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Post by rockysigman on Sept 9, 2005 15:06:38 GMT -5
Alright, I guess I'll try a proper top 10 list now:
1) The Velvet Underground
2) X
3) Wilco
4) Nirvana
5) Television
6) Red Hot Chili Peppers
7) Guided by Voices
8) Sonic Youth
9) Pearl Jam
10) Creedence Clearwater Revival
I'm kind of shaky on the order after #2 though.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:09:56 GMT -5
Greatest American Bands (in no particular order): ***Fleetwood Mac (Buckingham/Nicks-era) ***R.E.M. ***Grateful Dead ***Tool ***Talking Heads ***Husker Du ***Sonic Youth ***CCR ***Allman Brothers Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band would win top honors if qualified as a "band", and note that I left out personal favorites like RHP. Now we're gettin' somewhere |
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Post by rockysigman on Sept 9, 2005 16:13:56 GMT -5
Even in the Buckinham-Nicks era, the majority of Fleetwood Mac were British. What sort of criteria are we using anyway? Obviously its accepted that not 100% of the band has to be American, as the Velvet Underground has been mentioned so much (as well as Talking Heads -- isn't David Byrne South African or something?).
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Post by Galactus on Sept 9, 2005 16:15:44 GMT -5
GBV is every bit one man's vision as The E Street Band and as Phil stated John Fogerty played the same roll in CCR. You can't discount Springsteen just because he uses his name and not a band name. His solo albums aren't counted- Nebraska, Tom Joad, Lucky Town...etc. I think as long as the band had a reasonably stable lineup it counts no matter the name. If you're going soley on name then we can count Nine Inch Nails as a band? Yes, I'd count Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers too. Those guys have had the same members for thirty years give or take a drummer and a bass player. That's a far more stable line up then Guided By Voices ever had.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:16:13 GMT -5
great bands, JAC . . . but something makes me hesitate about listing the DEAD as a "rock" band, as well as R.E.M. . . So, obviously, there is quite a bit of contention as to this "genre-blending", so its difficult to get all of us on the same page, as it were. Metallica = too metal ; Ramones = too punky? ; R.E.M. = too soft to be really "rock" (they were one of the first "indy" bands, as far as I knew) ; Allman Bros = too "southern" ; (same goes for Skynyrd); etc. etc. etc. . . . . . TOOL = too "  ??" ; Korn = too fukk'd ; It's like, the ONLY bands left that proudly stand front & center of the ROCK stage would be AEROSMITH and PEARL JAM, it seems. CCR, for sure qualify as rock, methinks. Talking Heads = alternative ; (although they definitely are worthy of consideration in PLAIN "Best American Bands") . . . . So it's just confusing . . . I suggest there are 2 Top 10 Lists: TOP 10 AMERICAN ROCK BANDS and TOP 10 AMERICAN BANDS, PERIOD to satisfy all of us.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:17:01 GMT -5
yep, it's all about the criteria. . .
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Post by Galactus on Sept 9, 2005 16:17:36 GMT -5
Thorn you're being way too picky about the whole "rock" thing.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:19:13 GMT -5
I know. But that's cuz I was brought up on HARD ROCK like Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith.
You either ROCK or you DON'T, in my book. And yes, it is being picky. *U got a problem w/dat?*
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Post by Kensterberg on Sept 9, 2005 16:20:38 GMT -5
I'm with Mantis ... "rock" is a big tent category, after all. Punk-rock, alt-rock, stadium-rock, these (and all other hyphenated styles) are just parts of the totality of rock and roll.
Didn't we have this discussion just a few months back, or am I having deja vu all over again?
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:21:39 GMT -5
I mean, I'm a purist so in MY "Top 10 ROCK bands" regardless of nationality, I'd be including stuff like
LED ZEPPELIN
AEROSMITH
VAN HALEN
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL
GRAND FUNK RAILROAD
THIN LIZZY
BLACK SABBATH
MOTORHEAD
RUSH
NAZARETH
etc
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Post by Kensterberg on Sept 9, 2005 16:24:12 GMT -5
Thorn -- I notice you didn't include the Beatles, Stones, Who or Kinks in your list. Would that mean that these bands do not, in fact, "rock"? Or do you really think Van Halen were a better band than the Who?
I think you're taking far too narrrow a slice of the rock and roll pie, this is a genre that is big enough to include both 10,000 Maniacs AND Suicidal Tendancies. It's all rock and roll.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:34:49 GMT -5
"Thorn -- I notice you didn't include the Beatles, Stones, Who or Kinks in your list. Would that mean that these bands do not, in fact, "rock"? Or do you really think Van Halen were a better band than the Who?
" - excellent question Ken, which brings the heart of the matter right to the forefront. My answer is that "rocking" and being "better" are two entirely different things.
I.E, The Beatles did not rock as hard as Aerosmith or Led Zeppelin, but could be considered "better". Conversely, Aerosmith certainly rocked harder than the Beatles - - that does not make them "better". Obviously The Beatles were not without their hard rocking moments; hard-rocking just seemed to represent a smaller percentage of their entire output.
Some bands- - all they do is rock. Sure Van Halen rocked harder than the Stones. And that does not make them better, not in the least. But it does make them harder.
Either take the classification "rock" out of the mandate, and therefore ALL bands can be on equal measure, and thus only the True Top 10 will make it; or leave the "rock" classification in, and talk only of bands who rock the fuck out. Which R.E.M. never did in their lives ("The End Of The World" was the closest they got, but I wouldn't exactly call that ROCK, even if it had a nice beat & rhythm to it. )
Anyway I figure you must know exactly what I'm saying here.
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:35:48 GMT -5
"I think you're taking far too narrrow a slice of the rock and roll pie, this is a genre that is big enough to include both 10,000 Maniacs AND Suicidal Tendancies. It's all rock and roll.
"
I have to agree with that, however. It IS all "rock and roll" . . . so I see your point, as well. No doubt about it.
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Post by luke on Sept 9, 2005 16:36:22 GMT -5
Taking Aerosmith off of a "Greatest American Band" list is exactly the same as taking the Stones off of a "Greatest British Band" list...
Here's my list...
10. R.E.M.
9. The Ramones
8. Husker Du
7. Sonic Youth
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers
5. Metallica (prolly no different than Aerosmith on a list)
4. TOOL
3. Pearl Jam
2. The Velvet Underground
1. The Pixies
With the exception of maybe the VU who influenced them, the Pixies are the most influential American rock band of all time.
Hopefully this comeback nonsense won't hurt the guys too much...
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Post by Thorngrub on Sept 9, 2005 16:37:18 GMT -5
That's a pretty decent list, luke.
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??" ; Korn = too fukk'd ; It's like, the ONLY bands left that proudly stand front & center of the ROCK stage would be AEROSMITH and PEARL JAM, it seems. CCR, for sure qualify as rock, methinks. Talking Heads = alternative ; (although they definitely are worthy of consideration in PLAIN "Best American Bands") . . . . So it's just confusing . . . I suggest there are 2 Top 10 Lists:
