Coming from an argument started on another board...

I mean, there are really only 2 guys in the group; 2 constant members.

The songs are/were pieced together much in the studio. They used mostly hired guns, instead of keeping the performances within the ranks of the members. And the lineup changed, not only from album-to-album, but also from song-to-song. They bring in whoever they feel can add to the song at certain POINTS of the song... A different guitar player will playing the solo -- and no other part – in each tune.

And, by the same token:
Is The Millennium a band? I mean, they at least had the same 5 or 6 guys performing every song, but they never played live, and their songs are also pieced together in the studio, with different members contributing piecemeal. There were no live performances.

I guess the bigger question is:
"What defines a 'BAND'?"

Steely Dan had the same core 5-piece lineup for the first three albums.

band's define themselves.

Thousands of bands have larger lineups at first then wind up with a couple of core members. It'd be unwieldy to stop calling all of them bands.

no, they're a chrome dildo

You're saying that "define themselves" belongs to the band?

with bad beards

why did this immediately make me think of Yo Gabba Gabba

I sometimes refer to them as a band, but most of the people I know who reference them always say duo. I don't really care what the semantics are of what constitutes a "band".

With spikes. Right?

really?

I think that I remember that from the book. Made me laugh and cringe at the same time (as most of the book did).

where two or more are gathered in thy name

thats my real answer, although "two" treads dangerously closer to "project"

Spoon's pretty much the same deal. Britt Daniel, Jim Eno and a cast of revolving parts. I guess Daniel-Eno are the new Fagen-Becker.

Tweedy/Stirratt

But Wilco doesn't change members (willfully) from song-to-song in a premeditated manner, the way that Steely Dan does.
Dan will call in 4 or 5 guitar players to try to play a solo on a certain song, just to get the right sound. Wilco uses the same full-band unit for an entire album. Granted, there are special "guests" here and there, but there are basically 4, 5, or 6 guys that function as a single unit on any given record. and usually for 2 or 3 records at a time. All bands gain and loose members. Steely Dan just doesn't HAVE members, except Becker and Fagen. I don't even think that they would consider themselves a "band" in the traditional sense.

In the era of free agency, players staying with the same team throughout their career is a relic of a bygone era.

bort's define their own grammar

hasn't The Cure been primarily one or two consistent guys for a while now?

How dare you even mention them in the same sentence...

I consider Steely Dan to be a band--just not a good one.

Mark E. Smith cursed a blue streak after reading this thread.

Shane Mc Gowan peed his pants, vomited, & had another drink.

Who is Son Volt?

Eels is/are a band. Mountain Goats is/are a band. East River Pipe is/are a band. It goes on forever.

Hell, even Five For Fighting is/are something somebody, somewhere might call a band, though they'd best disinfect after.