Greatest improvisational rock band?

[jpgray]

I'd have to say Can. No wanky extended solos (for the most part), just all hypnotic groove.

[SnowGoose]

1. Djam Karet.

Not all improv, obviously, but much.

[Tom Kitten]

2. Can...great choice!

I cannot think of a similar run of great albums that they put out from "Monster Movie" up to around "Flow Motion"...

[Wat_Tyler]

3. I was thinking of Can before I opened this.

So, that must be right.

[jpgray]

5. I was listening to Unlimited Edition before I posted this

So, I must be biased.

:dunce:

[Zensea]

4. Miles Davis circa 1971

followed by the Band of Gypsies, Fleetwood Mac about the same time, the Allman Brothers about the same time & the Dead about the same time.

[autorank]

6. The Dead

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

12. No contest...

[Zensea]

14. One of the reasons I said Miles is because of a Phil Lesh comment

He talks about Miles opening for the Dead at the Fillmore and how they (the Dead) were standing around offstage listening with their jaws on the floor thinking "We have to go on after that?" & "the wrong band is headlining" etc.

Even without Phil's saying something like that, I think Miles edges the Dead out.

& at that stage whether he was jazz or rock or something interstellar is up for grabs

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

15. I think you have a hard time selling Miles as rock.

But, if you want to talk Jazz, that is a completely different animal.

[VOX]

7. Captain Beefheart.

Tough to listen to for an extended period, though.

[jpgray]

8. Long live Drumbo (nt)

[mr blur]

19. Actually, not improvised at all

Just about all of their stuff was closely and carefully worked out. That's why it sounds so improvised - you couldn't possibly play like that together unless you knew what everyone else was doing/going to do. And Bill Harkleroad was a genius.

[NoSheep]

9. NRBQ

[NoSheep]

11. OOH OOH...Blues Explosion....What is it....Boss Hog Guy...Help me out

[NoSheep]

13. John Spencer!!! I remembered! ahhhhhhhhhh!

[mr_hat]

10. Little Feat is still getting it done. Amazing ensemble.

[Robeson]

16. Dead and Allman Brothers with Duane Allman

[vajraroshana]

17. The Grateful Dead

lots of other great ones though.

[bloodyjack]

18. Sonic Youth

yeah, why not.

[JSJ]

20. meet the beatles- best at everything else, why not improv?

[Wat_Tyler]

26. No. They weren't too hot at improvisation.

[Dukakis88]

21. Ashlee Simpson. She can handle anything the band throws at her with aplomb

What a spitfire!

[ghostsofgiants]

22. The Mars Volta

[MirrorAshes]

23. I'll be the one... its Phish.

Noone else has reached the magical, profound peaks that they have.

[Wat_Tyler]

27. Nah. Can or Sonic Youth easily surpasses that dull noodling.

[Donkeyboy75]

30. Dull noodling?

They were good in concert in the early- to mid-nineties, before they decided to ruin their shows with gimmicky trampolines and such.

[MirrorAshes]

31. I'm a huge SY fan, but Phish is a whole different ballgame

Trey may have gotten somewhat noodley towards the end, but I really don't think any band can ever top the best shows from the '93-'97 era.

[RPM]

24. Spinal Tap, Mark II

:crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

[auburngrad82]

25. Spinal Tap during their "freestyle jazz" phase n/t

[mopaul]

28. cream live

[Tyrone Slothrop]

29. King Crimson

Hands down.

[asthmaticeog]

32. Another vote for Can, here.

Amazing stuff.

[bobaloo2]

33. Dead from the early 70's,

but I've been listening to a lot of Sound Tribe Sector 9 lately, sure sounds like improv and great stuff.