Greatest American Bands -- An Alternate View

[RevMatt]

On another thread a few of us took a stab at listing the top 25 greatest American bands of all-time. I was thinking that there are many great bands with a long legacy who get left off such lists simply because people don't think of them. So I decided to post a few and make a brief case for each band.

1) ZZ Top -- How many other bands can say they have been going as long as ZZ Top and still have their original line-up?
2) Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band -- Give your props to East Street, but these boys from Michigan sure could rock.
3) Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section -- On this site they don't get overlooked, but other places they do.
4) Asleep At The Wheel -- Kept the western swing tradition alive.
5) Black Flag -- The prototype for a hardcore band.
6) Metalicca -- Saved and entire genre of music back in the eighties.
7) Parliament Funkadelic -- During the age of Watergate, gas lines and pet rocks this band made sure the USA remained One Nation Under a Groove.
8) Social Distortion -- These guys have been around forever and deserve some respect.
9) Hot Tuna -- Another band with a great legacy.
10) Grand Funk Railroad -- Imagine the 1970's without this power trio.
11) Marshall Tucker Band -- Much more than just their hits
12) Little Feat -- Love these guys.
13) Foo Fighters -- This band has put together quite a body of work while no one was paying attention.

[LuthierJustin]

I agree, Foo Fighters deserve to be on the list WAY more than Nirvana

[Gator McKlusky]

J. Geils Band

[LuthierJustin]

Mr. Mister

[bovine knievel]

Black Crowes

[Tequila Cowboy]

I agree, Foo Fighters deserve to be on the list WAY more than Nirvana

Yikes. Belongs in the blasphemy thread. Slick, corporate (although fairly likable) rock as as opposed to one of the milestone bands in rock history? Umm no.

[Clams]

So are we talking about the "second tier" of the Greatest American Bands? If so, I'd say this is probably where the better "alt-country/americana" (yes, I know we hate those terms, but I'll use them for lack of anything better) fit in. DBT, Wilco, etc. Only in our little 3DD world are these bands up in that top tier listed in the other thread.

[Zip City]

I agree, Foo Fighters deserve to be on the list WAY more than Nirvana

Yikes. Belongs in the blasphemy thread. Slick, corporate (although fairly likable) rock as as opposed to one of the milestone bands in rock history? Umm no.

There are arguments to be made on both sides. The strongest against FF is that they clearly wouldn't exist without Nirvana (as Grohl was playing in underground bands until he joined Nirvana).

On the other hand, FF has produced far more music and been around for far longer than Nirvana was.

LJ has some weird hatred for Kurt Cobain....

[Iowan]

I agree, Foo Fighters deserve to be on the list WAY more than Nirvana

Yikes. Belongs in the blasphemy thread. Slick, corporate (although fairly likable) rock as as opposed to one of the milestone bands in rock history? Umm no.

Not sure what's "corporate" about the Foos. It's accessible, but I can't call that "corporate". Dave Grohl isn't bending over for record companies. He makes the music that he wants to make. You wanna talk about "slick"? Check out the production on Nevermind.

Nirvana is clearly more important and deserves to be ranked higher than the Foos, but they're almost in-arguably overrated whereas (especially in music snob circles, and let's face it, we ARE music snobs) the Foos are almost in-arguably underrated.

This is nothing against Kurt Cobain, who was a great song writer and intense performer, I just don't think Dave Grohl gets the respect from the critical community that his body of work demands.

[Zip City]

If you get a chance, check out "Back and Forth," the new documentary about Foo Fighters. It's a pretty remarkable story.

[Duke Silver]

The Foos sell a ton of records, play to sold out arenas, and are generally well liked by critics, fans, and casual listeners alike. Who doesn't like the Foo Fighters, at least a song or two? They've had a pretty good run for a band that plays dopey, fun rock without a lot of depth, but I think they're rated where they should be. Just my .02.

[cortez the killer]

Favorite American bands? That I can do.

1. Son Volt
2. Drive-By Truckers
3. The National
4. Magnolia Electric Co.
5. Wilco
6. The Black Keys
7. Centro-matic
8. Blue Mountain
9. The Bottle Rockets
10. The Jayhawks

[RevMatt]

So are we talking about the "second tier" of the Greatest American Bands? If so, I'd say this is probably where the better "alt-country/americana" (yes, I know we hate those terms, but I'll use them for lack of anything better) fit in. DBT, Wilco, etc. Only in our little 3DD world are these bands up in that top tier listed in the other thread.

I'm not talking second tier as much, but more like bands about whom, after you compose your top 25 list, you say, "Why didn't I think of them?" Someone might forget ZZ Top because, well, they are ZZ Top. Someone might forget P Funk because they were not played on rock radio during their heyday. Someone might forget Foo Fighters because they are too recent.

[Clams]

Favorite American bands? That I can do.

1. Son Volt
2. Drive-By Truckers
3. The National
4. Magnolia Electric Co.
5. Wilco
6. The Black Keys
7. Centro-matic
8. Blue Mountain
9. The Bottle Rockets
10. The Jayhawks

Cortez, you're 3dd all the way through. You live it and bleed it.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Nirvana is clearly more important and deserves to be ranked higher than the Foos, but they're almost in-arguably overrated whereas (especially in music snob circles, and let's face it, we ARE music snobs) the Foos are almost in-arguably underrated.

I don't consider myself one. I may have discriminating taste in what I listen to but I don't think that makes me a "snob".

Who doesn't like the Foo Fighters, at least a song or two?

I've never cared for them. Then again, I turned off my radio sometime back in the mid-90s when commercial radio all went to shit. To clarify, all of the rock stations that also used to play new music quit doing that and only played "classic rock" (whatever that is) and the "Modern Rock" stations were only playing the likes of Stone Temple Pilots, Sum 41, Blink 182, Green Day, etc. Their only nods to the roots of "Modern Rock" was lunchtime flashback feature where they played the same Ramones and R.E.M. over and over again. If demanding that my local rock n' roll station plays more than the same market tested bullshit that also passes for music on every other station in the nation makes me a "snob, so be it but I remember a time when things were different and radio programmers actually went out on a limb and took chances on the air with new material. Those type of stations still exist but are few and far between these days, unfortunately.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Listen, I like FF, I just don't really think of them as much more than a fun major label band. Dave Grohl has four songs he writes over and over again. They're not very deep but most are catchy as hell. J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr. Fame) pretty much writes four songs over and over as well but, to these ears, has a far greater emotional attachment to the lyrics. Now Cobain was in a whole nother class. His songs were based in the past, had an eye on the future and clearly bristled with the kind of angst filled emotion that can't be faked. Just one man's opinion.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Nirvana were never my cup of tea either but they did come along at a time when rock n' roll needed to be turned on it's ear (again). Thing is, as "punk" as they like to say they were, I know of some actual punks that absolutely detest Nirvana and everything they stood for.

[Zip City]

Listen, I like FF, I just don't really think of them as much more than a fun major label band. Dave Grohl has four songs he writes over and over again. They're not very deep but most are catchy as hell. J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr. Fame) pretty much writes four songs over and over as well but, to these ears, has a far greater emotional attachment to the lyrics. Now Cobain was in a whole nother class. His songs were based in the past, had an eye on the future and clearly bristled with the kind of angst filled emotion that can't be faked. Just one man's opinion.

FF definitely have a distinct "sound" to their songs, but I wouldn't say they lack emotion:



(song just so happens to be about one Mr. Kurt Cobain)

[RevMatt]

Re: Nirvana

I was a fan and have a lot of respect for their music. The changed dynamics and tempos better than any punk band. And Cobain could come up with as catchy a riff as anyone. But I have a hard time putting them in my "best of" list because they didn't stick around long enough. I think a band needs more than three studio albums to make my list. And I won't make an exception because Cobain died since that was his own choice. But Cobain and his extended family did inspire two great Patterson Hood songs, "Heavy and Hanging" and "Walking Around Sense".

Overall, I think it is better to fade away than to burn out. I have more respect for musicians who are in it for the long haul. Guys learn how to take care of themselves, organize their lives and pace themselves. I have much more respect for ZZ Top than I have for The Sex Pistols.

[RevMatt]

Here's another great American band from the nineties whom you may have forgotten about when coming up with your lists: The Mavericks.

[LuthierJustin]

[.

LJ has some weird hatred for Kurt Cobain....

Well, he was a hack...

[cortez the killer]

But Cobain and his extended family did inspire two great Patterson Hood songs, "Heavy and Hanging" and "Walking Around Sense".

it is better to fade away than to burn out.

"Change Your Mind" and most of Sleeps With Angels is Cobain-inspired as well.

It's better to burn out, 'cause rust never sleeps.

[cortez the killer]

[.

LJ has some weird hatred for Kurt Cobain....

Well, he was a hack...

I think you've confused him with Jim Duggan.

[Flying Rabbit]

What's the criteria here?

I always thought Grand Funk Railroad, MC5, and Blue Cheer all haven't gotten the due they deserve.

As for modern acts?

Lambchop
Wilco
DBT
Old 97's
Jayhawks
FF
=W= (if you make an argument for FF, you can make one for the Weez)
Steve Earle
Flaming Lips

There are a ton I'd add otherwise for personal reasons, but the above's criteria was based on album and live show qualities.

Re: Foo Fighters, who cares if they are "slick, corporate" entities? I've always sided with the DIY, independent-spirited musicians and bands, but dang, a good rock song is a good rock song. Also, let's not confuse FF into the group of bands like The Strokes and Kings of Leon who are pandering to the lowest common denominator in rock.

[LuthierJustin]

^Isn't that Kurt's self portrait

[Slipkid42]

The Violent Femmes & Cheap Trick & Blue Oyster Cult are a few other great American rock bands.

The list I threw up on the other thread was really to try & see where The Replacements fit in. I tried to be objective & rank them where I felt they should be in terms of the contributions they made (studio & live) & the influence they had on contemporaries & later groups. It is not an exact science. That list doesn't remotely resemble my favorite bands list.

As we discussed several weeks ago, the Foo Fighters are a hard knockin' band that has outlasted Nirvana by at least 10 years. They produce high quality music that is generally loved by all. Dave Grohl has emerged as a well polished frontman & carried the Foos to unexpected (by me) heights. They deserve to be in any discussion of great American rock bands. Nirvana (and several other bands from the Great Northwest) breathed new life into a pretty grim rock scene. I, for one, had all but called in the minister for last rites. Teen angst has always been a staple of rock. Nirvana somehow gave it a new twist. It was coherent (therefore it couldn't have been punk) & catchy as hell. Their career trajectory was brief but brilliant (sorta like Skynyrd's). They belong in any discussion of the greatest American rock bands (after all, it's not like baseball; where Mark 'The Bird' Fidrych had his Hall of Fame career derailed by injury).

DBT is a very interesting case. Clams, you can say that we fans are overly slobbering about our heroes, but I don't think so. Had SRO come out in 1980, they might very well be a household name. I know we've discussed this ad nauseum, but their career trajectory doesn't really match any one else in rock history. First, they don't easily fit into any particular genre very well (which is one of the reasons they've struggled for radio play). Next, you'd be hard pressed to find any band (from any country) as consistently creative or as critically acclaimed as the Truckers, for as long as they've been at it. As far as their influence on other contemporaries & future bands, I don't really know enough to project. They do seem to have caught the ear of earlier greats (Booker T., Betty L., Levon, Petty & now Dylan & Leon). I presume (perhaps incorrectly) that there are more than a few young bands out there, that get their inspiration from Cooley & Hood. Only time will tell if that is true. So basically the only thing they lack is universal popularity. To me, they have at least 10 songs that could have been (should have been) hits. It is one of the more perplexing things I have witnessed in my 54 years (which is about how old R & R is); that this band is virtually unknown. Just like ignorance of the law is no excuse; I'm not gonna let the fact that those yo-yo's don't get it, dissuade me from thinking that DBT is among the greatest American rock bands.

While I don't consider Sum 41 & Blink 182 to be great bands, they certainly have produced some very entertaining music. You can dismiss them out of hand, if their style of music is not to your liking; but to say they have little or no value in the history of rock, is incorrect (I feel). Bands like Green Day & The Offspring & Stone Temple Pilots have shown resiliency & creativity over an extended period of time (10-15 yrs). To me, this puts them in the discussion of great American rock bands (hell, even Blink 182 prolly qualifies). They are as worthy as some of the bands mentioned on the Rev's fine list.

Rev, you have compiled a list of some top notch American bands. I love every one of those bands. I would only consider 2 of them, though, to be in the discussion of greatest American rock bands. Little Feat & ZZ Top. Little Feat was on a roll when Lowell George met his untimely demise or they may have even soared higher. Who knows? ZZ Top I saw in Dec. 1973 opening for Alice Cooper. We had all gone to see Alice's antics & were blown away by the opening act. They have been zany troubadours ever since. The next time I caught them live was in May 2008 @ the Preakness infield party. They were a big hit, but mostly for the nostalgia of it all. They twirled their fuzzy guitars & played all the old favorites, but the music lacked the old bite & pizazz. I've got no problem w/bands doing their dinosaur tours; but I've seen several do it much better than ZZ. BOC has 2 original members playing and they still sizzle. Not American, but I've seen somewhat recently Uriah Heep w/all original lineup play a smokin' show & Rush still plays like the virtuosos they are. Much as I love ZZ Top, and as great as their contributions to rock are; I can't seem to get them much higher than about #20 on the best American bands list. That is still pretty fuckin' impressive.

Maybe we should do one of our famous polls. Everyone list their Top 100 & TC can tally up the totals & we can reach a consensus Top 100. I know, I know we already tried that in the ill fated Favorite Songs poll, but this one should get more responses & have more repeat entries.

[Iowan]

Listen, I like FF, I just don't really think of them as much more than a fun major label band. Dave Grohl has four songs he writes over and over again. They're not very deep but most are catchy as hell. J Mascis (of Dinosaur Jr. Fame) pretty much writes four songs over and over as well but, to these ears, has a far greater emotional attachment to the lyrics. Now Cobain was in a whole nother class. His songs were based in the past, had an eye on the future and clearly bristled with the kind of angst filled emotion that can't be faked. Just one man's opinion.

Like Joey Ramone?

I don't think anyone said Cobain faked it. He definitely didn't. That doesn't mean Nevermind didn't have slick production though. Which sort of explains the raw explosion of In Utero.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Don't NRBQ & Cheap Trick belong on any list of great American rock bands? The former is sadly overlooked and the latter is criminally underrated.

[Iowan]

10 Favorite American Bands (INPO)

DBT
Wilco
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Boss & E Street
Pearl Jam
Red Hot Chili Peppers (shoot me)
Skynyrd
Foo Fighters
Guns N Roses
Grateful Dead

[Kudzu Guillotine]

They do seem to have caught the ear of earlier greats (Booker T., Betty L., Levon, Petty & now Dylan & Leon).

I may very well be wrong but something tells me Dylan and Leon probably have next to no idea who the Drive-By Truckers are. Yeah, they're all on the same bill for that show in Maryland next month but I would imagine that had more to do with the promoter than Bob Dylan himself. It's like when he played the Yayhoos on his radio show a couple of years ago. They were more likely brought to his attention by some consultant than Dylan actually seeking them out himself. Then again, Dylan could be more in touch with modern music than I give him credit for.