The Bad Seeds ( of Nick Cave and..) blow away any rock/pop backing group

[Mike Daniels]

And that includes the E-Street Band, the Heartbreakers, the instrumental portion of REM and U2 and any other unit that backs a front man/woman singer. In the realm of non-session rock/pop musicians, the Bad Seeds are second to none.

Covering a range of styles and influences that includes country, folk, blues, pop, punk, ballads, orchestral arrangements and more, the overall effect is even more impressive given that the individual musicians all have their own separate projects and only perform together as a unit when backing Nick Cave.

Anyone who doubts the range of talent only needs to purchase the "Best of" or the new "Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus" double album.

O.K., I'm done with my "shout out". So, what other nominations are out there for best non-studio backing unit?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

1. Bonham/Jones/Page

[Mike Daniels]

4. Yeah, I'd have to say that's a pretty even match

I'd personally put the Seeds a fraction over Zep just because the part-time nature of the band doesn't allow them to work together as much as a unit but w/o question Page/Bonham/Jones had just as much stylistic diversity.

[Wat_Tyler]

2. Agreed on the Bad Seeds.

Nary a foot wrong since 1984.

[Lautremont]

3. Even without Blixa, they're amazing.

I've been loving Lyre/Abbatoir a lot.

[Mike Daniels]

5. Cave's take on the "holy spirit/testifying" style in "There She Goes"

on "Abattoir" is worth the price of the album alone.