Of course how one defines "greatest" is important.
I'm thinking about in terms of influence on the genre.
1. The Beatles (For making innovation the rule) 2. Jimi Hendrix Experience (Defined lead guitar) 3. The Who (Created/defined the Rock Opera concept) 4. Pink Floyd (Inventing the modern stage show) 5. Buddy Holly and the Crickets (For bringing the drum forward, made it more than just a rhythm instrument) 6. The Ramones (Mainstreaming 3-chord garage/punk sound)
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Rush.
Because I said so. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Um. The Beatles pioneered almost everything that eventually evolved into modern rock. Yeah, that would make them the greatest.
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
Lynyrd Skynyrd (Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama)
REM--(michael stipe's lyrics)
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
Aerosmith
Posted by fiazko (Member # 5812) on :
I second Jay.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
The Beatles are my favorite band, but not what I think of when I think of "rock". Pink Floyd is far and away the best, I think.
Such a big sound, and they made every note count.
Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
quote:Inventing the modern stage show
That would be David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Peter Gabriel.
I'll go along with the Beatles and Rush, but I prefer a more multi-layered sound, such as that of Genesis.
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
Queen. Not the best, but right up there.
Posted by Tarrsk (Member # 332) on :
Not sure about all time, as my knowledge of music is not that comprehensive, but I would argue that Radiohead are certainly the greatest rock band of the past twenty years.
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
quote:Um. The Beatles pioneered almost everything that eventually evolved into modern rock. Yeah, that would make them the greatest.
No, that would just make them the first.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
The Doors
The Rolling Stones Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
Yeah, the nerdy academic in me wants to make all of you define "greatest." Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :
Well, according to the terms of the original post, it pretty much has to be the Beatles:
quote:Of course how one defines "greatest" is important.
I'm thinking about in terms of influence on the genre.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
I would have a few greats to list but could not pick one of them as the greatest:
The Beatles (I have heard that they were only together for 8 years. Is that true???)
The Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Iron Maiden
Nirvana changed everything
I am a HUGE maiden fan, (Ozzfest 2005 is tomorrow and I am so there), but what makes them great is that they have endured without selling out to record labels, changes in popular music, or for money for that matter. They just simply keep doing what they have always done, and do it very well.
I would say Rush is like this as well, and of course they have evolved greatly over the years, but they also tried that awkward attempt at alternative in the 90s which was wierd.
Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :
Did Nirvana change everything, or were they just the first to ride the geist. Soundgarden, pearl jam, and STP(all of whom I like better than Nirvana) were coming into flower and the big hair bands had to go sometime.
The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.
And here is my dark horse band, best rock band ever is Boston.
And even if they weren't original or the best, I have a place in my heart for the big hair bands, the whitesnakes and foreigners and Bon Jovi and Van Halens and Def leopards and Poisons and motley Crues all have and deserve their place in history.
Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
quote:Originally posted by twinky: Well, according to the terms of the original post, it pretty much has to be the Beatles:
quote:Of course how one defines "greatest" is important.
I'm thinking about in terms of influence on the genre.
Ah, good point...I didn't really read that first post very carefully.
Posted by Mrs.M (Member # 2943) on :
quote:And even if they weren't original or the best, I have a place in my heart for the big hair bands, the whitesnakes and foreigners and Bon Jovi and Van Halens and Def leopards and Poisons and motley Crues all have and deserve their place in history.
Me, too!
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Don't forget White Loin and Cinderella and Firehouse and Skid Row and Queensryche too.
Ask the big hair guys if Nirvana changed everything. As for their Seattle counterparts, yeah they were all on the scene at the start of it all. But no star has shone brighter than that of Nirvana's in the Alternative Age.
But to finalize my tastes, I have been enjoying more 80s metal than anything lately and it has been a heck of a lot more fun than wading through depressing alternative buzz of the 90s.
Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
I would put The Beatles and Led Zeppelin very near the top of the list. I have my own personal favorites, but I can't deny the influence of either of those two. The fact that they both still hold up well after all these years is another point in their favor.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Irami... I was with you for two albums... but "Third Stage" was a horrible disappoint ment, though "Walk On" had a few good moments...
but Boston had a chance to be the greatest bublegum band of all time...
I'm gonna throw out one that no one has mentioned but for longevity, top songs, and more cross-genre influence than even the Beatles give me:
The Eagles
When they got together again for the Hell Freezes Over Tour, it was news on EVERY station, from the alternative, to country, to jazz. Their songwriters have been covered by a huge range, from hair metal bands like Triumph (Joe Walsh's Rocky Mountain Way) to neopunks like the Ataris (Boys of Summer), to Gypsy Jazz (the Gypsy Kings do a mean Hotel California). And all of modern country music owes them a HUGE debt.
Posted by Roseauthor (Member # 148) on :
I no one mentioned Queen?
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
I agree that Led Zeppelin deserves a place on the best band list, but where? what did they do that was really innovative? What they are noteworthy of is doing their thing and doing it well.
I also agree that Nirvana was a great band, but Soundgarden was doing that Seattle sound well before Nirvana broke through commercially.
And for you all that are listing the hair bands from the 80's. Um....no.
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
quote:Originally posted by Roseauthor: I no one mentioned Queen?
Queen just did the band version of the Glam Rock that Bowie made popular.
Posted by johnsonweed (Member # 8114) on :
Wow...I do come off as a rock snob.
btw..I'm the same way with coffee, beer and scotch, too! Posted by Xavier (Member # 405) on :
quote:I agree that Led Zeppelin deserves a place on the best band list, but where? what did they do that was really innovative? What they are noteworthy of is doing their thing and doing it well.
You know, I actually was thinking something along these lines.
Its very hard to describe why I think Led Zeppelin should be on there. Something along the lines of "They wrote amazing songs, performed them amazingly well, and did with amazing consistency".
I'm not as big a music buff as some, or as big a Led Zeppelin fan as most, but I wouldn't repect any list where they weren't in the top five or ten.
Posted by JaimeBenlevy (Member # 6222) on :
Chili Peppers?! They're definitely my favorite rock band, with the greatest bassist in the world (Flea), an incredible guitarist in Fruscianti, Anthony Kiedis has one of my favorite voices, and Chad Smith is an awesome drummer. They all play so well with each other.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
well, we're getting into definitions of greatness...
Some bands are great at innovation and influence (e.g. the Beatles)
Some are great at incorporating other styles, mixing them to form something unique (Zepplin, Rush, Peter Gabriel/Genesis)
Some are just great performers (Floyd) or great songwriters (Eagles) or mix together uniquely (Dave Matthews Band)
Which is why a list like this is kinda wonky... but I love 'em anyhow.
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
I second Frisco on Pink Floyd. There isn't a band out there that can make you drift away like Pink Floyd can.
I'm also hesitant to nominate U2 as well.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
A word about Radiohead ...
The Bends and OK Computer were the jumping off point for the current style of rock. They sparked the transition between grunge and the guitar/piano pop that is so popular today (Coldplay, Incubus, Muse, etc).
I could sit here and name a hundred bands that have aped their style, but I won't.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
THe point is that their influence on the current music scene is very much comparable to the influence that bands like The Beatles and Pink Floyd have had in the past, many years ago.
Posted by Fishtail (Member # 3900) on :
Rush. Neil Peart is a demi-god.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
Agreed.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
quote:Don't forget White Loin and Cinderella and Firehouse and Skid Row and Queensryche too.
White Loin?
I have to admit that Van Halen is good writing music. Don't know why, but it is. Especially 5150 and Balance.
And yeah, I think today it's either Radiohead or Radiohead Wannabe. Nobody does it as good as Thom and the gang.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
I'm kind of surprised that the Rolling Stones don't get more kudos.
I would still put the Beatles as #1.
Then, in no particular order: The Who Rolling Stones Eagles Cream Traffic Genesis (old stuff) Yes Pink Floyd Derek and the Dominoes Jethro Tull Bowie Roxy Music The Band Todd Rundgren Hendrix Peter Gabriel Dire Straits Michael Jackson Queen Emerson, Lake & Palmer Robert Palmer Led Zeppelin REM Brian Eno
Special category-- Best comedy/rock: Weird Al The Tubes Sparks
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
Bob, I am glad to see Yes. I was sort of surprised they had not appeared sooner...
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Rush, without a doubt. The Who. The Beatles. Pink Floyd. Cream. U2 Nirvana.
Okay, those are the easy ones, all safe and secure in their place in the rock pantheon. There are, however, others that should be there due to their contributions, that simply aren't.
Here's a few that were important (imho): Yes King Crimson Let's Active The Pixies The Yardbirds The Beach Boys Steppenwolf The Velvet Underground Little Richard Richie Valens Elvis Costello
and no one had mentioned Elvis Presley????
Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
I don't think it's possible to have a greatest rock band.
But I like Bob's list. Posted by Erik Slaine (Member # 5583) on :
And Sopwith gets points for VU.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
I have been listening to more Rush and Led Zeppelin this year (and Maiden, the lone Maiden supporter here, I guess) than anything else.
I am also surprised more people have not acknowledged Hendrix (kudos to Bob again. I owe you a Coke.) as well as The Doors.
Posted by ricree101 (Member # 7749) on :
How did we go this many posts without anyone mentioning AC/DC? There are certainly bands that have been more influential, but they at least deserve a mention.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Man, I missed a big one... the only rock band that ever mattered...
The Clash
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
One Band-
Dir en grey.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Okay, I think there's going to be near-universal agreement that the Beatles were, hands-down, the greatest band in rock history. They were formative, they were excellent, they were productive -- and, years later, they're still hummable and even occasionally challenging.
I don't think there's anyone else mentioned on this thread so far that was as consistently excellent in all these categories, with the possible exception of Pink Floyd. Bowie came close, but he took bigger risks and was often unable to realize the benefits; he was never really much of a band, either, which eliminates him in the same way that it eliminates Paul Simon, who did some of his most interesting work post-Garfunkel. The Rolling Stones have managed to put out enough good songs for two great albums over a period of forty years.
And Radiohead? They'll be a footnote twenty years from now: influential, but no more remembered than Kraftwerk or Bauhaus.
Posted by Choobak (Member # 7083) on :
In the 60th : the Beatles (So many song well known around the world !) In the 70th : Pink Floyd (They invented all new song. listen Atom heart mother) In the 80th : I want to say Dire strait (because of the so unique sound of Mark Knofler on guitar) In the 90th : Nirvana (Easy song, easy guitare, but what a strongness and a voice !) In 2000 : Radiohead (They are the most actual creative group for me)
And for all the second half of the 20th century, The beatles, 'cause we heard so many remake actually by all styles of musics.
Posted by Alucard... (Member # 4924) on :
AC/DC is who influenced me most in a recent guitar purchase as far as sound, looks, and sheer volume. Me like.
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
People seem to have this lifelong bias towards bands they listened to in hs and college, so they just can't be objective about them. I mean, if you interviewed the over 80 crowd, they'd all probably swear that Glenn Miller was still the greatest band of all time. You know? He's just not. I prefer new music. I don't want to listen to the same 200 songs over and over my whole life. That gets boring.
My picks are bands that are still active now: Radiohead, Tool, and Nine Inch Nails.
One step back in time, I pick Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, They Might Be Giants, Beck.
Back a little farther comes The Cure and The Pixies.
Before that is classic rock, which was great at the time okay, but it's dead, it's over, it's not worth resuscitating, I don't think. Those songs can't support thousands of listens, and for me they're just used up. You have to get much much more selective as you mine history.
Dave Brubeck is worth listening to from the late 40s.
Stravinsky and Aaron Copeland from early 20th c.
Khachaturian
Maurice Ravel
Beethoven was awesome.
Not Mozart, he's a smug little fancy pants prig. I can't stand Mozart.
Bach totally rules, though.
Those are the best, I think.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Sopwith...the Yardbirds! good call.
As for Velvet Underground, I really think Lou Reed has done his best work as a solo artist.
Tom...the truth about the Rolling Stones, they've really done 3 great albums worth. Well, 2 1/2...
Steve Winwood -- greatest vocalist ever? Could well be. Still has a great voice even into his 50's.
I'm glad someone mentioned Elvis Costello, although I honestly don't believe he ever lived up to the promise of his first album (the My Aim is True one).
As I hear more of their stuff, I would have to give Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers a nod.
Obscure bands (or not so obscure, but not going to make anyone's list and it's a darn shame too): Badfinger -- some amazing songs T-Rex -- early stuff was all about unicorns, then Marc Bolen went HARD ROCK. Mott the Hoople -- also great stuff in there. BBA -- Beck, Bogart & Appice; did one album together but if you ever hear their version of Superstition, you'll never hear it any other way. UB-40; Reggae meets pop, takes Neil Diamond by storm
Batdorf & Rodney -- who? Well, they are great. Robin Trower -- qualifies a band -- a real power trio.
As I listen to his stuff, I'm actually more impressed with Hendrix as a vocalist than as guitarist. Maybe it's because he was sort of all over the place at times. Amazing, but what a voice too!!!
Janice Joplin should be on the list too. If only because she could scream.
Anyone who puts Nico on their list will be forced to listen to Yoko Ono bleating for a very long time.
Harry Nilsson should be mentioned as one of the greatest songwriters to ever live. He should still be with us, darn it.
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
quote:In the 90th : Nirvana (Easy song, easy guitare, but what a strongness and a voice !)
Nirvana? No. Just, no.
If I could offer a band that ruled the ninties it would be U2 easy. But very close behind would be Bush, more for their stylistic influence than anything else.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Yes, and the Moody Blues for quality and versatility.
Velvet Underground and The New York Dolls as far as influence on the indie sound, with the Kinks being the first big indie/alt band that everyone else is still modelling themselves after, whether they know it or not.
Posted by Chreese Sroup (Member # 8248) on :
The Mommas and the Poppas
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
<slaps head>
the Kinks!!!
Of course.
Thanks Stormy!
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Let me just say that I'm sorry you don't find more of Elvis Costello's stuff to rise to the level of My Aim is True. IMHO, his work is consistently some of the best out there.
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Check out Mighty Like a Rose, for instance.
quote: Harpies Bizarre
He selects the plainest face form a spiteful row of girls Elegant insulted women, a flaw of cultured pearls He drops a name or two, she fails to catch At last he's met his match Unspoiled and unaffected, he wants her so much
quote: After The Fall
In an anonymous rendezvous Where the forbidden lovers repair They're burning down another damn candle They're melting the tables and chairs Beneath them applause from the balcony whenever they accomplished making love Other times they thought they heard laughter Coming from the balcony above
CHORUS She lies to his right and she carelessly recites All of her brand new appetites She seems brittle and small, it don't sound like her at all Since she came back to him after the fall
She said "You never visit the countryside" "So I've made you a country to order" She put up a little tent in the bedroom Crickets played on a tape-recorder The ceiling was festooned with phosphorous stars She noticed his skin turning cold Burning all his clothes on the bonfire "Relax" she whispered and tightened the blindfold
How can you not love lyrics like that? Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Wow! I must've missed some of his better work.
Way cool.
<adds things to CD list>
Posted by T_Smith (Member # 3734) on :
The 5 greatest rock bands:
1)The Beatles 2)Led Zeppelin 3)Nirvana 4)Metallica 5)Black Sabbath
Posted by accio (Member # 3040) on :
quote:Originally posted by Storm Saxon: Pink Floyd, the Beatles, Yes, and the Moody Blues for quality and versatility.
Yeah!! The Moody Blues! They still tour regularly.
Posted by punwit (Member # 6388) on :
I'm glad someone finally mentioned The Moody Blues. They were at the forefront of the symphonic rock movement and thier stuff is timeless and can evoke a similar mood to Pink Floyd.
As far as Led Zepplin is concerned, one of thier distinctions is the way they featured John Bonham. I'm not sure they pioneered using percussion as more than support but they certainly were leaders in that effort.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Major kudos for Storm... the Kinks! Great choice and easy to lose in the British Invasion. Lyrically and musically inventive.
And songwriters: Harry Chapin, Van Morrison and Neil Diamond shouldn't be forgotten. (Okay, I'm a dweeb, but I still love Neil Diamond's music.)
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Fleetwood Mac's Rumours still rocks! I don't think their body of work merits them a place on the greatest rock bands ever list, but that is a great album. Santana deserves a mention somewhere. Beatles definitely #1.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
quote:And Radiohead? They'll be a footnote twenty years from now: influential, but no more remembered than Kraftwerk or Bauhaus.
Spin Magazine just named OK Computer the top album of the last twenty years.
OK Computer was voted by the readers of Q Magazine to be the best rock album of all time, (#2 was Revolver by the Beatles). And for two years in a row they were named 'Best Act In The World Today' by the same magazine.
OK Computer was voted by the viewers of Channel 4 Television, in England, as the best rock album of all time. (#2 was The Joshua Tree by U2)
Bono on Radiohead: I want to hear Radiohead, extraordinary band that they are, on MTV. I want them setting fire to the imaginations of 16, 15, 14 year old kids. I was 14 when John Lennon set fire to my imagination. At that age, you're just [angry], and your moods swing, and it's an incredible time to be hit with something like that. I don't blame them [for not wanting to be on MTV]. But I think, what would my life be like without the Beatles?
Dave Matthews on Radiohead: My reaction to Radiohead isn't as simple as jealousy. Jealousy just burns; Radiohead infuriate me. But if it were only that, I wouldn't go back and listen to those records again and again. Listening to Radiohead makes me fell like I'm a Salieri to their Mozart. Yorke's lyrics make me want to give up. I could never in my wildest dreams find something as beautiful as they find for a single song - let alone album after album.
I've got twenty more quote here, all from very popular artists like Michael Stipe, Bjork, Coldplay, Trent Reznor, etc, all praising the greatness of Radiohead and usually calling them the best band on Earth.
They've also sold millions and millions of records and are hugely popular all over the world at this moment, so I'm afraid I'll have to disagree that they'll be forgotten.
*yes, I am a Radiohead fan*
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
A number of my favorite musicians all applaud Radiohead as the most amazing thing ever...
And I just don't see it. Maybe I'm a philistine.
More likely, 10-15 years down the road, I'll catch it.
I never liked the police... until about 3 years after they broke up and I suddenly figured out what a great band they were.
A band that I'm surprised hasn't come up yet that also escaped my notice until they were gone was Jane's Addiction. Amazing group. "Been Caught Stealing" pretty much kept me from listening to them for a decade (I hated that song)... then I figured out what I was missing.
Thing is, every group we've mentioned stood on someone else's shoulders... so perhaps it's worth just saying that Music is an amazing thing and quit trying to quantify it
Also, since people have started naming off individual songwriters here, we're going to have to throw in Leonard Cohen.
Posted by everything_theory (Member # 8333) on :
Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, BB King... though not really "bands."
~Captain Earl
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
I'm with you, Jim-Me. I respect Radiohead... I have several of their most popular albums, and although I'm missing the "greatest music ever" boat, I do think they're interesting. But I never have any desire to listen to them. When I make myself put on some Radiohead, I can find a certain degree of cerebral appreciation. But I can rarely dig it enough to even finish the disc. And it's not because I like my music poppier... I'm more frequently in the mood to listen to Steve Reich or Ornette Coleman than I am to listen to Radiohead, and when I do, I'm usually more satisfied.
I'm not saying they're not as good as people say they are. I'm just saying that if they are, I don't get it. I know quite a bit about music, and try as I might, I've never been able to wrap my head around the Radiohead phenomenon. Maybe someday I'll have an epiphany. Until then, I'm with you, TAK.
Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
Fleetwood Mac deserves a spot.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: Spin Magazine just named OK Computer the top album of the last twenty years.
Spin is wrong. Radiohead is only "brilliant" to people who wear T-shirts with the names of bands that dissolved ten years ago after putting out one album. And own iPods.
Don't get me wrong: one or two of their songs are interesting, but the rest are masturbatory filler. In a heads-up battle between Radiohead and Tool, I think Tool would win nine out of ten.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: [QUOTE] I think Tool would win nine out of ten.
I think Dir en grey would beat both bands out on several levels. Sure, they are young upstarts, having only been around since 1996 and they have the disadvantage of singing in Japanese and wearing, in the past interesting costumes which drives away a great deal of people, but, they get my nod for best band for several reasons- All of their songs don't sound alike. With a lot of bands, Tool, the Rolling Stones and so many others, you get a lot of songs that sound so simular, they might as well be rearrangements of some old song. Dir en grey doesn't do that. They manage to have extremely distinct songs even when only one member composes them. Evolution. Dir en grey has evolved from their indie days. Their indie stuff sounds more like punk. Nowadays, they defy genre. They simply play whatever style of rock and roll they want, not listening to whiny fans that expect them to pump out one album after another that sounds like Gauze or Macabre (Their first two albums) Dir en grey is not afraid to change, not afriad to experiment. They are the band that influences younger bands in Japan. These bands immatate their old look and sound. Each player does their thing and they do it well. On their latest two albums they sound more together than ever. The sounds are tighter, the instruments blend together. Dir en grey these days sounds like a healthy body, like a unit. And they play with feeling and passion. No other band I've heard plays with their amount of feeling. Not even Nirvana and Pearl Jam, which are the reasons why I am into Dir en grey in the first place can compare. Before those two bands I hated rock and roll and thought it was nothing but men screatching about sex every five seconds like tormenting cats in heat until I realized that rock and roll was fill with passion and power. Dir en grey has completely stolen my heart and ruined me for just about any other band. Therefore, despite their youth and the fact that they are a bit unknowned for the most part I regard them as being the best band of all time and I hope that in the future other people will see this despite the disturbing lyrics and images in some of their videos.
Posted by Kiwi (Member # 7982) on :
quote: Pink Floyd is far and away the best, I think.
quote: There isn't a band out there that can make you drift away like Pink Floyd can.
Awyeah.
That is all.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Why U2 is unique (and therefore "great"):
They're enduring. They're flexible enough to have defined 80s rock and then slipped seamlessly into the 90s with Achtung, Baby. And they're still around, which proves they're not petty. The only other bands with comparable endurance are the Stones and REM, but the Stones aren't relevant and REM isn't huge. (see below)
They're relevant. Their songs are not about sex and drugs and a road show lifestyle that none of the rest of us will ever understand. Their songs are about life and love and God and are artfully ambiguous to apply to everyone at the same time. They also practice what they preach, which is saving the world.
They're huge; they have worldwide appeal. I don't care how many records someone sells in the US and the UK. If the rest of the world doesn't care, it doesn't matter. U2 is a truly international band; you'll find equal concentrations of fans in Brazil and Japan and Yugoslavia. They're not the cultural elitists that most rock bands, even unintentionally, become.
They, possibly exclusivly, care about things bigger than music. The band U2 has contributed more financial support to African aid programs than the United States government. This is what makes them all of the above qualities, what makes them admirable, and what makes them great.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson:
quote: Spin Magazine just named OK Computer the top album of the last twenty years.
Spin is wrong. Radiohead is only "brilliant" to people who wear T-shirts with the names of bands that dissolved ten years ago after putting out one album. And own iPods.
Don't get me wrong: one or two of their songs are interesting, but the rest are masturbatory filler. In a heads-up battle between Radiohead and Tool, I think Tool would win nine out of ten.
OHMYGOD!!!!!!!!!!!
Masturbatory filler?? Have you listened to any of their albums? Tool is better???? I think I just had a heart attack.
Yep, now I'm dead.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
He was just trying to bait Radiohead fans, don't worry about it. Tom is the master baiter. Uh ....
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Donna the Buffalo. Because I love them the best.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
quote:Originally posted by TL: He was just trying to bait Radiohead fans, don't worry about it. Tom is the master baiter. Uh ....
Oh, an agitator, I see.
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Well, no. I actually believe it. Radiohead is enormously overrated, and people will look back in ten years and say, "what the heck were we thinking?" Ten years after that, of course, a Radiohead tribute album will come out, mainly featuring a bunch of nu-metal bands inexplicably citing them as influences.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Well, who cares if you believe it Tom, really? Trying to name the best rock band is, necessarily, going to bring out a few different opinions. Opinions, not facts. Prancing into a thread and stating that such opinions are *wrong,* as if your opinion somehow matters more than the others, is not only irritating, it is maddeningly self-important and pompous.
Telling us Radiohead is bad once was enough. At that point, we got it: you disagreed. Okay. No problem. Three times is a tad over-the-top, I think.
Try to make room for the fact that others might legitimately enjoy music you don't.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
I'm still curious, though, as to how many Radiohead albums Tom has listened to. I used to think they were overrated as well, until I actually listened to OK Computer a couple of times (and it does take a couple of times before you can get into it). And every album that they've done has been fantastic (well, aside from their debut). They can do almost any kind of music they want and I don't think I've ever heard a rock band with such versatility.
You may not like them, but to say that everyone who does think they're the best band in the world (including Spin, Pitchfork, Q, Rolling Stone and TIME), including their millions of fans, is totally wrong, while you are right, is a bit on the arrogant side.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
I can't listen to much Radiohead, but I do like this one Christopher O'Reilly album called "True Love Waits," where he plays Radiohead on the piano. But it's Christopher O'Reilly, you see.
It's nice background music for when I'm kind of depressed and have no desire to leave that state. I think I'll play it if I ever decide to slit my wrists.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
quote:Well, no. I actually believe it. Radiohead is enormously overrated, and people will look back in ten years and say, "what the heck were we thinking?" Ten years after that, of course, a Radiohead tribute album will come out, mainly featuring a bunch of nu-metal bands inexplicably citing them as influences.
The first time I've ever felt like calling Tom flat-out wrong. :) I'm not going to approach the religious fervor with which Radiohead is being defended by others, because it's just a band. But still...it's kind of a neat feeling.
Radiohead has been practically magical since I first heard "Paranoid Android" on MTV. I can't explain it. They just resonate with me. I don't really care about all the reviews they get, good or bad. I don't think I've read a single one. I haven't even been around their website in ages. I just love their stuff (most of it) and I hope they stick together and write more for me to relish.
Posted by Chreese Sroup (Member # 8248) on :
Okay so much Radiohead, and Tool mentioned.
Rage Against The Machine
(How about Global Thermonuclear War?)
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
I actively dislike Radiohead, and I am not even sure why. We only have live recordings, but it rubbed me the wrong way.
I need to try listening to it again. Sometimes, music has to be listened to in the right setting or mood. Whatever mood I was in was not a Radiohead one.
Posted by DarkKnight (Member # 7536) on :
Pink Floyd! I just love those guys... I would also suggest Metallica, not that they are the greatest but they were very influential
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
quote:Lynyrd Skynyrd (Freebird, Sweet Home Alabama)
Oh god help us you must be joking.
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
Hey man, Skynyrd was great!
Also;
Neil Young (skynyrd always make me think of neil)
Raging Slab (Don't dog me, don't dog me, don't dog me around!)
The Groundhogs
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
ZZ Top (Pre-Eliminator)
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
quote:Originally posted by TL: Trying to name the best rock band is, necessarily, going to bring out a few different opinions. Opinions, not facts. Prancing into a thread and stating that such opinions are *wrong,* as if your opinion somehow matters more than the others, is not only irritating, it is maddeningly self-important and pompous.
To which I add another quote:
"These are the opinions upon which I base my facts." Winston Churchill.
Rock on!
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
U2
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
I could never settle on one greatest rock band so here is my list (and I am sure I am missing some) in no particular order:
Tool Radiohead (I think they are overrated, but still great) U2 The Beatles Jawbreaker At The Drive-in Metallica
Honorable mentions:
Refused for their album The Shape Of Punk To Come. Unfortunately, punk has not taken enough of that shape in the years since that album was released.
AFI if they continue in the vein of Sing The Sorrow.
The Weakerthans have some of the most poetic lyrics in rock. I strongly recommend checking them out.
And the most tragically lost potential award goes to Buddy Holly and The Crickets (All those great songs in only 3 years of recording)
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
A friend of mine refers to Radiohead as the current kings of Mope Rock.
Posted by mothertree (Member # 4999) on :
Am I the first to say something really geeky like "that layer of granite that forms Yosemite" or the Navajo sandstone of the Virgin River valley?
P.S. Apparently so.
I really liked the Bangles before they sold out. I was 15. I never really had a chance to get into Rock after that. I guess I really liked the Indigo Girls as well. And They Might be Giants, though I guess that raises the question of "what is rock."
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
quote: I really liked the Bangles before they sold out.
I fondly remember those ten minutes.
Posted by BryanP (Member # 7772) on :
quote:Originally posted by adam613: I hate Radiohead.
*runs away*
Keep running!!!
Anyways, I thought I'd try to make more of a contribution than just defending Radiohead, so here are some other bands I think are at the top (or close to the top) of the rock 'n roll heap:
-Pearl Jam -Led Zeppelin -Metallica -Tool -The Rolling Stones
I have a hard time classifying The Beatles as rock. But I guess they are, for the most part, so they'd obviously be on the list, too.
Not that they'll ever be the greatest ever, but I think there are a few other bands around now that are making some pretty good music, including Audioslave, The White Stripes and Franz Ferdinand. Audioslave's second CD is very good, The Stripes have 5 good ones and Franz's debut was a good time. They're all fun rock bands, but nothing spectacular.
Posted by Troubadour (Member # 83) on :
quote:Hey man, Skynyrd was great!
Oh yeah? Try playing "Sweet Home Alabama" for four years to drunk pub-goers who also seem to have enthusiastically fond memories of the song.
You know what? I know that most modern music has difficulty with the concept of using more than three chords for the body of a song, but at least they usually manage to change it around a bit. The bloody song never ever ever changes. Three chords. Played the same way. For painful minutes on end....
God I need therapy.....
Posted by The Silverblue Sun (Member # 1630) on :
Best Band?
The Beatles. --- They took rock and roll and threw it into outer space. The invented modern song writing.
Best Single Bard?
James Marshall Hendrix. --- Jimi was the real King of Rock and Roll. He took rock and roll and gave it cosmic speed.
Best Modern Rock Band?
(TIE) U2/NIRVANA + <foo fighters>/Radiohead
U2 --- The have been the "perfect" family rock and roll band. You can take almost every Christian Contemporary band of the last 30 years and none have written a more inspirational song than the top 7 U2 anthems. U2 has heart and soul and is everything you could ask for in a rock and roll band. Except Danger.
NIRVANA <foo fighters> --- They captured the end of the bogus 80's and the TRAIN WRECK that the 90's would become, they arrived with honesty, passion and total energy, blowing all the fake props that has been set up as "real music". I like to add the foo fighters as the cabbose of Nirvana because Dave Grohl is as important to the songwriting as Kurt. So the songs with hope he was able to write after the suicide must be added to the list for a full total. Everlong is one of the GREATEST POP SONGS EVER WRITTEN.
Radiohead - If you don't get radiohead, I can't help you. Listen to Creep. One of the greatest songs ever written. Simple and so brutally emotionally beautiful its a song every band should aspire to create. OK COMPUTER is one of the greatest albums of ALL TIME. Exit music for a film into Let Down is about as powerful a 1-2 album punch as you can get. Oh geez. I can go on and on about why I think Radiohead is one of the greatest bands of all time.
Posted by The Silverblue Sun (Member # 1630) on :
Best New Rock Band?
(TIE) Coldplay/The Strokes/Interpol
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
*does not like Coldplay*
Creep is a good song though...
Posted by Crotalus (Member # 7339) on :
((((Troubadour)))) It's all gonna be okay.
Hey SHA isn't my favorite skynyrd song, not by a long shot, but maybe there's a reason it has endured. They changed it up a little themselves on their acoustic albumn "Endangered Species".
Really though, instead of giving the crowd SHA, try introducting them to some of the more obscure stuff. "Coming Home" was good. "I Need You" was great. And it's hard to beat Steve Gaines intro work to "I know a little".
And I maintain that SKYNYRD rocks!
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson:
quote: I really liked the Bangles before they sold out.
I fondly remember those ten minutes.
this may be the funniest thing you've ever said, Tom.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Nah, I'm sure no one got the funniest thing he ever said.
Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :
LOL
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
All bands mentioned are great, but it makes me realize how non mainstream my musical tastes have become. There is so very much excellent music out there, and so very little of it is on MTV.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I have to create my list based on the music i was raised on, note that I am 19.
The Beatles, obviously amazing, everyone has a favorite song. The Eagles, I didn't know who they were till "Hell Freezes Over" came out, but I was in third grade. But my favorite song of theirs is one of the less famous ones "Seven Bridges Road" Jimi Hendrix, so what if he's not quite a band, I have his version of the national anthem on my computer, it's one of the most moving things ever. Janis Joplin, she's a girl! The Who, I had "pinball wizard" memorized before I memorized the witches scene from MacBeth, this is a big deal, they were both memorized before i could read. Pink Floyd The Doors, ok I don't really like Jim Morrison, but some of their songs are amazing and yeah he is folk, not rock, and a person not a band (Ketchupqueen stay quiet) Bob Dylan, one of my english teachers even said he was the best American Poet of the 20th century, i'm not sure if I can agree with that, but close
Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
Cake is better than Tool or Radiohead.
Take that, n00bs!
Posted by Little_Doctor (Member # 6635) on :
Not exactly a "Rock Band", But how about Elvis? Sorry if it's been said already...I didn't read everyones lists.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
I don't know if I would put cake quite as high on my personal list as Tool or Radiohead, but I should have included them.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Muse= Rather cool. Their music is very grand. I do not love them the way I love Dir en grey but they are way better than Maroon Five and Coldplay I think...
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
The Replacements.
[I'm not a huge fan -- but somebody had to say it -- jsut to prove Tom's point ;-) ].
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
Oh, and Irami: Don't forget Guns 'n Roses.
Posted by Ben (Member # 6117) on :
Mr. Big
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong: Did Nirvana change everything, or were they just the first to ride the geist. Soundgarden, pearl jam, and STP(all of whom I like better than Nirvana) were coming into flower and the big hair bands had to go sometime.
Not to drugde up an old arguement, but I think it's important to state that none of those bands brought about the rock revolution of the 90's. If it weren't for the bands Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, and The Melvins, then rock would not exist as it does today.
[ October 14, 2006, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: SteveRogers ]
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by scottneb: But very close behind would be Bush, more for their stylistic influence than anything else.
Bush was a crappy British Nirvana rip-off band. Sorry bud.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
I'm not a huge fan of Bush or anything, but I never understood the derogatory comparisons to Nirvana. Actually, I didn't even know such comparisons existed until I went to buy Golden State when it was first released. The music store had put a sticker under the shelf the album was on, and it said "Nirvana-bes." I thought that was kind of funny, but I still don't understand the comparisons. Bush doesn't even strike me as being in the same genre as Nirvana.
I don't know how I missed this thread the first time, but The Beatles would've been the only band I could list. I think this thread kind of degenerated into everyone naming really good rock bands, and not the best. As far as I'm concerned, no band holds a candle to The Beatles, and I say this as a rabid fan of many, many bands.
Recently I've been listening to the anthology discs, and for the bazillionth time in my life, The Beatles are blowing me away.
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
I'd like to nominate Linkin Park. They started the rock/rap revolution and fused two sounds I never would have believed could be combined.
Rock had gotten a bit stagnant before then, and it's getting a bit stagnant now. Most of the radio sounds like them or Blink 182. The next great rock band is out there somewhere perfecting their craft and waiting to redefine the sound...again.
I'd also like to nominate Korn for spending most of the 90s finding ways to make music sound like no one else. Plus, for a long time, there was always something new and innovative to look forward to.
System of a Down puts out some amazing albums. They cross genres with total disregard for expectations. I take a while to warm up to a new song, but Toxicity is easily in my top five.
My favorite song ever is by Candlebox. I don't think they were innovative or influential or even particularly different. I just think "You" sums up the 90s better than anything else.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
"I'd like to nominate Linkin Park. They started the rock/rap revolution and fused two sounds I never would have believed could be combined."
I'm not sure how you can make this statement, and then talk about Korn, and not notice the error of your ways. Korn was doing the rap/rock fusion well before linkin park came into being. And Korn ripped directly from Anthrax.
I'm not sure if Anthrax was ripping anyone, but the rap/rock fusion predated linkin park by at least 10 years, if not 15
Posted by stacey (Member # 3661) on :
Red Hot Chili Peppers sound way different to Linkin Park but they were still doing the rock/rap thing before Linkin Park ever did.
I will put my vote in for Pink Floyd (my favourite band of all time). My favourite song is way different to my favourite band, (Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls)
Has anybody mentioned Metallica yet? I'm not really into their really heavy headbanging stuff but they do have some really awesome songs (Nothing Else Matters, Fade to Black, Mama Said, King Nothing, Whisky in the Jar)
Green Day, I liked their earlier stuff more then their latest stuff.
And my last nominations goes to Shihad (New Zealand band), you might know them better as Pacifier as they changed their name for a short time after 9/11 when they were touring in America, it sounded too much like Jihad.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
quote:The Beatles are my favorite band, but not what I think of when I think of "rock". Pink Floyd is far and away the best, I think.
Such a big sound, and they made every note count.
I thoght this was interesting Frisco. Because I'm exactly the opposite. I think I can freely say that Pink Floyd is my favorite band ever. But I would have to say The Beatles are the greatest rock band of all time.
The Bealtes, Pink Floyd, and Radiohead are to me the 3 greatest bands of all time.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:I'd like to nominate Linkin Park. They started the rock/rap revolution and fused two sounds I never would have believed could be combined.
WHAT?
No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
Not only is that information not correct, but Mike Shinoda is one of the LEAST talented rappers/lyricists in history.
I'm going to agree with anyone who suggests Pink Floyd or the Beatles are number one. There are a lot of other very important influences, but those two are revolutionary.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
3 bands which definitely need to be mentioned here: Primus Guns N' Roses Styx
For new rock bands, Dream Theater is probably at the top.
A great Classic Rock band: Kansas.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Dream theater is... eh. They have talent, but they haven't ever done anything NEW. Great instrumentation, yes... but a lot of other bands from their era have great instrumentation, too.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
I think they're better than you give them credit for. Listen to Liquid Tension Experiment. It's basically the same band only without the vocalist and it's all instrumental. Great stuff there.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I know its great instrumentation. I'm not saying it isn't. I'm saying they haven't been very innovative. There are at least a dozen bands who were doing the Dream Theatre thing before Dream Theatre was... Dream Theatre just does it better then most of them. If we're looking at innovation, then Dream Theatre isn't in the mix. If we're looking at quality of instrumentation, I think they are a great band for sure. But the greatest? No.
Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
Here are a few that haven't been mentioned (I think), but are serious contenders:
Steely Dan Talking Heads Flaming Lips Cream Joy Division Santana
Also, I think greatest bands are determined by at least a decade worth of hindsight. So, although these bands are too new to make a definitive statement about yet, I think The Shins and Death Cab for Cutie have a decent shot of joining the ranks.
I won't get into which ones from earlier in the thread I love, and which I hate, but those are some new ones.
Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
The Beach Boys
Posted by Baron Samedi (Member # 9175) on :
Oh, there's one I forgot. The band Sting put together for his first album was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Imagine getting Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Darryl Jones and Omar Hakim, and turning them into a rock/fusion band.
Unfortunately for Sting, there was nowhere to go from there but down. It was amazing while it lasted, though.
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
quote:Originally posted by Storm Saxon:
Let me just say that I'm sorry you don't find more of Elvis Costello's stuff to rise to the level of My Aim is True. IMHO, his work is consistently some of the best out there.
YES!
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
Huh, I'm not really a fan of Radiohead, the vocalist just grinds on me. On the other hand, I have to say that Incubus and Muse sound nothing like them. Least ways nothing like the songs on OK Computer I listen to from time to time.
I'm really surprised no one's mentioned the Barenaked Ladies. I mean come on, if we give Radiohead and Dave Matthews a nod here, we've gotta give BNL a nod...
Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
JUst listened to 'Creep'. Still not feeling the Radiohead. The vocalist still annoys the hell out of me, and the rest of the song is nothing new. Even if they started the new piano/mope rock whatever genre (which I'm not convinced of and, which isn't that big a deal), they do it so much worse than those that follow. Starting a genre doesn't give you many points if you can't actually play good music in said genre. Honestly give me a break.
Posted by PUNJABEE (Member # 7359) on :
Beatles, Aerosmith and other crap bands like that - no. Beatles are overrated and everyone just feels sorry for John Lennon. They really weren't that great. Innovative, sure. Boring? Hell yes. They were also the first version of the New Kids on the Block/NSync/Backstreet Boys. That puts them way lower than other bands. Aerosmith... lol that's just a joke band. They suck, have sucked, and always will suck.
Best rock band in the world? Probably Rush, but I don't listen to them all that much anymore. Best band in the world?
Against Me!.
Don't know who they are? Look them up.
Posted by AvidReader (Member # 6007) on :
Who is more influential, the guy who did it first or the guy who made it popular? I would argue groundwork means nothing if noone else treads there.
To that end, I would say Linkin Park was the most inflential in the rock/rap movement. They made the sound accessible.
Britney Spears, the first boy band, Avril Lavigne, whoever wrote the first R&B song with a dance beat and rap verse in the middle. These people spawned hundreds of wannabes and were enormously influential. I can't say I'd listen to any of them on purpose, but someone does.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
"I would argue groundwork means nothing if noone else treads there."
I just don't understand this and everyone else who swears how important a band's influence is. Why do we have to rank a band based on how many rip-offs they inspired? If two bands are equally good but one of them has more "influence" on other bands' sounds, I think both bands are still equal. It's not the first band's fault that no one wnated to copy their style even though they were good. I think each band should be ranked based on their own sound, not on whether other bands decided to copy them.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
Errr...I think everyone is forgetting Wyld Stallyns, who rule. I mean, their music brought peace and harmony to the world and ushered in an Utopian Age. Compared to that, the Beatles (who would otherwise be #1) were just a bunch of mop topped nancy boys.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by Fitz: [QB] I'm not a huge fan of Bush or anything, but I never understood the derogatory comparisons to Nirvana. Actually, I didn't even know such comparisons existed until I went to buy Golden State when it was first released. The music store had put a sticker under the shelf the album was on, and it said "Nirvana-bes." I thought that was kind of funny, but I still don't understand the comparisons. Bush doesn't even strike me as being in the same genre as Nirvana.
It's startingly how similar the vocals and music are on a number of songs. Bush's second album was an attempt to be more raw (ringing any bells) which was produced by Steve Albini, who produced Nirvana's far more superior raw album.
quote:Originally posted by MrSquicky: Errr...I think everyone is forgetting Wyld Stallyns, who rule. I mean, their music brought peace and harmony to the world and ushered in an Utopian Age. Compared to that, the Beatles (who would otherwise be #1) were just a bunch of mop topped nancy boys.
WORD, SON
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
"Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone magazines agree with me."
I think it's more likely that you agree with them. Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :
I would like to nominate Easy Star All-Stars. Anyone who can take Dark Side of the Moon (one of the few perfect albums) and redo it while still keeping the original magic is light years ahead of contemporary bands.
I suspect they were sitting around and brainstorming how they could make Pink Floyd feel more like a drug trip and someone said, "I know, let's make it reggae!!”
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by GaalDornick: "Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone magazines agree with me."
I think it's more likely that you agree with them.
It's not polite to try and invalidate someone's points with such trivial matters.
Posted by Gecko (Member # 8160) on :
Bob Dylan + whatever back-up band he chooses to use at the time
Rod Stewart and the Faces
Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street band
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
"It's not polite to try and invalidate someone's points with such trivial matters."
Who told you that? I wasn't even trying to "invalidate" your point, I have no idea where you pulled that from. But now that you mention it, I think it's more likely that you formed your opinion from reading those articles than they formed theirs after reading yours.
Anyways, still waiting for someone else to mention Primus as one of the greatest. Les Claypool was definitely one of the greatest rock bassists ever and was very innovative.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Who said it has to go either of those ways? I actually formed the opinion myself and then checked on their websites to see what the people who get paid to think thought.
Posted by Fitz (Member # 4803) on :
quote:Originally posted by lem: I would like to nominate Easy Star All-Stars. Anyone who can take Dark Side of the Moon (one of the few perfect albums) and redo it while still keeping the original magic is light years ahead of contemporary bands.
I suspect they were sitting around and brainstorming how they could make Pink Floyd feel more like a drug trip and someone said, "I know, let's make it reggae!!”
I love that album. I was watching a British show called Saxondale last week, and during one of the episodes a brief snippet of Easy Star All-Star's cover of Time was played. I thought "whoa, that was awesome. what was that?" Some quick research led me to the answer, and I got the album. It's fantastic.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
"I actually formed the opinion myself and then checked on their websites to see what the people who get paid to think thought."
Ok, I believe you. I just don't understand how you thought I was trying to "invalidate someone's points with such trivial matters." And why that's "not polite" even if I was . (And I apologize in advance if it's considered impolite to excessively put someone's words in quotes )
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
quote:I would like to nominate Easy Star All-Stars. Anyone who can take Dark Side of the Moon (one of the few perfect albums) and redo it while still keeping the original magic is light years ahead of contemporary bands.
While I wouldn't go so far as to call that band one of the greatest rock bands of all time, the album IS fantastic. One of my friends turned me on to it last year.
Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
[QUOTE]Originally posted by GaalDornick: [QB] 3 bands which definitely need to be mentioned here: Primus Guns N' Roses Styx
Thank you for mentioning Styx. I won't propose that they are the best band ever, but I will say they are my all-time FAVE! The Dennis DeYoung/Tommy Shaw years produced some of the best music I've ever heard. Styx
When I was in high school I LOVED Pearl Jam, STP and Bush. I understand the arguments for Nirvana, but I gotta say, I just couldn't get into it. Kurt Cobain was just a little too raw for me. And I gotta say that for in spite of how ridiculous I think AC/DC is, I can really get down to some back in black.
Posted by DaisyMae (Member # 9722) on :
Hey, why didn't my quote work?
(feeling sheepish)
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Put [/quote].
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by DaisyMae:
When I was in high school I LOVED Pearl Jam, STP and Bush. I understand the arguments for Nirvana, but I gotta say, I just couldn't get into it. Kurt Cobain was just a little too raw for me.
The bands you named were the more mainstream, sell-outish grunge bands. I love Nirvana. But they probably sold out the most. I think their CD In Utero totally made up for it though.
Their first CD, Bleach , was a more raw, heavy metal CD. Then there was Nevermind , I don't think I really need to say anything. Then the hodge podge collection Incesticide, with the songs "Sliver," and "Anuerysm," which are two of their best songs.
Their next studio release, the previously mentioned In Utero, was a return to their undergroud roots. It's a far more superior CD, and it alienated all of the fakes. "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" has to be one of the greatest in your face rock songs EVAH!
Posted by striplingrz (Member # 9770) on :
quote:Originally posted by johnsonweed: I agree that Led Zeppelin deserves a place on the best band list, but where? what did they do that was really innovative? What they are noteworthy of is doing their thing and doing it well.
Ok, I know I'm late to this thread but... got to take issue with the above. By the thread starters definition greatest = most influential to their genre.
Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are far and away the most influential bands for the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal genre. Almost any band in the genre will tell you the same thing.
To say Zeppelin only played good songs and played them well is selling them very short. They fused bluesy rock with mysticism to create the ultimate band that still influencies today.
Black Sabbath and Lemmy's severed thumb created the deep bass chord still heard in Heavy Metal and all its off shoots today.
I too think the Beatles songwriting/musicianship was great.
As for Nirvana, I've always thought they were overrated. They were good, but hardly as awesome and most credit them. But they were influential and still are. This happens when a band leader dies and is "worshipped" afterwards.
Others on my list would include: AC/DC Radiohead Lynard Skynard Kiss (yes Kiss they were very influential) Guns n Roses Green Day Pink Floyd Queen
There are tons of other bands I love, but as I said before, this is a list of greates = influential bands.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
Pink floyd is the best band of all time followed by zeppelin and queen
Blind guardian, maiden, metallica, opeth, slayer can all be argued to have lasting influences on metal/hard rock of the day or just be very innovative bands in their genre.
Korn, deftones can said to start the angsty "teen metal" or "rap metal" or w/e its gonna be called. Perhaps even the roots for screemo or emo.
Of course bach and beethoven could be considered to be the origin of musical patters that are emulated closely by rock music.
Even then you look back farther to gregorian chants and see patters and tones that would have been the foundations for classical music.
i guess the most influential or best band of all time is whichever influences and reaches to the individual the most.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
How can you say this:
quote:As for Nirvana, I've always thought they were overrated. They were good, but hardly as awesome and most credit them.
and this:
quote:Others on my list would include: ... Green Day
in the same post? O_O
Posted by jehovoid (Member # 2014) on :
Why are the best ones British? I guess Americans just don't rock as hard.
Posted by striplingrz (Member # 9770) on :
quote:Originally posted by erosomniac: How can you say this:
quote:As for Nirvana, I've always thought they were overrated. They were good, but hardly as awesome and most credit them.
and this:
quote:Others on my list would include: ... Green Day
in the same post? O_O
I didn't say they shouldn't be on the list. I simply said they are overrated in my mind. I think they were influential. And personally I think Dave Grohl is the best musician of his era.
As for Green Day, they have been very influential to the current poprock crap that is out there.
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
quote:Originally posted by striplingrz: Black Sabbath and Lemmy's severed thumb created the deep bass chord still heard in Heavy Metal and all its off shoots today.
Lemmy? Do you mean Tony Iommi and his missing fingertips (causing him to need to lower the tuning of his guitar to be able to play without too much pain)? Lemmy is the Motorhead guy.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I have to agree with the side that takes Linkin Park off the list... I was _done_ with rap-rock (Rage Against the Machine was my favorite) before the ever hit the scene...
Honestly, you can trace probably 95% of all rock and roll back to, I would say, 4 bands (in no particular order):
Beach Boys The Beatles Rolling Stones The Who (This can be debated, and I admit is something of a personal bias )
I think you can hear echos of just about all later pop, psychedelic, blues, punk, hard rock/heavy metal, fused together with rather impressive rock arrangements... And that is the key. None of these bands had amazing musicians (save maybe The Who, minus Roger Daltry), though most had at least one amazing songwriter. In the end, though, they all had an awesome ability for arranging great songs. They were often followers, rather than leaders (lest you think I believe they created all the genres I listed above), but they grabbed on to good new sounds right away. --
I'd have Led Zep and Pink Floyd be honorable mentions, and my knowledge of rap history is woeful, or there'd be 5 groups in my list. --
One of my personal favorite bands, REM, illuminates my point, I think. Not one member of the band is an exceptional musician (and they'd all agree, I think), but there are a bunch of great arrangers (well until one of them left the band) in that group. In the end, it turns them into a band that is way too underrated by their detractors, and way too overrated by their fans. They did, however, create the best "desperation" song ever though (Country Feedback, off of Out of Time). Anyone who can't feel the single-mindedness of emotion (in a skin-crawling sense) in that song needs to check their pulse.
-Bok
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bokonon: None of these bands had amazing musicians.... In the end, though, they all had an awesome ability for arranging great songs. -- -Bok
I was actually just watching a clip from an interview with George Harrison in which he was saying exactly this about himself.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
I have been listening to The Who lately, and maybe I'm being way to music-snobby, but anyone who thinks My Generation (as an example) isn't one of the most subversive songs of _any_ time, is really missing out. That song's form is more counter-culture than all the f-bombs and other swear words in modern rock, combined. Sometimes subtlety is good.
The lead singer freaking stutters the entire song! And the drum explosion at the end always gives me a chill when it starts, seemingly out of nowhere.
-Bok
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Noemon, yeah, and I don't think many consider any of The Rolling Stones as more than good musicians, and the Beach Boys, well, basically all they had were Brian Wilson's arrangements.
-Bok
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
Many of the bands mentioned in this thread are essentially post-punk or post-post-punk bands.
Punk didn't kill rock. Post-punk did -- it just took awhile and didn't happen in quite the fashion that all those art school grads who decided to become subversive rock stars thought it would.
Therefore, I'd say the most influential rock musician of the past 25 years is Johnny Lydon. PIL inaugurated the indie turn in rock.
Which is not to say that I don't totally enjoy fallen genres. I'm a big fan of the novel, for instance.
-------
P.S. to Bok's post ---- if you are going to include The Who, then you probably should also include Velvet Underground.
Posted by striplingrz (Member # 9770) on :
quote:Originally posted by solo:
quote:Originally posted by striplingrz: Black Sabbath and Lemmy's severed thumb created the deep bass chord still heard in Heavy Metal and all its off shoots today.
Lemmy? Do you mean Tony Iommi and his missing fingertips (causing him to need to lower the tuning of his guitar to be able to play without too much pain)? Lemmy is the Motorhead guy.
Yep, thanks for calling me on that solo... got my L's messed up. Of course I was working and trying to type that at the same time. Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Zal, I knew I was forgetting some... I'd put them as an honorable mention, largely because of my own opinion, but also since I think that they just weren't popular enough, and to me, a great rock band needs to have reached a certain threshold in their own right. I'll grant that they gained an abundance of notoriety though Oh, and The Who pre-date them by a couple months.
The popularity thing is also why I don't include any prog-rock bands, despite their musicianship and arrangements. --
As for today's rock, can I be upset at all the flaccid punk that gets shovelled out these days? It's said when my go-to bands are Pennywise or Bad Religion in the punk genre, even though both haven't changed their sound at all (in Bad Religion's case, that'd be 20+ years). They remain refreshing mostly as an antidote/contrast to what is popular these days.
-Bok
Posted by Mintieman (Member # 4620) on :
As its defined for the purposes of this thread, The Beatles win hands down. Its not even a contest really. The White Album alone is diverse enough to be cited as an influence on everything.
Other than that, it has to be Nirvana/The Pixies, Led Zeppelin, Metallica and of course Radiohead.
Who since the Beatles have made 3 albums so wildly different as The Bends, Ok Computer and Kid A? I mean, does Kid A even count as rock?
I'm not sure if Pink Floyd should be included. While huge in its time, the influence of prog is suprisingly limited now.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by striplingrz: I didn't say they shouldn't be on the list. I simply said they are overrated in my mind. I think they were influential. And personally I think Dave Grohl is the best musician of his era.
Dave's good. But I am definitely a Kurt fan because he's just better at what he did. But Dave IS good.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Dave Matthews Band.
They're my fave anyway.
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
Pink Floyd's fan base is still alive and kicking. The sound carries well in anytime or swing in genre patterns. As do most the bands mentioned in the parts of the thread that I have read so far.
The Beatles - Changed Everything The Who - Great The Beach Boys - Great Hendrix - Changed the way people saw the guitar and yes so did SRV Floyd - Created an unparalleled sound The Dead - Changed the way people saw live music Allman Bros, CCR and Skynnard - Great Southern Rock The Stones - Great DMB - Good Nirvanna - Changed everything all over again
Well there's my two cents.
*edited to remove a mistake*
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
The Shadows.
Man, I've been listening to them alot lately and they're incredible. I've never heard a band do instrumental rock like they do. They have such a clean sound where every note sounds perfectly in place. My music teacher introduced me to some of their old albums recently and they have quickly become one of my favorite instrumental rock bands ever.
Posted by Qaz (Member # 10298) on :
The Electric Light Orchestra. Because if you dedicate yourself to playing their music, a Time Lord will appear.
Posted by Gecko (Member # 8160) on :
The Earth shaking, heart-breaking, air-conditioner shaking, history making,
E-
STREET-
BAND!!!!
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
The choice is so obvious I don't even need to say it. Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
Clearly, yes you do, cause I have no fracking clue who you're referring to Posted by Eduardo St. Elmo (Member # 9566) on :
The Electric Light Orchestra. Because if you dedicate yourself to playing their music, a Time Lord will appear. And then you'll lose all your marbles. Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
But if you listen to Black Sabbath on 78 speed you'll see God... (desperately hoping someone else knows what I'm talking about)
Posted by tt&t (Member # 5600) on :
Then clearly you're not old enough Posted by DevilDreamt (Member # 10242) on :
Greatest rock band of all time? The Misfits.
Why? They epitomize the do-it-yourself attitude, and have been fiercely dedicated to their fans since day one. They make music that's genuinely fun to listen to, and they rock harder than Metallica, AC/DC and the Ramones combined.
I would also cast votes for Rush and Iggy Pop, since both had a big impact on my life and the way I perceive music.
(I'm not voting for the Beatles since they are over-represented anyway, but my first album ever was Rubber Soul, and I still enjoy the band very much).
I am not surprised that no one has mentioned The Offspring. I read an article recently (or was it someone on here?) who claimed that the Offspring were simply a "gimmick," and not punk rock at all, but I think having the most successful independent label album in history is pretty impressive.
Best Performing Band Today: Flogging Molly I'm not sure what genre they count as, because they really aren't like any other band.
Why do people like The Pixies? Yes, I really want to know. I tried to listen to them and found them to be completely.... unremarkable. Some of my friends tried to explain that they felt the same way at first, but returned to The Pixies like a year later and *suddenly* realized that they were great... I still don't get it.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
Wow. I can't believe how many Rush fans there are. Rush.com Pre-sales starting tomorrow, including August 8th at RED ROCKS!!! Saw them there two years ago from the fifth row. Their new album, Snakes and Arrows comes out in May. Listen to the single on the website. Considering this band has been doing what they're doing after 35 years with the same 3 guys*... yeah, best band ever.
Except for Yes. That's really the best band ever. Influence and all that aside, Yes has created the most original music in history. Not an opinion; that's a fact of life. The fact that you can randomly select nearly any Yes song and it does not sound like any other Yes song...
Dream Theater deserves more credit than Goldner gives them. Those guys aren't merely "talented" or "skilled." Every musician in the band is arguably the most talented and skilled in the world on their respective instruments. When you get to their level, you're just comparing them with others at their level without any objective way of determining who is better. "Who's better, Portnoy or Donati? Petrucci or Malmsteen? Rudess or Wakeman? Myung or Livine?" Forget it. But they're all in the same band, and they're making songs that aren't just excercises in proficiency, but are actually friggin good!
Finally, I would like to mention the man I believe is the greatest composer of rock music living today: Neal Morse. Pick up ? and you will hear an album of just one song, about an hour long, that is one of the most brilliantly constructed pieces of music ever. Or listen to his orignal band Spocks Beard. They never disappointed.
*I know, John Rutsey. He doesn't count.
Posted by The Reader (Member # 3636) on :
The best rock band of all time is the iridum layer* that lies between the Cretacious and Tertiary layers. It represents the end of the reign of lizards and the rise of mammals, which allowed Man to rise and create Rock music.
The best rock band, for real this time, is The Beatles. Not an original choice, I know, and not easy for me to make.
*Given the context, this is a great name for a real Rock band.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Oh, the greatest rock of all time? Duh! It is so obvious that there is no room for debate! It is clearly <insert second-rate and clearly subjective fanboy choice here>
Posted by DevilDreamt (Member # 10242) on :
quote:Originally posted by Samprimary: Oh, the greatest rock of all time? Duh! It is so obvious that there is no room for debate! It is clearly <insert second-rate and clearly subjective fanboy choice here>
meh. that's exactly what to expect when asking a question like this. but it's still fun to see what music other people like, and see what kind of reason they give.
Which rock bands do you think are the greatest of all time, samprimary?
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
He likes Maroon 5.
Posted by Abhi (Member # 9142) on :
My list [late in the game]
1. The Beatles 2. Pink Floyd 3. Queen 4. Led Zeppelin 4. AC/DC 6. Jimi Hendrix experiance 7. U2 8. Nirvana 9. Aerosmith 10. The Doors
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Hrm. Nirvana were just copycats. They happened to be POPULAR copycats. There's nothing on nevermind that wasn't on REM's "life's rich pageant" and "document," which were half a decade earlier.
Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
quote:Originally posted by Reshpeckobiggle: He likes Maroon 5.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
quote:Hrm. Nirvana were just copycats. They happened to be POPULAR copycats. There's nothing on nevermind that wasn't on REM's "life's rich pageant" and "document," which were half a decade earlier.
I very much respectfully disagree. I'm not saying Nirvana never did anything other people hadn't already done... Sure they did. Almost everyone does. The Nirvana-inspired mini-musical-revolution seemed to be more about culture than music (though the music was good). So, sure. But REM?
Nirvana sounded nothing like REM.
Posted by TL (Member # 8124) on :
Wow, I just wrote a labyrinthine sentence of negatives that makes absolutely no sense to me now. Hopefully it will be understood in context.
Somehow.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
You're both right...kind of. It's true that Kurt Cobain was a fan of R.E.M. I mean, he was planning to make an album with them. But the sound IS distinctly different. No music is truly innovational. Everything's been done before. It's really just a matter of who makes it popular.
Anyways, the greatest band of all time is definitely Tenacious D.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Reshpeck, you exaggerate way too much my friend. Yes is definitely not the best band ever hands down like you make them seem to be. Sure they did some really cool stuff with their music and they were very original and I wouldn't mind them being mentioned as one of the greatest ever, but to say it's a fact that Yes is the best band ever? No way.
And one nitpick, while I would agree that Petrucci and Portnoy are most likely the best at their instrument (definitely Portnoy, not so sure about Petrucci but only because I don't think there is a best guitarist in the world), I would never say that Myung is the greatest bassist in the world. Not even the in the top 10. Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, Les Claypool, and Billy Sheehan are all better then him and I'm sure I could think of some more. He's very good, but can't hold a candle to the bassists mentioned above.
edit: Oh yeah, and Neal Morse is definitely not the greatest rock music writer in the world. Like I said about Yes, he's very good, but certainly not the best.
Posted by striplingrz (Member # 9770) on :
Man, I love this topic!
and I second the Tenacious D quip... (although I was very disappointed in their latest) LOL
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
Well, GaalDornick, I just have to say that you are flat wrong. Yes is the best band that ever existed, in history. There is no room for debate here. Like I said, it's a fact of life. For instance, when this thread was started, it was simply understood that we were discussing which is the best band ever, besides Yes, of course. It didn't even need to be mentioned. How could you not get that?
And that's what makes Neal Morse so amazing. He's not even in Yes, and he's still the greatest in the world. Which makes Yes doubly amazing, in that they are the greatest in the world, even though Neal Morse isn't their band! I think it all works out because the universe only continues to exist while Neal Morse and Yes are two separate entities. I think Godel explained why with one of his number set theories.
Posted by Eisenoxyde (Member # 7289) on :
quote:Originally posted by DevilDreamt: Best Performing Band Today: Flogging Molly I'm not sure what genre they count as, because they really aren't like any other band.
They're coming to my school this Friday! I'm pretty exited for the concert. Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Led Zep gets my vote for greatest of all time. Maybe not the most influential, but they sure as heck (IMO) did it better than anyone else.
Vonk's Best Rock Group of the 90's goes to... Beck! Mellow Gold, Odelay and Mutations are the three best rock albums to come out in my lifetime. That man is a genius among geniuses and Radiohead will bow before him as he stands at the right hand of Xenu!
As for personal favorites:
#1 - Allman Brothers Band (jam bands count darnit!) #2 - Led Zep #3 - Grateful Dead #4 - Neil Young #5 - Doobie Brothers
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
quote:Anyways, the greatest band of all time is definitely Tenacious D.
Well, they certainly did play the best and greatest song in the world... a tribute.
quote:Best Performing Band Today: Flogging Molly I'm not sure what genre they count as, because they really aren't like any other band.
I know of at least one other band that they are almost exactly like. http://blaggards.com/ But then, Blaggards came later.
Posted by striplingrz (Member # 9770) on :
I know the definition of "Rock" is massively broad, but even I, a huge fan of Beck music, have a hard time agreeing with your assertion there. Mellow Gold & Mutations are really really good, but Beck doesn't fit my definition of Rock band/group. Club-quasy Rock - quasy Hip Hop, maybe, but not the greatest Rock band. But to each his own.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
quote:But to each his own
Indeed. You suprised me by disqualifying (IYO) Beck from the rock genre and I had to rethink my assertions. It's a good thing I didn't actually have to change my assertions, as everywhere I've checked, and I'm still checking, has catagorized those three albums in either Alternative Rock or Indie Rock, and I agree. Both of those genres rock pretty hard, and so does Beck (IMO). But, as you said, to each his own.
1990's Beck for President!
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Yes, each band copycats to some degree off of previous bands or musicians.
My problem with the votes nirvana always seem to get in these sorts of questions is that they werent particularly talented musicians, and there's nothing really new about their arrangements, and their lyrics aren't significantly different from their immediate predescecors and contemporaries.
Some freak set of circumstances exposed the world to nevermind in 1991, but most of those circumstances had almost nothing to do with the quality of the music or the originality of the arrangements. They, basically, get tons of extra credit for timing... for reasling an album that sounded like the albums other bands had put out in the mid-80's, but doing it 5 years later.
Nothing against nirvana... they are not worse then their contemporaries. They just aren't really distinguishablly better or "newer" then them, either.
In terms of instrumental quality, referring back to petrucci... satriani can do anything petrucci can do, and he does it better. You want the best hard rock guitarist? I think the discussion begins and ends with satriani. His music has the soul that petrucci's often loses because he's burried in the technical details... and his technicisionship isn't better then malmsteen's, satriani's, or a handful of other hard rockers.
Best band ever? My favorite is R.E.M. Best instrumentation is Joe Satriani.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
quote:Originally posted by Paul Goldner: In terms of instrumental quality, referring back to petrucci... satriani can do anything petrucci can do, and he does it better. You want the best hard rock guitarist? I think the discussion begins and ends with satriani. His music has the soul that petrucci's often loses because he's burried in the technical details... and his technicisionship isn't better then malmsteen's, satriani's, or a handful of other hard rockers.
Lies, all lies!! Curses!
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I happen to like petrucci. But I dare you to listen to, for example, Surfing with the Alien by Satriani, or Flying in a Blue Dream, or Crystal Planet, or Summer Song, and tell me Petrucci could do that.
Posted by Bokonon (Member # 480) on :
Paul, are making a "Nirvana is largely REM with distortion and gravelly vocal instead of nasally vocal" argument? I can see that in a way, but is still a bit of a stretch, they came in from different directions... Especially if you listen to Bleach and see were Nirvana evolved from. REM grew out of Iggy Pop/Velvet Underground/Patti Smith, and Nirvana came out of the Depeche Mode/Metal (who is considered a seminal metal act??mold
Nirvana doing covers of songs like "World Leader Pretend" would have been pretty awesome, no that I think about it. Stupid Cobain.
-Bok
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
I agree they came in from different directions, but when I listen closely to nevermind (off of which their status as "best of all time" is usually staked) I really can't hear anything that isn't more r.e.m. then anything else. They may have arrived there from an alternate route, and I think they did, but they got to the same place r.e.m. did with arrnagements, style, and even to some degree lyrics.
Posted by DevilDreamt (Member # 10242) on :
quote:Originally posted by vonk: I know of at least one other band that they are almost exactly like. http://blaggards.com/ But then, Blaggards came later.
Okay, I went to the Blaggards myspace page and listened to the songs they had up there. They lack energy in every sense of the word. They are much more overtly influenced by a country/western sound than Flogging Molly is. The Blaggards don't list Flogging Molly in "Influences" or "Sounds Like" sections. Although they have a similar feel, I think Flogging Molly's L.A. punk roots set them apart from the Blaggards in a vital way. Based on the limited songs I have of the Blaggards, I'm going to hazard a guess that their lyrics would have an incredibly hard time standing up against Flogging Molly's, and their music overall doesn't sound as varied, original, or complex as Flogging Molly's.
Anyway, you turned my world upside down because you prompted me to look at Flogging Molly's myspace page, and wow, the music they've selected to put up is absolutely terrible. The songs, presumably off from a new collection called "Complete Control Sessions" sound terrible, and lack the energy that really made this band work for me.
I've gone to their shows before, and they had a ton of energy and the music didn't sound all that different from what's on their CD's. But then, I saw them back when Within A Mile From Home first came out. I really really hope they're not changing their sound.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
I just got back from seeing G3 with Petrucci, Satriani, and Paul Gilbert. If God played guitar he would sound like the G3 jam at the end. Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Well sure Blaggards are different from Flogging Molly in key ways, especially ways that a fan of FM would pick up on right away. But I think they still have a similar sound, similar roots, and a similar genre: Irish rock. So, I was unintentionally exagerating when I said "almost exactly like." What I should have said was "very similar." I was just pointing out that there are other bands in the same ball park as FM.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
I've listened to two of those; Surfing and Blue Dream. I don't know if Petrucci could do all that, because he is not Satriani. I don't think that Satriani could do everything thatMalmsteen does, and I don't think Malmsteen could do everything that Petrucci does. I don't think Vigil Donati could do everything that Mike Portnoy does, and vice-versa. This is my point. Whe you get to a certain level, it is no longer a quetion of who is better. It really is just a matter of taste. Who was better: Mozart or Beethoven? That's silly. Who do you like better? That's the only relevant question.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Satriani is a better guitarist than Petrucci, as is his apprentice Vai.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
Oh. I hadn't looked at it that way. Thanks Sam!
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by Paul Goldner: I agree they came in from different directions, but when I listen closely to nevermind (off of which their status as "best of all time" is usually staked) I really can't hear anything that isn't more r.e.m. then anything else. They may have arrived there from an alternate route, and I think they did, but they got to the same place r.e.m. did with arrnagements, style, and even to some degree lyrics.
A lot of people seem to think that Nirvana isn't that great because Nevermind was similar to a lot of other things going on. And I agree on that point. The album was not innovative, but it was decent.
When I recommend Nirvana (who is my favorite band), I tell people to either check out their third studio album, In Utero, or their live album, From the Muddy Banks of the Wiskah. They were a good live band.
I sincerely think that In Utero is a much superior album. Some of the stuff on there truly was different. With that album, I think they redeemed themselves.
If you recall, Kurt himself complained that he felt they'd sold out with Nevermind. But you can't blame them for wanting mainstream success.
Besides, it doesn't matter whether they were really that good or not. They influenced a massive amount of musicians after them.
Posted by Sopwith, again (Member # 9457) on :
My Short list, based on who changed the way we listen to Rock and Roll, ushering in new stages in the style.
(Chronological order) 1. Elvis Presley, without him Rock never takes center stage in American music. 2. The Beatles, just don't have to be explained. 3. The Who, the beginnings of arena rock and heavy metal. 4. The Jimmy Hendrix Experience, the electric guitar takes the forefront like never before. 5. The Clash, punk becomes relavent, lyrical and important. 6. U2, a little punk band from Belfast makes rock matter once again. 7. REM, breaks indie rock out of the college circuit and into the mainstream. 8. Nirvana, turns the garage sound into Grunge, puts the coffin nail into hair bands and power ballads. 9. Metallica, sweaty, brooding, frenzied, atavistic rock slouches towards Bethlehem dragging its fans kicking and streamining into the mainstream.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
I can agree with that list. However, I'd put Pink Floyd in there some where.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
I'm a little confused now. Are we talking about rock groups that have influenced rock music the most, or musicians/groups in general that have influenced rock music the most? Either way, I don't care what you say (<--figure of speech, I do care :heart:), Chuck Berry has got to be in the top of all timers.
Also, I'd include Incesticide and Bleach with Nirvana albums that are better than Nevermind.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Those albums are more similar to the sound on In Utero. I don't usually recommend the CD Bleach because it sounds more like a heavy metal band than the Nirvana that became popular in the 90's. It's good, but I usually suggest they check that one out last.
Posted by DevilDreamt (Member # 10242) on :
Where do we start drawing lines?
I know, for example, that the Beatles were influenced heavily by Bob Dylan. Now, Dylan had an impact on rock history in his own right. Does his influence on the Beatles give him more indirect influence on rock? How much credit should an artist be given for influencing the bands that go on to become legendary?
Strangely, I think Bleach is Nirvana's only redeeming album. It's not heavy metal, it's garage punk.
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
quote:I know, for example, that the Beatles were influenced heavily by Bob Dylan. Now, Dylan had an impact on rock history in his own right. Does his influence on the Beatles give him more indirect influence on rock? How much credit should an artist be given for influencing the bands that go on to become legendary?
Simple, all you have to do is say "Chuck Berry wins!" Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
quote:Originally posted by DevilDreamt: Strangely, I think Bleach is Nirvana's only redeeming album. It's not heavy metal, it's garage punk.
It's definitely good. And different. But it's the one that can be the hardest to listen to at first. If you've listened to In Utero and Incesticide, in that order, and liked them. You can probably handle Bleach.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
quote:Originally posted by vonk: I'm a little confused now. Are we talking about rock groups that have influenced rock music the most, or musicians/groups in general that have influenced rock music the most?
We were talking about my favorite musicians, but people keep changing the subject.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
Well, my favorite bands seem to coincide mostly with the best bands.
Posted by Reshpeckobiggle (Member # 8947) on :
It's redundant, isn't it?
Posted by natnut (Member # 10408) on :
U2
Because they are not a bunch of side-men built around a central decision maker but 4 equal individuals contributing to an organic whole.To me that's the definition of a BAND.
Because they have lived with incredible success for so long without allowing it to compromise the friendships between the band members.
Because they aim to transcend music and actually do something about the world they/we live in rather than just sing about it.
Oh yeah. Because they kick butt both live and in the studio.
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Who told you that? I wasn't even trying to "invalidate" your point, I have no idea where you pulled that from. But now that you mention it, I think it's more likely that you formed your opinion from reading those articles than they formed theirs after reading yours. ![[Hail]](graemlins/hail.gif)
Styx![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
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