Greatest Band Round #3 the Top-Ten

[MikeA]

Voting is now open for the TOP-TEN.
Voting will close Saturday Morning, July 18 at 7am.

Please make your top ten choices from the following 27 eligible contenders.

Aretha Franklin
BB King
Beach Boys
Bob Dylan
Bob Marley
Bruce Springsteen
Buddy Holly
Byrds
CCR
Chuck Berry
CSNY
Doors
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Eric Clapton
Fleetwood Mac
Grateful Dead
Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix
Joni Mitchell
Led Zeppelin
Michael Jackson
Pink Floyd
Queen
Rolling Stones
Supremes
WHO

[luvthelighthouse]

Too hard, too hard! I am going to do some more research and compare some old notes, but this is too hard! This isn't about who I like, but their contributions... so it's very, very hard. If I had to just go by my favorite band, it would be easy, but that's not the case.

[MikeA]

In the beginning, there was Gospel, there was Blues, and there was Country (or Hillbilly) and Chuck Berry contemplated it and it was good but not complete.

After Chuck Berry contemplated it, he pulled it all together and Rock and Roll was created.

Ya think that might be influential? <LOL> Corney, but in essence, it is TRUTH.

Mainly a Blues player with heavy Gospel roots, Berry started mixing in Country with his Blues a bit to gain a larger audience back in the 50's. He was playing mostly Blues...unsurprising for Black Musicians mainly played Black Club back in the days before Civil Rights leveled the playing field and in Black Clubs, Blues was the order of the day!

But as he mixed in the Country influence with the Blues, it didn't fit either category! Combine that with the antics he enacted on-stage and he became unique. Confusing, but UNIQUE and the Club Goers saw it and it was GOOD. Other musicians started noticing it, and it was GOOD!

Examples of those he influenced are too numerous to mention. I liked what Wikipedia quoted John Lennon as having said: ""If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."

Early examples of his music I think must have been heard by everyone who listens to Rock and Roll....and if you haven't listened to it, you owe it to yourself to do so:

"Johnny B. Goode"
"Maybellene"
"Rock and Roll Music"

Folks, when you listen to this music and recognize it as Rock and Roll, you are listening to the "Big Bang!"

Whether or not YOU think Chuck Berry is the "Greatest" or not, it is simply impossible to justify NOT giving him high honors at least! Others may have taken what he started and carried it to astronomical heights, but it was Berry who built the launch pad!

[MikeA]

Too hard, too hard! I am going to do some more research and compare some old notes, but this is too hard! This isn't about who I like, but their contributions... so it's very, very hard. If I had to just go by my favorite band, it would be easy, but that's not the case.

I understand. COMPLETELY. I think there is no one on the current list of 27 who doesn't deserve very serious consideration and I KNOW that I am NOT going to be able to whittle this list down to 5 eventually and have anything resembling a clear conscious!

[EagleLady]

Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix
Joni Mitchell
Led Zeppelin
Michael Jackson
Pink Floyd
Queen
Rolling Stones
Supremes
WHO

[MikeA]

To me, The Beach Boys are Brian Wilson.

Wilson...well quite simply speaking, he was a musical genius. The way he fit harmonies together. His evolved way of composing songs. The way he could produce an album! He had it all and the band he led (in SPITE of his domineering and greedy Father!) was the USA equivalent of the British Invasion.

It was pretty amazing that Wilson credits the Beatles for inspiring him with "Rubber Soul" in his compilation of "Pet Sounds"...possibly the greatest of all the works by Wilson and by many, considered to be in the top 5 of the greatest albums of all times. So, the Beach Boys' (and Brian Wilson's) greatest rival and inspiration in the Industry at the time (early '60s) was the Beatles, so was also the Beatles' greatest rival and inspiration none other than the Beach Boys! Paul McCartney confesses that the content of "Pet Sounds" was the inspiration for "Sargent Peppers" which by many is also considered to be one of the top 5 albums of all times!

In 1966, Brian Wilson's masterpiece "Good Vibrations" surfaced. I always thought it being close to "over produced" but there is no denying that it is anthem in quality.

Wikipedia quotes:

In contrast to his work on Pet Sounds, Wilson adopted a modular approach to "Good Vibrations" — he broke the song into sections and taped multiple versions of each at different studios to take advantage of the different sound and ambience of each facility. He then assembled his favorite sections into a master backing track and added vocals. The song's innovative instrumentation included drums, organ, piano, tack piano, two basses, guitars, electro-theremin, harmonica, and cello. The group members recall the "Good Vibrations" vocal sessions as among the most demanding of their career.

Remember that digital recording was not an option back then. All editing had to be done by cutting mylar tape and then taping the pieces back together and that was an ART in itself. To splice recording master tapes together with no pop or skip was NOT EASY. And any mistake made, required that the passage be recorded again!

Now, go listen to "Good Vibrations" and you might appreciate more what Wilson did with such primitive equipment! Amazing.

There is a LOT of Studio Magic listed in that paragraph. I'm thinking that where Jimi Hendrix's instrument was guitar, Brian Wilson's was the soundboard!

Brian had a LOT of baggage to haul around. Mental and Physical abuse by his Father had severe impact on Wilson...all of the Wilsons in fact. Breakdowns, anxiety attacks, and eventual drug abuse ended up virtually crippling Brian. Crippling? Hell, it almost KILLED him! We almost lost him in the late 70's and 80's.

So, with Wilson, I have about 12 groups in my top 5 <LOL>

[MikeA]

"The WHO"

Okay, just who are the WHO? I mean aside for being known as one of the wildest "party bands" and aside from the techniques of DESTRUCTION of equipment as part of their stage act.

Even if the did not introduce the "Rock Opera" concept, they certainly took it point of perfection! That style was the dream child of Townshend and taken up by John Entwhistle as well. "Tommy" was just the first full album using that style of cohesiveness. "Quadrophenia" followed.

But it was the live performance that made them really stand out. LOUD was their style. Energetic...over the top...over the top in EVERYTHING! They were contenders along with the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys for the most popular group of the Sixties. Their list of hits is a mile long and their songs still rattle around in the heads of just about everyone who grew up listening to Rock Music.

Their work inspired later groups in Pop, Metal, Punk and virtually every other sub-genre. The Rock Opera style was taken up by Davie Bowie, Pink Floyd and numerous other groups putting on elaborate stage shows.

To say the minimum, The Who literally Rocked the Music Business. Definitely a force to contend with and also one to learn from.

And to ice it of, Keith Moon taught Joe Walsh how to destroy Hotel Rooms. That has to carry a lot of weight <LOL>

[MikeA]

"Crosby, Stills, Nash and sometimes Young"

When I think of CSNY, I think first of the incredible harmony parts that trio and sometimes quartet brought to the table. So reminiscent of the prominence of Folk music. But it was Folk on steroids! Folk-Rock. The Music scene of the late Sixties and early Seventies was at a crossroads. Country Rock was doing its best to figure out what it was. Psychedilia was on its way out. Hard Rock was thinking about coming into being. Folk Rock was the bridging factor and CSYN epitomized that genre.

These guys were the Masters in the newly acclaimed Singer-Songwriter breed of Musicians. It was Crosby who discovered Joni Mitchell.

Their music set the bar for writing songs that told a story based on the first hand experiences of the writer/performer. The music was real. It meant something. It was PERSONAL.

But Personal experiences included those "causes" they felt strongly about as well. They wrote an extensive list of songs dealing with political dissatisfaction and in particular the Viet Nam War. Their disgust and anger was never more evident than with "Ohio" following the Kent State Riots.

Each one of the members is in his own right a highly accredited musician but when they come together, they are something that far greater than the individual parts. Their harmonies have been sought after by just about every group who knows what harmony means and knows something about its structure.

At their prominence, only the Rolling Stones stood to be more popular and even that is questionable.

CSNY were the cross over group. One of the last to still be popular while sticking to the Folk Rock genre. They were and ARE a force to be reckoned with.

[luvthelighthouse]

I'm trying to break it down by a few words that describe each of these legends when I hear their names. No doubt they are popular and have been so for decades. However, those I may enjoy the most may have had the least impact as I delve deeper into what they contributed. Perhaps they just sound really good.

Here's my take on the first 5 of list:

Aretha - Queen of Soul, 1st woman inducted into R'n'R Hall of Fame
BB King - King of Blues, popular Gibson guitarist
Beach Boys - Known for their hamonies, master of the soundboard and #1selling American band of the 70's
Dylan - Know best for his mature lyrics and redefining how songs were written. Only #1 song of his was Mr. Tamborine Man sung by the Byrds.
Bob Marly- Served as the catalyst fo todays Raggae influenced bands.

So, for me personally, out of those five, I think Dylan had the most influence. I love the Beach Boys and spent many years perferring them to the Beatles... so I'll have to go through the rest of the list before I can decide if they'll make my top 10 or not.

I'll try to do the next five on the list later on.

[sodascouts]

Aretha Franklin
BB King
Beach Boys
Bob Dylan
CSNY
Elvis Presley
Fleetwood Mac
Janis Joplin
Michael Jackson
Rolling Stones