Rock for J*** Lovers?

Posted by: Naijeru on 03 January 2009

As always, I'm on the search for exciting new music. Being a fan of primarily jazz, electronic and classical music, I have not been a fan of much rock. Outside of three bands so far, Nirvana, The Deftones and The Doors, I find much rock lacks either soul, verve or swing. I think it's the drumming. Is there more rock out there that a guy like me might think actually rocks or are bands like Nirvana an anomaly? Do you have any rock recommendations for a jazz lover?
Posted on: 07 January 2009 by Juergen M
May I complement the great suggestions already given with the following:

1. Donald Fagen's 'Kamakiriad' - not quite rock, but an excellent pop album with a significant jazz tinge.

2. The Mahavishnu Orchestra - my favourite fusion jazz which offers you the best of both worlds. Whilst their music is strictly speaking not rock, these guys do 'rock'.

John McLaughlin on guitar
Billy Cobham on drums
Jan Hammer on keyboards
Rick Laird on bass
Jerry Goodman on violin

Sadly they only released two original studio albums with this original line up, and an excellent live album called 'Between Nothingness and Eternity'. Their less impressive 'Lost Trident Sessions' were initially not deemed worthy of release and only released years later for collectors. Just listen to their 'The Inner Mounting Flame' or their 'Birds of Fire' and marvel as these guys 'rock' with unrivalled ferocity whilst maintaining melodic and compositional sophistication...

3. Also worth a listen: Miles Davis' 'A Tribute to Jack Johnson' - an equally great fusion jazz album which blurs the boundary between jazz and rock. Also with the participation of McLaughlin and Cobham.

Best wishes
Posted on: 07 January 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by alainbil:

Bless Its Pointed Little Head by Jefferson Airplane



YES!



Posted on: 07 January 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Juergen M:

Just listen to [The Mahavishnu Orchestra's] 'The Inner Mounting Flame' or their 'Birds of Fire'



YES!



Posted on: 07 January 2009 by Analogue
Soft Machine
Posted on: 07 January 2009 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Analogue:
Soft Machine

Smile
Posted on: 08 January 2009 by alainbil
quote:
Originally posted by Peres da Silva:


Originally Released: October 1969

Musicians:
Frank Zappa: Guitar, Octave Bass, Percussion
Ian Underwood: Piano, Organus Maximus, All Clarinets, All Saxes
Lowell George: Rhythm Guitar

If you like Stan Kenton, Gil Evans and Diana Krall, this is a good choice. If you prefer John Coltrane, Ornette Colemant or John Zorn, I would rather recommend Uncle Meat (ASIN: B0000009S1)
Posted on: 09 January 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by alainbil:

If you like Stan Kenton, Gil Evans and Diana Krall, [Hot Rats] is a good choice. If you prefer John Coltrane, Ornette Colemant or John Zorn, I would rather recommend Uncle Meat


I'm not sure I understand what this means ... I like Stan Kenton (even played with his orchestra in the 1970s), love Gil Evans, and Diana Krall is good at what she does; I also love John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, and John Zorn is good at what he does.

And I also love both Hot Rats and Uncle Meat. So I don't know quite how to parse this recommendation. Among many other things, what's Diana Krall got to do with Hot Rats?!

All best,
Fred



Posted on: 10 January 2009 by alainbil
quote:
Originally posted by fred simon:
quote:
Originally posted by alainbil:

If you like Stan Kenton, Gil Evans and Diana Krall, [Hot Rats] is a good choice. If you prefer John Coltrane, Ornette Colemant or John Zorn, I would rather recommend Uncle Meat


I'm not sure I understand what this means ... I like Stan Kenton (even played with his orchestra in the 1970s), love Gil Evans, and Diana Krall is good at what she does; I also love John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, and John Zorn is good at what he does.

And I also love both Hot Rats and Uncle Meat. So I don't know quite how to parse this recommendation. Among many other things, what's Diana Krall got to do with Hot Rats?!

All best,
Fred





Fred. From the point of view of logic (I mean mathematical logic) my statement and your statement are compatible.

I would not recommend the first and the later Zappa records to the same persons, although I understand that there are people like you that like both.

Cheers

Alain
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by u5227470736789524
Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band. I believe Carter, Boyd and LeRoi were all playing
jazz around Richmond Virginia when they joined DMB.
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by alainbil:

Fred. From the point of view of logic (I mean mathematical logic) my statement and your statement are compatible.

I would not recommend the first and the later Zappa records to the same persons, although I understand that there are people like you that like both.


Hi Alain,

Yes, it's a given that some people would like one of those two Zappa albums and not the other, and it's also a given that some people like both. I'm not sure I would agree that there are more of the former than the latter, as you seem to suggest, mainly because if someone is a Zappa fan at all, they're already somewhat on the fringes.

But still, what has Diana Krall got to do with someone liking Hot Rats more than Uncle Meat? I would imagine most fans of Krall wouldn't like either album.

All best,
Fred


Posted on: 10 January 2009 by willem
Try Faust, Can, Soft Machine
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by fatcat
quote:
Originally posted by Naijeru:
I really appreciate all these suggestions! I am certainly going to start with Jimi Hendrix and The Pixies. I have enjoyed one or two songs by Helmet too so I may investigate them further. I also like Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds if that's helpful.

To clarify, I'm not looking for rock that sounds like jazz per se (otherwise I'd just listen to jazz) but rock that has "jazz sensibilities" I guess. By jazz sensibilities I mean a band that is most of all lively with tight rhythm structures, a great ensemble performance (many bands are about just one personality) and musically adventurous. It's called "rock" right? So it should ROCK! What's with all this whiny whiny tone deaf literally off beat stuff that passes for rock? Somewhere along the line rock seems to have come to mean merely 'loud'.


SECONDED.
John M’s recommendation of Little Feat. The greatest rhythm section in rock.

Rock and Roll Doctor

Day at the dog races

Spanish Moon
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by Jet Johnson
.....

Following on from the Mahavishnu reccomendations howzabout this? - this is a crackin' album ..Cobham's first solo attempt and probably his best.
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by fatcat
quote:
Originally posted by Jet Johnson:
.Cobham's first solo attempt and probably his best.

And features the late great Tommy Bolin
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by Jet Johnson
quote:
By jazz sensibilities I mean a band that is most of all lively with tight rhythm structures, a great ensemble performance (many bands are about just one personality) and musically adventurous.



...Which kind of suggests to me The Talking Heads might also be your cup of Tetleys especially the expanded line-up which produced this ....
Posted on: 10 January 2009 by Naijeru
Yep, I'm a big fan of David Byrne.