[The Horrible Esthete]

Jerry Garcia

It is statements as such that make me question what constitutes "the best". Jam bands vs. Rock bands... Two totally different styles of performance, which, in my opinion, can't really be compared. To quote the ever brilliant Chuck Klosterman, "that's like comparing apples and the early works of Raymond Carver".

-Jenna

Yeah, for some reason a guy like Garcia doesn't fit my idea of "frontman", although I can't really justify the rationale. After all, he was the face of The Dead, the focal point, the main songwriter, the lead vocalist, physically positioned near centerstage during performance, etc. All the criteria are there. Perhaps it is the "jam band" orientation that is responsible (although I'm not sure I'd completely agree that the "jam band" is categorically separate from the "rock band"; I'd consider the "jam band" to be a subclass within the rock genre).

But it might very be the nature of the jam band - that "everyone-has-a-part-and-no-part-is-greater-than-the-whole" trademark - that seems to resist singling out one of the bandmembers as a "frontman".

Some that pop into my mind upon mention of the word have already been mentioned (Morrison, Jagger, Plant, Downie, too) but I cannot believe some that haven't in two and a half pages of posts!

How about:

Roger Daltry?
Steven Tyler?
David Lee Roth?
Perry Ferrel?
Ozzy Osbourne?

All those guys seem to epitomize the term...they have charisma, flair, and high energy....contribute greatly to the sound and identity of his band....even though his level of musical talent might not merit his immense iconic status.

On the other hand, some who were mentioned don't count as true "frontmen", IMHO, even though they are legendary kickass performers.....like Springsteen, who might be the Greatest Rock Performer of All Time ( :oops: sooo sorry Birdie), and Neil Young ...these guys are the ACT ITSELF, with a backing band in tow. "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band"...."Neil Young and the International Harvesters", etc. Again, and this is just my opinion, but anyone whose name is the headline isn't a bona-fide "frontman"; he is THE man. A frontman, to me, is a member of a band that isn't named after any of it's members.

That's just my own personal distinction, though......

[Wheat_King]

I have to say it...Do I dare?...Yes I do...

Les Claypool

[direwolf74]

Bono is a self-righteous baffoon who coincidentally helps the world when he has an album coming out. He's a good singer, but he's no entertainer.

I guess you haven't seen U2 live. BONO is an amazing frontman.

Agreed! I've only seen U2 once (Montreal, 2001), but it still stands as the single greatest rock show I've ever witnessed, and Bono was a HUGE part of that. He was incredible that night. There aren't too many rock singers out there who can make a huge cavernous hockey rink feel like a small club.

[tommygunn]

In no particular order:

- Scott Weiland
- Mick Jagger
- Jim Morrison
- Gord Downie

[apollon16]

If you like them or not these guys will give you something to talk about at hte end of the night.
Wayne Coyne- Flaming Lips -He starts the show in a giant bubble in the crowd.
George Clinton-& the P funk allstars - Dude comes out of a spaceship
GG Allin- well I won't saw what he did
Iggy Pop & the Stooges-man is still crazy
Sun Ra- It was like a circus on stage at times

I'm not saying I'm a fan of all of these guys, just saying the frontman wow you are make you shake your head.

[thechubb]

If you like them or not these guys will give you something to talk about at hte end of the night.
Wayne Coyne- Flaming Lips -He starts the show in a giant bubble in the crowd.
George Clinton-& the P funk allstars - Dude comes out of a spaceship
GG Allin- well I won't saw what he did
Iggy Pop & the Stooges-man is still crazy
Sun Ra- It was like a circus on stage at times

I'm not saying I'm a fan of all of these guys, just saying the frontman wow you are make you shake your head.

hahaha, GG Allin...Drive By Truckers do a cool tribute to him. "the night gg allin came to town".

Fuckin lunatic.

[NMAS]

How does Jim Morrison make the list, he was falling down drunk and stoned most of the time... wasn't he. I've never been a doors fan so I don't really know.

[The Horrible Esthete]

How does Jim Morrison make the list, he was falling down drunk and stoned most of the time... wasn't he. I've never been a doors fan so I don't really know.

Morrison didn't get sloppy until after The Doors became immensely successful and popular.

And he makes the list because The Doors would have been UNKNOWN without him.

In my opinion, Jim Morrison was more responsible for the popularity and success and legendary status of his band than any other frontman. Period. So I guess that makes him "the best" frontman as far as I'm concerned....

[Lizard King]

I agree Horrible, also the man was charismatic as hell, he had crowds eating out of his hands at times, he could mesmerize them like no other. I think if you saw them live you wouldnt be able to take your eyes off him, he had presence and a rock and roll spirit like no-one else...of course Im bias as hell, I love the Doors to death.

Thats what I look for in a frontman, the rock and roll spirit, some just have it and it comes pouring out on stage, they might not be the best singers ever, but they have the spirit and thats what Im drawn too. Some are also talented as hell, and its the greatest thing ever to see.

[The Horrible Esthete]

Thats what I look for in a frontman, the rock and roll spirit, some just have it and it comes pouring out on stage, they might not be the best singers ever, but they have the spirit...

I feel the same way. If Springsteen wasn't a solo act, but was writing & releasing material as a member of "The E. Street Band", then he might take the prize in my eyes, but that's not the case.

Mick Jagger is also one of these incredible figures who pours himself out onstage, commanding the spotlight and the eyes of the crowd, but since the Stones also have other very notable and famous members (Richards, Wood, etc.), he isn't of such dire importance to his band's identity and legend as Morrison was.......

[HipFan1]

By frontman do you mean singer? Or the one that is usually the speaker for the band? Or who the leader is like a captain of the a hockey team is able to influence the rest of the team. cause if it is the "captain" then I would have to say Joey Jordison the drummer for Slipknot.

I was at a concert in Toronto and the beginning of the show they were playing like crap, and you could hear Joey yell "Fuckin' get it together!!!", then after that song he basically had the rest of the band go to the backstage part where he was pissed and basically spazzing out because of how bad they played. I don't know what he said but he got them to get their heads out of their asses, and they played awesome for the rest of the show.

In an interview he summed it basically as he told them straight out, "I'm busting my ass to make us sound great, but you guys are playing like shit, get you act together you are all better than this, let's get together and play like we all know we can!!"

I don't know about you, but I think that is really good leadership there.



Well I think it's obvious we all have the same taste for the best now how about the worst and stupidest.


I would have to say Axel Rose(sure he may get the crowd going but that's it)

[tommygunn]

On the other hand, some who were mentioned don't count as true "frontmen", IMHO, even though they are legendary kickass performers.....like Springsteen, who might be the Greatest Rock Performer of All Time ( sooo sorry Birdie), and Neil Young ...these guys are the ACT ITSELF, with a backing band in tow. "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band"...."Neil Young and the International Harvesters", etc. Again, and this is just my opinion, but anyone whose name is the headline isn't a bona-fide "frontman"; he is THE man. A frontman, to me, is a member of a band that isn't named after any of it's members.

I see your point. But what about a band like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young? It's pretty evident, to anybody who has seen them perform, that Neil is the definite leader (frontman) of that band. When I saw them on Monday, he again was commanding the band and motivating the others to give 'er a little more and even made the band re-start a song twice.. saying "we have all night here, let's not do anything half-assed!". He was in top form and quite the 'frontman' that night. :thumb:

[The Horrible Esthete]

But what about a band like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young? It's pretty evident, to anybody who has seen them perform, that Neil is the definite leader (frontman) of that band.

Whoa. You saw CSNY on Monday? They're all touring together? That's some sweetass shit. How were they?

I can't imagine anybody in that group, after all these years, being a "frontman", but I'll take your word for Neil taking the lead. Probably because he is the least "rusty" these days....

I can tell you this: back in the day, there was no clear frontman of CSNY... If there was, it would have been David or Steve. Remember, before the band was CSN&Y, it was CS&N.

Generally speaking, the "frontman" isn't the "leader of the band per se, it's most often the lead vocalist of the band, as he is usually the guy standing "front" & center with the spolight and the attention on him, and is typically the most expressive & animated bandmember onstage (since he often isn't holding an instrument).

I can only think of a few songs Neil wrote (and delivered lead vocals on) when he was with CSN...they all played guitar except for Nash, who was often on keys.....

[tommygunn]

But what about a band like Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young? It's pretty evident, to anybody who has seen them perform, that Neil is the definite leader (frontman) of that band.

Whoa. You saw CSNY on Monday? They're all touring together? That's some sweetass shit. How were they?

I can't imagine anybody in that group, after all these years, being a "frontman", but I'll take your word for Neil taking the lead. Probably because he is the least "rusty" these days....

I can tell you this: back in the day, there was no clear frontman of CSNY... If there was, it would have been David or Steve. Remember, before the band was CSN&Y, it was CS&N.

Generally speaking, the "frontman" isn't the "leader of the band per se, it's most often the lead vocalist of the band, as he is usually the guy standing "front" & center with the spolight and the attention on him, and is typically the most expressive & animated bandmember onstage (since he often isn't holding an instrument).

I can only think of a few songs Neil wrote (and delivered lead vocals on) when he was with CSN...they all played guitar except for Nash, who was often on keys.....

Yep, saw them on Monday. It was a great show, albeit at times a little too political for my liking.

Prior to me seeing them in Toronto on Monday, my friend who saw them in Ottawa on Saturday told me that the concert was pretty much 'the Neil Young show'. On the way to the show Monday, I had mentioned this to my bud who has seen them numerous times in the past and he said that it's always been that way. This was the first time I saw them, and it only took a short time to agree with my friend who saw them in Ottawa. It was the Neil Young show. It may have a lot to do with the setlist focussing on Neil's latest album, but he was the most animated onstage and was even introducing most of the others' songs.. "this is a Stephen song", etc., etc., and the majority of the guitar solos were from him... Maybe he was just being a gracious host to us fellow Canadians?

I can only vouch for the show I witnessed and if you saw them in the past and Neil didn't lead the group onstage, then I take your word for it.

Here are a couple of quotes from reviews of the Ottawa and 1st Toronto show:

"While each member had a chance to solo, it was Young who steered the whole tone of the evening, with his hint of unresolved anger and snarling stage presence, cranking out crash-and-burn, reverb-generating guitar licks".

"... obviously it's Canadian Neil Young who gives the four-man combo known as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young whatever edge it has left, and that was the case again last night at the Air Canada Centre.
Clad in an Australian-style hat, Young was very much the man in charge, whether he was wailing on his black Gibson guitar or cutting the night air with his harmonica. As he stomped around the stage floor -- which had a large copy of the U.S. Constitution projected onto it -- he seemed to be urging his bandmates into some form of modest motion. "

Check out the entire reviews here:
Ottawa - http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/07/09/1675272.html
Toronto - http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2006/07/11/1678347.html

[northern wave]

Well I think it's obvious we all have the same taste for the best now how about the worst and stupidest. I would have to say Axel Rose(sure he may get the crowd going but that's it)

Have you ever seen Axl perform? I know he's a target by most of the press and a lot of people, but flat out, at the very least he's on par with any frontman in rock n' roll - past or present. And the current tour recordings that are floating around add more to his stature....he's on top of his game right now.