Greatest American Rock Group

This is for all non-EC or peripheral-EC topics. We all know how much we love talking about 'The Man' but sometimes we have other interests.
Post Reply
laughingcrow
Posts: 2476
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:35 am

Greatest American Rock Group

Post by laughingcrow »

I was having that conversation the other day about all the best rock bands being British (hey it's a sweeeping statement, but try and prove me wrong :D ) and it got on to The Greatest American Rock Group...

who is it? I'd say tough call between CSNY and REM...but these were some other contenders (PS Hendrix doesn't count cos he considered himself more British)...

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
REM.
ZZ Top
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Beach Boys.
The Eagles.
Aerosmith.
Guns n Roses (:x I hate this band)
Grand Funk Railroad anyone?
Top
User avatar
so lacklustre
Posts: 3183
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 2:36 pm
Location: half way to bliss

Post by so lacklustre »

Nirvana?
signed with love and vicious kisses
Top
User avatar
bambooneedle
Posts: 4533
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:02 pm
Location: a few thousand miles south east of Zanzibar

Post by bambooneedle »

Aerosmith 1972-82
Top
User avatar
Gillibeanz
Posts: 1697
Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2003 1:28 pm
Location: England

Post by Gillibeanz »

It's REM without a doubt!
COME ON YOU SPURS!!
Top
User avatar
BlueChair
Posts: 5959
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:41 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:
Contact BlueChair

Post by BlueChair »

THE BAND! I can't believe nobody's mentioned them yet.

Granted, four out of the five of them are Canadian.

So if that doesn't count:

Umm... The Byrds!?!?!?!

The Velvet Underground!?!?!?

I can't believe nobody's mentioned them yet. If The Band doesn't count, The Byrds and The Velvet Underground and probably my favourite American groups.

The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are up there too.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Top
selfmademug

Post by selfmademug »

If I were Canadian I'd be piissed to not be able to take credit for The Band!

Of those mentioned--

Velvets
The Dead
CCR (I love CCR)
Nirvana
and some of those others. I love that Grand Funk Railroad was even mentioned!!

Some big missings:

Sly & the Family Stone!!!!
Ramones
Pixies
Santana

Tons of other biggies, but those are the ones that come to mind.

Funny, isn't it, how all the really big groups (Beatles, Stones, Zep, Who, Clash, Kinks, Traffic, Cream, Radiohead, etc.) seem to be British, and the big individual 'stars' (Hendrix, Dylan, Joplin, Wonder, Beck, etc.) tend to be American. Give US a 'D' for plays-well-with-others, I guess.
Top
User avatar
miss buenos aires
Posts: 2055
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:15 am
Location: jcnj
Contact:
Contact miss buenos aires

Post by miss buenos aires »

The Strokes. Just kidding.
Top
selfmademug

Re: Greatest American Rock Group

Post by selfmademug »

laughingcrow wrote:I was having that conversation the other day about all the best rock bands being British (hey it's a sweeeping statement, but try and prove me wrong :D )
Whoops, I guess that's just wat you said, Crow-- I missed it, I guess, but I agree with you apparently!
Top
User avatar
El Vez
Posts: 2085
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:44 pm
Location: Heart Attack & Vine

Post by El Vez »

Other worthy contenders.....

-Wilco
-Sonic Youth
-The Carter Family (A.P, Sara & Maybelle....arguably the most important American band of the 20th century)
-Sleater-Kinney
-The Pretenders
-The Replacements
-The Del McCoury Band
-Bill Monroe's 1946 lineup (Bill, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt and a revolving door of A-list musicians. This was a brief but incredibly important moment in American music)
-The Gourds
-The Flying Burrito Brothers
-The Sir Douglas Quintet

....I'm not sure if the British have the U.S. completely pummeled in this department. Plenty of great bands have come out of America.
Top
User avatar
BlueChair
Posts: 5959
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:41 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:
Contact BlueChair

Post by BlueChair »

The Carter Family may be a great 'group', but they are not a rock group, neither are Bill Monroe :D

The Pretenders, like the Jimi Hendrix Experience probably qualify as more of a British group than an American group, because despite their leader being American, they are made up of English musicians and are based in England.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Top
User avatar
El Vez
Posts: 2085
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:44 pm
Location: Heart Attack & Vine

Post by El Vez »

That is up for debate. You can listen to Bill Monroe's early recordings and very clearly hear strains of rock music. Bluegrass can move at a very frenetic pace. Bill Monroe also gave us Blue Moon of Kentucky which Elvis Presley raved up beyond belief.

The Carter Family, particularly Mother Maybelle's inventive guitar work, had a pretty big influence rock guitar.

Paul Williams wrote an interesting book on his 100 best rock & roll singles and started it out with songs by Robert Johnson & Muddy Waters. He argued that these artists, and many others like them, had the earliest hand in the evolution of rock & roll. I guess that was much my point in including Bill & The Carter Family.
Top
Smallfaces1
Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2003 11:45 am
Location: Salisbury,England

the jayhawks rule

Post by Smallfaces1 »

the jayhawks rule, they are amazing unsung hero's!
"Do you remember rick astley? he had a big fat hit it was ghastly, he said i'm never gonna give you up or let you down, well i'm here to tell you that dick's a clown"
Top
User avatar
BlueChair
Posts: 5959
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2003 5:41 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:
Contact BlueChair

Post by BlueChair »

Smallfaces! Good call!
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Top
User avatar
HungupStrungup
Posts: 371
Joined: Sat Jul 26, 2003 12:14 pm
Location: NE USofA

Post by HungupStrungup »

Talking Heads, without a doubt.

They made great records, and they also came to play.
"But it's a dangerous game that comedy plays
Sometimes it tells you the truth
Sometimes it delays it"
Top
User avatar
noiseradio
Posts: 2295
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 12:04 pm
Location: Dallas, TX
Contact:
Contact noiseradio

Post by noiseradio »

I think it's REM.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
--William Shakespeare
Top
User avatar
pip_52
Posts: 638
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 10:45 am
Location: brooklyn

Post by pip_52 »

I could go with the Byrds . . .
Top
User avatar
migdd
Posts: 3009
Joined: Sun Jun 22, 2003 6:16 pm
Location: Rolling in Clover, SC

Post by migdd »

The original lineup of the Allman Brothers!
Top
User avatar
so lacklustre
Posts: 3183
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 2:36 pm
Location: half way to bliss

Post by so lacklustre »

Good call HS, my vote goes to Talking Heads.
signed with love and vicious kisses
Top
User avatar
LessThanZero
Posts: 1119
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:26 pm
Location: Kalamazoo
Contact:
Contact LessThanZero

Post by LessThanZero »

noiseradio wrote:I think it's REM.
Noise is absolutely right. Well, we got to the bottom of that one quickly enough!
Loving this board since before When I Was Cruel.
Top
User avatar
oily slick
Posts: 1864
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:07 pm
Location: st louis

Post by oily slick »

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
I'm not concerned about the very poor.
Top
User avatar
Tim(e)
Posts: 746
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 5:37 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Post by Tim(e) »

Talking Heads
Mothers of Invention
Los Lobos
New York Dolls
13th Floor Elevators
REM
Top
User avatar
Jackson Doofster
Posts: 531
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:25 pm
Location: Some far flung Canadian Club

Post by Jackson Doofster »

The Byrds for me.

Just pipping:

New York Dolls
Ramones
REM
Go-Gos
"But they can't hold a candle to the reciprical war crimes which have plagued our policy of foriegn affairs."
Top
laughingcrow
Posts: 2476
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:35 am

Post by laughingcrow »

The Band are Canadian, and the Byrds are an excellent suggestion..

Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Tom Petty, Grateful Dead, Small Faces Mothers of Invention are all good calls.

But it's gotta be REM or CSNY hasn't it.

I've not heard of loads of El Vez's suggestions..so they can't even qualify (even though Miss BA has insisted I buy into Sleater Kinney).

The Pretenders....americas greatest rock group??? I hope not.
Top
User avatar
Jackson Doofster
Posts: 531
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 4:25 pm
Location: Some far flung Canadian Club

Post by Jackson Doofster »

Partridge Family
Monkees
NKOTB
"But they can't hold a candle to the reciprical war crimes which have plagued our policy of foriegn affairs."
Top
User avatar
Tim(e)
Posts: 746
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2003 5:37 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia

Post by Tim(e) »

Actually, one band I forgot to mention that has really rocked my socks in recent times is the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Another band that should be mentioned and who released one of the all-time (imho) great US rock albums in Volunteers, is of course Jefferson Airplane.

And while we are at it, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band should get major cudos for Clear Spot which was another (again, imho) landmark album.
Top
Post Reply

Return to “The Annex”