Sunday, June 22, 2025

The Best (music)

 (1990)
Members Keith Emerson (keyboards), John Entwistle (Bass), Joe Walsh (guitar), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar), Simon Phillips (drums), Rick Livingston (vocals)
Wikipedia Page

In the mid-60s, the idea of a "supergroup" began to take form. It was coined to mean a group of rock musicians who had already been successful with other groups and who came together. Cream is probably the first example of this, and the term was probably coined to describe Blind Faith. These usually are short-lived, since the musicians involved end up going off in their own directions. But one lesser known example is the Best.

The name wasn't just bravado. The group consisted of Keith Emerson (the Nice, ELP), John Entwhistle (the Who), Joe Walsh (James Gang, the Eagles), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), and Simon Philips (Jeff Beck Group). They added Rick Livingston, a Canadian singer who was not well known on vocals.

The group didn't stay together long, but did a tour of Japan which is available online. They didn't write any new music, but instead performed songs that they written individually, with new solos.  The joy is listening to how they chose to interpret the songs.

The tour was a success, and there was talk of an American tour but it never happened.  It was just to hard to keep together.

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