Such-and-such is the so-and-so of today...
I've often thought about what current bands come closest to filling the roles that older bands filled in the past. For instance, I wonder who are the Beatles of today? Or the Led Zeppelin? Or the Pink Floyd? Etc, etc, etc. While it is important, I don't think their superficial sound should be the primary consideration. I'd give more weight to their impact on music and their energy and their abilities to convey their music. So, who do you think comes closest to being the current version of the following bands?
- The Beatles
- The Who
- Velvet Underground
- Pink Floyd
- Led Zeppelin
- Rolling Stones
- Allman Brothers
- Black Sabbath
- Ted Nugent
- The Clash
posted by bob_vinyl at 3:33 AM
10 Comments:
I kind of hate it when someone says such and such is this band of today. It usually gives unreal expectations and the label is usually handed out too early. Rarely do I hear fans say this though I think. It's normally more writers who I think get caught up in the moment. I mean how many bands have been called the next Beatles? Wasn't that label once given to the Knack after that debut? That shows much these labels are worth. I would rather a band carve their own niche and I am sure any band wants that as well. I don't really want new bands to fill the rolls of the veterans, I want them to break new ground if possible. I know that's tough to do, but that would be my ultimate hope with someone that has higher aspirations than just copying their influences.
Mark - I understand your objections, but I don't think you read my post. I explicitly said that I'm not looking for who sounds like these bands per se. I'm not looking for something like "Oasis is the new Beatles<' because they try to sound like the Beatles. I'm looking for "U2 is the new Beatles, because they have consistently pushed the limits of rock music and defined it more than anyone in their era." You know me well enough to know that I'm far more interested in new directions than I am in rehashing old stuff.
Bob, I love your question! Being a thought processor, I'll have to think before I comment. I'm going to link to this post, hope that's cool.
Wow, I'd try to play along, because I've always thought that U2 is the only logical successor to The Beatles, not they needed one, but just because U2 has done more with its music to impact a with a wider audience, but like Layla, this really needs some serious thought on some.
I could Alabama Thunderpussy for Allman Brothers, but I've yet to hear a punk band reach the pinnacle that The Clash did, though Against Me is everyone's favorite choice and there's SOME validation to it. I thought Voivod might be the next Floyd, but that wasn't quite the case. Dream Theater is too technical to be Floyd. GNR might've been the next Stones.
The Beatles
The Who
Velvet Underground
Pink Floyd
Led Zeppelin
Rolling Stones
Allman Brothers
Black Sabbath
Ted Nugent
The Clash
Barbara - Thanks for linking to my post! I'll be posting my choices tomorrow probably, but I wanna give some more people a chance to respond also.
Okay, here's my thoughts:
1. The Beatles -> U2 - This is an easy one, because no one has had such a broad influence since the Beatles.
2. The Who -> U2 - This was a tough one, but with their last two albums being great straightforward rock albums, I think U2 might be the closest thing to a modern Who as well.
3. Velvet Underground -> Yo La Tengo - Everyone loves Yo La Tengo except people who buy records. It's not a perfect match though, because I doubt Yo La Tengo will have the same influence in 30 years as VU.
4. Pink Floyd -> The Mars Volta - I think TMV's first album was comparable to Meddle-era Floyd in terms of pushing the limits, but they haven't released anything as accessible as Dark Side, so I suspect they're closer to King Crimson.
5. Led Zeppelin -> White Stripes - Ten or so years ago, I would have said Screaming Trees, but I think the White Stripes manage their energy much as Zeppelin did whether they are playing fast or slow, heavy or soft.
6. Rolling Stones -> Jet - Like the early Stones, Jet plays decent songs with a lot of swagger. The Stones did it first and better, but Jet is lucky enough to not have had the time to taint themselves with 30 years of crappy releases.
7. Allman Brothers -> Black Crowes - No one else comes close to the Allman's soul-injected southern rock than the Black Crowes.
8. Black Sabbath -> Metallica - I was going to pick a stoner band like Boris or something, but then I realized that Metallica fits best. They did a lot ot redefine metal, yet their output has been inconsistent.
9. Ted Nugent -> Fu Manchu - They're like the Nuge, except they go surfing instead of hunting (and they inject their music with a large dose of punk energy).
10. The Clash -> Ted Leo - Ted Leo has the Clash's ability to make punk records that stretch way beyond punk without getting away from its essence. He also has the ability to write political songs that reach the heart.
Ray - Alabama Thunderpussy is an interesting choice for the Allmans. I've seen Against Me compared to the Clash, but I don't think they stretch enough to fill the Clash's shoes. I remember thinking the same about Voivod (the two PF covers didn't hurt and both were very good). Dream Theatre is too dull to be Pink Floyd (unless you're thinking about the Final Cut!). GnR is a fine choice. I skipped them only because they aren't doing anything now. Of course, if Chinese Democracy comes out it certainly has the potential to suck every bit as much as the Stones have for 30 years!
The Beatles - Weezer, it seems like U2 is the common answer but I always thought Weezer had that fun upbeat attitude of The Beatles, at least the early days.
The Who - The White Stripes, they have that raw sound of The Who.
Velvet Underground - Dead Meadow, they're not well known but they have a very psychadelic and dark sound. I feel like there is a better band to list but I don't know who right now.
Pink Floyd - The Mars Volta, definitely one of the original bands today with that spacey prog sound.
That's all I have for now, I might do the rest later.
Jeff - Weezer is an interesting choice, especially when comparing to the early Beatles, because they seemed simple, but there really was an underlying complexity that made them special. I think the same might be true of Weezer. Dead Meadow is an interesting choice for VU also. it makes me want to go back and listen to them again.
Bob - I think you're right and would say the Mars Volta is more of a King Crimson; I would probably anoint Radiohead as a Pink Floyd instead, although they don't yet have a band member whose bloated sense of self destroyed them-- or do they?
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