- eloquently put. I have nothing to add other than this post made me smile and feel good about music - particularly bands who are like gangs, mates.
(Actually I will add that I used to love REM - I think the moment that love began to cool was when I learned Stipey travelled in a different bus to the others.)

The chemistry it's all in the chemistry

what makes a great band ,watching Franz Ferdinand I thought they are a great band all elements completing each other perfectly and the timing is perfect.

I thought that of Madness too

Other great bands XTC REM The Smiths and The Jam

are great examples where even though the bassists and drummers are completely overshadowd by strong songwriters and the personalities of the frontmen - they really are indispensible to the overall sound of the band.

Just listen to the intro of The Jam's "Funeral Pyre", yeah, Weller might be the one winning in court, claiming the royalties and taking the credit but without the individual excellence of the rhythm section the song would not be anywhere near as good.

The original line up of the Stranglers too - the bass and the keyboards defined their sound but each member contributed vitally.

The Who with Moon and Entwistle again each with a defined character and sound.

Often you find when one member goes you lose that spark and chemistry that makes a band so great.

to matthew, mark, luke, john, paul, george and ringo.

Now thats what I call the Good Book.

Chemistry is such a mystery because so much of it has little do with innate musical ability. They key aspect seems to be that for a time the members believe in each other, in what each of them bring to the group table. The moment they lose that, it's over. Sometimes, a pair might have 'it' so they can work together plus bring in others and those others don't seem to matter much. Steely Dan spring to mind. Nearly everyone in a good band knows this strange extra aspect. McCartney reflects on it (endlessly); David Byrne too has commented that Talking Heads were a band (after all, they could have easily found a better bass player than Tina W, her marriage to Chris Frantz notwithstanding). Even the E Street Band have something that brings Springsteen's songs to life in a way that hired hands wouldn't. U2 would seemingly not need Adam but he's still there. It is an amazing thing. It's why collaborative art is so interesting and exciting.

A good band will also act as the quality control department to the singer/songwriter/leader (if duties aren't shared equally already.) There's a long list of band leaders who become too self-indulgent when they go solo (hello, Sting...)

Metal Mickey makes a good point. Dictatorships are rarely a good thing be it in music or politics and the best results seem to appear when everyone is at each others' throats, creatively speaking. Ultimately they fall out, go their own way, do their own (inferior and egotistic) thing and we are left to reflect upon that which was great.

I'm trying to think of musical dictatorships which did/do work. James Brown? Beck? Tom Waits?

I played in a few bands. I played with one for about 5/6 years from conception to the break up (due to the usual reasons). I don't really pick up my guitar very much at all these days. We do however get together every year or two book a rehersal room and make some 'noise'. It always blows us all away that as soon as we all get in a room it's as if someone has sprinkled magic dust. We all pretty much remember the parts and the creative juices begin to flow. Sometimes we haven't played songs for twenty years - a couple of play throughs and it begins to come together. If I pick up my guitar on my own I probably couldn't remember half of it. It really is down to all five of us being there that makes it happen.
It was really pleasing to read this thread and I totally agree on the Blur performance. Dr J - did you play in a band or did you notice this by watching the gig alone?

I can't recall which band it was but I recently heard someone in a group talking about "the fifth person" who appears in a rehearsal studio/live. This is the chemistry that all bands have and which disappears when one person is not there, whatever their input.

Re:songwriting. Isn't it a fair claim that if you were in the room when a song was created you are entitled to a writing credit? I think some lyricists have an easy route to 50% when you consider the banal words in so many songs. Generally the singer will write his own and can refuse other band members' words. Perceived PRS imbalance, ergo money, has ruined many a band.

much to Paul Heaton's bank manager chagrin spread the royalities around equally so as to avoid the problem of Bruce Foxton songs appearing on lp's ("london Traffic" anyone?).

Saw some of the Blur. Damon Albarn must be one of the luckiest men alive, seeings as the guy can't sing a note.

the chemistry only really works when all 7 original members of the band are involved.
its some magic that even the band themselves have acknowledged over the years.

Now that Blurs return has been officially approved as a triumph is it safe for some of us to admit we actually rather liked a lot of Britpop? I can't think of another period in the last 25 years when groups as good as Blur, Suede, Pulp and Ash were in the top 3 of the singles chart so frequently. Elastica were very cool and their first album was crammed with great songs. Kenickie were fabulous. Their first album At the Club captured something of the fleeting thrill of youth and then their second the superb but under-valued Get In explored the darker side of the adolescent experience. Even much-maligned groups like Echobelly and Catatonia made some cracking singles.
I'm not claiming Britpop as any kind of revolution (and admittedly some of it - Shed 7, Kula Shaker, Hurricaine#1 was appalling)but I would argue as a phemomenom or fad it was the nineties equivalent of glam or new romantic - one of those phases where pop is sexy, stylish, intelligent, credible and ridiculous all at the same time. Sometimes that's enough.

Well if you're gonna be like that about it I think Limahls
" Never Ending Story " is a fab record.

How does one go about playing a stick?

For those demonstrations of the stick. I had honestly never heard of one let alone seen it in action. Hard to see why anyone would hate such a whimsical instrument.

R.E.M have been threading water since Bill Berry left.
Aside from being a brilliant drummer Berry was the original driving force when R.E.M were starting out 1980-81. Michael Stipe was a rather daydreamy art student. Peter Buck was working in a record shop which suited him at the time. It was Berry who encouraged the others to take it (the band) seriously.
Gwen Stefanis solo records are ok but nowhere near as upful as the best of No Doubt. Jarvis sounds a tad uncertain without the patented Pulp sound. I also agree about backing bands. Elvis Costello solo has collabarated with Bacharach, McCartney and classical musicians, but the Attractions brittle, intrigued sound is still what suits his voice (and words) best.

our drummer once told me he'd written a song and handed me a sheet of lyrics.

I said 'how does it go?'

he went boom chick boom boom chick...

All I had to do was add the chords, the melody, the bass and lead lines, the solo and the middle eight. After some discussion, he allowed me to share the songwriting credit.