SAHB vs Nazareth

[Barney]

You’ve played with Zal, Chris and Ted from SAHB and Manny, Pete and Darrell from Nazareth. As a musician, what’s your thoughts on which band are better?”

[billyboy1]

Tricky, this. What you have to do is consider both bands shared history. Signed to Mountain Records they had an unmentioned rivalry. By the time I came on the scene in 1978, one band were financially successful, the other owed Mountain 60k each. SAHB were undoubtedly the most challenging band I’ve ever played with. The Zappa influences within the Zal Band had me watching Chris, Zal or Ted for some clue as to which beat in the bar we were playing. When I joined Naz in 1981, I had a much less stressful time as no one in the band liked Zappa, but I still did so learning and playing the live set was more straightforward. What I took from this initially was that Naz were inferior musicians to SAHB but then discovered both bands had a mutual respect for Lowell George’s Little Feat amongst others.
This changed everything for me.
Both bands wanted to be as good as Little Feat.
Are SAHB better musicians than Naz?
Technically perhaps, but “actually” better?
Define “better”.
Go on, I dare you.
I can’t.

[Gartshore]

Billy it depends what you mean by Sahb being better musicians both drummers where held in as equal esteem , Zal/Manny different types of players heard both up close Know them both as I say very different , Chris & Pete both pretty accomplished , I know Chris , I don’t know Pete & don’t want to either again both different players , Alex very special & different , Dan one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time two completely different bands so you cannot really answer that question properly on success only one winner , aye a cannae define better .

[Author]

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