I could swear I remember Casey Kasem saying that Queen was 8 keyboards and a set of drums. Obviously not the case, but why would he say that? (Circa ‘78.)
It wasn't taboo. But there are a couple reasons why guitar-oriented bands in general, especially rock/hard rock/metal/etc. bands often don't have keyboard players: (1) There's usually little thought to the effect of, "You know what we need to add? A keyboardist" when putting a guitar-oriented band together, unless someone specifically has sounds in mind that you can only easily do on a keyboard. But most guitar-oriented bands are influenced by stuff that was guitar-oriented, without a lot of prominent keyboard sounds, so usually someone doesn't have keyboard timbres in mind. (2) Keyboards and guitars tend to compete for the "same sonic space." If you're in a band with both instruments and you want them to both be discernible in an arrangement/mix/etc., you need to be careful with the voicings you use, you need to be careful that neither player tends to be "too busy," etc. (3) Partially for the above reasons, usually when a band with a guitarist (and usually a bassist and drummer) want to add another instrument (other than just a lead vocalist, say), they'll add a second guitar. That way the guitar sounds are beefier as they're often simply doubled, the second guitarist can keep the rhythm part going while the lead guitarist is soloing, etc. (4) In the average US town/city/suburb/whatever, guitarists are usually easier to find than keyboardists. Heck, look at this board--look at how many people here are primarily guitarists versus primarily keyboardists. (5) When you do find a keyboardist, (a) they often don't have a lot of gear for gigging, (b) they often don't want to deal with (2) above, especially if the band is guitar-dominated; that means they're going to get stuck in the background and often you'll barely hear what they're playing, (c) more often keyboardists want to do other sorts of music, including stuff that's more singer-songwriter oriented and more keyboard-heavy, or jazz or stuff that's jazz-influenced, or classical or stuff that's classical-influenced, or electronic or in the vein of EDM or synth pop, etc. In other words, naturally enough they'll want to do stuff that's more keyboard-centric, that's more challenging and rewarding to play as a keyboardist, where they're not simply emulating being a second or third guitar, etc. Imagine, as a guitarist, if you were instead hired to function as a percussionist--"No, don't play those guitary things. Just give me percussive strumming where you mute your strings, tap the body of your guitar, etc." --that's what it can feel like to be asked to emulate guitar parts on a keyboard. A lot of guitar parts seem awkward or stupid or boring on a keyboard. The conventional techniques natural to both instruments are quite different, which is also why it can be a challenge to play guitar in a band where a keyboardist is doing most of the writing; they'll often give guitarists parts that don't fit very well on a guitar. Sometimes they'll ask for voicings that simply aren't possible on a guitar.
You should read my disclaimer in my next post before you dismiss my stance on the matter with a snarky response.
Many hair bands shunned keyboardists in the band although several had them on their songs. Sometimes live too, hidden on the side of the stage somewhere.
I think it had more to do with a backlash against the manufactured, plastic sound of 80s pop than ability or funds available to use them. If you look at how many grunge bands used guitars, the volume created a wall of sound that made keyboards redundant, quite frankly. Until 80s pop, keyboards/organ were most often there to fatten up the sound and provide texture. There was no room, or need for that in grunge. If the guitars weren't loud, it was because the music was supposed to purposefully be sparse (ie, Smells Like Teen Spirit).
Because keyboards are more of a corporate rock instrument and the grunge dudes prided themselves as nihilistic anarchists.
Good god, you call that snarky? Ouch! Your next post was: "Sabbath has keyboards all over Post vol. 4." I have no idea what that has to do with Boom Gaspar and Pearl Jam. Man, please, you're being way too overly sensitive. Jeez, we're just having fun here.
I like to imagine that the OP is a precocious 6-year-old asking all these "Why" questions on a long cross-country car journey, and an exasperated parent has told them to start threads here instead. Anyway, here is what grunge would sound like with keyboards (Sara DeBell doing "Even Flow" from her "Grunge Lite" album).
Actually, Queen's claim was "No Synthesizers." Freddie always displayed his underrated piano skills on several songs.
Because JPJ improves all that he touches! Grunge was based around thick slabs of distorted guitars. Adding keys may fill too much space and take the air out of the music.
I agree. The Jon Lord Hammond sound is the only keyboard sound that would have worked in grunge (with a major adjustment in musical sensibility, because Lord's classical approach would not have worked), but it's too much of an investment. A Hammond organ, several stacks of Marshalls and a Leslie would have been beyond the average grunge band.
As someone mentioned - sonic space. With all that distortion, and with it often tuned down, there was no space for a keyboard (or horns, or strings, even harmony vocals) to sit in the mix. Distortion emphasizes notes in the overtone series (and a lower fundamental D instead of E allows for more audible upper partials) which means there's a lot of sonic stuff going on. Nothing more was needed.
Yes, absolutely. JLL was the embodiment of stripped-down rock 'n roll. The guitar was there, but not the primary instrument. That said, Nirvana's brand of grunge was that anyone could pick up a cheap guitar and play the entire album with 30 minutes of practice. Which was their allure.
