressive bands like Rush which fit into that
category, this is a prog forum, so we're not just talking rock power trios,
we're talking prog power trios (umph, Triumph?). I think that it's more progressive to expand our musical
lexicon to include other instrument variations. Terminology/ language is
contantly changing -- that's progress. And the pedants have always been revolting.
As prog fans, don't you think such
inelastic labelling not terribly progressive? Nothing wrong with unorthodox
interpretations of terms. Wouldn't a proghead generally prefer to be a
free-thinker who is not restrained by boring, pedantic, normal syntactical
considerations, nor pander to old-school, or even fairly new-school. dictionary definitions?
I'm not promoting a linguistic punkist anarchy,
just a more progressive attitude towards words/ terminology. Though
nomenclature/ classification proves problematic for archivists, I propose rapid linguistic
reform.
I'd rather be out there on the frontiers of
pseudo-lexicology boldly going where no serious linguist has gone before.
------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Mellow Tron
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 16:41
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What about The Groundhogs - not Prog as such but no mean power trio!
------------- Searching for me You look everywhere, Except beside you. Searching for you You look everywhere, But not inside you. |
Posted By: SirPsycho388
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 16:58
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I'd say the best power trio as you define it is RUSH.
But getting out of your defination, one of the best trios is definately ELP.
I honestly wouldn't include King Crimson just because during their trio years 73-75, they had other people adding to the music on the albums -- David Cross, Jamie Muir, Mel Collins,...
Rush and ELP never had other musicians playing with them (only maybe an occasional guest for a song or two)
------------- Strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet and I am you and what I see is me. And do I take you by the hand and lead you through the land and help me understand the best I can |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:11
Some of my faves:
------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: crimson thing
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:17
I'm in a bipolar state after all this controversy.........half of me wants to giggle uncontrollably at the prog version of how many angels can sit on the head of a pin.........the other half is frustrated since I messed up the original post.......still it's been entertaining (for me, at least It was really just a random thought, comparing the guitar/bass/drum sound as interpreted by different groups........incidentally, no-one else mentioned the Trower trio - does no-one else like them? (I realise they're more blues/rock than proggy...) ------------- "Every man over forty is a scoundrel." GBS
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) & I've learnt a bit (as usual)........to be fair, SirPsycho388 & others, I did admit from the start that it was a bit of a cheat to describe the Fripp/Wetton/Bruford incarnation of KC as a power trio, since - well, check my post! Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:24
Andy, just listen to Cream's live version of "Crossroads" - one of the most awesome live recordings I've ever heard. |
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:31
I'll second that. I recently picked up a copy of I Feel Free, a best of Cream CD, and I was surprised at how good it is. I've never been much of a solo Clapton fan, but in Cream he wasn't dominating the writing, playing or singing and Ginger Baker & Jack Bruce (both brilliant players) seem to either bring out the best in him or curb his worst excesses, depending on how you look at it.
Mind you, I'm So Glad is one song I could die happily without ever hearing again... ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:38
I'd like to add the Roman Bunka trio to that (Roman Bunka: guitar, oud and vocals, Gerald Luciano Hartwig: bass and sitar, Freddy Setz: drums, percussion and keyboards). Their album "Dein Kopf ist ein Schlafendes Auto" is one of the very best albums in our collection. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:45
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Come on... no one's said Primus yet. Even though Rush is better, I love those guys
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Posted By: Tuzvihar
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 17:48
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SBB ------------- "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent." Charles Bukowski |
Posted By: Ty1020
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 19:56
Woiw, yeah, I can't believe nobody's mentioned them yet. Definitely one of the best out there right now. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Ty1020/"> 
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 20:04
I stand corrected sir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 ------------- |
Posted By: beowulf
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 20:13
| ELP, TriPod, Jimi Hendrix Experience (in that order, Rush was great, but Hendrix was better) |
Posted By: RaúlGuate
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 20:33
| Somebody beat on posting Primus. Dang. Are they the only bass-oriented power trio? |
Posted By: MusicForSpeedin
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 20:40
| Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 21:25
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Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 22:25
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They're not very proggy, but King's X is awesome. Totally underrated. But of course:
Rush
The Police
Cream
Tangerine Dream
Could TD be considered a "power trio?" They are a trio afterall...
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Posted By: Ben2112
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 22:50
Ha, you beat me to it! I love trios, faves being: Rush King's X Jimi Hendrix Experience (and Band Of Gypsies too) Primus The Police |
Posted By: Progdrummer05
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:03
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I will agree on great trios like Rush, ELP, the King Crimson trio of Fripp, Bruford, and Wetton, and King's X. But as have i seen i don't think anyone has mentioned Jelly Jam. I haven't heard much of the second album but there first album is pretty tight with Myung's awesome bass play, and Ty Tabor such an underrated guitar player. Plus they got Rod Morgenstein who is oh so great. They may be a side project but man there deserve to be known as a power trio. ------------- Carry On My Wayward Son |
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:06
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Man, are we forgetting the Who with Keith Moon? Roger occasionally threw out a couple of notes on harmonica but aside from that....man, Pete practically invented the power chord to go along with his power trio! They, along with Cream and the Experience, epitomize the power trio concept and, in my mind, nobody's topped 'em.
That said, I prefer Pete's softer side, Clapton's JJ Cale shuffles, and Hendrix when he opened things up with the Band of Gypsies (a trio but less power and more groove). ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:22
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triumph
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Posted By: Barla
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:27
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Rush, ELP, The Police and KC.
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Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:32
Glad to see I'm not alone.
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Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:52
Count me in! |
Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 09 2006 at 23:53
 Soon we will have enough followers to have them in PA.
 |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: June 10 2006 at 00:07
The Who were not a trio. ------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: Zoso
Date Posted: June 10 2006 at 00:24
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Rush is way ahead of their game followed by ELP and KC.
-------------  |
Posted By: SirPsycho388
Date Posted: June 10 2006 at 00:28
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Triumph anyone??? ------------- Strangers passing in the street by chance two separate glances meet and I am you and what I see is me. And do I take you by the hand and lead you through the land and help me understand the best I can |
Posted By: OT Räihälä
Date Posted: June 10 2006 at 05:51
Definitely not prog, but the original power trio is Motörhead. 
------------- http://soundcloud.com/osmotapioraihala/sets" rel="nofollow - Composer - Click to listen to my works! |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: June 10 2006 at 05:58
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How about Dzyan? Of modern bands: Hadouk, a trio Didier Malherbe of Gong plays in. They are currently touring Europe. They play ethno-prog wth some jazzy influences (as do Dzyan, by the way). ------------- BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |