db44
Dec 7th, 2004, 01:58 AM
The latest appearance of Oxymoron got me thinking about this. What bands from the past do you think are overrated, which ones are underrated, and who do you think is pinned just right? I'm aiming mostly at the '50s-'70s here.
This is in the grand scheme of life, not just this board (*cough* Bekah *cough*).
Feel free to give explanations where you want to.
Underrated:
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys: Like y'all didn't see that coming. ;) Hugely loved and respected for radio people I've known and worked with, yet publicly not often accepted as huge influences in modern music.
The Mamas and the Papas: The male and female voices combine so well in a way many all-male or all-female bands of the California sound couldn't. Their voices and yet full instrumentals work so well together. Cass Elliott could belt 'em out.
Chuck Berry: If we're gonna put Elvis on such a high pedistal (more on that later), then Berry should be there. He was Elvis before Elvis and for a lot longer. Unfortunately skin color made it so he couldn't be accepted as "The King."
Traffic: Full sound, Steve Winwood's last band project. Some absolutely great albums that many might never have heard of, including their self-titled album and John Barleycorn Must Die. "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" is one of the best long songs IMHO.
Steve Miller Band: They are known for their later stuff, their Greatest Hits 1974-1978 album, but that is nothing compared to the material their original Best of Album focuses on. Before there was "Fly Like an Eagle" they used the famous guitar intro for "My Dark Hour," which I think blows Eagle out of the water. I envision using "Seasons" as a lullabye when I'm a dad. Psychadelic stuff at times which you wouldn't think of if you looked at the popular GH album.
Donovan: As we touched on in the Abbey Road thread, his music was up there and out there. Much less of an evil edge and more mellow than the music of the Doors. "Seasons of the Witch" is one of my all-time favorites.
The Who: Many think of them for their destructive stage-shows, but their music is so awesome whether hard edge or soft, nailing society or showing off Entwhistle's sick humor.
Dion: Bronx represent! ;) From the early teenage stuff to "Abraham, Martin and John" to moderate success in the late 80's, he's been through it all and he's covered many different aspects of music.
Overrated:
disclaimer: The bands and artists here I consider overrated, but that doesn't mean in many cases that I dislike them. It just means that I think their social popularity is greater than their talents warrant.
First off, as Sinister suggested, Barry Manilow? There are a few artists like that which people have to explain their meaning in life to me. Carly Simon fits in there. Wayne Newton. Rod Stewart and Steely Dan too, although they both have their moments.
The Doors: See clean up Beatles tribute thread.
Elvis: As stated above, he exploited the likes of Chuck Berry the way people of color couldn't. I can hear the greatness of "Johnny B. Goode" but I don't hear the greatness of a number of Elvis' hits. He was the Cisco of his time, taking a sexual undertone (The hips. "Elvis' Pelvis") and some musical talent turning it into a great show.
Joe Cocker: I sheepishly admit I like his version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" better than the original... One of the few times I'd admit to liking a cover better. But has the guy ever done anything on his own and with his own music?
Meatloaf: He don't do that for me.
The Carpenters: Some great songs, I admit, and I do like them. But I get the sense that if Karen had lived, they wouldn't have ever made the plateau people put them on. That may also explain The Doors and my next artist...
Janis Joplin: She thought she could sing as well as Mama Cass, but I never thought it was such. For that matter, I think her voice was often scary.
Jefferson Airplane: I love "Volunteers." I'm not as big a fan of their other two big hits (not including "We Built This City" as Starship... I love that as a kid growing up with pop music at the time, but it doesn't fit as part of JA). Grace sang better than Janis, but that's a tangent. Still, I look at them as a three-hit wonder, yet it often seems they acheived more.
Santana: I have a friend who plays clarinet professionally and he let me in on the following secret. Santana is seen as a great guitarist, but many practiced musicians scoff at that idea, calling him one of the sloppiest players, even on his biggest hits. I can understand that when I listen closely enough. His later albums were such big hits I think because he got so many popular artists to join in. I love the multicultural aspect of his music, but that I felt was lost on the more recent, popular albums.
Just right artists:
This is the "everyone else" category, but I feel the need to say some words about some artists.
The Beatles: Gods and deservedly so. As the Fab Four and as solo artists (lesser so for Ringo though :manson: ).
Jimi Hendrix: Where he, Jim and Janis are lumped together as great and when they all died so close to each other, it is only James Marshall Hendrix's music which I considered so groundbreaking as the legends say. His guitar, his songs... Being able to pull it all off when when Redding and Mitchell would sometimes try to mess him up intentionally in spite (changing tempos and such). There's a reason we remember Hendrix over his bandmates in the Experience, and it's cause that's where the talent lied.
Eric Clapton: Mean guitar, and I felt in later years he was one of the artists who paid tribute to those who paved the way for him better than other artists.
This is in the grand scheme of life, not just this board (*cough* Bekah *cough*).
Feel free to give explanations where you want to.
Underrated:
Brian Wilson/Beach Boys: Like y'all didn't see that coming. ;) Hugely loved and respected for radio people I've known and worked with, yet publicly not often accepted as huge influences in modern music.
The Mamas and the Papas: The male and female voices combine so well in a way many all-male or all-female bands of the California sound couldn't. Their voices and yet full instrumentals work so well together. Cass Elliott could belt 'em out.
Chuck Berry: If we're gonna put Elvis on such a high pedistal (more on that later), then Berry should be there. He was Elvis before Elvis and for a lot longer. Unfortunately skin color made it so he couldn't be accepted as "The King."
Traffic: Full sound, Steve Winwood's last band project. Some absolutely great albums that many might never have heard of, including their self-titled album and John Barleycorn Must Die. "The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys" is one of the best long songs IMHO.
Steve Miller Band: They are known for their later stuff, their Greatest Hits 1974-1978 album, but that is nothing compared to the material their original Best of Album focuses on. Before there was "Fly Like an Eagle" they used the famous guitar intro for "My Dark Hour," which I think blows Eagle out of the water. I envision using "Seasons" as a lullabye when I'm a dad. Psychadelic stuff at times which you wouldn't think of if you looked at the popular GH album.
Donovan: As we touched on in the Abbey Road thread, his music was up there and out there. Much less of an evil edge and more mellow than the music of the Doors. "Seasons of the Witch" is one of my all-time favorites.
The Who: Many think of them for their destructive stage-shows, but their music is so awesome whether hard edge or soft, nailing society or showing off Entwhistle's sick humor.
Dion: Bronx represent! ;) From the early teenage stuff to "Abraham, Martin and John" to moderate success in the late 80's, he's been through it all and he's covered many different aspects of music.
Overrated:
disclaimer: The bands and artists here I consider overrated, but that doesn't mean in many cases that I dislike them. It just means that I think their social popularity is greater than their talents warrant.
First off, as Sinister suggested, Barry Manilow? There are a few artists like that which people have to explain their meaning in life to me. Carly Simon fits in there. Wayne Newton. Rod Stewart and Steely Dan too, although they both have their moments.
The Doors: See clean up Beatles tribute thread.
Elvis: As stated above, he exploited the likes of Chuck Berry the way people of color couldn't. I can hear the greatness of "Johnny B. Goode" but I don't hear the greatness of a number of Elvis' hits. He was the Cisco of his time, taking a sexual undertone (The hips. "Elvis' Pelvis") and some musical talent turning it into a great show.
Joe Cocker: I sheepishly admit I like his version of "With a Little Help From My Friends" better than the original... One of the few times I'd admit to liking a cover better. But has the guy ever done anything on his own and with his own music?
Meatloaf: He don't do that for me.
The Carpenters: Some great songs, I admit, and I do like them. But I get the sense that if Karen had lived, they wouldn't have ever made the plateau people put them on. That may also explain The Doors and my next artist...
Janis Joplin: She thought she could sing as well as Mama Cass, but I never thought it was such. For that matter, I think her voice was often scary.
Jefferson Airplane: I love "Volunteers." I'm not as big a fan of their other two big hits (not including "We Built This City" as Starship... I love that as a kid growing up with pop music at the time, but it doesn't fit as part of JA). Grace sang better than Janis, but that's a tangent. Still, I look at them as a three-hit wonder, yet it often seems they acheived more.
Santana: I have a friend who plays clarinet professionally and he let me in on the following secret. Santana is seen as a great guitarist, but many practiced musicians scoff at that idea, calling him one of the sloppiest players, even on his biggest hits. I can understand that when I listen closely enough. His later albums were such big hits I think because he got so many popular artists to join in. I love the multicultural aspect of his music, but that I felt was lost on the more recent, popular albums.
Just right artists:
This is the "everyone else" category, but I feel the need to say some words about some artists.
The Beatles: Gods and deservedly so. As the Fab Four and as solo artists (lesser so for Ringo though :manson: ).
Jimi Hendrix: Where he, Jim and Janis are lumped together as great and when they all died so close to each other, it is only James Marshall Hendrix's music which I considered so groundbreaking as the legends say. His guitar, his songs... Being able to pull it all off when when Redding and Mitchell would sometimes try to mess him up intentionally in spite (changing tempos and such). There's a reason we remember Hendrix over his bandmates in the Experience, and it's cause that's where the talent lied.
Eric Clapton: Mean guitar, and I felt in later years he was one of the artists who paid tribute to those who paved the way for him better than other artists.