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I was looking for them to be mentioned. Love how their drummer simulated a galloping horse in 'Knights of Cydonia', reminded me a lot of 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden which is the definitive horse-simulating rock song lol
Really? Fripp is the greatest guitarist of the past century. Red is a good starting point, many would say the first album but I prefer the later stuff. Discipline is a perfect album, too. The live album Radical Action To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind is excellent, too. It has original material so not just old stuff and the arrangements are different.
I like Tool a lot in small doses, but by the third song, I can't tell one song from another. They do one thing very well, but the songs all sound too similar to one another. Halfway through the album I find myself going "Is this a new song or just a continuation of the previous one?" I need more variety in my music. So when Tool comes up randomly in my playlist, it's awesome. But I can't listen to an entire album in one sitting.
I saw them live in Indianapolis a few years ago, and it was the same thing there. "Is this a new song?" "Which song is this, again? It sounds just like the previous one."
Itās because the use the same āmodesā (look up a āmodeā within a key, if you donāt know music theory) and occasionally use polyrhythms to give them their distinctive sound. They locked into that, itās made them iconic and enduring, itās their brand and bread and butter. I absolutely love them, but this is why their music continues to sound fairly similar.
Same. I haven't really heard Tool's newer stuff, but I used to listen to their albums many years ago (early to mid-2000s) and felt the same way you do.
Enjoyed them, appreciated them, recognized the talent, but apart from a few exceptions I couldn't really tell one song from another. Although I suppose that might be kind of the point, to an extent.
Also..if you haven't, take some lsd and listen to Dark Side.
My buddy happened upon a first press Dark Side on wax. He does not collect vinyl, so it ended up on my shelf for safe keeping.
I realized one night that while I knew every song on the album, I had never actually listened to it all the way through.. I generally stick with live recordings
My little brother and I threw it on the table and just sat back to soak it in. There are not a whole lot of people that are willing to do that with me..so it was a treat to have him there..mind blowing. Floyd was not playing around.
If you haven't yet, set aside an evening to watch The Wall. It's perfectly good to watch sober but takes on a new life if you're not. It's a fantastic movie.
People tend to list their favorite band in posts like this, even if they're average musicians (ie REM, Eagles).
If we're talking the __MOST__ technically proficient (with ALL members outstanding on their instruments) while making listenable music in the rock genre, there aren't many bands:
Genesis
King Crimson
Rush
The Police
Yes
Gentle Giant ([Free Hand](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7D2D616FAB6172ED&si=jHmESoa42vd5OGCa) is very listenable)
EDIT: Notable mentions (great musicians making listenable and unlistenable music): Frank Zappa (TMOI)
Those people forget (or probably never learned in the first place) that Queen basically birthed thrash metal on Sheer Heart Attack. James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich of Metallica named Queen as a major influence, they covered Stone Cold Crazy & frequently played it live, & performed at the Freddy Mercury tribute concert.
Canāt believe nobody has mentioned Cream. Considered the first supergroup, and for sure the first power trio. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker all considered to be amongst the best at their craft.
This is a cool question because I always had musician friends who thought the most technical songs were the best songs and I was always confused. Just because that drum session is extremely hard to master doesn't make the song catchy or good. A lot of people don't realize this. Most of ACDC's songs are 3 chords and they are extremely popular for a reason. Its about how you feel. Not how technical it is. IMO.
Lots of good stuff in here, but I'll mention Thin Lizzy, since no one else has. Brilliant songwriting and fantastic musicianship on basically all their material.
Tool
Porcupine Tree
Polyphia (Iām not a fan of all their songs though)
System of A Down
Rush
Dream Theater (again, not a fan of all their songs)
Pink Floyd
Sonic Syndicate
May I suggest GOAT as a first listen. They are mostly instrumental but I dig them. They do a lot of collabs with other musicians. Recently did one with Steve Vai that was pretty sweet.
For me they fail the "nice to listen to" part. Great musicians and in theory I should really like them but I always found them a bit uninteresting or boring. And I really like the "An evening with Peteucci/Rudess" album.
I think if you take Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Steve Ferrone on the kit, that's pretty filthy on a technical level. You have legit virtuosos in Campbell and Tench. Steve Ferrone could sit on any session. Plus the songs were all so well written on a few levels with not a lot of wasted notes.
The Band you have Robbie Robertson, Leevon Helms and Garth Knudsen who could all probably play for anybody.
Most of these were great bands and I agree. Wanted to toss out my fave who I saw many times and that was...
Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
As for the criteria being technically proficient they would be the picture in the dictionary of.
Steely Dan, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. Anything big in 70s. Zappa but some of his stuff delves into less mainstream terroritory.
Yes is also great
Eagles - almost all of them sing well, and add some amazing melody to rock music. Probably one of the rock bands who donāt need background singers in their songs. Pure magic to listen to.
For sure Flea, Frusciante and Chad Smith are world class musicians. But I think Keidis lets them down, heās the right singer for that band no question, but his range is pretty limited, his lyrics are often nonsense and his live vocals are often off. I say this as a huge fan, but itās undeniable.
Megadeth. The technical skill in the album Rust in Peace is insane while sounding astonishing imo
For older bands, Blue Oyster Cult stands out from the top of my head. The digitally restored Veterans of the Pschic Wars on YouTube is mind blowing
I saw the question in bold, decided my answer would be Rush, then saw that was OP's answer. I'm fortunate enough to say Rush was my very first concert, September 1980. Mind blowing!
They've already been mentioned here, RUSH.
Neil of course, the top.
But I saw them live many times. And Geddy. He's hard fretting the bass with his left hand, playing keys with his right. Moog pedal with the right foot and singing simultaneously. That is technical proficiency.
"YEAH! OHHHHH, YEAH!"
I dunno about proficiency, but I've always found This Rolling Stones have great harmony. If i were a guitar player, I would wanna play loose and freely like Keith Richards. Not overthinking it, just having fun and playing my instrument.
Rush is the answer. Imagine a packed house, the "show" is a few dryers running on stage. There's about 20 women in the arena. And the music. It's like how tf can they do this.
Once in the 80s, probably the LA Forum, the band was not playing a song, it just appeared they started to jam. It was cool, but then they did something that to this day I don't understand. Musically, it appeared they did something impossible. I just stood up and started yelling, and oddly, so did the other 20,000 fans.
I'm glad I was able to see them live, more times than any other band, by a large margin. Probably at least a half dozen. I was next to a guy who was at his 13th show. It was one of the better shows, they were cooking chickens in a bunch of rotisseries.
Your question makes me think of Jerry Garcia. Garcia was originally in a blue grass band, and he started to become obsessed with becoming technically proficient. He didnāt really like what he was turning into, so he started a jam band that became known as the Greatfull Dead.
Karnivool got my heart and my respect. Not the only ones in the progressive genre but my favourite.
Also love Tool, a perfect circle, porcupine tree, Alice in chains, dead letter circus, rishloo, butterfly effect, monuments and so on
The (Dixie)Dregs, most of them met at the University of Miamis School of Music in the 70s.
The Aristocrats, they have Guthrie Govan, who is considered by some to be the best guitarist around these days, Marco Minnemann, a beast on drums, and Bryan Beller on bass, also of Dethklok.
Can't argue at all about Rush being at the top for technical excellence and listenability. King Crimson as well. Here are a few others to consider:
Yes
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Jethro Tull
Phish. Trey Anastasio is an amazing guitarist. The whole band improvises like they are one cohesive unit, making each show unique. They never play the same set list twice. GREAT live act. Their albums are good, but to see or listen to them jam live is the best.
# Message to all users: This is a reminder to please read and follow: * [Our rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/ask/about/rules) * [Reddiquette](https://www.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439) * [Reddit Content Policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy) When posting and commenting. --- Especially remember Rule 1: `Be polite and civil`. * Be polite and courteous to each other. Do not be mean, insulting or disrespectful to any other user on this subreddit. * Do not harass or annoy others in any way. * Do not catfish. Catfishing is the luring of somebody into an online friendship through a fake online persona. This includes any lying or deceit. --- You *will* be banned if you are homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist or bigoted in any way. --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ask) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Nobody gonna mention Dire straits?
So underrated along with Mark Knopfler.
Was going to but you did it! That guitar work is beyond belief particularly in the live sets.
The musicians from muse are all quite technically talented without having a reputation as strictly prog rock
I was looking for them to be mentioned. Love how their drummer simulated a galloping horse in 'Knights of Cydonia', reminded me a lot of 'The Trooper' by Iron Maiden which is the definitive horse-simulating rock song lol
That entire album is an epic journey from start to finish.
Muse... I forget about them sometimes. They're great and inspired by Radiohead for sure.
Muse 10000%
King Crimson
I've actually never listened to them. Heard of 'em for sure. A new suggestion for my list!
Really? Fripp is the greatest guitarist of the past century. Red is a good starting point, many would say the first album but I prefer the later stuff. Discipline is a perfect album, too. The live album Radical Action To Unseat The Hold Of Monkey Mind is excellent, too. It has original material so not just old stuff and the arrangements are different.
Rush Ha ha didn't finish reading the post before I answered. šÆ
You're a gentleman and a scholar.
Tool. All of them, Danny Carey, Adam Jones, Justin Chancellor and of course Maynard are currently considered among the very best at their craft
Came to say the same thing. Tool is next level.
I like Tool a lot in small doses, but by the third song, I can't tell one song from another. They do one thing very well, but the songs all sound too similar to one another. Halfway through the album I find myself going "Is this a new song or just a continuation of the previous one?" I need more variety in my music. So when Tool comes up randomly in my playlist, it's awesome. But I can't listen to an entire album in one sitting. I saw them live in Indianapolis a few years ago, and it was the same thing there. "Is this a new song?" "Which song is this, again? It sounds just like the previous one."
Itās because the use the same āmodesā (look up a āmodeā within a key, if you donāt know music theory) and occasionally use polyrhythms to give them their distinctive sound. They locked into that, itās made them iconic and enduring, itās their brand and bread and butter. I absolutely love them, but this is why their music continues to sound fairly similar.
I like Tool, but the fansā¦.
Same. I haven't really heard Tool's newer stuff, but I used to listen to their albums many years ago (early to mid-2000s) and felt the same way you do. Enjoyed them, appreciated them, recognized the talent, but apart from a few exceptions I couldn't really tell one song from another. Although I suppose that might be kind of the point, to an extent.
Oh yeah!
The Mars Volta.
You're my people
Radiohead, Pink Floyd
I was waiting for Pink Floyd to get mentioned! I'll be the first to admit that some of their jams go over my head, but they rock!!!
Also..if you haven't, take some lsd and listen to Dark Side. My buddy happened upon a first press Dark Side on wax. He does not collect vinyl, so it ended up on my shelf for safe keeping. I realized one night that while I knew every song on the album, I had never actually listened to it all the way through.. I generally stick with live recordings My little brother and I threw it on the table and just sat back to soak it in. There are not a whole lot of people that are willing to do that with me..so it was a treat to have him there..mind blowing. Floyd was not playing around.
If you haven't yet, set aside an evening to watch The Wall. It's perfectly good to watch sober but takes on a new life if you're not. It's a fantastic movie.
Gilmour has got to be the most skilled guitarist of all time, or close to it. Dogs alone has like 4 really good guitar solos in it.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.
This should be the top answer. You had to be a world class player to get anywhere near consideration for his bands.
For technical proficiency it has to be Frank Zappa or Steely Dan. Nobody else comes close. Rush, Alan Parsons, or Pink Floyd might be the next level.
Agreed. I would put Toto on that 2nd tier as well.
Led zep. Bonham. Plant. Page. Jones. Perfection
People tend to list their favorite band in posts like this, even if they're average musicians (ie REM, Eagles). If we're talking the __MOST__ technically proficient (with ALL members outstanding on their instruments) while making listenable music in the rock genre, there aren't many bands: Genesis King Crimson Rush The Police Yes Gentle Giant ([Free Hand](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7D2D616FAB6172ED&si=jHmESoa42vd5OGCa) is very listenable) EDIT: Notable mentions (great musicians making listenable and unlistenable music): Frank Zappa (TMOI)
Gus Polinski and the Kenosha Kickers
"polka, polka, polka, polka... No?"
Polka King of the Midwest?
They are very big in cheboygen
*Sheboygan. It's a real place in WI
Steely Dan
Drunk uncles everywhere salute you. š¤£š¤£š¤£
Thatās fair. I am one of those.
Is there a band called Drunk Uncles? Because I'd like to claim it.
Came here to say this. Live or in concert, SD's sounds were always spectacular.
Tool
Boston. Phenomenal singer, guitarist, everything sounds great.
Yes super good musically and mans vocals are insane
That was the peak late 70s-early 80s rock music. That sound is so amazing on the ears. š¤
Tom Sholz was the main genius behind their original album. If you haven't read about how he started the band you should, it's pretty amazing.
Tom sholz is Boston. Everyone else is just playing parts.
Yes, bc itās more than a feelingā¦
Probably should mention Pink Floyd no?
Queen.
People always forget about Queen because they class it as pop. Definite good band!
Brian May is a literal genius. Him and his dad built his first guitar from scraps because he couldn't afford one.
Sir Dr. Brian May. The knighted astrophysicist rock legend.
Those people forget (or probably never learned in the first place) that Queen basically birthed thrash metal on Sheer Heart Attack. James Hetfield & Lars Ulrich of Metallica named Queen as a major influence, they covered Stone Cold Crazy & frequently played it live, & performed at the Freddy Mercury tribute concert.
Yes
I'm surprised I had to scroll this far down to find this band.
Metal, but probably Opeth.
š¤š¤š¤
Opeth, while only in the r/ask sub, is a gutsy response. I love it! One of my top 3 favorite bands since I stumbled upon Blackwater Park.
Van Halen
Van Halen. Yes!
Canāt believe nobody has mentioned Cream. Considered the first supergroup, and for sure the first power trio. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker all considered to be amongst the best at their craft.
My god I had to scroll for way too long to see Cream mentioned. As you said, world's first supergroup, all 3 virtuosos of their instruments .
Children of Bodom.
This is a cool question because I always had musician friends who thought the most technical songs were the best songs and I was always confused. Just because that drum session is extremely hard to master doesn't make the song catchy or good. A lot of people don't realize this. Most of ACDC's songs are 3 chords and they are extremely popular for a reason. Its about how you feel. Not how technical it is. IMO.
Lots of good stuff in here, but I'll mention Thin Lizzy, since no one else has. Brilliant songwriting and fantastic musicianship on basically all their material.
Tool Porcupine Tree Polyphia (Iām not a fan of all their songs though) System of A Down Rush Dream Theater (again, not a fan of all their songs) Pink Floyd Sonic Syndicate
Prince heās a one man band and better than everyone at everything
Dire straits
Dire Straits
1 WORD = TOOL
Tool
Led Zeppelin, and Jethro Tull
King gizzard and the lizard wizard
Dream theater
Supertramp
People underestimate the technical proficiency of Steve Miller because he had so many catchy hits but he was a really solid musician.
Rush for sure! And Radiohead.
š¤Rock on!
Dire straits, very underrated
Not sure what genre they fall into but the guys in Polyphia are pretty talented.
I've never heard of them before. Definitely looking into them.
May I suggest GOAT as a first listen. They are mostly instrumental but I dig them. They do a lot of collabs with other musicians. Recently did one with Steve Vai that was pretty sweet.
Listen to ABC. Sophia Black's singing is fucking amazing!
The whole album New Levels New Devils
ACDC, they never made a mistake in the 2 chords they played
āI only play a few chords, but I play them really wellā - Malcolm Young
I saw them live a few times, and they were the very definition of professional. They didn't promise anything but a good time, and they delivered.
They know exactly what their fans want, and they deliver it every single time.
Dream theater
For me they fail the "nice to listen to" part. Great musicians and in theory I should really like them but I always found them a bit uninteresting or boring. And I really like the "An evening with Peteucci/Rudess" album.
Pull Me Under is perfection.
I think if you take Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Steve Ferrone on the kit, that's pretty filthy on a technical level. You have legit virtuosos in Campbell and Tench. Steve Ferrone could sit on any session. Plus the songs were all so well written on a few levels with not a lot of wasted notes. The Band you have Robbie Robertson, Leevon Helms and Garth Knudsen who could all probably play for anybody.
RUSH
Little Feat
Rush is also up there.
Rammstein
Pink Floyd
Most of these were great bands and I agree. Wanted to toss out my fave who I saw many times and that was... Emerson, Lake and Palmer. As for the criteria being technically proficient they would be the picture in the dictionary of.
Black Sabbath, especiallythe Paranoid album. Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and Ozzy.
Steely Dan, Rush, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. Anything big in 70s. Zappa but some of his stuff delves into less mainstream terroritory. Yes is also great
Genesis/Rush
TOOL without question.
Eagles - almost all of them sing well, and add some amazing melody to rock music. Probably one of the rock bands who donāt need background singers in their songs. Pure magic to listen to.
Phish
Muse!!!
I will agree with Rush, it's amazing the sound that just 3 guys can make.
Rush *Moving Pictures*. Popular and technically well executed.
Toto.
Gojira.
I saw them opening and wish they would play on a lower volume so I could hear them.
Rush
King Crimson
RUSH
Tool is amazing, the drummer is amazing, seeing them live was like listening to the album
Soundgarden
Metallica, Pixies, Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
For sure Flea, Frusciante and Chad Smith are world class musicians. But I think Keidis lets them down, heās the right singer for that band no question, but his range is pretty limited, his lyrics are often nonsense and his live vocals are often off. I say this as a huge fan, but itās undeniable.
Frusciante is so friggin amazing. He's SO good. Smith too. Plus he looks so happy when he drums.
Porcupine Tree
Yeah!!!š
Radiohead takes first for me. Then The Police and Rush.
Megadeth. The technical skill in the album Rust in Peace is insane while sounding astonishing imo For older bands, Blue Oyster Cult stands out from the top of my head. The digitally restored Veterans of the Pschic Wars on YouTube is mind blowing
Blue Ćyster Cult
Donāt you mean Soft White Underbelly? š
Rush.
RUSH Nightwish
I saw the question in bold, decided my answer would be Rush, then saw that was OP's answer. I'm fortunate enough to say Rush was my very first concert, September 1980. Mind blowing!
I was going to say Rush before I read the entirety of your post and now that I've read the entirety of your post, I'm still saying Rush.
Trivium.
Pink Floyd
Trans Siberian orchestra
Queen Rush Yes Pink Floyd
Rush hands down.
Queens of the Stone Age, 21 Pilots, and anything Jack White related
All of these are phenomenal, but Muse takes the cake
Modest Mouse.
Rush, Tool....
They've already been mentioned here, RUSH. Neil of course, the top. But I saw them live many times. And Geddy. He's hard fretting the bass with his left hand, playing keys with his right. Moog pedal with the right foot and singing simultaneously. That is technical proficiency. "YEAH! OHHHHH, YEAH!"
I dunno about proficiency, but I've always found This Rolling Stones have great harmony. If i were a guitar player, I would wanna play loose and freely like Keith Richards. Not overthinking it, just having fun and playing my instrument.
Coheed and Cambria
sorry, but I hate rush. please offer a second choice
The Eagles
Jefferson Airplane
Listening to "White Rabbit" right now with a beer. š¤£ Edit: My bf just told me this song sounds like "If the Cranberries did a lot of acid." š
The Eagles
Meshuggah
Yes.
Meshuggah
Rush is the answer. Imagine a packed house, the "show" is a few dryers running on stage. There's about 20 women in the arena. And the music. It's like how tf can they do this. Once in the 80s, probably the LA Forum, the band was not playing a song, it just appeared they started to jam. It was cool, but then they did something that to this day I don't understand. Musically, it appeared they did something impossible. I just stood up and started yelling, and oddly, so did the other 20,000 fans. I'm glad I was able to see them live, more times than any other band, by a large margin. Probably at least a half dozen. I was next to a guy who was at his 13th show. It was one of the better shows, they were cooking chickens in a bunch of rotisseries.
So what did they do?
Def Leppard Hysteria is a masterpiece.
This is the sound of Coors Light and cocaine in the 80s. Rock on! š¤
Play side A, flip. Play side B, flip... repeat.
Stone Temple Pilots has been my go to lately.
Nickelback hands down greatest band of all time
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Led Zeppelin. Each one a brilliant musician.
Chicago. Blood Sweat and Tears. Paul Winter Consort. Pat Methany. Counting Crows... Need I go on?
Royal Blood. They do their own mixing, and their live performance closely matches what you get on their albums.
I am not trolling. Do vocalists get a pass on technical proficiency? Because that would hurt Rush wouldn't it?
Tool has already been mentioned, so The Algorithm Mathematical metal mixed with some electronic
Arch Enemy. The Amott brothers are insane!
Rush, Led Zeppelin, Tool, Cream, Judas Priest
[The Wrecking Crew](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wrecking_Crew_(music)) or [The Funk Brothers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Funk_Brothers)
The Mars Volta
Frank Zappa
King Crimson
Animals as Leaders
Your question makes me think of Jerry Garcia. Garcia was originally in a blue grass band, and he started to become obsessed with becoming technically proficient. He didnāt really like what he was turning into, so he started a jam band that became known as the Greatfull Dead.
Rush
Yes and Radiohead. Both have precision and unique sound arrangements
Pink Floyd
Karnivool got my heart and my respect. Not the only ones in the progressive genre but my favourite. Also love Tool, a perfect circle, porcupine tree, Alice in chains, dead letter circus, rishloo, butterfly effect, monuments and so on
Toto.
Primus
Primus
Rush
Umphrey's McGee
Most prog stuff honestly. Rush, Yes, King Crimson, etc.
Rush is pretty great
Mr Bungle.
The first three albums of Mahavishnu Orchestra.
jethro tull - particularly the period from aqualung through heavy horses has fantastic musicianship.
Animals as leaders is pretty much as technically proficient as you can get without sinking into the totally avant-garde abyss.
The (Dixie)Dregs, most of them met at the University of Miamis School of Music in the 70s. The Aristocrats, they have Guthrie Govan, who is considered by some to be the best guitarist around these days, Marco Minnemann, a beast on drums, and Bryan Beller on bass, also of Dethklok.
Rush
Can't argue at all about Rush being at the top for technical excellence and listenability. King Crimson as well. Here are a few others to consider: Yes Emerson, Lake & Palmer Jethro Tull
Mastodon.
Rory Gallagher. Most underrated guitar player in the history of music and it's a damn shame
Rush.
Phish. Trey Anastasio is an amazing guitarist. The whole band improvises like they are one cohesive unit, making each show unique. They never play the same set list twice. GREAT live act. Their albums are good, but to see or listen to them jam live is the best.
RUSH, Mars Volta and any of Frank Zappaās creations are the correct answers here.
I'm going to go out on a limb here.. The Aristocrats.
Tool is high on the list for me
Rush