Who are your favourite groups?
Posted by: Guido Fawkes on 11 January 2009
Reading this forum, I had a good idea who may come out the favourite group of the forum members, but just who are your favourite groups.
Perhaps rather unsurprisingly my top 20 (approximately), I might give a different list if asked tomorrow, are
Half Man Half Biscuit - musically fine, but as a songwriter/lyricist I think Nigel Blackwell is up there with the very best: Noel Coward, Tom Leher, Jacques Brell and Ray Davies.
The Beatles - of course
The Kinks - just superb in every way, shape or form - the first Heavy Rock rift, the first Psych single and unique very English songs
ELP - entertainment of the highest order and they could really play
Fairport Convention - Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Ian Mathews, Swarbs, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Judy Dyble and it never stops: what a band.
Soft Machine - Psych, prog-rock, jazz-fusion and a sense of humour: what more could you want: Kevin Ayers?
Caravan - a set of faultless albums and my favourite long song - 9 Feet Underground the organ sound of dreams.
Amon Duul II - Totally unique and always interesting - their first six albums are fantastic and some of the later ones were pretty good too.
Martha and the Muffins - Underrated, but outstanding band who even made good records in the 80s.
Incredible String Band - Influenced the Beatles and played world music before anybody had even heard of it - some duff records true, but some gems. The early ones are always thought of so try Earthspan, which is beautiful collection of songs.
Desperate Bicycles - Only one album and several singles/EP - New Cross, New Cross so good they said it twice. The band that said of making records: It was easy, it was cheap, go and do it. The best punk rock by a country mile IMHO.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - My favourite American band led by John Fogerty and just made a great noise together - shame they all ended up hating each other.
Planxty - Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), and Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes, tin whistle) - the best live band I have ever seen and they made mighty fine records too.
Bonzo Dog Band - Humour does belong in music and these guys proved it - now tell me more about Keynsham.
The Clash - Progressed very quickly from punk rock beginnings to something much finer and in London's Calling produced one of the best double albums ever.
The Zutons - Not just my token 21st band, but a group that demonstrates music is alive and well and hopefully there is lot more yet to come. Shame Ms Winehouse murdered one of their songs.
Deep Purple/Blackmore's Night - Created the great rock riff, one of the best ever rock songs The Shield - went from psych, to prog, to rock, to the sensation that is Blackmore's Night. To be Purple it has got to have Lord and Blackmore for me - don't mind who else joins in.
Kraftwerk - Electronic music for the rest of us; timeless.
Move/ELO - Well the Move did some of the greatest singles ever and my favourite song about calling the Fire Brigade and when out the ashes of the Move we got ELO then the music was to reach new heights - some great elpees and none better than Eldorado: one of the most played records I have.
Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour - Wonderful, wonderful, but underrated band. The first two albums were sensational psych at its very best and then they become the very tuneful Fairfield Parlour and released Bordeaux Rose - surely a breakthrough record, but then came Ted Heath and the 3-day week and TOTP got pulled and they didn't get the air-play.
OK so I've missed out Third World War, Atomic Rooster, Colosseum and many other great bands - so put me right and add in yours.
ATB Rotf
Perhaps rather unsurprisingly my top 20 (approximately), I might give a different list if asked tomorrow, are
Half Man Half Biscuit - musically fine, but as a songwriter/lyricist I think Nigel Blackwell is up there with the very best: Noel Coward, Tom Leher, Jacques Brell and Ray Davies.
The Beatles - of course
The Kinks - just superb in every way, shape or form - the first Heavy Rock rift, the first Psych single and unique very English songs
ELP - entertainment of the highest order and they could really play
Fairport Convention - Sandy Denny, Richard Thompson, Ian Mathews, Swarbs, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Judy Dyble and it never stops: what a band.
Soft Machine - Psych, prog-rock, jazz-fusion and a sense of humour: what more could you want: Kevin Ayers?
Caravan - a set of faultless albums and my favourite long song - 9 Feet Underground the organ sound of dreams.
Amon Duul II - Totally unique and always interesting - their first six albums are fantastic and some of the later ones were pretty good too.
Martha and the Muffins - Underrated, but outstanding band who even made good records in the 80s.
Incredible String Band - Influenced the Beatles and played world music before anybody had even heard of it - some duff records true, but some gems. The early ones are always thought of so try Earthspan, which is beautiful collection of songs.
Desperate Bicycles - Only one album and several singles/EP - New Cross, New Cross so good they said it twice. The band that said of making records: It was easy, it was cheap, go and do it. The best punk rock by a country mile IMHO.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - My favourite American band led by John Fogerty and just made a great noise together - shame they all ended up hating each other.
Planxty - Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), and Liam O'Flynn (uilleann pipes, tin whistle) - the best live band I have ever seen and they made mighty fine records too.
Bonzo Dog Band - Humour does belong in music and these guys proved it - now tell me more about Keynsham.
The Clash - Progressed very quickly from punk rock beginnings to something much finer and in London's Calling produced one of the best double albums ever.
The Zutons - Not just my token 21st band, but a group that demonstrates music is alive and well and hopefully there is lot more yet to come. Shame Ms Winehouse murdered one of their songs.
Deep Purple/Blackmore's Night - Created the great rock riff, one of the best ever rock songs The Shield - went from psych, to prog, to rock, to the sensation that is Blackmore's Night. To be Purple it has got to have Lord and Blackmore for me - don't mind who else joins in.
Kraftwerk - Electronic music for the rest of us; timeless.
Move/ELO - Well the Move did some of the greatest singles ever and my favourite song about calling the Fire Brigade and when out the ashes of the Move we got ELO then the music was to reach new heights - some great elpees and none better than Eldorado: one of the most played records I have.
Kaleidoscope/Fairfield Parlour - Wonderful, wonderful, but underrated band. The first two albums were sensational psych at its very best and then they become the very tuneful Fairfield Parlour and released Bordeaux Rose - surely a breakthrough record, but then came Ted Heath and the 3-day week and TOTP got pulled and they didn't get the air-play.
OK so I've missed out Third World War, Atomic Rooster, Colosseum and many other great bands - so put me right and add in yours.
ATB Rotf