Battle of the Bands
Here's another fun game that Mark came up with. Just pick your favorite band from each pair. My answers are hidden as they were in the best album posts.
- The Clash vs Sex Pistols: The Clash. This is an easy pick. The Pistols might be important in the grand scheme of punk rock, but they really weren't that good and they never stretched any boundaries (musically anyway). The Clash transcended punk, taking its ethic and energy to the masses without compromising themselves.
- Madness vs The Specials: Madness. While the Specials were a great ska band, they were only a ska band. Madness on the other hand, took ska with a healthy dose of soul. The Specials were more textbook ska, but Madness was closer to its spirit.
- Aerosmith vs Kiss: Aerosmith. Kiss had outside writers helping them from the get-go. It took Aerosmith almost 20 years to rely that heavily on outside sources.
- MC5 vs the Stooges: MC5. Both band released three albums and called it quits before their time. But the MC5 had more breadth in their work. it went from trippy psyche to punk rants to candied pop on any given album without losing cohesiveness. The Stooges changed a bit over the course of their albums, but they weren't able to jump around as much.
- Iron Maiden vs Judas Priest: Maiden. I was listening to Screaming for Vengeance yesterday and it still holds up pretty well, but even as one of Priest's best albums, it has more filler than the first five Maiden albums combined.
- Public Enemy vs NWA: Public Enemy. In the late 80s, rap was at a crossroads: There was the Public Enemy path of intelligent socio-political commentary over dynamic, jazz-influenced backing tracks and there was the NWA path of mindless gang-banger idiocy over more straight-forward funk influenced rhythms. Unfortunately, NWA won out. But that doesn't make them better, it just means the listeners are dumber. Too bad for all of us.
- Marvin Gaye vs Aretha Franklin: Aretha. Even up against Marvin Gaye, she gets more respect.
- Guns n Roses vs Motley Crue: GnR. Their best albums are pretty close in quality, but even the all-covers Spaghetti Incident wasn't as bad as Girls Girls Girls. Besides, GnR never killed anyone and made light of it later.
- Great White vs Whitesnake: Battle of the Led Zep clones! But who cares? They both suck. Maybe Whitesnake wins since they never burned up a bunch of people in a nightclub.
- Replacements vs REM: Replacements. I think there's a valid argument for REM, but the Replacements were never as self-righteous and self-important as REM. Tehy never stretched as much as REM, but there's a lot to be said for their straight-forward, honest, anti-rock star brand of rock n roll.
posted by bob_vinyl at 10:45 AM
7 Comments:
Here are my answers.
1. The Clash
2. Madness - I actually like both but am an expert on neither. When we met one of the first things that I was told about you was that your favorite band was masness.
3. Aerosmith - KISS is a joke. They would sell their mother's soul if they could.
4. Don't know enough about either to answer.
5. Judas Priest - While I can appreicate both bands and I think that technically Maiden is better, I have to go with Judas Priest. They are just fun to listen to.
6. Again, I am too ignorant on either group to comment. When these guys came out, I was listening to hair metal.
7. Marvin Gaye - Again, both are great, but I love to sing along with Marvin. He has the sweetest voice.
8. Both about the same. I actually liked Motley Crue all through high school, but Guns N Roses came out firing and were awesome. Patience is a great song and I love most of Appetite for Destruction.
9. Whitesnake - I think Coverdale is a better singer.
10. Can not comment. I like REM, but really don't know the Replacements at all.
I posted and lost all my comments. I hate Blogger.
1. The Sex Pistols, but only because Bob said "The Clash." Just kidding.
2. I am not really into ska, but I would take Madness, I guess.
3. Aerosmith - I love Aerosmith, and I have a weird, Steven Tyler fetish. I think it's because he repels me, so I am weirdly attracted. I have the same problem with Prince, although that is probably way more embarassing than the Steven Tyler issue.
4. Like Linda, I don't know enough about either to answer.
5. I wish I could say I liked either, but I just don't. Sorry.
6. Public Enemy! 911 is a joke! Chuck D. is the man!
7. Marvin Gaye, because I can never get enough of his sweet voice.
8. GNR vs. the Crue. That's tough. I guess GNR holds up better over time, because what was once cool about Vince Neil is now just grating. Anyone else find his voice annoying? But, then, Tommy Lee is way more interesting 20 years later than Axl Rose . . . who seems to have vanished . . . where is Axl, anyway?
9. Whitesnake, but mostly because I have a David Coverdale thing. Not a repulsion/attraction, just a plain, old attraction. God, this is sad. When did Bob's blog become some kind of truth serum? And how long will it take me to live some of this down?
10. I like REM, but I don't know the Replacements at all, I don't think . . . do I?
Let's see. The Clash combined two incredibly vital cultures to create something that was musically and politically revolutionary. At their best, they were as good as any band in the last 50 years. Sure, the Pistols get kudos for some of their antics, but Sid and the gang were to Malcolm McLaren what Bobby Brown and the rest of New Edition were to Maurice Starr. The only difference is the Pistols had heroin problems before they became stars.
I have to say Madness, only because I don't know The Specials well. But the fact that you could arrange almost any Madness song to be a kickass marching band song certainly suggests that they were creating some pretty substantial music.
When Aerosmith came back from years of drug abuse and sucking, they became as good as -- if not better than -- they were at their youthful peak. When KISS came back from years of audience abuse and sucking, they were a bunch of old men making some big cash by recreating their youthful peak. Besides, whatever cheesy songwriters Aerosmith may have worked with, Michael Bolton sure as hell isn't credited on any of their albums.
Frankly, it's all a little too white and American for me. I need some soul or at least a European accent with my revolution, please.
Judas Priest recorded some absolutely amazing songs but I don't think there's an album that is strong from start to finish. Iron Maiden recorded some absolutely amazing songs and then put them on albums with a bunch of other absolutely amazing songs. Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, and Powerslave are all arguable contenders for the greatest heavy metal album, while metal mockeries like "Bloodstone" or "Love Bites" ruin the greatest Priest albums.
The very presence of this comparison makes me sad. Public Enemy was a flamethrower; NWA was a sparkler that appealed to the rebellion fantasies of millions of angst-ridden white suburban teenagers.
This is unfair. I can't choose. I guess if you put a gun to my head, I'll choose Aretha. Hmmm... but then I'd be giving up "Let's Get It On." Not that I listen to either on a regular basis, but still. Couldn't we change this to Marvin Gaye vs NWA and Aretha Franklin vs. J Church? That'd be way easier.
Motley Crue, of course. Largely because I hate G'n'R, partially because Tommy Lee is a great drummer, and also because "Shout at the Devil" is still a rock-solid album, start to finish. Besides, if I choose Guns and Roses, there's a risk that someday someone will force me to listen to Chinese Democracy. (shiver)
It's looking like Whitesnake. Their singer is not named after a dog breed, my chances of surviving a concert are exponentially higher, and their constant use of subtle and poetic sexual metaphors borders on literary genius.
When the Replacements got drunk, they gave amazing live performances of "Waitress in the Sky". When Peter Buck from REM got drunk, he beat up the waitress in the sky.
1-I have not heard enough of the Clash to tell.
2- Don't like either one.
3-Aerosmith. Before 1995 it would have been Kiss, but Kiss have sunk to new depths since then.
4-I like early Alice Cooper better than either one of these bands.
5-Maiden. It wasn't until their eighth album that they did a bad song.
6-Public Enemy. One of the few rap bands I liked.
7-Aretha Franklin. Better voice.
8-Guns-n-Roses. I agree with Bob. The only thing Axl ever killed off was his own career. I do respect the other guys who were in G-N-R except Steven Adler who had the IQ of a brick.
9-Whitesnake because Slide it in was a good album. Although I would take White Lion over either one.
10-I don't think I have ever heard the replacements.
The Clash vs Sex Pistols: The Clash, easily. Instead of analyzing it deeply, I'll just point out that the Pistols were about shock value, The Clash were about integrity.
Madness vs The Specials: Madness, for sure. Bob turned me on to them greatly back in the day. I was always envious of that One Step Beyond subway poster he had! The Specials do their job well, but Madness really set the cogs in motion for everyone else to follow... Night boat to Cairo!!!!
Aerosmith vs Kiss: As much as I would've argued Kiss back in the 80s (I can't believe they were once my favorite band, argh!), Kiss' sellout factor is far more blatant than Aerosmith's.
MC5 vs the Stooges: I agree with Bob, MC5. I'm a late bloomer in studying these bands, but it's clear MC5 had more dynamics than just a charsmatic anorexic lead singer.
Iron Maiden vs Judas Priest: This is the meanest question on the poll as I love both bands. Still, Maiden is the greatest metal band of all time. It's gospel.
Public Enemy vs NWA: Public Enemy.
Bob and The Rev make good comments. Public Enemy is the most important and devastating force rap has ever seen or will see. Nobody has put as much effort and thought into their messages like Public Enemy has. Too bad they released the lethargic He Got Game soundtrack, but even Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age is a very strong (and overlooked) album.
Marvin Gaye vs Aretha Franklin: OUCH! Brutal, man! I don't want to make this call whatsoever as I am fond of both for different reasons. Gaye moistens my eyes with "What's Going On," while Aretha makes me crumble at times with her outright power. I guess Aretha.
Guns n Roses vs Motley Crue: GnR. I spent '84 and '85 enamored with The Crue, and like Bob said, Girls Girls Girls was so unforgivable I still hold it against them.
Great White vs Whitesnake: I interviewed Jack Russell, who was very professional and genuinely saddened by the tragedy, but it remains that Whitesnake at least has one great album, one decent album, and a Steve Vai showcase, whereas Once Bitten is really all I can say in favor of Great White and it's pretty good, but not essential.
Replacements vs REM: Replacements. I have more Replacements (thank you, Bob) than REM, and I bought 6 of REM's albums. Replacements remain endearing, REM grows boring rather quickly, although Document is definitely one of the crucial albums of the original alternative scene.
I should clarify that out of those 6 REM albums I only kept Document!
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