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Post by Jesse on Jun 28, 2011 7:17:52 GMT -5
7-Phil Collins. I'm really not a fan at all of Genesis, but both Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins went on to darned good solo careers. Who was better? I dunno, I really don;t care for either one's music, but Phil seems like a likable bloke, so I'll include him so my list seems objective. 6-Dio. Like Spacelord said, Dio is technically a band, but who are they fooling? The "band" always was about Ronnie James Dio. After successful gigs in both Rainbow and Black Sabbath, Dio cemented his image as a Metal God with his solo career....even if it was a bit spotty beyond album #3.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 27, 2011 8:07:19 GMT -5
Most of the original bands in my area suck. They are mostly either hardcore metal, SKA or funk....or some worthless combination of the three. There are a few good Classic Rock oriented original bands here. I am in one of those bands, but the gigs are hard to come by. When I'm just sitting in a bar, I prefer original cover bands. By that I mean bands that don't play the usual cover band set. You know: Jesse's Girl, Sweet Home Alabama, Bad Case Of Loving You, Every Rose Has It's Thorn, Kryptonite and whatever is hitting the top 40 currently. I like to see bands that push the envelope and will play some Southern Rock stuff other than Skynyrd, some deep cut Classic Rock tracks, some pre-Garth Brooks country, maybe even some Classic metal like Iron Maiden, Preist, or Accept. Those bands ARE out there, but they are tough to find. EVERY member must be commited to playing those songs to perfection and getting their friends, relative, acquaintances, total strangers, etc out to see them when they play. Ironically, it is THOSE bands who have the largest and most committed following. Cover bands are a dime a dozen in my area and most play the same setlists so no one really follows those bands around. The "original cover bands" are hard to come by and don't get many gigs, so when they play people mark it on their calender and go!
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Post by Jesse on Jun 27, 2011 7:55:54 GMT -5
Hey, I don't get all that excited over the Beatles either. Now, that hardly means I think they "suck", nor does it ndiscount what they've done for the world of Rock'n Roll. Also it doesn't make me an asshole for having different tastes, nor does it make me clueless when it comes to music. It takes all sorts to make the world go around. In, fact, the more people who say things like, "How can you NOT like the Beatles", the more I don't like them. The more people tell me that the Beatles can't possibly be overrated, if anything they are UNDERrated, the more I think they ARE overrated. I do understand how they changed the face of Rock music and how a generation of folks who were around when the Beatles first appeared on Ed Sullivan have a special place in their heart for the Beatles and their music, but I welcome the dissenter just as much, we all have our points of view. For folks my age and younger, who weren't around when the Beatles broke out and just lived through numerous "breakfasts with the Beatles" on any and every Classic Rock station and had countless people telling us how great they were, well, it's hard for any band to live up to that hype. Plus, I believe that better bands have come out since the Beatles. Would they have come out if not FOR the Beatles? That's anybody's guess, but I'm willing to go on record saying that the answer is "probably not". Still, I look at the Beatles as the Model T Ford of music. One can't deny how the Model T changed the world of automobiles, but any that are left have little use in today's world other than nostalgia. Now, to compare cars to music is a bit like......well, comparing cars to music and I understand that music is ALL about nostalgia. So I can certainly see why so many people who lived through the Beatles career hold them in such high regard. I just wish those folks would so much as attempt to understand why I and a few other don't.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 17:42:51 GMT -5
Another "return to our roots" I hope it is. I wasn't knocked out by "Mescalaro".
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 17:39:59 GMT -5
This was trickier than I thought it would be. And I realize that Dio and Danzig are names of BANDS, but for the most part, it’s solo work. 1. Neil Young 2. Dio 3. Danzig 4. Ozzy Osbourne 5. Stephen Stills 6. Eric Clapton 7. Stevie Nicks 8. Bruce Dickinson 9. Chris Cornell 10. Robert Plant Honorable Mentions: Peter Gabriel, Mike Ness, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, Ace Frehley, David Gilmour, Roger Waters, Don Henley ,Paul McCartney, John Lennon This IS tricky! I started this thread thinking I had it all figured out.....then I thought of a few more that HAVE to be on this list. Plus, looking back, I think I set the bar pretty high with my #s 8,9, and 10.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 17:37:04 GMT -5
A question. What do most people consider Southern Rock to be? Does a band have to be from the South? Or is it more of a sound? I mean Spacelord mentioned Kid Rock whose from Michigan, Little Feat who are from L.A, & The Band from Canada. What do people consider North Carolina's Cry Of Love to be ? Or Florida's Tom Petty? or California's Eagles? Canadian Sass Jordan? Or Joanna Dean? I kinda went with both the sound/style and the location of the band being from one of the 11 Southern States that made up the Confederacy during the Civil War. Lone exception was the Kentucky Headhunters. Location was what eliminated both the Eagles and Little Feat from my list.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 17:34:07 GMT -5
Might have slipped in at #10, but I saw a Direct TV concert of them recently and they were godawful. Mindless jamming that went nowhere and there wasn't a hook to be found at any point of the 2 hour show. Alabama...they were always too smooth and Southern Rock IMO is about being rough around the edges. B) This album is more southern rock than country. They kinda get rougher, live: (The 7 minute "Tennessee River" rocks...And there's a cool cover of "Can't You See" on it) I agree, I have this album and it is very good.....however, I can do without their version of "Can't You See".
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 10:04:27 GMT -5
Top Ten Gone SoloTop ten solo artists who began their career in a band situation and found as good or greater success with their own names on the marquee. While I think I have a pretty good list, unlike the Southern Rock one, I believe I could be wrong on a few counts and welcome any and all input here. 10-Emmylou Harris. Ok, not Rock, but who said I was only including Rock artists on my lists? She started out in Gram Parson's band playing rhythm acoustic guitar and singing harmony. Eventually Gram let her sing a few songs during his shows. When Gram died, she had little choice but to carry on as a solo artist and she managed to become as much of a legend as Parsons...maybe even moreso. 9-Ted Nugent. The Amboy Dukes were always more about Ted's guitar playing than much else. It made sense for him to start releasing albums under his own name in 1975. 8-Neil Young. Another guitar player gone solo. Hard to argue with his icon status since leaving Buffalo Springfield. More to come!
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 9:45:13 GMT -5
Best Of The Rest:
Georgia Satellites were a fine band. They released 3 great Southern Rock albums between 1986 and 1989 when most bands were distancing themselves from the genre. Unfortunatly, lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Dan Baird left by 1991. The band soldiered on but never released another album and for my list, longevity played a big part.
The Black Crowes had one of the finest debut albums ever, but their output has been spotty ever since. They've had some good stuff over the years, but they've had some total crap too. Might have slipped in at #10, but I saw a Direct TV concert of them recently and they were godawful. Mindless jamming that went nowhere and there wasn't a hook to be found at any point of the 2 hour show.
Blackfoot and 38 Special are 2 of my favorite bands, but both lean more straight ahead Hard Rock/AOR than Southern Rock. Both have their moments ("Highway Song" IS a Southern Rock anthem, no doubt about it), but I went with artists that were stylistically Southern Rock for the longest stretches of time. Some argue that Southern Rock was more of a movement: It was about Rock bands emerging from the South all at once in the mid-late 70's. However, with THAT definition of Southern Rock, one must be ready to include Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in the discussion and.....I'm not willing to go there. ;D
Henry Paul Band and Rossington Collins Band were both great but too short-lived to be included here.
Hank Williams Jr Rocks out every bit as much as he does Country, but has a lack of original Southern Rock anthems to his credit. i.e. most of what he is remembered for is Country or cover songs (Two examples: He had a hit with a remake of MTB's "Can't You See" in the ealry 70's and for most of the 80's his show closer was ZZ Top's "La Grange"). Southern Rock? Yes, I'd say so. Top ten? No, maybe top 15 or 20.
Alabama never really boogied like most other bands on this list. They had a couple good songs that border on Southern Rock, but they were always too smooth and Southern Rock IMO is about being rough around the edges. I saw a Rolling Stone review of them once and they refered to Alabama as being "for the modern dentist". Possibly the only time I ever agreed with Rolling Stone.
Kid Rock, Shooter Jennings and Blackberry Smoke are relatively new entries into the Southern Rock field. They may crack the top ten in years to come, but none yet have the repetoire of my top ten.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 9:19:59 GMT -5
#1- Lynyrd Skynyrd. DUH! Who did YOU think I would put at #1? Georgia Satellites? When most folks think "Southern Rock" only one band comes to mind and that is Skynyrd. 3 screaming guitars, a honky tonk piano player and a barefoot singer, it don't get much more "Southern Rock" than that. Want proof? Just look at the track listing for their "Gold And Platinum" album:
Down South Jukin Saturday Night Special Gimmie Three Steps I Ain't The One You Got That Right Gimmie Back My Bullets Sweet Home Alabama Free Bird That Smell One The Hunt What's Your Name Whiskey Rock'n Roller Simple Man I Know A Little Tuesday's Gone Coming Home
No one else in Southern Rock can put out an album with that many Classics on it. Plus, Skynyrd is still doing it! One could argue whether or not the Skynyrd of the last 20 years is AS GOOD as the 70's band, but they are still very good. They play the oldies flawlessly and put out quality new music to boot. I love Molly Hatchet, Marshall Tucker, Chuck Daniels and the Outlaws, but I can't put any of them above Skynyrd on this list and still be taken seriously.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 9:10:15 GMT -5
#2-Molly Hatchet. The guitar jams, the boogie backbeat, the Southern drawl vocals. Hard to top these guys. Lose points for their constantly changing lineups and getting sucked into the '80's cheese factory for a few albums, but overall, Molly Hatchet is what Southern Rock is all about.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 9:05:24 GMT -5
Just to open the door a bit, so no list gets repetitive, I am gonna include a few bands that touch on the southern rock feel/sound, but may not be PURE southern rock: 1. The Allman Brothers Band 2. Lynyrd Skynyrd 3. The Black Crowes 4. The Outlaws 5. Alabama 6. Hank Williams, Jr. 7. Kid Rock 8. The Band 9. ZZ Top 10. Little Feat All great artists, I'll be addressing some of them soon!
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Post by Jesse on Jun 23, 2011 6:00:59 GMT -5
3-Charlie Daniels Band. Yeah, Ol' Charlie dabbles with Country, Bluegrass and Gospel, but the heart of his music has always been Southern Rock. Back in the day he and Tommy Crain were unmatched as a guitar duo and they rocked with the best of them. His first full album came out in 1970 and though his band has changed over the years, he's continued to tour and record on a consistant basis ever since. He will turn 75 in October and still plays about 150 shows a year. If you miss CDB on tour in any given year, it is likely your own fault. That sort of longevity should be rewarded. For me, it puts CDB squarely in the #3 spot among best All-Time Southern Rock bands.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 21, 2011 16:07:59 GMT -5
4-The Marshall Tucker Band. "Can't You See" is still one of the most requested songs on Classic Rock radio, but MTB was so much more than that. Basically 'feel good music" long on jammability and hooks. Highlights are Toy Caldwell's guitar playing, Jerry Eubanks' saxophone and Doug Gray's vocals. The group lost it's songwriting edge a bit when Toy Caldwell left at the end of 1983, but they have had a few good CD's in recent years, including 2004's "Beyond The Horizon". Can't go wrong with any of their 70's material, every album they released that decade went either Gold or Platinum.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 21, 2011 15:59:07 GMT -5
Guitar Legend Leslie West Has Leg Amputated in Emergency SurgeryPosted on Jun 20th 2011 6:31PM by Benjy Eisen
Guitar legend Leslie West is recovering and is with his family following an emergency surgery over the weekend in which his leg had to be amputated. West had flown into Mississippi -- a state whose name appears in the title of his biggest hit, 'Mississippi Queen' -- to perform with his band, Mountain. West, a diabetic, was rushed to the hospital on Saturday (June 18) after his leg began to swell significantly. Surgery was able to save his life but not the limb below one of his knees, which was successfully removed.
West became a true guitar hero as the axe-slinging leader of Mountain, which in many ways can be seen as the successor band to Cream -- with West in the role of Eric Clapton, if that's how you want to look at it. Formed in 1969 by West -- who took the band name as a play on both his guitar playing abilities and his physical stature -- and Cream producer Felix Pappalardi, the band found immediate success. Their fourth gig ever was Woodstock. Furthering both the direct and indirect Cream connection, Cream's Jack Bruce -- who co-wrote a hit for Mountain -- and West formed a power trio (West, Bruce & Laing) during one of Mountain's intermittent breakups or, rather, hiatuses.
West's upcoming Mountain album is entitled 'The Unusual Suspects' and will feature guest appearances by fellow guitar heroes Slash, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa and others. A release date has yet to be set.
More importantly, West is fully expected to make a healthy recovery but, of course, faces extensive rehabilitation. A press release about his surgery states that "the family has requested that the public and media respect his privacy while he comes to terms with this life-changing transition."
Understood. In the meantime, we wish him all the best and look forward to seeing him return to his guitar-shredding form as soon as possible.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 20, 2011 11:18:42 GMT -5
Only 3 bands in and I already fucked up! ZZ Top is my #7, not 8. #8 is:
8-The Kentucky Headhunters. Ok, kinda pushing it as they are from Kentucky and not the deep South. Also, they only have around 10 albums to their credit, only 7 of which are studio albums. However, that is about twice the output of the Allman Brothers Band of the last 20 years, so I won't hold it against them. Nor will I hold it against them that they leaned Country on their first 2 albums, because their last several album were pure Southern Rock. Great original sound with plenty of hooks and boogies with the best of 'em.
6-The Allman Brothers Band. Could easily be higher if they were more consistant through their career, but who can argue with their track record of "Midnight Rider", "One Way Out", "Statesboro Blues", "Blue Sky", "Jessica", "Ramblin' Man", "Southbound", "Melissa", "Seven Turns", "Good Clean Fun", "End Of The Line", and "Nobody Left To Run With" just to name a few. I can't.
5-The Outlaws. I would love to have them higher on my list, but they have several periods of "lost years" and the current band is totally ruining their legacy. Still, these guys could outplay Lynyrd Skynyrd, outwrite 38 Special and outsing the Eagles. Despite a constantly changing lineup, the sound remained the same. 10 studio albums between 1975 and 1999 and you really can't go wrong with any of them.
Coming soon: The big 4!
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Post by Jesse on Jun 18, 2011 18:33:54 GMT -5
I've been getting into the NFL network lately and enjoying their "Top Tens". Thought it would be fun to do here. I got some good ones in mind, but I'll go predictable on you and begin with what most of you will expect: Top Ten Southern Rock Bands10-Dickey Betts Band/Great Southern. Great band! I bought a compilation album once cuz it was cheap and the more I listened, the more I realized how great an artist Betts was/is outside of the Allman Brothers. Got a couple of his cds now and saw him in concert once. I think he deserves to sneak in at #10. 9-Elvin Bishop. Most people only know that "he ain't good lookin' but he sure can play" thanks to Charlie Daniels.......and that pretty much sums him up. His 70's albums are chock full of good-time boogie-woogie licks any cd would make a good soundtrack to your summer bar-b-que. 8-ZZ Top. Sorry, but I've got to deduct points for some of their 80's cheese. Still, their 70's catalog puts them firmly on any list of great Southern Rockers. You didn't think I'd give you the whole list at once did you? I'll let you chew on these, come up with your own list and guess at the rest of my list for awhile.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 18, 2011 18:18:42 GMT -5
I "get" Zappa, I just don't feel the need for any of his material in my collection. I saw the "Zappa Plays Zappa" show a few years ago. It was awesome! But, again, I didn't feel I needed any of that stuff in my collection.
I don't really "get" Lou Reed, but I haven't heard that much of him either.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 14, 2011 11:01:05 GMT -5
PRECISLEY! And times are different now. Artists do what they have to do to be heard by the masses. They did then, and they still do now. Only difference are what shows they go on. Personally, I WISH Molly Hatchet would be featured on one of these cheesy shows.
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Post by Jesse on Jun 12, 2011 11:30:01 GMT -5
I think it should be pointed out that this was LIVE. Many of our favorite bands from the 70's and early 80's would be featured on such shows as American Bandstand and Solid Gold blatantly lipsyncing. Do we really yearn for those "good old days"?
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