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10 bands better than the Beatles


nhbw

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I like the Beatles, but I think that it is funny how some people go so goofy over them. Sure, they were the first out of the blocks, but if I'm on a desert island, here are 10 bands I'd rather listen to.

 

In no particular order:

 

Led Zeppelin

The Who

Yes

Genesis

Gentle Giant

King Crimson

Supertramp

Elton John Band

Porcupine Tree

Crack the Sky

 

I could go on...........

 

nhbw

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Originally posted by nhbw

Led Zeppelin

The Who

Yes

Genesis

Gentle Giant

King Crimson

Supertramp

Elton John Band

Porcupine Tree

Crack the Sky

 

Mebbe so...but only EJ came close on the prolific pop chops.

 

I'd also throw a bone to the early Who.

 

The rest of 'em had an awful lot of the noodley-noodle. Know what I'm sayin?

 

:)

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good lord. If those were the records I was stuck with on a deserted island I'd kill myself. I'd rather have nothing but a half dozen Beatles tunes to listen to...

 

Just for kicks, here's my own deserted isle top ten (as of this minute and in no particualr order):

 

The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me

The New Pornographers Twin Cinema

Velvet Underground Loaded

Wilco Being There

Richard Thompson Daring Adventures

The Lyres On Fyre

Van Morrison Astral Weeks

The Hoodoo Gurus Stoneage Romeos

Big Star Radio City

Joni Mitchell Blue

 

 

still, I wouldn't say any of those artists are "better than the Beatles." The problem with the Beatles is they have become so iconic that you just can't help but hear them constantly - and you can't help but tire of their signature tunes. But if you actually sit down and listen to their records - like Rubber Soul or The White Album - they really were brilliant. Much of their best work was the stuff that wasn't "hit material."

 

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And ..................we can't forget the producer, GEORGE MARTIN. Without him , the Beatles may have ended up sounding like your nearby garage band! His innovative audio experiments led to the RICH LAYERED POLISHED sound of the Beatles that we have all grown to love. Who would have ever thought to just cut up a tape into little pieces, throw it up in the air and randomly splice the pieces back together?...George Martin !

 

However, having said that, I remember when Martin took over total control of the B side of the "Yellow Submarine" LP. That WAS NOT Beatles ! It was something else, something I NEVER listened to again. I paid for POP music and George gave me some pseudo-classical junk with that.

 

Dan

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The Beatles aren't my favorite band, by a ways... but I'm not rushing to put money on my faves -- or anyone else's -- in any kind of head-to-head competition.

 

Other people were better instrumentalists, better singers. Other writers wrote about heavier stuff or more involved, ambitious, demanding, poetic lyrics. Many had trickier, more complex, or dance-floor filling rhythms.

 

But the Beatles wrote some transcendant pop songs and then delivered them with plenty of personal character and (usually) lots of charm. They may not have been at the forefront of cultural change but they were carried along by those waters and their music aptly reflected and expressed a lot of what was going on in society in those tumultuous days.

 

They were, for many, justly emblematic of the transition of pop music from the late 50s to the beginning of the 70s.

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Originally posted by nhbw

I like the Beatles, but I think that it is funny how some people go so goofy over them. Sure, they were the first out of the blocks, but if I'm on a desert island, here are 10 bands I'd rather listen to.


In no particular order:


Led Zeppelin

The Who

Yes

Genesis

Gentle Giant

King Crimson

Supertramp

Elton John Band

Porcupine Tree

Crack the Sky


I could go on...........


nhbw

 

 

No one mentions Crack the Sky, anymore... er, if they ever did. I remember how much I loved just the name...

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In the contentious spirit of the thread---screw that. The Beatles were the best. Mozart to all the Salieris on your list. Porcupine Tree?? Stale 3rd gen prog? be my guest...Why don't you just go ahead and put Dream Theater ahead of the Beatles too?

 

;)

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Why do people have to make a contest out of their personal preferences? :freak:

 

So you don't like the Beatles...that's fine.

 

I happen to the the Beatles are the most important thing to happen to rock n roll.

 

Is my opinion renedered invalid by your list?

 

Music isn't a contest.

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Originally posted by techristian

And ..................we can't forget the producer, GEORGE MARTIN. Without him , the Beatles may have ended up sounding like your nearby garage band! His innovative audio experiments led to the RICH LAYERED POLISHED sound of the Beatles that we have all grown to love. Who would have ever thought to just cut up a tape into little pieces, throw it up in the air and randomly splice the pieces back together?...George Martin !


However, having said that, I remember when Martin took over total control of the B side of the "Yellow Submarine" LP. That WAS NOT Beatles ! It was something else, something I NEVER listened to again. I paid for POP music and George gave me some pseudo-classical junk with that.


Dan

 

 

While I agree that the Beatles wouldn't have been nearly as great as they sounded without G.Martin, I'm wondering about other bands he produced. Did any of them touch the Beatles ? I think the sum of all the pieces was the key.

 

To me it was a rich combination of really good singers, creative songwriting, arrangements, and really resourceful recording. Also, their 7-8 hour per night gigs at the Star Club in Hamburg back around (I think) '62 polished them up a lot. Some band may do vocal harmonies as good as they did, but as consistenly inventive? And who else in the world could have come up with "I Am the Walrus" back in '67. I was listening to "Lovely Rita" (from Sgt. Pepper) the other night on my mp3 player's headphones. The vocalising percussive sounds they (I think Lennon) made during the piano solo at the end blew me away. So so inventive.

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- Many people think that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is the greatest singer who ever lived.

 

- Others might point to Djivan Gasparyan as one of the greatest, most emotional players of any musical instrument.

 

- Many might say that Jimi Hendrix was the greatest and most inventive electric guitar player ever.

 

- Over four million people showed up for Umm Kulthum's funeral in Cairo in 1975, perhaps one of the most beloved singers of all time, and one of the largest gatherings of people in recorded history.

 

- Many people regard Zakir Hussain is the greatest percussionist of all time.

 

Much of this reflects knowledge, taste, cultural differences, and other things. How can one say what is best?

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I really honestly don't think anyone is quite in The Beatles league..Tomorrow Never Knows, Helter Skelter, Day in the Life, Strawberry Fields, innovation in general, WIthin You Without You, Because, Across the Universe, etc, etc. Nooone is gonna be persuaded by a list but I honestly fail to see any meaningful debate in the question of the greatest band...It's The Beatles, no doubt. Greatest cultural phenomenon of the 20th century. And I'm a genius, so I should know.

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Originally posted by nhbw

 

 

Led Zeppelin - Very good, but different category

The Who - See above, but they get points for "Tommy"

Yes - No

Genesis - No

Gentle Giant - Who?

King Crimson - Not the same mass appeal

Supertramp - See above, but at least they had some hits

Elton John Band - I'll have some of whatever you've been drinking

Porcupine Tree - WTF?

Crack the Sky - Love this band (Baltimore native), but they are fusion rock - different category.

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Originally posted by techristian


However, having said that, I remember when Martin took over total control of the B side of the "Yellow Submarine" LP. That WAS NOT Beatles ! It was something else, something I NEVER listened to again. I paid for POP music and George gave me some pseudo-classical junk with that.


Dan

 

 

Yep. That was really something quite difficult to enjoy unless you were doing nothing else but listening. Which doesn't seem to happen much any more, does it?

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Originally posted by blue2blue


They were, for many, justly emblematic of the transition of pop music from the late 50s to the beginning of the 70s.

 

 

Did anyone else here happen to listen to the History of Pop music on XM radio a few months ago? It spanned the 30's on up to the present day, and took almost a month to complete. I found it really interesting. I was born in '67, so while I was alive when this transition was taking place, I was mostly too busy filling diapers to pay much attention to it.

 

It's really interesting to listen to music before the Beatles and then after. It really was a revolution. Music seriously changed. I don't think the impact that the Beatles had can be calculated.

 

As far as the desert island thing goes, I think I would be well served to have the Beatles catalogue there with me.

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This is a whole lot like saying "I know of 300 jazz bands that have better music than Count Basie" - - So what? Do you think *any* of those 300 would be where they are now if Count Basie hadn't come along and blazed new trails?

 

Actually, it should be phrased like this:

"I know of 300 players that have better music than " - - So what? Do you think *any* of those 300 would be where they are now if hadn't come along and blazed new trails?

 

It's really really easy to learn to play classic pieces 20 - 40 years after the fact. Think about how many wankers are out there doing Hendrix covers.

Conversely it's really hard to be completely original. Did any of these wankers write anything comparable to Hendrixes works? And did they do it in 1966? But I digress....

 

The thing that made the Beatles different and special:

Starting with Rubber Soul, every song they did sounded different from all the others. You can instantly identify a Yes or Zep (or just about all of the others) even if you've never heard it before - - they have a "sound". The Beatles were chameleons - - I find it difficult today to picture the same band doing 'Within You Without You', 'When I'm Sixty Four', and 'Norwegian Wood', for example - -

 

I find very very few bands with that depth of scope that also play enjoyable music. Maybe King Crimson; although they are pretty demanding of the listener.

 

My 2 cents....

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You can instantly identify a Yes or Zep (or just about all of the others) even if you've never heard it before - - they have a "sound". The Beatles were chameleons - -

 

 

Depends on the listener.... The Beatles never fooled me as to they were; very rarely have I ever failed to reach for the dial when one of their tunes comes on.

 

 

It's really interesting to listen to music before the Beatles and then after. It really was a revolution. Music seriously changed. I don't think the impact that the Beatles had can be calculated.

 

 

The Beatles were the band on the set when the Recording Industry was in the heat of a revolutionary explosion with the innovative technologies of the era.

 

If folks were to take a serious look at what was going on in the world of audio and visual technology during that era; they might realize that it was not as much about the band as it was the PROCESS and EQUIPMENT utilized. Ampex released the first commercial multitrack recorders in 1955. The first commercial stereo recording was introduced on the market in 1958. Acceptance of stereo broadcasting systems led to changes in FCC regulations during the 60's. The FCC ruling led to the end of monaural recordings and the proliferation of stereo product and increased stereo broadcasting. Producer Phil Spector introduced his famous "Wall of Sound" in the early 60's.... In 1962, 3M introduced Scotch 201/202 "Dynarange," a black oxide low-noise mastering tape with a 4 dB improvement in s/n ratio over Scotch 111.

 

There was a LOT going on in the Music Industry and it's just WRONG for people to give the Beatles credit for starting a music revolution. The revolution was already in full swing and the credit should go to innovative technologies and the masters behind the glass; the engineers that learned how to put the technologies to use.

 

To me, the Beatles are nothing spectacular and they are way overrated. Just my own personal opinion.... but I've never really got into the whole Beatlemania brigade.

 

Pink Floyd and Queen are two at the top of my list; I'll have to think about another 8 bands that I would rate at the top of my list.

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Originally posted by Ani

To me, the Beatles are nothing spectacular and they are way overrated. Just my own personal opinion...


Pink Floyd and Queen are two at the top of my list...

 

So you prefer The Beatles filtered, as an influence, through other artists?

 

:confused:

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Originally posted by Super 8


It's really interesting to listen to music before the Beatles and then after. It really was a revolution. Music seriously changed. I don't think the impact that the Beatles had can be calculated.

 

How true. For me, and most of my contemporaries, the world was monochrome and 2-dimensional before the Beatles came along. Their impact on my life certainly cannot be calculated.

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