Mar 262010
 

Things have been a little quiet so far this week. I sense we’re burned out from the stunning conclusion of that recent Last Man Standing. It’s time we get a little chatter going. What do you say? Most of you know this drill by now, but if you’ve been following along from the sidelines and want to make your initial splash in the Halls of Rock the following questions require nothing more than your gut answers! Let’s roll!

What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

I look forward to your responses.

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  46 Responses to “Dugout Chatter”

  1. What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    KISS – Creatures Of The Night

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    KISS – CRAZY NIGHTS (same guy, we’re on a Kiss kick)

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    ..that’ just sad

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    Colin Bloodstone, Rod Argent…I’m out!

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    Host Of Family Feud? Disco Diva?

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    Crazy Little Thing Called Love is #1 in my book..but I also like…

    Lonely Summer Nights – Stray Cats
    An Innocent Man – Billy Joel
    Diddy Do Wop (I Hear The Voices) – Hall & Oates

  2. What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    The XX

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    Turn Ons by The Hot Rats

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    Adderal

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    Rod Argent and Anton Newcombe

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    fag haggin

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    Drive in Saturday

  3. Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    i read this one wrong, sorry. what WOULD surprise me is if she would like, write a song or something.

  4. misterioso

    Q: What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    A: Arthur by the Kinks or Destination Out! by Jackie McClean if we can count non-rock.

    Q: What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    A: Dunno. My friends have pretty much written off trying to get me to listen to anything.

    Q: Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    A: Shall I regard this as a rhetorical question?

    Q: Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    A: Argent, Blunstone, Chris White. Don’t know the others. Side question: How is that Argent’s solo “Hold Your Head Up” is so awesome but I don’t think I have ever heard another song by Argent? (Performing on the Midnight Special here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5fYPz8dKbg)

    Q: Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    A: Forming a duo with Mo Tucker. No, wait: a TRIO with Mo Tucker and the woman drummer from The Honeycombs! Check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9C3tZwDpx4 Have they the right, or what! Yes they do! Great look!

    Q: What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    A: If I had been smart enough to think of it, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” is a good call by shawnkilroy. I don’t know, then. Does “I Can Help” by Billy Swan count? Anyway, another great Midnight Special clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv54nLzBtLI

  5. hrrundivbakshi

    Q: What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    A: “Topless Dancers Of Corfu,” by the very unfortunately named Dick Hyman.

    Q: What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    A: I guess that “Cherry Bomb” song by Spoon. The last *album* I heard and mostly liked was some very fey guy whose name I can never remember, that Oats sent me. The good tracks on that thing were outstanding!

    Q: Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    A: You forget about Li’l Wayne and his “drank” — heavy duty cough syrup, that he used to drink continuously, all day, until a year or so ago.

    Q: Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    A: Argent, Blunstone.

    Q: Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    A: Having kids, opening up an art gallery in the New Mexico desert.

    Q: What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    A: “Power Of My Love,” Roy Wood (Top THAT, Mr. Mod!

    HVB

  6. hrrundivbakshi

    Whoops — I meant “This Is the Story Of My Love” by Roy Wood.

  7. crazy little thing is jland’s pick.
    mine was drive in Saturday.

  8. 2000 Man

    What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    The first Izzys album. It kicks ass, by the way.

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    The North Mississippi All Stars, The Early years. I liked it, so he gave it to me!

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    All they do is come up with different ways to make walls melt, so even if the drugs are different, the results are the same. Big Pharm is lazy.

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    Rod Argent

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    Continuing a music career and getting more than one record out.

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    Rip This Joint by The Stones.

  9. 2000 Man

    Oh, Yes! After my as usual successful way of getting the Stones into the conversation, I look up and see the Rolling Stones Pinball Machine in the upper right corner. Totally awesome!

  10. Mr. Moderator

    Isn’t it great when a banner image matches something you’ve just posted?

    Great answers, so far. misterioso, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was probably my runner up to another late-70s ’50s pastiche, Squeeze’s “Messed Around,” but if we can count “I Can Help,” that may top them all. That’s a song from childhood I’d include on my personal covers album, if I could pull off such a thing. (That may be another thread for another day…)

    HVB, good call on Li’l Wayne’s cough syrup. GROSS!

    The Zombies question, by the way, was inspired by catching the tail end of a recent concert on one of my HD channels. It was like Rod Argent’s band with Colin Blunstone (and others, whose names I won’t mention) joining him to celebrate his tremendous achievements. Maybe Argent really was the driving force…

  11. BigSteve

    What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    The I’m Not There soundtrack.

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    Post-Nothing by Japandroids.

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    Yeah ‘purple drank’ was the inspiration for a subgenre of slowed down (like 60 bpm) Houston hiphop called ‘chopped & screwed.’

    Cough syrup was Lester Bangs’ drug of choice too. Considering how productive he and Lil Wayne were, maybe I should try it.

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    George Romero is the only one I remember.

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    I’d be surprised if her future involved the drums.

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    I do like Crazy Little Thing Called Love, even though I generally hate Queen. I’ll go with Keith Sykes’ Big Time.

  12. What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    The Big Star #1Radio City/Radio City two-fer. He kept hearing about Big Star and how great Third was so he got Third and was understandably left scratching his head at what the hubbub was all about. I convinced him to give the first two albums a shot, he got way into them and then went up to Brooklyn with me last fall to see them live.

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    The same friend just burned me a copy of Axis: Bold As Love, which I’ve never heard. I just heard some snippets and they sounded really good. I can’t wait to get it onto my iPod and give it a proper listen.

    Are there no new drugs…?

    Mod Man, don’t knock the syrup. I only take it when I actually have cough but it makes me wish I had a cough more often. I’m not condoning recreational use of narcotics but I certainly understand the appeal.

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    Argent, and although I wouldn’t have come up with Bloodstone by myself, I would have been able to spot it in a multiple choice test.

    What might you see Meg White doing after the White Stripes?

    Recording on her own. The more likely scenario is a line of wistful, childlike paintings.

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    Marie Marie – Blasters

  13. Mr. Moderator

    I’ll play…

    What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?

    John Cale’s Fear

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?

    A Townsman recently sent me a good chuck of Robert Pollard’s 2009 output. There’s a lot of cool stuff, which I’ll be covering over the next few weeks. A CD by Cosmos (Pollard and Richard Davies, I think his name is – one of those Aussie chamber pop guys) is especially good.

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    The cough syrup trend definitely answered my suggestion. sammymaudlin remembers the days when a man knocked down shots of vodka and Listerine, vodka and PeptoBismol, etc. Kids!

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    I could always name Blunstone and Argent. If I really thought about it I could have remembered Chris White. The concert I watched also featured the original drummer, I believe, with a name that rang a bell, and another bassist beside White, whose name I’d identified as a replacement member of another English band. I don’t know if he was ever in The Zombies during their prime or not. Argent mentioned that the original guitarist had died, but he did not say his name – and I still can’t recall what his name might have been.

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    She’s going to win the rights to the band name and hire herself a new guitarist/singer!

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?

    The more I think about it, “I Can Help” is not so much a ’50s pastiche but a natural performance by a guy who dates back to the ’50s, so I can’t count that. I’ll stick with my initial thought, Squeeze’s “Messed Around” – by a nose over the excellent Queen contribution. How I wish each of those bands made more songs in that style!

  14. misterioso

    “Messed Around” is a great choice. There must also be a ton of Edmunds/Rockpile songs that I cannot even remember names of right now that fit the bill, too. (Did Edmunds produce East Side Story?) I accept the dismissal of Billy Swan’s “I Can Help.” It’s a fine line between pastiche and, uh, not pastiche.

  15. Mr. Moderator

    Elvis Costello produced East Side Story, which is by far my favorite Squeeze album.

    I’m glad you’re a good sport about the disqualification of “I Can Help.” To make it up to you, I did just launch a new thread in which that song plays a vital role in my ongoing fantasy life.

  16. misterioso

    East Side Story is brilliant, a great record, one of my favorite of all time, and certainly the best thing Squeeze ever did. (I am a big fan of Argybargy, too, but it is not in East Side Story’s league.)

    I remembered that Edmunds had some connection with the record–I know his name is on the sleeve somewhere for some reason. Not having either record or cd at hand I must trust wikipedia which says that he produced “In Quintessence.” What I did not know is that supposedly the album was intended as a 2-lp set with sides produced by Edmunds, Costello, Lowe, and McCartney (!).

  17. The last *album* I heard and mostly liked was some very fey guy whose name I can never remember, that Oats sent me. The good tracks on that thing were outstanding!

    Hey hrrundi, I’m glad you’re still enjoying that! The artist is The Divine Comedy, which is basically a nom de plume for Northern Ireland singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Neil Hannon. That wasn’t an album per se, just a mix of songs I thought you’d find edifying and enjoyable. For the rest of you, The Divine Comedy are basically The Left Banke fronted by E.M. Forster, which explains why I rarely mention them on RTH.

  18. Mr. Moderator

    I didn’t know you guys were getting some side action, Oats! This may be the theme of yet another RTH Insider thread: Townspeople with whom you’re getting a little rock-nerd action on the side!

    Love is all around!

  19. Mr. Moderator

    As for those double-album plans for East Side Story – damn, where are the tracks that didn’t make the final cut? Their next album had a couple of good songs, but they went downhill fast with inappropriately glossy production and too many attempts at capturing “Tempted” in a bottle.

  20. mockcarr

    I remain unturned or turning for quite a while. Last thing I remember is some the tin pan alley guy Hrrundi mentioned, Billy Murray. I believe he in turn, finally listened to that Honeybus stuff last year that I duped for him a long time ago.

    Argent, Blunstone, White – the last I only know because of the weird-ass Butcher’s Song on O & O.

    Probably, the kidz are all drinking the hand sanitizer that seems to be everywhere and is likely a conspiracy by hand lotion manufacturers to force dry skin on everyone.

    She could easily be in the next few zombie movies.

    As a 50s knockoff I like The Usual Thing by Marshall Crenshaw.

  21. BigSteve

    The Usual Thing is good. Another one just occurred to me — Joe Ely’s Musta Notta Gotta Lotta (Sleep Last Night).

  22. misterioso

    I will never forget the crushing disappointment of hearing Squeeze’s Sweets from a Stranger for the first time in anticipation of its being even better than East Side Story. A drag.

  23. The last record I tried to turn a friend on to was We’re Only In It For The Money. He didn’t like it.

    He got me a bit interested in… I can’t remember what it was..

    As far as the dope.. I don’t know.. Nancy Reagan told me to “Just Say No”
    (side note: on a recent trip to the Reagan library in California, I noticed that there was a whole damn cabinet devoted to “Just Say No” but only one really small picture of Ron & Jane Wyman stuck in a collage, very interesting..)

    The Zombies.. I can name Chris White, Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Hugh Grundy (on drums), and Paul….

    (I had to look up Paul’s last name)

    Meg White can be a new host of Name That Tune when it get recreated in a few years. Then I’ll get to look at her in syndication every day.

    Best psuedo-50s song.. well, ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ comes to mind..

    But ‘I Can Help’ is on my completely sucks list.

    And.. I know I’ll get hit for this one, but what about Billy Joel’s ‘The Longest Time’.. it may not be cool, but it fits the bill..

    overall, my vote ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’

  24. Mr. Moderator

    Is “The Longest Time” Joel’s a cappella, doo-wop song? I hate that song, in some ways, but it’s better than all his songs that sound like Billy Joel songs. All those old-time rock ‘n roll songs he’s done since “Still Rock ‘n Roll to Me” blow away his Bar Mitzvah staples.

    Oh, and GREAT work on naming The Zombies!

  25. Mick wins the Zombies prize. I could remember three of them. (Little known fact: MickAvory owns the Zombie box set.)

    Meg White is going to join Lately David and be my girlfriend. There. I said it and I feel better about it. I don’t care that she’s married. It will add a “Fleetwood Mac element” to the band.

    The last record I turned somebody onto was Cake. My girlfriend. She’s become such a Cakehead that I bought her a vibraslap. I…err…I mean SHE needed one.

    My bandmate Danny finally got me to jump into the waters of Wilco. I’m very late to the party, but we listened to their latest on some road trip and I was hooked.

    TB

  26. Mick: I was considering The Longest Time too, but ultimately rejected it because the questions was which is the “best” which I took to be different from the “most authentic sounding”. I think that it was a cool effort on his part to do the entire thing a capella but like most Billy Joel efforts, the song itself bite it.

    Latelydavid: I bought my wife a vibraslap a few years ago too and burned her a playlist of ‘slap songs so she could play along and hone her chops. In fact, I even polled the folks at RTH for song suggestions. Let me know if you need the list so that your girlfriend can branch out. There’s nothing worse than a one dimensional vibraslap player…

  27. Mr. Moderator

    I’m a huge fan of the vibraslap. Nice work, TB!

    I’m still impressed by Mick’s work on naming almost all The Zombies!

  28. hrrundivbakshi

    Hey, cdm — my fave vibraslap number has got to be “(It’s Not The Express) It’s The JB’s Monaurail (Part 1),” by Fred Wesley & the JBs. And yes, that’s how it’s spelled.

  29. I’ve not heard that one.

    I think the discussion was back on the list serve days and included:

    Sweet Emotion
    All Along the Watch Tower
    Crazy Train
    Wrong Em Boyo and Jimmy Jazz by the Clash
    Legs by Beretta 76
    A song by my band, the Donuts
    and my personal favorite, Reptile by the Church.

    I think Nixon’s Head has some on their latest album, but that wasn’t out at the time.

    I’m sure it we did this in a Last Man Standing, we’d get about 2,000 more suggestions.

  30. Not sure if this is worthy of another post but what is your favorite use in a song of:

    the Vibra Slap?

    the Cowbell?

    the Tamborine?

    the wood block?

    the Guiro (aka the Fish)?

    any other random percussion (sleigh bells, rainstick,etc)?

  31. Mr. Moderator

    cdm, I’m pretty sure the Head has used a vibraslap on every record (as in collection of songs, not every single song) we’ve ever made. On the other hand, we think we’ve only used vibrato on a guitar two times.

    To answer your questions…

    the Vibra Slap? – I think we double-tracked vibraslaps on a song of ours called “Go Away,” one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written but which we’ve only played live one time and only appears on some Swedish compilation. I’m going to go with our own song for this one.

    the Cowbell? – The intro to War’s “Low Rider,” a part that I used to be able to tap out on my nose before it was broken. Since the break, in 10th grade, I lost the tone I used to have.

    the Tamborine? – I’m not coming up with an amazing choice, but I’m always fascinated by those fast shakes that are used to punctuate full-band rests following a power chord. Then the tambourine player fades out at just the right time. It’s something the ’65-era Beatles and The Monkees would do.

    the wood block? – I like the wood block a lot and have employed it a few times, but I’m not coming up with a highly successful example to cite.

    the Guiro (aka the Fish)? – I’m pretty sure this is a prominent percussion instrument in Eric Burdon and War’s “Spill the Wine.” Whatever is making that sound has been highly influential since boyhood.

  32. hrrundivbakshi

    Come ON, cdm! How can a list of “mainstream” rock percussion instruments not include the greatest of all rock percussion instruments, the maraca?!

  33. a gross oversight on my part

  34. Best use of the tambourine? CDM, you’re dangerously close to your “name a band with 2 guitarists” threat. Best use of maracas: the middle break of Jumping Jack Flash.

  35. It doesn’t say “best”, it says “your favorite”.

    This means you have to do the whittling down process and then just provide us with one. Totally subjective.

  36. the Vibra Slap?
    Reptile by the Church (but to be fair, I never heard that missing Nixon’s Head track)

    the Cowbell?
    the intro to Mississippi Queen

    the Tamborine?
    Down Down Down by Tom Waits That guy really plays the shit out of the tambourine.

    the wood block?
    Raindogs by Tom Waits (although I might be confusing this with the two thick, short round wood things that you hit together)

    the Guiro (aka the Fish)?
    Soul Island by the Meters

    any other random percussion (sleigh bells, rainstick,etc)?
    Sleigh bells during On The Bus by the Replacements

  37. i got a vibra slap for Christmas… now I can play along with Crazy Train…

  38. I forgot to add the maraca song: AC/DC Problem Child.

  39. BigSteve

    Maracas should always be plural. ‘Maraca’ looks and sounds weird.

    Here are a couple for me:

    Cowbell: Chambers Brothers, Time Has Come Today

    Tambourine: Lemon Pipers, Green Tambourine (duh)

    Sleigh bells: Capt. Beefheart, Hobo Chang Ba

  40. Maracas played heavily in the Bon Scott-era AC/DC. Just so long as they don’t have the hidden microfilm inside…

    TB

  41. Mr. Moderator

    “Green Tambourine” must be the best tambourine song!

  42. Listening to some new mono Beatles. The tambo urine on “Day Tripper” is pretty awesome.

    TB

  43. the Vibra Slap?

    **Feelin Alright – Joe Cocker

    the Cowbell?

    **We’re An Amercian Band

    the Tamborine?

    **Any number of Motown Songs

    the wood block?

    **And I Love Her

    Marracas

    **Jumpin Jack Flash

    What about the Cabaza (the sh-sh thing)?

  44. Mr. Moderator

    The tambourine in “Day Tripper” does that trick I was thinking about but could not find an example to cite. Thanks, TB!

    “Feelin’ Alright” is a GREAT vibraslap example. Doesn’t the intro to “Superfly” also feature some essential vibraslap playing?

  45. hrrundivbakshi

    Sleeper tambo winner: “Drive My Car,” which I’m listening to in glorious mono as I type.

  46. What’s the last record you turned a friend onto?
    Sadistic Mika Band – self titled

    What’s the last record a friend turned you onto?
    Sixto Rodriquez – Cold Fact

    Are there no new drugs influencing young musicians these days, or have tales of albums inspired by Oxycontin and ADHD medications not yet been reported?

    Medicated from a young age has left kids unable to truly enjoy the proper drug experience required to create art.

    Without looking it up, how many members of The Zombies can you name?

    just the two everybody else knows

    Without being overly nasty, what might you see Meg White doing with her life that would surprise us after Jack White puts an end to White Stripes?

    Writing and starring in the proper Shaggs biopic

    What’s the best original mock-1950s song, recorded from 1970 forward?
    any number of “originals” from the Cramps

Aug 132007
 

If you don’t know the drill by now, we’ll keep it simple: answer the questions from your gut!

What band doesn’t get much props yet, by flying under the radar, fails to get the criticism it deserves?

What’s your least favorite guitar solo, a real song wrecker? Broad answers like “Anything by ______” will not be accepted.

What’s the earliest album you remember buying that’s still in your collection?

Think back and tell us about the first musician(s) in your school who stood out from the meager pack. If applicable, it’s OK to talk about yourself.

Has any artist outright shamed the entire genre of rock ‘n roll as Meat Loaf did in his prime? I heard the intro to “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” the other day, and I felt like I was watching one of my own sons get a swirly in summer camp. MOVED TO THE MAIN STAGE!

Do The Doobie Brothers get a bad rap? Should they be considered as respectable as Steve Miller Band in terms of ’70s rock craftsmanship?

I look forward to your candid answers.

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  10 Responses to “Dugout Chatter”

  1. – Does Tom Petty not get the Props/Criticism ?

    – I’m not a fan of the song but the solo during “Comfortable Numb” does nothing to make the song any more palatable for me

    – “High Tides & Green Grass” – The Rolling Stones. Import version. Probably purhcased in ’71 or ’72 and is still in Mr Mod’s collection

    – Chris Arms and his band “Cyd”. Our band before Nixon’s Head (“The Zone”) played with them. He was an “amazing” guitarist who was in the Philly band “The Long Riders” or something like that

    – Please, no talking about Swirlies and summer camp. I am just getting over those from when I was a camper

    – I think the Doobies are better musicians than Steve Miller Band, but there is something about the SMB that keeps from changing the channel when I hear them unlike I do with the Doobies (except for the riff in “Rollin Down the Highway”

  2. Mr. Moderator

    Tom Petty might be a good example of what I’m talking about, Andyr. I hadn’t thought of him.

    So that’s your copy of High Tide and Green Grass? What’s it doing in my collection? I’ve also got my childhood US version.

    I hear you on Chris Arms and Cyd, but did Stephen Dansy’s one-man-band version of some ’70s Stevie Wonder song come first? Do you remember that? Dansy’s performance came out of nowhere! Jon Braverman’s trumpet performance in 4th grade was pretty cool too.

    Interesting take on the Doobies vs Steve Miller Band. I’ll have to chew on that.

  3. Here’s how you got it, Mr Mod,

    Back when I got the LP, I had really *wanted* Sly & The Family Stone’s Greatest Hits. I was 8 or 9 at the time, so I may have confused the record-store dude (@ Wall to Wall Sound in Abington). I had not seen a picture of Sly before so I did not pick up on the white/black, english/american thing.

    Obviously when I got home to listen to it, it was not what I wanted and never listened to the thing. I was not into the Stones at that point, so I gave it to you since you had exprtessed interest in it (probably around 5th grade)

    There you have it

  4. Bright Eyes: a critical downgrade will come in time, I think.

    Lynyrd Skynrd, Free Bird: the song strains under the weight of the 39 guitar players all running scales at the same time.

    Led Zeppelin IV

    George Thoroughgood: Need I say more?

    I like Steve Miller’s economical songwriting, whereas the Doobie Brothers recycling of whatever passed for 70s classic rock always bored me.

  5. 2000 Man

    What band doesn’t get much props yet, by flying under the radar, fails to get the criticism it deserves?

    I gotta go with The Shins. I’m pretty underwhelmed by them. My Morning Jacket doesn’t do it for me, either.

    What’s your least favorite guitar solo, a real song wrecker? Broad answers like “Anything by ______” will not be accepted.

    Brian May on Killer Queen. Man, I just hate that sound, and the production just brings it way out front where it comes across as styrofoam scraping against dry skin.

    What’s the earliest album you remember buying that’s still in your collection?

    Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s Solar Fire. Though my original is long gone, because I wore out three of them, and my brother found a fourth after it went OOP. I literally jumped up and down when I found it on cd. I still love it.

    Think back and tell us about the first musician(s) in your school who stood out from the meager pack. If applicable, it’s OK to talk about yourself.

    Mark Urankar. He was the kid in fourth grade that played Chopin on piano. He’d been playing for years. He was always in my class and every teacher would make him play for the class. We’d shout out requests, like Windy by The Association and he played them all. I thought it was awesome.

    Has any artist outright shamed the entire genre of rock ‘n roll as Meat Loaf did in his prime? I heard the intro to “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” the other day, and I felt like I was watching one of my own sons get a swirly in summer camp.

    Mick Jagger’s solo career.

    Do The Doobie Brothers get a bad rap? Should they be considered as respectable as Steve Miller Band in terms of ’70s rock craftsmanship?

    Ugh. I never liked them because I always thought they sounded like Muzak with vocals. Steve Miller may not be “great,” but he was almost always “good.” There’s a lot to be said for that. Besides, Space Cowboy is a really cool song.

  6. Mr. Moderator

    GREAT answers, so far, today! Keep ’em coming. I’ll chime in on my own when I get more time.

    Andyr, your memory is exquisite. I’d forgotten all about that transaction. Do you want your copy back?

  7. There are a lot of bad guitar solos in 70s hard rock. One of my favorite bad solos is on Nazareth’s hit version of “Love Hurts.” Even though the solo is only a few notes long, it ends with a few bent notes that are astonishing for how much tastelessness they can pack into a brief moment.

    Boston’s first album is still in my collection, I think. If not, then Zeppelin IV.

    There was a guy who played first trumpet in my junior high band who could really wail. Can’t remember his name.

    I’ll go to the mat on this next one, Mr. Mod: I’ll take Styx over Meat Loaf. “You’re Fooling Yourself If You Don’t Believe it,” or whatever that song is called, knocks over everything in its path. I really think “Band that brings the most shame to the genre” needs to go mainstage here at Rocktown.

    I don’t mind a Doobies song on the radio, but the problem is that their songs always sound like a bad version of a better song that’s out there. Miller’s tunes are more unique in their cheesy awfulness.

  8. hrrundivbakshi

    What band doesn’t get much props yet, by flying under the radar, fails to get the criticism it deserves?

    I honestly do not understand this question. Wait — let me rephrase that: while I do not understand that question, yet, by reading it again, I fail to comprehend it.

    What’s your least favorite guitar solo, a real song wrecker? Broad answers like “Anything by ______” will not be accepted.

    I’ll say it again: the solo in Chicago’s “25 Or Six To Four” is the worst guitar solo of the classic rock era. The song is pretty bad to begin with; the fact that I feel sad about how much *worse* it gets as a result of that lead is testimony to its utter awfulness.

    What’s the earliest album you remember buying that’s still in your collection?

    Hm. I think “Rubber Soul.”

    Think back and tell us about the first musician(s) in your school who stood out from the meager pack. If applicable, it’s OK to talk about yourself.

    Bryan Stapp. No relation to Scott. Bryan’s 13 year-old prowess on the guitar was what shamed me into starting my meager musical career on the *piano*, fer crissakes. I thought I’d never be as good a player as Bryan. And perhaps I’m not! Who knows how… FUCK ME! I just ran a real-time Google on Bryan, and *this* is what I found! This is the guy! http://www.myspace.com/theloaners How funny that this absolutely, positively does *not* surprise me. Bryan was always the ultimate rock and roll capitalist — a label he would, I’m certain, be proud of today. Wow. Bryan Fucking Stapp. haven’t thought about that guy for 30 years, and now this. Ain’t the Internet amazing?

    Doobies: I’m one of the weird ones who much prefers the Steely Dan-lite era Doobies over the Tom Johnston hippie-rock Doobies. Mind you, all I know (and perhaps need to know) are the radio hits, which I quite like.

  9. Mr. Moderator

    OK, now I’ll play along:

    What band doesn’t get much props yet, by flying under the radar, fails to get the criticism it deserves?

    That’s a tough one. I may have to go with Steve Miller Band.

    What’s your least favorite guitar solo, a real song wrecker? Broad answers like “Anything by ______” will not be accepted.

    Wow, that’s a tough one too! I liked Andyr’s “Comfortably Numb” suggestion. That song used to make me nauseous, and the solo really did me in, but over the years I’ve come to kind of like the song. “Have a Cigar” still has that effect on me, but I don’t recall a distinctive guitar solo. In this case, I’m going to go with “A Hard Day’s Night”. In concept the solo with the doubled piano is pretty cool, but I’m really tired of it and it just sounds like a placeholder. I compare it with similar solo from one of my favorite early Zombies songs, “Is This the Dream”. In the Zombies solo, Rod Argent veers off from the guitar part and plays a tasty little trill that brings the solo to a close.

    What’s the earliest album you remember buying that’s still in your collection?

    That I bought? I’ve still got my original Beatles, Band, Joe Cocker, and Alvin and the Chipmunks Sing The Beatles albums, but my uncle bought them. I have the singles I bought, but they’re not albums. So the answer is that 5th grade favorite, the soundtrack from American Graffiti!

    Think back and tell us about the first musician(s) in your school who stood out from the meager pack. If applicable, it’s OK to talk about yourself.

    Although the shock value of class clown Stephen Dansy playing and singing “I Wish” at a school assembly was truly mind-blowing, I’ve thought this over and A-Dogg is correct: Chris Arms’ performance with Cyd.

    Do The Doobie Brothers get a bad rap? Should they be considered as respectable as Steve Miller Band in terms of ’70s rock craftsmanship?

    I’m starting to think they do get a bad rap because they actually lay it on the line and try to sing about something and emote something. Miller gives nothing whatsoever, and although I’ve always admired his craft, he’s really starting to grate on me. Beside “The Joker”, I’m pretty sure I can go the rest of my life never again hearing “Jet Airliner”, “Fly Like an Eagle”, etc. Every now and then I hear a Doobies Brothers song, be it a biker rock anthem or a Michael McDonald-era slice of blue-eyed fu-soul, and I realize they at least aspired to being great.

  10. What band doesn’t get much props yet, by flying under the radar, fails to get the criticism it deserves?

    I liked Dr. John’s Bright Eyes answer, though I think he/they get a lot of props these days, so I don’t know if that’s accurate.

    What’s the earliest album you remember buying that’s still in your collection?

    I just took home a bunch of boxes full of cassettes (and other things like VHS tapes) from my parents’ basement a few weeks ago and amazingly, I found a Tangier cassingle (the song is “On the Line”, if you must know, and I just had the cassingle without the cover) that I bought in the fall of 1989. If you don’t know who Tangier are, well they were actually from the Philly area (I only found this out recently) and they sounded like a cross between Cinderella and The Black Crowes.

    Do The Doobie Brothers get a bad rap? Should they be considered as respectable as Steve Miller Band in terms of ’70s rock craftsmanship?

    I’m with Fritz here. I like “What a Fool Believes” and generally speaking, I prefer the Steely Dan-lite version vs. the earlier incarnation, though really I don’t like either much. I don’t care for SMB, either, but at least they had “Jungle Love”, which I think is a pretty cool song.

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