From Asia to Zwan

Though their relative superiority is up for debate, supergroups are once again in vogue. Conor Oberst and a bunch of bearded friends cut yacht rock together as Monsters of Folk, while dudes from Maroon 5 and Phantom Planet take a similarly laid-back approach in Operation Aloha. James Iha’s new bubblegum crew with the kid from Hanson, Tinted Windows, passes through town again this summer, too. Biggest of all is Chickenfoot, a goofy assemblage of arena-rock dinosaurs. It all got us thinking about our favorite collaborative oddities.

Asia
1981–86, 1989–present
The Formula
John Wetton of King Crimson + Steve Howe of Yes + Carl Palmer of ELP + Geoffrey Downes of the Buggles
Gift to the World
Alongside Europe and Toto’s “Africa,” Asia spearheaded the great continent-rock movement of the mid-’80s.
Weakest Link
Frankly, all of them. This rogue team of ringers has been a revolving door for just about every ’70s prog-rock castoff—two versions of Asia currently tour.

Chickenfoot
2008–present
The Formula
Van Halen’s Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony + Chili Pepper Chad Smith + guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani
Gift to the World
The group’s mere existence: We’ve heard little of this newbie übercombo beyond the wanky blooze burner “Soap on a Rope,” but damned if it isn’t an absurd hoot to say “Chickenfoot.”
Weakest Link
Curly tequila mogul Hagar blew out his vocal cords years ago. And if there’s one thing that doesn’t help coax a throat back to health, it’s agave spirits.

The Firm
1984–86
The Formula
Led Zep’s Jimmy Page + experienced supergrouper Paul Rodgers of Bad Company + bass slapper Tony Franklin + Uriah Heep’s Chris Slade
Gift to the World
Slick schlock like “Radioactive” reminded us that rock legacy dodged a bullet by not having Led Zeppelin reach the 1980s.
Weakest Link
May Franklin live in ignominy for introducing fretless bass to hard rock. It sounds like he’s twanging rubber bands.

Power Station
1985, 1996–97
The Formula
Robert Palmer + John and Andy Taylor of Duran Duran + Chic’s Tony Thompson
Gift to the World
Beret sales dove when fictional Chicagoan Rusty Griswold danced to “Some Like It Hot” in a Parisian disco in European Vacation.
Weakest Link
It has to be one of the guys from Duran Duran, right? And John plucks some deft bass lines. So, Andy then.

Traveling Wilburys
1988–90
The Formula
Bob Dylan + Tom Petty + ELO’s Jeff Lynne + George Harrison + Roy Orbison
Gift to the World
David Lynch deserves some credit, but the Wilburys resuscitated Orbison’s career and ensured that 1979’s disco-honk Laminar Flow would not be his final gift to the world.
Weakest Link
One might pick Lynne, because his name alone doesn’t immediately trigger the general public’s memory cells. But one would be wrong. It’s Petty, because he’s kind of a hack.

Zwan
2001–03
The Formula
Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin + Slint’s David Pajo + Matt Sweeney of Chavez + Paz Lenchantin
Gift to the World
Thanks to a poppier lean, Zwan’s Mary Star of the Sea remains the best Pumpkins record since Mellon Collie…
Weakest Link
…but should have been so much more with brilliant guitarists Sweeney and Pajo on board. Blame Corgan’s control-freak ego.

Chickenfoot plays Park West Friday 22. Tinted Windows hit Taste of Randolph in June.

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