Greatest Band of the 20th Century

Posted by: chuck777 on 21 January 2006

I could not resist because of the greatest vocalist post.

I would have to say the Beatles

Charles Big Grin
Posted on: 11 February 2006 by Rasher
quote:
Originally posted by Earwicker:
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
I'm prepared to say I prefer Status Quo to Dire Straits

There are some things to which one should never admit in public!

No, I would have to say that early Quo, as ROTF says are really good. I'll go along with ROTF myself.
Posted on: 11 February 2006 by Earwicker
This is worrying. Status Quo are toe-curlingly bad, and blatantly so. Almost as cringesome as Queen. There's more musical taste in Mark Knopfler's thumb than in the entire line-up of Status Quo and Queen put togther.

EW
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by craig sidwell:
Does anybody like the Alex Harvey band?

'The Impossible Dream' is one of my favourite albums.

I think they were an incredibly talented band.


Definitely - especially "There's no lights on the Christmas tree mama, they're burning Big Louie tonight".
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Earwicker:
This is worrying. Status Quo are toe-curlingly bad, and blatantly so. Almost as cringesome as Queen. There's more musical taste in Mark Knopfler's thumb than in the entire line-up of Status Quo and Queen put togther.

EW


So what has Mr Knopfler written that compares with "Black Veils of Melancholy", "Sunny Cellophane Skies", "Green Tambourine", "Pictures of Matchstick Men", "Ice In The Sun", "Down The Dustpipe", "Umleitung" and "In My Chair".

As Rasher emphasises it is early Quo stuff we are referring to - it is well worth a listen.
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Roger the Shrubber
In no particular order:

The Velvet Underground
The Pixies
Galaxie 500
Pre Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
The Fall
Joy Division
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Earwicker
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
So what has Mr Knopfler written that compares with "Black Veils of Melancholy", "Sunny Cellophane Skies", "Green Tambourine", "Pictures of Matchstick Men", "Ice In The Sun", "Down The Dustpipe", "Umleitung" and "In My Chair".

Just about every song on Dire Straits, Communique, Making Movies and Love over Gold.

EW
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by starbuck
Arguing about the relative merits of Status Quo over Dire Straits, or vice-versa, is a bit like debating whether the Mini Metro is better than the Austin Allegro, in my opinion.
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Earwicker
quote:
Originally posted by starbuck:
Arguing about the relative merits of Status Quo over Dire Straits, or vice-versa, is a bit like debating whether the Mini Metro is better than the Austin Allegro, in my opinion.

Mark Knopfler is quite a talented musician, with a fine guitar technique and sense of style. Status Quo are just a not-very-musical joke, a dismal pair of twats who laugh all the way to the bank.

EW
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Earwicker:
quote:
Originally posted by ROTF:
So what has Mr Knopfler written that compares with "Black Veils of Melancholy", "Sunny Cellophane Skies", "Green Tambourine", "Pictures of Matchstick Men", "Ice In The Sun", "Down The Dustpipe", "Umleitung" and "In My Chair".

Just about every song on Dire Straits, Communique, Making Movies and Love over Gold.

EW


Hi EW

Oddly enough I used to have the first three Dire Straits albums and really couldn't find anything on them I liked (I didn't buy them they were given to me). I thought all the songs sounded much the same - I'm not really an AOR type person.

I agree later Quo songs all sounded similar, but the early stuff was really very inventive - especially the tracks I've listed.

Oh well it wouldn't do for us all to think alike.

Best regards, Rotf

BTW Mini Metro is much better than Austin Allegro (though I haven't got any albums by either).
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by starbuck
quote:
Mark Knopfler is quite a talented musician, with a fine guitar technique and sense of style. Status Quo are just a not-very-musical joke, a dismal pair of twats who laugh all the way to the bank.

EW


The Austin Allegro is quite a stylish vehicle, with a fine colour range and lots of 70's kitsch, although hampered by such flaws as the rectangular steering wheel. The Mini Metro was just too little too late, although Rover continued production well beyond the cars sell by date due to it's bland and predicatble popularity with a specific market. See what I mean?
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Kevin-W
quote:
Originally posted by Earwicker:

Mark Knopfler is quite a talented musician, with a fine guitar technique and sense of style.

EW


Eh? Have you been on the brown acid that Country Joe warned us all about? Knopfler is perhaps the dullest, least congenial musician I've ever had the misfortune to meet. He's also possibly the least charismatic frontman of all time.

At least the Quo were a bit of a laugh, and you could jump up and down to them and have some fun. Which is more than you can say about ponderous Dire Bolical sludge like "Telegraph Road" and that record beloved of Dave Lee Travis, "Private Investigations".

Anyway, to get back on track, the greatest band of the 20th century was probably the Duke Ellington Orchestra in its many guises. After that, Kraftwerk, Can, Joy Division, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles.

Best band of the 21st century?

That's easy - it's The White Stripes...

K
Posted on: 12 February 2006 by Earwicker
quote:
Originally posted by Kevin-W:
Knopfler is perhaps the dullest, least congenial musician I've ever had the misfortune to meet. He's also possibly the least charismatic frontman of all time.

I've never met him so I shall reserve judgement on his general character.

quote:
At least the Quo were a bit of a laugh, and you could jump up and down to them and have some fun.

You can certainly laugh at them, although I suspect it is they who are laughing at us. They can only be amused at the fact that people buy their garbage, devoid, as it is, of the slightest hint of musical interest or taste.

quote:
Anyway, to get back on track, the greatest band of the 20th century was probably the Duke Ellington Orchestra in its many guises.

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I'd also enter a plea for The Quintette of the Hot Club of France, and possibly even Steely Dan.

EW
Posted on: 13 February 2006 by Rasher
and Hawkwind.
Posted on: 13 February 2006 by Rasher
I'm also fairly amazed that no-one has yet mentioned The Grateful Dead. Maybe this forum is too UK based, but even so.
Posted on: 13 February 2006 by Diode100
quote:
Originally posted by Rasher:
I'm also fairly amazed that no-one has yet mentioned The Grateful Dead. Maybe this forum is too UK based, but even so.


UK based or not, are you really fairly amazed, or are you just saying that ?
Posted on: 13 February 2006 by Rasher
Smile It depends on what is considered the greatest band, in comparison with say the greatest music. As a band they are legendary and their following is/was huge. They were a lifestyle for many people. I thought their music was less than average personally, but as a band, well, there was chemistry there. Winker
Posted on: 13 February 2006 by Diode100
quote:
Originally posted by Rasher:
Smile It depends on what is considered the greatest band, in comparison with say the greatest music. As a band they are legendary and their following is/was huge. They were a lifestyle for many people. I thought their music was less than average personally, but as a band, well, there was chemistry there. Winker


An intersting point, I'm always fascinated by stories of bands / artists who have slipped off the radar in the UK but subsequently emerge with a massive following in russia/china/japan/germany etc. I read somewhere that the Rubettes, who had a hit in the Uk god knows when with Sugar Baby Love, haven't had a day out of work eversince, amazing. Then there are people like Dave Matthews, nothing in their homeland UK, but monster in the states. Maybe if Cliff Richard still had a band he could be a candidate for GBOT20C.
Posted on: 14 February 2006 by Paul Davies
The Larks' Krim line-up of King Crimson, who recorded the indispensible trio of masterpieces Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, and Red.
Posted on: 15 February 2006 by bhazen
quote:
Originally posted by Paul Davies:
The Larks' Krim line-up of King Crimson, who recorded the indispensible trio of masterpieces Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black, and Red.


Paul Davies - you are a gentleman of taste. I'd add USA to that triumvirate (making it a quartet I suppose).
Posted on: 27 February 2006 by Clive B
Sorry to come so late to this thread - I always seem to miss the boat. Still, I thought I'd add to this just for fun and because no one else has mentioned them. So what about It Bites?

Otherwise I'd go with the flow.

For pure energy, The Who.
For musicality, Yes.
For songwriting, The Beatles.
For vocal talent, Queen.
For ear stretching excitement, Mahavishnu Orchestra.
For hallucination, Pink Floyd.

And for the best of all these things...

Led Zeppelin.

And for what it's worth, the best American band? Steely Dan (of course).

Regards,
CB
Posted on: 28 February 2006 by Earwicker
Guys,

I just don't get it with Led Zepellin - perhaps I need to listen again!?

CB - at last another endorsement for Steely Dan! But Queen....!

EW
Posted on: 28 February 2006 by Chayro
The Beatles changed the world. I can't say they were the best band that ever was, but their contribution was certainly the biggest. The root of the tree from which everything grew. Perhaps many of you are too young to appreciate the change they spurred. They were the transition from Elvis to everything that came after.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Totally unique. Nobody was doing what they were doing at that time.
Posted on: 01 March 2006 by Analogue
Must be:
Bill Hailey and the Comets and Elvis Presley and the Jordanairs, thats when it all started.
Regards
Chris N
Posted on: 01 March 2006 by Chayro
quote:
Originally posted by Earwicker:
Guys,

I just don't get it with Led Zepellin - perhaps I need to listen again!?

CB - at last another endorsement for Steely Dan! But Queen....!


Ear - Later Zep definitely got into some weird shite, but you should listen to the first and second albums. Zep set the mold for all the "heavy" bands to follow.

EW
Posted on: 01 March 2006 by Sloop John B
quote:
Originally posted by GerryMcg:
I' m afraid my list is overly long, in no particular order:

The Chameleons
The Who
Screaming Trees
Blue Aeroplanes
Echo & The Bunnymen
Beta Band
Crime & The City Solution
The Church
Doctors Of Madness
Small Faces
Rolling Stones
Led Zeppelin
Rain Parade
Eleventh Dream Day
Breathless
Sonic Youth
Pyschedic Furs
Built To Spill
Poster Children

I cannot understand how so many of these bands were off the Radar.

gerry


I'm coming back to this thread a bit late, but Gerry I'd be interested in what Eleventh Dream Day, The Church, Built to Spill and Pyschedic Furs and Screaming Trees albums pass your 2 great - no fillers criteria.
I have a few albums by these bands that may deserve another listen.