Let's get a definition in here to start: bands with a guitar player, bass player, and a drummer(a percussionist to all of you chardonnay sippers). It's okay if one of the three plays a harmonica, but basically NO keyboards are allowed. Obvious examples would be groups like Cream and ZZ Top(a top ten pick for me.....by the way! Let the opinions fly!................tom

1. The Police.

2. BLT - Ginger Baker, Bill Lourdan and Robin Trower.

Hmmmm
Blue Cheer (Summertime Blues, anyone???) comes to mind immediately. Taste w/ Rory Gallagher rocked but was more of a blues/rock band.
What about The Who? Roger sang and blew the harp, but it was only three basic instruments. Rush too, I think (not a fan)

Oh, and duhhhhhhh.............

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Triumph also. (mostly all of these bands had keyboards at some point).

Rush.

the Jimi Hendrix Experience are definitely in my top ten! I'll throw another one out there that may be poo-pooed, but as a live act, they were awesome: Grand Funk Railroad! Back in '69, they had a weekend rock festival in West Palm Beach, Fl. As the sun went down that Saturday night, Johnny Winter played us some blues. Then Janis Joplin came out and did her thing. Then Winter and Joplin jammed for about 30 minutes(kinda wish I had a recording of that). Then out came that band from Flint, Michigan that no one knew sh*t about, and they stole the whole show. Another power trio, I'll throw out at you are West, Bruce, and Laing.........keep'em comin'!

The Experience, Rush (early), ZZ Top (pre-eliminator), and I'll also second the Grand Funk nomination. Some good stuff there.

Gov't Mule, warren haynes has a voice that always stirs my soul! With woody gone they have mellowed a bit but still a great example of a power trio for these days.........

The James Gang!!! :guitar:

1. The Police.

2. BLT - Ginger Baker, Bill Lourdan and Robin Trower.
Wasn't Jack Bruce the "B" in B.L.T.?

Yes,Jack Bruce is the B in BLT.My vote goes to Robin Trower.

Speaking of Jack Bruce, how about West, Bruce, and Laing?

Run-DMC? Hahaha...I'm just tryin' to start trouble.

1970's King Crimson...Wetton, Fripp, Bruford

Brian Setzer / StrayCats


and to complete the Bruce's:
BBM Bruce/Baker/Moore


Helge

The Jam.

clint.

The Screaming Blue Messiahs are at the top of the heap looking down on everyone else IMHO. They released three great, nitro-charged studio LPs in the mid-80s. (The subsequent whereabouts of Bill Carter remain a mystery.)

My obscure nomination would be the 70s trio Dust, featuring vocalist/guitarist Richie Wise, and bassist Kenny Aaronson and drummer Marc Bell. Two LPs, Dust and Hard Attack were all they released. Aaronson became a sought after session bassist and Bell was with Richard Hell & the Voidoids and then tranformed himself into Marky Ramone.

I would have to chime in for the Ginger Baker Trio, though not a true power band, a powerful one from the combined strengths of Ginger Baker, Charlie Haden, and Bill Frisell.

I would have to go with the "Little Ole band From Texas", ZZ Top. I think they would probably be the longest running band with the same line-up, (69-present), to have never broken up.
I do agree anythng after Eliminator, pretty much blows goats, just like the USPS. :).


Hendrix
Blue Cheer (The loudest band in world)
RUSH
ELP

As far as current power trios go I hereby nominate Gov't Mule and the North Mississippi All Stars. In fact, I may just go and see the Mule tonight at Constitution Hall, still haven't decided! They put on one hell of a show (seen them plenty of times).

Nirvana.

Clint

- ZZ Top
- Hüsker Dü ca. 1984-85

how about no guitars? the album 11-17-70. Elton John - Piano, Dee Murray - bass and Nigel Ollsen - drums.

not a "power trio", but Crowded House is, imo, the best 3 piece band ever.

1. Another Rush vote! You said no keyboards allowed, but IIRC at least their first album and I think maybe their next two (Fly By Night, Caress of Steel)
didn't have keys, so early Rush counts.

IMO, the best drummer, bass player and lyricist in rock are all in this band. Lead guitar isn't too shabby either.

After that (in order):
Police,
James Gang,
Grand Funk Railroad (So who would dis them?? One of the classics!),
ZZ Top,
Triumph,
ELP

All already mentioned, but this is where I place 'em anyhow.

To get back on track with REAL power trios, Black Sabbath as a 3 man music section and very much The Groundhogs who were little known of on this side of the pond.

Carl

To get back on track with REAL power trios, Black Sabbath as a 3 man music section
Carl

Hey Carl,
don't you think that voice is a musical instrument ? :scratch2:

clint.

Hey Carl,
don't you think that voice is a musical instrument ? :scratch2:

clint.
Not as was used in power trios. (which makes me think of Budgie :D )

Carl

As far as current power trios go I hereby nominate Gov't Mule and the North Mississippi All Stars. In fact, I may just go and see the Mule tonight at Constitution Hall, still haven't decided! They put on one hell of a show (seen them plenty of times).

I have seen the NMA three times, and each time the had a 4th member, Dewayne Burnside, on guitar, and drums.. I have never seen them as a trio, but I'm sure thay still kick ass.

Flaming Lips.

clint.

Buddy Holly and The Crickets

Perhaps the first embryonic "power trio".

clint.

Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers

Another Rush vote! ...

After that (in order):
Police,
James Gang,
Grand Funk Railroad (So who would dis them?? One of the classics!),
ZZ Top,
Triumph,
ELP

All already mentioned, but this is where I place 'em anyhow.

Well, I guess if I'm counting the Police as a power band, I'd have to include Hendrix and the Experience in there as well.

Of course Hendrix, by himself, belongs on top as the Babe Ruth of modern rock guitar. But as a trio, I'd probably have to put them just after the earlier ZZ Top. Though I'd have to say that IMO the Experience was much better artistically than anything ZZ did after Deguello, though I do like their later stuff, just not as much. And The Who belongs just behind, 'em.

So here's my update - now a "Top 9 List":

1. Rush
2. Police,
3. James Gang,
4. Grand Funk Railroad,
5. ZZ Top (older),
6. The Jimi Hendrix Experience
7. The Who,
8. Nirvana, (More "grunge" than "power"?)
9. Triumph,


Other than Rush and Triumph, I'm only remembering these as people mention them. I wish I was more up on power trios - especially more current ones. A lot of what people have mentioned here I've never heard.

Aren't we missing an old Canadian group in there somewhere? I know the Guess Who were more than 3, so that's not it.

------------------------

Edit -- Had to scratch ELP. Keith Emerson was totally devoted to keyboards.
I don't really recall how much Triumph relied on them.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Drums - Guitar - Vocals. :D

clint.

Kings X.

clint.

Beck,Bogart,& Appice.Memories of a live show circa 1973 that was simply remarkable....David

Then how about Meg and Jack?

Does Zep count?

Then how about Meg and Jack?

Does Zep count?

Welcome to AK Country.

The White Stripes are a "Power Duo" :D
The Led Zep are a "Power Quatro" :D

clint. :thmbsp:

Ted Nugent, ZZ Top

I would have to vote again for RUSH and the POLICE!

Ha, I finally found a thread I can post on,,

Bachman, Turner, Overdrive

they are not rush, zz top, the police or any other awsome 3 piece,but they did throw a bunch of pretty good music our way for a while.

elroymcgee -- I think BTO was always a 4-piece band. I looked that one up earlier 'cuz I thought they might be the Canadian group I thought I was missing.

Good group though!

maybe im thinking three cause I saw them live opeining for VanHalen or ZZ top in 85' or 86' cant remember which, but anyway, there were only 3 on the stage so I assume they be a 3 piece, but as I always say, im usually more wrong than right.

El

Dinosaur Jr.

clint.

Urge Overkill.

clint.

maybe im thinking three cause I saw them live opeining for VanHalen or ZZ top in 85' or 86' cant remember which, but anyway, there were only 3 on the stage so I assume they be a 3 piece, but as I always say, im usually more wrong than right.

El
you told me there were a 3 guys in the band. Bachman, Turner and Overdrive.

After all that gabbing about Cream yesterday (Now my #2 pick, if somebody didn't see the post - now lost to posterity in the Great Server Cut-Over Twilight Zone) guess what appeared on PBS last night?

CREAM REUNION TOUR!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

I could even live with the pledge breaks on this one. Like Rush, those guys definitely sound like more than 3 dudes - huge stage presence, even now in their "advanced years"! Great concert.

you told me there were a 3 guys in the band. Bachman, Turner and Overdrive.

I would love to have a last name like "Overdrive"!

"Overdrive. John Overdrive. And I will take that martini shaken, not stirred."

:cool:

"Overdrive. John Overdrive. And I will take that martini shaken, not stirred."
:cool:

:tresbon:

clint.

you told me there were a 3 guys in the band. Bachman, Turner and Overdrive.

No, you're thinking of the country band Backwoods, Turnip, & Overalls

Maybe I missed something, But I can't believe I had to go 3 pages into this thread before I saw a mention of The Cream! I mean -hello - they are to me the true original power trio. Anyone who has doubts needs to see the recent PBS broadcast of the 2005 Royal Albert Hall Concert! Whatta Show!

TVTommy -

1st mention of Cream was actually the thread starter...

...Obvious examples would be groups like Cream and ZZ Top...

IMO, they just weren't mentioned nearly ENOUGH!!

I think we probably saw the same broadcast.

I GOTTA have the DVD, just didn't have that kinda jack for a donation, specially here at Christmas (and my daughter turns 19 today).

I saw the broadcast too. Clapton and Bruce seemed close to top of form as I've seen them, albeit, Clapton's solos weren't anything near the raw screaming things they once were. Is it just me, or did Ginger Baker seem to have trouble keeping time? Maybe it was because my PBS sattion was playing the concert at 1am, but the drums sounded at least a beat or two behing. Comments, anyone?

Clapton has mellowed quite a bit in general over the years, so it doesn't surprise me that his stage performance doesn't have the screeming, raw energy it once did. He still maintains a lot of class though, and still knows how to rawk! He's just adjusted his style.

Ginger Baker did seem just a tad slow, but I didn't take that much notice of it. I guess I just expect that to be the case with older drummers, from past experience.

hands down rush

Blue Cheer
Cream
Hendrix

All others are shallow imitators at best. Successful, but shallow and imitating nonetheless. Rush being the shallowest.

Honorable mention to Hounddog Taylor & The Houserockers.

Helloooo, Green Day! My 9 yr. old threw that one in.

All others are shallow imitators at best. Successful, but shallow and imitating nonetheless. Rush being the shallowest.


I don't see that one. Most of the others seem pretty unique to me. Especially Rush. Careful, you may start a religious war here. Rush fans take their cultic band following very, very seriously!!

I'd say Triumph was mostly an immitator. Only of Rush, though! :yes: