Bands that matter and why, and this is the best thread ever (1 Viewer)

[DCSaints_Fan]

Punk as a musical style is really just bluegrass / folk but played on electric guitars with lots of distortion.m as opposed to acoustic guitars. The Kingston Trios Tijuana Jail wouod have been pretty much a punk song if they played it on electric guitar with the right effects.

 

[sonicboom]

Answering the OP questions:

1) YES - They married classical, jazz, and rock styles together to bring "rock" music to places no other band had even considered before.

King Crimson - The '80s version in particular. I can only describe them as a hard rock jazz combo. Again, no one was doing anything like this. The combination of unique guitar ideas and techniques from Fripp and Belew would have been enough to be exceptional, but put together with the inventiveness of the greatest percussionist in the rock world and the other worldly amazing Tony Levin playing the Stick just made for music that blows one's mind.

2) Joey Ramone. To me this isn't even a contest. The Ramones are an outlier for me: decidedly not complicated music in any way, but the sheer raw emotion and honesty of the Ramones is what makes them stand out. Nirvana was just another band performing music if you understand my meaning. Not to say they were bad (or good), just that they were performers, while I felt like the Ramones were just being who they were.

Last thing, The Ramones did not invent Punk Rock, but I can make a pretty good argument that they perfected it. Inventing it belongs simultaneously to MC5 and Los Saicos. In 1964, MC5 in Detroit and Los Saicos in Lima, Peru (having no knowledge of each other if I am not mistaken) both began the punk rock movement. Not that they intended to start a musical genre, they just played what they played and others were influenced to follow their lead.

Solid post and thank you for giving the why.

Why? Because we like you!






I'm not gonna argue about who created punk rock, but appreciate your content about, The Ramones/Joey Ramone.

 

[sfidc3]

Answering the OP questions:

1) YES - They married classical, jazz, and rock styles together to bring "rock" music to places no other band had even considered before.

King Crimson - The '80s version in particular. I can only describe them as a hard rock jazz combo. Again, no one was doing anything like this. The combination of unique guitar ideas and techniques from Fripp and Belew would have been enough to be exceptional, but put together with the inventiveness of the greatest percussionist in the rock world and the other worldly amazing Tony Levin playing the Stick just made for music that blows one's mind.

2) Joey Ramone. To me this isn't even a contest. The Ramones are an outlier for me: decidedly not complicated music in any way, but the sheer raw emotion and honesty of the Ramones is what makes them stand out. Nirvana was just another band performing music if you understand my meaning. Not to say they were bad (or good), just that they were performers, while I felt like the Ramones were just being who they were.

Last thing, The Ramones did not invent Punk Rock, but I can make a pretty good argument that they perfected it. Inventing it belongs simultaneously to MC5 and Los Saicos. In 1964, MC5 in Detroit and Los Saicos in Lima, Peru (having no knowledge of each other if I am not mistaken) both began the punk rock movement. Not that they intended to start a musical genre, they just played what they played and others were influenced to follow their lead.

Great post, totally agree on Yes. As a guitar player Steve Howe is one of my idols, he basically plays jazz/swing style in a rock band. Though I would argue yes was more of a fusion band than an actual rock band. Loved Jon's voice and the back end was one of most talented in history (Squire and Bruford/White) and then of course Rick Wakeman....great, great band with a sound like no other.

King Crimson is an enigma for me. I get the brilliance of Fripp (he actually colloborates with one of my favorite newer guys Steven Wilson) but just not crazy about the halting, piercing sound that is woven into their music, but I don't deny their talent....

Not a fan of punk so nothing to add there except that you gave a great history lesson with MC5 and all...

 

[tomwaits]

The Ramones documentary talked a lot about their influences and did include MC5 along with the New York Dolls, The Stooges, and Television.

 

[tenordas]

Punk as a musical style is really just bluegrass / folk but played on electric guitars with lots of distortion.m as opposed to acoustic guitars. The Kingston Trios Tijuana Jail wouod have been pretty much a punk song if they played it on electric guitar with the right effects.

I sort of agree, but would say more country/folk in style structure. Bluegrass is generally more complex than punk rock because a great deal of bluegrass involves polyrhythmic interplay between the banjo, fiddle, and guitar. I can't think of any punk rock songs that involve polyrhythms.

 

[Grumpy Old Manatee]

Why? Can you post your favorite song of each band? Never heard of them.

Never plunked away on a rubberband?

 

[sfidc3]

I sort of agree, but would say more country/folk in style structure. Bluegrass is generally more complex than punk rock because a great deal of bluegrass involves polyrhythmic interplay between the banjo, fiddle, and guitar. I can't think of any punk rock songs that involve polyrhythms.

Any one who thinks punk and bluegrass are somehow related hasn't listened to real bluegrass. Punk is basically 3 chord simpleness there is very little complexity in most punk music (MC5 being a bit of an outlier)....real bluegrass is very complex and difficult music to play well, some of the best musicians in the world are bluegrass players....

 

[SaintJ]

To me the most important artists (not my favorites necessarily but in the mix) are Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. Total originals, song writing geniuses, solid musicians and Joni did the artwork on a lot of her albums. If there is a more talented woman out there, I would like to know who that is....

Canadian lover.

 

[antipop]

i won't downplay the importance of Nirvana/Cobain to rock music...i think it's real and noteworthy...and i even like their music for the most part

that being said, they are too often given all of the credit for something that they didn't do alone and probably would have happened without them....at the time, rock music was already teetering on the edge of change but a few bands came along and helped push it over...sure, Nirvana was one of them, but they weren't the only ones(and certainly not the best)

also, i find it strange that some of Nirvana's best performances are of songs they didn't even write...Lake of Fire, Man Who Sold the World, In the Pines, etc...

 

[tomwaits]

i won't downplay the importance of Nirvana/Cobain to rock music...i think it's real and noteworthy...and i even like their music for the most part

that being said, they are too often given all of the credit for something that they didn't do alone and probably would have happened without them....at the time, rock music was already teetering on the edge of change but a few bands came along and helped push it over...sure, Nirvana was one of them, but they weren't the only ones(and certainly not the best)

also, i find it strange that some of Nirvana's best performances are of songs they didn't even write...Lake of Fire, Man Who Sold the World, In the Pines, etc...

I remember reading that when Nirvana wrote Nevermind they were trying to copy the sound of Surfer Rosa from the Pixies. Nevermind definitely has that Surfer Rosa sound and to me, it makes Nevermind less of a ground breaking album, and Nirvana less of a ground breaking band.

 

[Geldo]

Bob Marley was so influential that the Jamaican Labour Party's infamous Shower Posse was sent to his house to silence him with automatic weapons. He was shot twice, his wife was shot in the head, his manager Don Taylor was shot six times and yet just two days later he appeared on stage at the Smile Jamaica peace concert, even though many thought he would be murdered there.
The first third-world musical superstar, he played at the independence ceremony in Harare Zimbabwe. When trouble broke out in the crowd and tear gas cannisters were fired, the fumes reached the stage and most of his band and supporters started to evacuate.
Marley remained resolute and said to them...now we will see who are the real revolutionaries......
He was a giant.

 

[sonicboom]

Bob Marley was so influential that the Jamaican Labour Party's infamous Shower Posse was sent to his house to silence him with automatic weapons. He was shot twice, his wife was shot in the head, his manager Don Taylor was shot six times and yet just two days later he appeared on stage at the Smile Jamaica peace concert, even though many thought he would be murdered there.
The first third-world musical superstar, he played at the independence ceremony in Harare Zimbabwe. When trouble broke out in the crowd and tear gas cannisters were fired, the fumes reached the stage and most of his band and supporters started to evacuate.
Marley remained resolute and said to them...now we will see who are the real revolutionaries......
He was a giant.

Absolutely! Bob Marley is a legend. His music has inspired many and I think he had many great themes like love, peace, human rights, and community.

Love his music and thanks for the history lesson.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Bob Marley was so influential that the Jamaican Labour Party's infamous Shower Posse was sent to his house to silence him with automatic weapons. He was shot twice, his wife was shot in the head, his manager Don Taylor was shot six times and yet just two days later he appeared on stage at the Smile Jamaica peace concert, even though many thought he would be murdered there.
The first third-world musical superstar, he played at the independence ceremony in Harare Zimbabwe. When trouble broke out in the crowd and tear gas cannisters were fired, the fumes reached the stage and most of his band and supporters started to evacuate.
Marley remained resolute and said to them...now we will see who are the real revolutionaries......
He was a giant.

Excellent call

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Bob Marley … legend.

 

[sonicboom]

i won't downplay the importance of Nirvana/Cobain to rock music...i think it's real and noteworthy...and i even like their music for the most part

that being said, they are too often given all of the credit for something that they didn't do alone and probably would have happened without them....at the time, rock music was already teetering on the edge of change but a few bands came along and helped push it over...sure, Nirvana was one of them, but they weren't the only ones(and certainly not the best)

also, i find it strange that some of Nirvana's best performances are of songs they didn't even write...Lake of Fire, Man Who Sold the World, In the Pines, etc...

Yeah.

Nirvana?!?

I'm pretty sure that was all on their Unplugged album. They played most of their slow songs and had to find other songs to play, because you can't really play, Smells Like Teen Spirit unplugged, and hard rock on acoustic guitar. That's just my take on it. Plus, this was a chance to do a change of pace.

Also, Nirvana did an incredible job on their unplugged set, and their song list was refreshing. Probably the best unplugged set on the Mtv episodes. Having The Meat Puppets probably baffled everyone. Who are The Meat Puppets right? Never heard of them, until the set. Lead Belly? Never heard of him until unplugged.

A David Bowie cover was a welcome change also.

Overall that performance was a knock out and will hardly be forgotten anytime soon. To belittle Nirvana, because they did some cover songs on their unplugged set, seems rather out of place, but hey, if that's how you feel, so be it.