Greatest Guitar Band

I have to cast my vote for the Allman Brothers with Duane and Dickie. The interplay between those two was something to behold. Honorable mention has to go to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Houses of the Holy was a very special album. I saw Gregg Allman at the House of Blues in New Orleans last month. He had a band with slide, lead and backing guitars and the Brothers double drum setup as well. HOB holds maybe 800-1000 people and Gregg put on a pretty decent show for a legend, considering the audience wanted to help him sing.

Hey Sfbaydude, the problem with Aerosmith is Tyler. I'd rather listen to fingernails on the blackboard than hear him "sing". BTW, in the early years, Whitford blew away Perry.

To Ben: In order for a guitar band to play well it needs a drummer that keeps the group in order. The harmonica playing of Keith was just an added bonus. OK, I loved the Yardbirds maybe because they could play their instruments. Maybe I liked them because what ever came after them was a rip off of the group. Whether Eric, or Jeff, or Jimmy was lead guitar they were inventive,never took themselves seriously. An interviewer once asked Keith Relf why he played in a RnR band...his response :to meet chicks and get laid!!! After them things changed it went from being club rock (J Beck still likes performing in small clubs or venues) to stadium rock. Things change but not necessary for the better. Look J Page basically took the Yardbirds in 1968 changed their line up added a very strong vocalist and a very strong drummer and really created stadium rock. He took Yardbird type riffs spiffed it up with very long(boring?) guitar monologs PUFF LED ZEP. When E Clapton left the group because of the direction the band was heading, he went to John Mayall for awhile, but I think he was appalled the way John approached the blues. Next formed the power trio CREAM with J Bruce and G Baker. Awesome trio, J Bruce maybe is the greatest bass player of all time (Ben--he could also play a down and dirty harmonica too). Cream also went the way of stadium rock. Spoonful and Crossroads were perhaps their best songs, both blues songs. J Beck teamed up with R Stewart and R Woods and produced one fine album in Beckola. My point is whatever came after the Yardbirds was derived from their seminal lead guitarists. The Yardbirds were there from the beginning whetheryou wanted staight up rock, blues based rock psychodelic rock, even folk rock, Remember, the drummer and vocalist formed one of the finest folk rock groups Renaissance. They were creative and knew how to play their instruments(J Beck began experimenting with sitars well before G Harrison did for the Beatles,listen to the sitar version of Heart Full of Soul.) Probably the reason I liked them is they never never took themselves seriously.

Jim, Thanks for remembering Quicksilver as Dekay did. I used to stand right in front of them watching John Cippolina. Ahhh, the good old days. And I sure do remember Alvin Lee. I wonder if I was at the Shrine for that particular concert, since I went so often then. Dekay, you remembered Savoy Brown; I'm amazed! Wonderful memories! I still enjoy listening to many of the great groups you all mentioned. If only we could still see them. For those of us who lived through those days of sex, drugs, and rock and roll... welcome to my world...we are extremely fortunate!!!!! Shubertmaniac, thanks for starting this great thread.

Really informative post there Shubertmaniac. Thanks!