Bands where U say

Plastic Ono Band, Love, Camper Van Beethoven, Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett, Cream; the Beatles were at a zenith so it's not like they disbanded before having created a volume of great music, but of any band the Beatles are my choice of a band I wish could have continued to produce one or two more albums.

The most amazing drum solo I've heard to date was when Buddy Rich appeared on the Tonight Show back in the early eighties when Johnny was still on. He was 63 then. His speed was incredible but his timing was phenomenal. Just astonishing. He was and is imo the best yet.

Have not heard any King Crimson.

Drums are very physical and I am amazed that Ginger Baker was able to do the Cream reunion or that Charley Watts continues to work for the Stones at such an advanced age.
Bruford, IMO, is much more than "also a great drummer."
Have you heard his work with the King Crimson quartet or trio?

but it only reinforced my long held frustration with Alan White. He is so wrong for that band. Howe and Squire are playing their asses off, and he is there barely keeping time.
07-20-13: Roxy54

Sorry to get off track from the OP. Being an old Yes fan from the 70's, and a former drummer, I had to comment on your criticism of Alan White. I saw Yes in Columbus OH, 5 years ago but did not really enjoy the performance. None of them seemed to really have it on that night. Don't know if it was the acoustics or the venue or what. By my standards they just weren't as dynamic, or sounding good in that smaller venue. Their arena days are long since dead! But I know they are still great great musicians. I also saw Yes eons ago during the World Series of Rock tour in Cleveland OH back in July 1975 and they, including Alan White were incredible. (my God, that's 38 years ago this month!) But, I always compare every live performance by Yes to their Holy Grail, seminal live recording, "Yessongs" from 1972. I continue to be in awe of that recording. (among others by them) I've always considered Alan White to be a great drummer and he was without peer on the "Yessongs" tour. The Alan White of today, I don't know about. But in Yes' heyday (the 70's) he was fast, innovative, dynamic, and syncopated. We can agree to disagree, but during the 70's when Yes was at the top of their game, Alan White was the perfect drummer for the group. They are all old men now, and maybe time as caught up with White more than Steve Howe and Chris Squire. All due respect to Bill Bruford who played in early Yes recordings and is also considered a great drummer. My familiarity with his playing is less, but I'm aware that he's a revered and great drummer too.

+1 on The Beatles,what they might have been if Paul had lived.

"if Paul had lived" ?????

Guess I have thought about the short lived super group, Traveling Wilburys. Only one album with Roy Orbison, and one album after he died.

Morphine. Definitely. For me, there's never been anything more simultaneously filthy and wonderful. Sorely missed.

Another for me would be Neutral Milk Hotel. A friend argues (not unconvincingly) that they remain the best band of the 90s. Maybe....but definitely decades ahead of their time.

And I wish Chris Whitley was still with us and making music, although his daughter has very thankfully taken up the cause.

+1 on The Beatles,what they might have been if Paul had lived.

Frank Zappa, a seriously talented musician who left the world much too soon. One can only imagine where Frank would have taken us had he lived.

Big Star. Had Chris Bell not died in that car wreck who knows what a huge monster of a power pop band it would have turned into.There music would have definitely been much different than the Chilton based direction.

And what about the BEATLES?

Yes, the Hendrix bands mattered--Mitch Mitchell was (at least) one of the greatest rock drummers ever and his work with JH (listen to the live stuff) is very good. Probably the best trio was with Billy Cox on bass.

Phoebe Snow, I understand why she sidelined herself, and enjoy what we got.

Some real good examples, but too much focus on people dying.

Yardbirds - suppose EC had stayed, Jeff Beck joins and they stayed a blues band.

Led Zeppelin - Terry Reid was offered the vocal position before Plant. LZ would have been a twin guitar outfit with two principal song writers. Would there be a "Stairway to Heaven"?

Electric Flag - what if Mike Bloomfield had stayed in the band. Their first album is as good as anything produced in the late 60s.

The Power Station - Robert Plant, half of Duran Duran and Tony Thompson on the drums. Albums, one and done. They coudda' been a contenda.

Which brings me back to Led Zeppelin. Tony Thompson was slated to be John Bonhams replacement, but a serious accident derailed a reformed LZ. Imagine Led Zeppelin with something funky going on.

Tony! Toni! Tone! - they invented neo-soul and were an electrifying live act, but the original band was short-lived.

most of the dead-at-27 gang were just scratching the surface--hendrix (in particular), duane allman, cobain, janis, pete ham (sad story, major talent), chris bell, amy winehouse? (maybe).

Def talk talk. Made their masterpiece and then quit

I don't know if the bands that Jimi Hendrix played in mattered as bands, but how can a list like this omit the pure artistic genius Jimi was. God only knows what he would have created if he hadn't died so very young. It depresses me just writing this.

Without hesitation:

Lowell George

It seems to happen when they reach a plateau of excellence. It's then they feel they're done with each other and need to move on. Very sad and disappointing. I've always felt betrayed by this.

Unless of course it's a matter of their demise.

Great responses. Lynyrd Skynyrd is another one I ponder. Don't know if they would have progressed or ended up washed up and playing county fairs, but a lot of drive and talent died in that plane crash.

Little Feat, they were just hitting they're stride when Lowell passed. He was one of the great white bluesman and more than respectable slide guitar player. Waiting for Columbus reminds me of what they could have been. The band had incredible energy with Lowell as they're front man.

A lot of great references. I thought Morphine was really original and fantastic. How about Tommy Bolin or even Elvis. Although Elvis probably would have been painful through the disco era. I also think Lucky Dube would have continued to make a global impact.

The Big Bopper, Richie Valens and Buddy Holly,
The Day the Music Died.

LHasa De Sela. Wonderful singer died young of breast cancer and only released 3 albums.

Not a Band but a duet- David and David
Their debut album is one of my fav's.

Gram Parsons
Blind Melon
The Verve

The Doors, and what they may have gone on to accomplish had it not been for the death of Jim Morrison. Nirvana also comes to mind, with the passing of Kurt Cobain.

Morphine is a band I absolutely loved. As a natter of fact, everyone I played the album 'A Cure for Pain' loved it. The lead man died. That album is precious to me.

The direction where Little Feat might have gone had Lowell George Lived on...Sad
The Rolling Stones [for better or worse] had the original line-up continued...
The Marshall Tucker band had they not lost the Cadwell's...
Lynyrd Skynyrd if the plane had been properly fueled!!!

This is becoming a sad thread to me as i sit here realizing that there are way too many more that i could list!

Azjake

Wish Rory Gallagher would have been around a lot more years. Been watching "Irish Tour '74". Find myself wondering what happened to his band after his death. They were really tight and hard working. His keyboard player was crazy good in my opinion (ex-Killin Floor).

SRV is another sad example of too soon gone. Although Double Trouble seems like they landed on their feet, sort of, I think. Heard something from them on Pandora. Sounds like they got another lead guitar/front man. Weren't no Stevie Ray though.

And while we are at it, can't forget Roy Buchanan.

Gregg Alexander decided he didn't want to perform on stage anymore, so The New Radicals went one and done. The one they did might be my favorite record of the 1990s.

Marty

Because it's fresh in my mind, having just seen Yes in Phoenix, I always wonder how much better they would have been if they had chosen a proper drummer after Bill Bruford left the band in '72. They were really great when I saw them recently, but it only reinforced my long held frustration with Alan White. He is so wrong for that band. Their music needs someone along the lines of Carl Palmer or Neil Peart. Howe and Squire are playing their asses off, and he is there barely keeping time. He ws boring before, now he's just older and boring.
I also agree with everything Lindisfarne said.

The original incarnation of the Blues Project. Disbanded too soon.

Sonics aside, their "Projections" album remains one of my favorite rock albums of all time.

Regards,
-- Al

Allmans had Duane lived, Blind Faith had they stuck it out, Nick Drake had he lived and Hendrix who died way too young.