best rock band ever?

Originally posted by rbmorris
I was actually thinking yesterday about buying B&S's The Life Pursuit, even though I already have it in e-format.

Originally posted by bbarr
What a disappointment that album was.

To my mind, the best rock band should embody the essence of rock. When someone asks you "what is rock?" you should be able to point to that band and say "it's what they do." But what is rock exactly? That's what no one can agree on.

Is it blues with a backbeat, like Elvis and Chuck Berry? Is it artistic, like the Beatles and Radiohead? Is it political poetry, like Bob Dylan and Bob Marley? Is it attitude, like the Sex Pistols and the Ramones? Is it experimental, like Frank Zappa and Sonic Youth? Is it aggression, like Pantera and Slayer? Is it fashion, like Aerosmith and Guns 'n Roses? Is it guitar? Is it electric? Is it loud? Etc... This is what no one can agree on. And if you pick one or even several of categories to base your opinion on, can you deny the acts that fit into the other categories are rock?

Even if you get past that problem, how do you rank the bands? How many records were sold? How many other bands reference them as influences? Which one you like the best? Are any of these defensible reasons for making the proper selection? The reasoning is usually questionable.

Having said all that, my personal opinion is that if you point to AC/DC, most people will say "oh, that's rock...", for one or several of the reasons I listed above. They seem to embody the most satisfying elements of rock from the various ages and genres (except the experimentalism, however I deny that "all their songs sound the same" ), and they put on one hell of a show. But of course, it's up for discussion. 😉

Originally posted by rbmorris
That's just crazy. No, it wasn't my all-time fav B&S. I probably like "If You're Feeling Sinister" [live] the best. Still, I thought it ("The Life Pursuit"😉 was a fantastic album.

Did you give it a few honest listens all the way through?

Originally posted by bbarr
Yeah, I gave it few honest listens, and I was excited about that album. I didn't find the lyrics particularly poignant, and it was a bit too poppy for my tastes. Then again, the early stuff constituted a soundtrack for my early twenties, so maybe I'm just biased. Tigermilk is my hands-down favorite.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
If that is the best the 90's produced, the match is done and the 70's didn't even have to come out for the second round because it was a stone cold knock out. Why didn't you claim Kid Rock while you were at it?

nickelback-animals

AC/DC ceased to be one of the best after February 1980. Before that they were good - maybe even great.


Cream would be one of my choices.

For something more up to date I would say Interpol and Athlete.

Originally posted by bbarr
What a disappointment that album was.

It would all depend on how heavily one weights this factor as opposed to that one. What is 'true ' rock? If it's rock and roll, that would be someone like Chuck Berry or Little Richard, depending on whether you count the guitar or the piano as the premier rock instrument. If the artist's impact on the genre is counted as being of primary importance, that would be Jimi Hendrix. There is rock before Hendrix, a lull while the world tried to get it's mind around Are You Experienced and Axis:Bold as Love, and then there is rock after Hendrix. The two eras are very distinctly different, and it was his influence that led to the later bands like Led Zep. If you listen to Jimmy Page's studio work with groups like Herman's Hermits and such, along with his efforts with the Yardbirds, it is very clear that Hendrix popped up and he was like "Whoa! What in the world is THIS?!?' and then his whole way of thinking about music was changed. He would never conceed this, having an ego the size of the Montana sky, but that's what happened.🙂
If quality, top 40 pop songs are what one ranks highest, that would be someone like the Beatles/Stones/Kinks/Who, depending on who you talk to.
If it's a particular genre that is considered to be the true essence of rock, then shock rock? Alice Cooper. Bach rock( and the derivitive symphonic and orchestral metal) Jethro Tull. Blues based rock would be Cream or the Allman Brothers Band, depending on if it was the 'rock' or 'blues' thing that should be the deciding factor.

This could go on for a very long time, because different people count different things as being of primary importance. If punk is the thing that one enjoys most, you've got to go with the Clash or the Sex Pistols, but the bottom line is always The Greatest Rock Band Ever is whoever it is that you enjoy listening to the most.🙂

Can't remember if I posted in this thread, but many of my new favorites came from suggestions on this site. New list would be:

Belle & Sebastian
Bright Eyes
Spoon
Wilco
The Black Keys (credit splits between this site and Conan O'Brien for this one)
Nirvana
Foo Fighters (first two albums only)
Radiohead
Bob Dylan
Guster
Neil Young

My current to get list has many more suggestions from this site (not all come from here, but many do):

Rocky Votaloto
Neutral Milk Hotel
The Shins
Beirut
Yann Tierson
Deerhoof
Deerhunter
Swingin' Utters
Sufjan Stevens
Cat Stevens
The Black Angels
Joy Division
Sloan
The Smiths
Broken Social Scene
TV On the Radio
Television
Nick Drake
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Husker Du
The Zombies
Talking Heads
Massive Attack
The Replacements
M.I.A.
Of Montreal
PJ Harvey
Animal Collective
Panda Bead
The National
Porcupine Tree
Elliot Smith
Eels
Minus the Bear

Those who influence the list know who you are.