neo33 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 How about the best rock band of all time? My vote goes to Pink Floyd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Of all time??? My vote would be for "The Hunter/Gatherers" Out of necessity, an all acoustic band from about 40,000 B.C. (or thereabouts) Nothing remains of their former work, but I'm pretty sure they were a great band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Seconded - but only for the Roger Water's led albums (DSOTM, Wall, Animals...). Of course Roger Water's Amused to Death is the best album of all time!! followed by DSOTM, Wall, Animals in that order Honorable mentions - Beetles, Stones, The Who, 10 cc, Jethro Tull...and several otherst that refuse to spring to mind at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxg Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 ---------------- On 6/3/2004 4:21:46 AM Erik Mandaville wrote: Of all time??? My vote would be for "The Hunter/Gatherers" Out of necessity, an all acoustic band from about 40,000 B.C. (or thereabouts) Nothing remains of their former work, but I'm pretty sure they were a great band. ---------------- Oh yes - Fred and Barney's favorites - contemporaries of the Stones in their early days and much copied. Interestingly all recordings were done by a woman - Anna Log. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Mandaville Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Ok, I'll be serious, but 'Best' seems to be difficult for me to define. Like any genre, there were different styles, approaches, objectives, etc. Although I can appreciate their work, the Rolling Stones used to bore me, musically, and Charlie (sorry Charlie, nothing personal) W. their drummer always seemd to by slightly 'off' somehow. Friends would sit and really listen to them at parties, but the music just never did anything for me. But what an enormously important band, though! I liked bands like Genesis, Yes, King Crimson, (of course) Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, and ...it't time to go get my wife up for work and feed my hound dogs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 There has been so many great bands there is really no way to pick one.But with the ? which one,Led Zeppelin is what I think of as the greatest Rock band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ctiger2 Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 You heard it before every concert they have played. "Ladies and gentlemen...the greatest rock n roll band in the world...The Rolling Stones...The Rolling Stones!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 C'mon guys get real. The best. Of all time. Black Sabbath - the original lineup. They were innovators. Took on the establishment. Still as relevant today as they were back then. Influenced and continue to influence countless bands. They defined Rock & Roll. A couple of other notable must haves: Pink Floyd & Jethro Tull. You haven't lived if you haven't worn out a couple of bongs and the Echoes album. Ian Andersen was simply as good as it got as a front man. Led Zeppelin? Please. Can't listen to an album or one of their video movies without falling asleep. Throw their half-wit cousins, the Stones in there with them. If there was ever justification for Kervorkian the Stones are it. They each had a few great songs but give me Rush over Zeppelin or the Stones any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I'll second it, Fish: All narcissism aside, ......LED ZEPPELIN! PINK FLOYD would be my second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheltie dave Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Seeing as how rock n roll was meant to be about rebellion and anarchy, there is no question who the best playing band is...the Who. A maniac for a drummer. Keith Moon would play in front of the beat, behind it, around it, and all over it. He would beat on the kit with his fists and kick the things all over the place. Roger Daltrey wasn't content to stand as frontman, slinging the mic all over the place, exuding energy and stalking all over the stage. John Entwistle would play the stoic one, but his bass runs were staggering and prominent, nailing the frantic goings on to a solid cross of snarling thunder. Peter Townsend forced me to be a rock guitarist. I saw a clip with the opening to "Pinball Wizard," and I knew there was something beyond Dad listening to Herb Alpert and the Tiajuana Brass playing the Lonely Bull. I have never seen or felt a larger surge of electricity than at a Who concert when Townsend would rip into his first windmill attack on his guitar. Caught the Pretenders and the Who in St. Louis freshman year of college, when the Pretenders were #1 with their debut album, and the hottest band in the world. The Who smoked them in their first three songs as the headliner, and forever ceased being a dinosuar in my book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picky Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 sheltie dave: You are correct in what you said. I am not going to try an take anything away that you said about the Who because I tend to agree with most of what you said, but they really weren't the only ones with the sort of demeanor and electricity you describe. For example, in nearly everything you stated, one could substitute the names of the Who members for the names of the Led Zeppelin members and you would still be right: A maniac for a drummer. "John Bonham" would play in front of the beat, behind it, around it, and all over it. He would beat on the kit with his fists and kick the things all over the place. -Although, Moon was known more for his distruction of his equipment, both drummers everntually destroyed themselves. "Robert Plant" wasn't content to stand as frontman, slinging the mic all over the place, exuding energy and stalking all over the stage. "John Paul Jones" would play the stoic one, but his bass runs were staggering and prominent, nailing the frantic goings on to a solid cross of snarling thunder. I have never seen or felt a larger surge of electricity than at a concert when "Jimmie Page" would rip into his first windmill attack on his guitar. All I am saying here is that, yes, the two bands were different in their own ways, but man, they were a lot alike, too! There are really no "wrong answers" to this topic. -IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan krajewski Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Of course this is all personal taste but... Based on their influence on music, world culture, how much they grew musically, how each of them became a superstar on their own, etc. , etc.. I remember Leonard Bernstein on TV in one of his young people's lectures on music talking about how great their music is. Some kids snickered and he quickly pointed out that he was dead serious and more so, he explained and demonstrated why he felt their music was so good. I watched all those shows and to my recollection they were the only rock band mentioned. You all know who I'm talking about and I did'nt have to mention thei name. Boy, am I gonna catch hell for this! No matter though, personal taste aside, its hard argue against them being the greatest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchist Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Hell, you can substitute the Black Sabbath members into the same places - just get rid of the 'windmill' which was always overrated and a tired gimmick to begin with. The ridiculousness of it was featured prominently in the "School of Rock." There is no question, however, that Jimmy Page was a more accomplished guitarist than Tony Iommi. However, a band is more than the personality of the members who make the band; it is the content and the soul of the music they write and perform. Sabbath said more and challenged the system more than any of these other bands. Without question. War Pigs - by itself - surpasses anything Led Zeppelin ever did. There are of course no correct answers as the 'best' is determined by the effect on your soul the band had. However... the "right" answer to which band was the greatest still remains Black Sabbath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnellis Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 I have to agee with Sheltie Dave. The Who, in their heyday, were by far the best "live" rock band I have ever seen. On an average night, they were considered one of the top four or five acts in the world. On an "inspired" night, they were untouchable. Anyone who had the opportunity to see the Who during an "inspired" performance would most likely agree. This of course if just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnellis Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 P.S. While I agree that Led Zepplin was a great band, IMHO, they never produced anything near the genius level of Quadrophenia. Nor did Black Sabbath for that matter. This is, once again, IMHO, one of the most under rated ablums of all time. Quadrophenia that is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgb Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Led Zeppelin has got to be my nominee. They could do it all and do it well. Rock, blues, folk, even some prog stuff, Zep did it all. All four members were outstanding musicians, the band has serious "presence" and raped, pillaged and plundered with more abandon than the Huns. They have the whole mystical aura about them, unlike the Who or the Stones who were more regular blokes. Floyd, while one of my favorite bands, had little charisma and didn't really break out of the psychadelic realm until they dove head first into paranoid phase. Zeppelins live shows did tend to become tedious as they moved into the mid 70s. Black Sabbath is a seriously under appreciated band. Pretty much invented the whole Metal genre and the writing in the early days was tremendous. Tony Iommi is probably the most overlooked guitar god of all time. Unfortunately Sabbath whith Dio, and Ozzy solo, basically turned into self-parody, so most people kind of assosicate Black Sabbath with Spinal Tap rather than Led Zeppelin or Cream. I also rank Nirvana at or near the top. The untempered, raw emotion that the band conveyed is really unmatched IMO. While not a totally original sound (Sonic Youth had been around for a number of years, and are still going strong), they meshed metal and hardcore punk with powerful, thoughful writing in a way that had never been approached before. Of course the whole "Smells Like Teen Spirit" phenomenon gave rock radio an enema it had needed for a long, long time. Ultimately, Kurt Cobain is the icon of my generation, Gen X's own tourtured artist. Too bad he did't waste Courntey instead of himself. But on the up side we have got the Foo Fighters who are a terriffic band in their own right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Beatles Led Zeppelin Pink Floyd Grateful Dead (not really rock although they could rock like nobody else) Depends on the definition. Heavy metal type of rock goes to Zeppelin, hands down. Top 40/catchy tunes/bubble gum/etc. goes to The Beatles. Best live band goes to the Dead, no competition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgb Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Quad. is by far my favorite Who alblum, much better than Tommy. I love to listen to "The Rock" and "Love Reign..." in the dark at wall shaking volumes. Keith Moon could be every bit as good as John Bonham. I wonder if these two guys ever partied together? Man, what a trip that would have been! Anyhow, it is also a concept alblum, somthing Led Zeppelin never tried to do, for good or ill. Led Zeppelin I must have been an absolute revleation to rock and roll when it debuted. A blistering alblum. ---------------- On 6/3/2004 8:51:48 AM johnellis wrote: P.S. While I agree that Led Zepplin was a great band, IMHO, they never produced anything near the genius level of Quadrophenia. Nor did Black Sabbath for that matter. This is, once again, IMHO, one of the most under rated ablums of all time. Quadrophenia that is. ---------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HondaRacing Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Rush, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, so many good ones which one to choose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLUngurait Posted June 3, 2004 Share Posted June 3, 2004 Hmmmnn...Although I can't argue against any of the other bands mentioned...I gotta go with The Beatles. They might not stack up against ANY of the other bands mentioned here in the live performance catagory BUT NO OTHER BAND changed/evoloved their music (and the rest of the music world followed suit) more than The Beatles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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