I would vote for the Grateful Dead as well. The band is a melting pot of musical influences. At the time of their formation here was the lineup:
Jerry Garcia-Accomplished bluegrass banjo player.
Bob Weir-Folkie
Pigpen-Blues singer and harp player
Phil Lesh-Trumpet player and classical composer
Bill Kreutzmann-Jazz drummer
Mickey Hart-Studied with Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa so jazz is in his DNA as well.
It all came together to form one of the most unique and long lasting bands in history. |
marqmike, Traffic was a British band. At least Winwood was British.
whart, on what basis do you say that The Band was not an American band? I generally consider Canada to be American. Maybe "American" just means U.S.A.? That would take The Band out of consideration.
Not sure why anyone would say the Eagles were not rock and roll. They got most of their air time on rock stations and I'm pretty sure they primarily charted on rock/pop charts. They did chart on country charts too but I doubt anything on Hotel California would be considered anything but rock. Not defending the Eagles. They were never my cup of tea but if they weren't rock what were they? |
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REM, the stooges, Nirvana, stone temple pilots, Pearl Jam, the replacements, soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the doors, queens of the Stone Age, velvet underground and of course......Chicago!
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@n80- not to be picayune, but I generally don’t refer to Canada as America, even though we are on the same continent. The Band were great, love ’em.
To me, rock and roll is the stuff that came out of the ’50s as a mix of boogie, country, blues and other forms- represented by that long list of notable performers from the era. I think that it pretty much died by the time the Eagles came around; their first two albums, which were country rock, were good- then, they became a sort of stadium rock act.
None of it was rock and roll in the narrow sense that I’m talking about- Jerry Lee Lewis, Live at Hamburg, for example, is a mind blower--not released here in the States at the time due to his PR problems with marrying his young cousin.
Some of the bands mentioned (though not necessarily American) did dive into rock and roll on occasion, but acts like the Beatles (who did r/r covers early on) and the Stones (no matter how much they ’rock’) weren’t in my estimation, mainly "rock and roll."
If the question is best rock band, different answer.
But, you know like I do there is no ’best.’ Today, I spent time listening to "Barbed Wired Sandwich," Black Cat Bones, a precursor to the band Free-- delicious, biting blues rock. Love it, but it ain’t "rock and roll" to me.
Bill
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I've spent a lot of time last few days listening to Jefferson Starship (Red Octopus, Spitfire, Earth) and a little Jefferson Airplane (but absolutely NO Starship!!) for the obvious Marty Balin reason.
As usual when I go back and listen to music from my youth one thing that always strikes me is how good the MUSICIANSHIP was. So perfect in many songs that it is taken for granted as mundane. Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Grand Funk, Aerosmith, Allmans all had serious chops in one fashion or another, be it guitar (Felder really was a great guitarist just like fellow Floridian Duane) or harmony or lyrics, they just seemed to care more about their craft and not so much the fame.
I guess I consider The Eagles the greatest American band in many categories. Aerosmith on some, Grand Funk in others.
But if I was to call out the most influential All-American group it would have to be Buddy Holly and the Crickets. To me, they didn't just get the ball (rock n) rolling, they tossed it off a mountain and the snowball continues to grow. Just ask Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings, The Flatlanders, Mac Davis, Natalie Maines, Delbert McClinton, Jesus.... |
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The is an easy one slaw... The Grateful Dead of course (as has been mentioned a few times before) |
Bill, I like the kind of rock you like and I'm into the blues a good bit. However, I agree with you that your definition of rock is pretty narrow. It leaves out a lot of bands and music that almost everyone would identify as rock and also be unable to come up with another name for it.
I also agree that rock is dead. But I think it died a little later than your definition.
We all have our own different tastes and takes on things. But that's part of the value of silly threads like this....we get exposed to opinions different from our own and might even get exposed to good music we otherwise might have missed.
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@n80- one thing with genres is that anybody who is innovating is gonna break the boundaries. The genre labels are like the Hollywood pitch summaries- 'it's like Die Hard Meets the Terminator on the Titanic"-- sort of sums it up, but puts it in a box. :)
I like a lot of very hard, post-psych stuff, and precursor bands-- but melody is pretty important to me. Rock and roll is very rhythmic - ke-chunk, ke-chunk, often drives it. Love hearing bands with a double bass--kind of emblematic of the early era. In terms of "best"- i leave that to those who do the listening- everybody's taste is different. Somebody with an overwhelming skill set can bore the life out of me; and somebody who doesn't have great technical skill (read Leslie West) can pull the soul out of notes. |
Such a tough call. If one were to factor in the impact of the band on the rock n' roll scene (in other words the context in which the band emerged and their impact on the course of rock history) then I would have to put R.E.M. near the top of the list. By the early 80s rock was a decadent, dying, caricature. R.E.M. brought rock back to it's roots with a vitality and energy that was sorely needed. I remember blasting Murmur in my car on the way home from college and thinking "thank god for this band". In 1983 rock needed and revival and I think it can be argued that R.E.M. led the way. Also, being from Jersey, I'd have to put Springsteen up there as well. He took rock storytelling to a whole other level. As I write I think my choices are interesting in that Bruce was as much about the words as the music and you couldn't understand a word Michael Stipe was singing until the release of "Green". |
For their influence the Velvet Underground.
For music pleasure CCR and the Allman Brothers.
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Agree with you dodgealum. R.E.M. sounded so different. In addition to starting out 'indie' and different, they were able to catch the MTV wave and ride right up into stadiums and super group status.
I think when considering 'greatest' discussions that popularity, sales and charts are important. I don't think they should be THE criteria but I still think you have to take it into account. There are a lot of artists listed here that are great in their own right but relatively obscure, or short lived that no matter how good they were really don't rise to 'greatest of all times' status. Certainly influence is important but I think in terms of 'greatest' all of these things have to be there. |
Sly and The Family Stone... |
The "most American" band would have to be "Indigenous", three siblings and a cousin from the Nakota Nation, So. Dakota. Listen to "Things We Do", their first album, 1998. Blues guitar phenom in the style of SRV. |
Paul Revere and the Raiders, Jay and the Americans, Nirvana
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Definitely Eagles w/Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers number two--Unless you've stood with an American Woman on a corner in Winslow, Az you've not lived.
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To bifwynne The Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac are English.
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to n80--actually the Eagles have outsold Michael Jackson and Elvis is number three all-time with Garth Brooks no. 2 and guess who, not the band, bit The Beatles numero uno, all-time. If you don't believe me--google it up.
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For those who want to understand why some people continue to include The Band in their list of the greatest American Rock 'n' Roll bands (in spite of the fact that they were 4/5ths Canadian. The music they made, however, was purely American, far more so than most literally American Rock 'n' Roll bands, many of whom display more British than American influences), if not THE greatest, there is a new publication that will help you in that endeavor. It is a 122 page special-edition magazine published by the excellent UK "Uncut" organization, and is entitled "The Ultimate Guide To Bob Dylan & The Band". Dylan is included in the stories, but only in terms of his interaction with The Band (in his employment of them in live performances, and of course from their collaboration on the Basement Tapes), rather than on his own. The bulk of the stories are about The Band themselves---their entire history, their recordings, their relationships, substance abuse, everything. I got my copy just yesterday, and I have already learned a fair amount of information I had been unaware of, and I know a LOT about The Band. A must read! |
The Doors for their incredibly intelligent music - or alternatively the Velvet Underground for just being incredibly hip.
Ironically, their careers spanned almost exactly the same time period.
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jdub, I based my info off wikipedia...which is never wrong. ;-) Not sure if your source or wikipedia is worldwide sales or just US. For what its worth the highest ranking Eagles album is a 'best of' collection....according to wikipedia...which is never wrong...
jdub, Fleetwood Mac is of mixed national origin.
bdp24, I agree with you. The Band is an American band. Four Canadians doesn't change that a bit in my book. |
The Grateful Dead
“They aren’t the best at what they do, they are the only ones that do what they do” Bill Graham
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The Grateful Dead, no question. You may not like their music but as far as success, legions of fans following them around the country year after year, the number of concerts performed, years together, earnings, subject matter and lyrics being solely focused on Americana, the old west and the American psychedelic revolution, they’re in a league of their own. We can end the discussion now :) just kidding, of course. |
One more vote for NRBQ. And I would add that the current incarnation is also excellent. No qualifications. |
@sunnyd, thanks for the reminder. I haven't heard the new NRBQ lineup, of which only pianist Terry Adams remains from the original members. Drummer Tom Ardolino passed away a few years ago, bassist Joey Spampinato (a great one, one of my all-time faves. Keith Richards agrees, hiring him for the band in his Chuck Berry documentary) is in treatment for Cancer, and guitarist Al Anderson moved to Nashville and is now a full time songwriter. My comment above referred to the period when Joey's brother Johnny took Al's place on guitar. Johnny's okay, but he's no Al Anderson! |
I love the 19th Century lyrical themes from "The Band". The historical ballads, the old-time sound, the small-town feel and their forlorn, back-woods style of singing are steeped in tradition, e.g., "Acadian Driftwood", "Cripple Creek", and "The Night....Old Dixie...", come to mind as spiritual and redeeming.
Similarly, Robert Hunter's lyrics with the Dead often speak of Appalachian folks, oppressed laborers, miners, winos and hoboes--but also of lonely burdens and spiritual rescue. With lyrics such as "I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar's Tomb"; "Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like? Their wall are built of cannonballs, their motto is 'Don't Tread On Me'"; "Tumble down shack in Bigfoot County, snowed so hard, the roof caved in"; "Now I don't know, but I been told, if the horse don't pull you got to carry the load". And yes, the GD could sing well--better in different periods of their long history. Listen to "Jack Straw" from Europe '72 for a live example.
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NRBQ? I’d never heard of them, saw that many folks here consider them The Best American band ever, so just googled them. WHAT???? Are you f’ing joking??? No wonder this country is in the mess it's in :)
Lordy. Lordy, Lordy me!!! LMFAO :) |
George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Jefferson Airplane
Mountain
(live) Stevie Wonder
and every band that gets your motor runnin' |
Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin at the helm. Their one album at the Fillmore West was bold, brash and outstanding in every way, and in my opinion outshines all other American groups of much longer duration.
Beach Boys were great too for a fairly long period. I liked Hendrix’s Band of Gypsies as well as Mike Bloomfield’s not as well known The Electric Flag, who were self-titled "An American Band". No complaints about CCR or the Allman Bros’ either. Billy Joel, whom I don’t really care for, should get an honorable mention for having played our high school with the Hassles, a local Long Island group from Hicksville, one town over.
No need for any more replies, as this is obviously the definitive take on America’s greatest R&R band. Accept no substitutes. Love,
Mike
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Canned Heat is not chopped liver |
First I heard of NRBQ was in 1968 when I was 12, my mother worked with Terry and Donn Adams mother in the office of a small local compamy. She gave my mother a copy of their first album that came out in 1969. Being young and more into the British invasion it didn't get much playing time, my mother never cared for it so it was passed on to us kids. It didn't survive in that environment but I wish I still had it. I have listened to them since and enjoy some of their stuff. When I get my streaming going I will check them out again been a while. |
@djones, there have been a few different NRBQ lineups. The one on the 1st album (on Columbia Records, where they back the great Carl Perkins) reminds me somewhat of the first version of Springsteen's E Street Band---a little weak (though not as bad. Springsteen's first drummer was terrible). The eclectic vision is there, but it's not quite realized. Pianist/leader Terry Adams and bassist Joey Spampinato then enlisted drummer Tom Ardolino and guitarist/singer Al Anderson for the band's classic, decades-long lineup. They made a lot of albums on Rounder Records, and established themselves as one of America's great Rock 'n' Roll bands. Fans of theirs include Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, and every good musician I know. Their influences include Rock 'n' Roll, Rockabilly, Jazz (Sun Ra in particular), Blues, Hillbilly, Show tunes, Pop---just about all strains of American music. There live shows were wild, unbelievable explosions of kinetic energy, amongst the best I've ever witnessed. And I saw The Who with Keith Moon twice! |
The album we had was their first columbia release the self titled NRBQ not their second with Perkins. |
Ramones, Nirvana, Cheap Trick, Kiss
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Great Topic.
There are so Many to choose.
Here are just a few.
J Geils Band
The Doors
Edgar and Johnny Winter
The Allman Brothers
Grand Funk
Bob Seger
Mountain (My Fav)
Aerosmith
The Rascals
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Whatever damn band I happen to be playing with at the time! |
Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels...…….. |
The Ramones, no question. It's almost criminal that only Geoff has mentioned them.
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I want my funk uncut! The fully loaded Mothership consisting of Funkadelic’s George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel, Mike Hampton, Billy Nelson, Bootsy Collins, Cordell Mosson, Garry Shider, Fuzzy Haskins combined with The JB’s’ Maceo Parker and Fred Wesley - as talented an American band as you’ll find anywhere in the galaxy.
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From my memory Traffic, Rush, U2, Fleetwood Mac (roots), Jethro Tull, Bachman Turner aren't American bands. |
Several fit the category. No particular order, cause it always changes:
The Doors
REM
Allman Brothers
CCR
Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band
Greatful Dead
Their other real good ones, but these would be in the top. |
I've seen some very good answers that I won't repeat, however...
James Brown and either the Fabulous Flames or JB's were arguably the nastiest tightest band ever.
Bruce Springsteen and E St Band have the staying power...
Van Halen (not that Van-Hagar crap) have the front man, guitar virtuoso, solid rhythm section and the hits to back it all up...
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Let us not forget Little Feat |
The Doors. The Allman Brothers. What a shame, considering the United States created Rock & Roll, there are more British Bands that most people think of as "The Best"
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Muscle Shoals house band. Tight as tight can be! |
@marko1262---Now yer takin'! The Swampers (their actual name) are my all-time favorite recording-only band (no road work), as good as it gets. Drummer Roger Hawkins is one of my three or so favorite drummers, who left the Muscle Shoal studio to work in Traffic, along side another legendary drummer, Jim Gordon (L.A. studios, Delaney & Bonnie, Derek & The Dominoes). The Swampers played on all the great Jerry Wexler-produced albums on Atlantic Records---Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, Dusty Springfield, etc. |
When was Jim Gordon in Traffic? I thought that was Jim Capaldi...
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@tostadosunidos ,
I agree with you.
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