Ask 411 Music 07.03.08: In the Beginning...

Posted by Blake Lauderback on 07.03.2008

Come in and take a seat. This week's class covers overrated bands, the early days of rock and roll, more insane rockers, political bands, and I wrap up my Greatest Live Albums list by breaking all the rules! Check it out.

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Hello one and all, and welcome to the Independence Day edition of Ask 411 Music. To all of my fellow Americans out there, I hope you all are gearing up for an exciting weekend celebrating our freedom, but don't forget that the real reason we are all celebrating is because it is my birthday. So get out there and stuff your face, drink a cold one, and try to avoid losing any limbs to the fireworks. For all of the rest of you that don't have a holiday this weekend, you can still celebrate my birthday, so have a cold one for me anyway.

We've got quite a bit to cover this week, so let's go ahead and review what we learned last week:

- Marilyn Manson still has a few fans out there, which is cool. It would be way cooler if the ones that spoke up could do so without being complete assholes. Not saying all of his fans are by any means, but there are certainly a few out there.

- Alice Cooper still has a solid fan base as well, and they came out of the woodwork in support of him.

- My favorite comment of the week came when someone decided to claim that Creed had been slighted by not being on a "100 Greatest Bands" list. Now, I won't say that Creed is as bad as the rest of the internet community will, because, as I said before, I don't believe that they have gotten a fair shake. It isn't really their fault that the industry shoved them down our throats like that, and I will agree that they made some decent music. However, I can't in good faith put them on any kind of Greatest list at this point. Though I do think them more deserving than some of the other blunders on the list in question (i.e. Dixie Chicks) but that doesn't make them deserving of a spot. Who knows, maybe ten years down the road, after some time apart, the world will feel differently about the band.

- You guys really love your live albums. Here's hoping you enjoy Part II of the list of "Greatest Live Albums." Stay tuned as we continue to break the rules for the Top 7.

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This week marks the beginning of a new piece that will be taking over the intro for the next few months or so. Our regular inquirer Steveo asked me a week or so back to break down my favorite bands by decade, and I am going to… but I am going to take it a step farther. Each week I will be covering a decade in the history of Rock and Roll and highlighting the ten most essential artists of the era. Inevitably, some of your favorites may be left out, and as always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. The whole idea is to get people buzzing about some of this great music from a bygone era. Hopefully this little trip down memory lane will be an enjoyable one for all.

Let's get started with…

The 1950's

This 1950's where an interesting time in history. World War II had come and gone in the 40's, and the entire world was still trying to heal from the tragedies of the past decade. America was on the verge of a huge political and social change with issues such as racism and sexism lying on the horizon.

Musically, jazz and blues had been thriving in the states over the past years with big band music and legendary crooners leading the way, and in the south, county music was alive and kicking as well.

Then, the most amazing chemical reaction occurred as musicians began to combine essential elements from jazz and blues to the southern styling of country. The resulting creation was soon to become known as Rock and Roll, and little did anyone know that the genre would play a role in completely reshaping the political and social landscape for decades to come.

Without these innovative individuals, there would be no Beatles, or Led Zeppelin, or Metallica, or Nirvana. Those of us that are fans of rock owe these guys a great deal of love and respect.

The ten most essential artists of the 1950's (in no particular order) are…

Chuck Berry - This guy was a true innovator on the guitar, and possibly the most important strummer in the early days of rock and roll. Not only was he an influential guitar player, but he also would go on to create the rock and roll "image," as he was one of the most dazzling performers of the day.

Buddy Holly - The thing that is remarkable about Buddy Holly is that he remains one of the biggest influences from that era despite his career in the spotlight lasting less than two years. Before his tragic death in that infamous plan crash, Holly and his Crickets did a great deal to popularize the genre, though his approach was a bit subtler than that of Berry.

Fats Domino - Fats Domino brought a background in New Orleans R&B to the rock and roll table, as he transformed the R&B elements into a critical part of the art form. He had a great deal of success in the 50's and 60's, and would go on to be one of the most reliable and stable artists of the era.

Jerry Lee Lewis - Lewis arrived on the scene late in the decade and brought with him one of the craziest examples of rock stardom in the genesis of rock, both on stage with his outlandish antics, and off with his controversial lifestyle and love life. Jerry's hits like "A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On" and "Great Balls of Fire" are crucial to the shaping of the sound of rock and roll.

Bo Diddly - As we covered a few weeks back, Mr. Diddly created what would go on to be one of the basic building blocks for a huge percentage of rock music in his famous guitar rhythm. This groundbreaking rhythmic assault coupled with his self-proclaiming yet powerful vocals propelled him to legendary status despite his lack of true chart-topping success.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Class is in Session

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There really isn't a very patriotic song from the boys from Liverpool, and I already used "Birthday" in honor of my daughter's first birthday, so I decided to go for a little bit of irony.

"Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say. / Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she changes from day to day. / I wanna tell her that I love her a lot, but I gotta get a belly full of wine. / Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl, someday I'm gonna make her mine / Oh yeah, someday I'm gonna make her mine.." – Her Majesty

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Q: Hey bro,

I'M glad you agree with me on Marilyn Manson. I think Adam Sandler is a better artist than he is. And I hate the wedding singer.

First question:

The Grammy's. Are they an reliable anymore? I'm a big fan of the foo fighters. They have three grammy winning albums. There is Nothing Left To Lose is a good album. And Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace probably benefited from a poor market at the time. But One By One did not deserve Rock Album of the year. Dave Grohl has said about that album. He wrote four songs that he liked and the rest he never played again. He rushed in and out of that album. Not to mention Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry got nominated for Best Rock Song a few years ago.

What is the most overrated band you have ever heard? I'm talking critically, not commercially. That disqualifies Nickelback, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit.

What's the worst band you ever heard? Celebrity band's don't count.

Are there any artists that are too deep for you liking? (Tool)

Better political band: Rage or System

I guess that's it bro. I'm gonna go load up on Nirvana cds

-Steveo

A: Always great to get some questions from you Steveo. You keep me on my toes!

Alright, starting with the Grammy's. Here is the real issue… there is no chance for the Grammy's to really be seen as a success. In years past the committee handed out awards based purely on critical acclaim, ala the Academy Awards. People moaned and groaned about how no one really liked the artists that were winning, and how the Grammy's had "lost touch" with the music listening public.

Then, the pendulum began to swing the other way, and now we have, as you mentioned, Buckcherry being nominated for the award. Now, the song they got the nomination for was funny and catchy, but so far from award worthy that it is ridiculous.

At the same time, it is not really their fault that there is so much horrible music polluting the airwaves. While it may have been a poor choice when you look at it alone, One By One by the Foo Fighters might have been the lesser of a few evils at the time.

So, you asked if they were reliable, and I suppose that depends on what kind of reliability you are looking for. They are consistently a platform for over the top performances and further ego inflation for rock stars, so if that is what you are going for, then it most certainly is reliable. However, if you are looking for an unbiased and accurate look at what is the best thing going in music, then most definitely not.

Now, most critically overrated band I have ever heard… Let me see how many people I can piss off. I don't get the fascination with Coldplay, they just aren't as good as everyone wants them to be, and the same for Radiohead. Good band? Yes. One of the greatest ever? Uh… no. I also have to throw in The White Stripes to the pile. Jack and Meg put together what would be a start to a great song, and I really like what they have, but I want them to do more with it! (And for the love of Pete, stop insulting drummers all over the world by allowing Meg to claim to be one.) One last present day example… Panic! At the Disco… I just can't wrap my head about what is so innovative about this band, and I find it hard to have a lot of respect for a band that had a record deal without ever playing a live show before hand. If you want to heap praise on someone, praise the producers, because they had ten times more to do with the way this band sounds than the band members themselves.

Looking back a bit, I nominate Steely Dan, The Cars, INXS, and the one that may get me the most hate mail… The Grateful Dead. Now, Steely Dan has its moments of good music, and I don't HATE them by any means, I just don't see them as an elite band. The Grateful Dead are great at what it is that they do, which is jamming, but again, I think they are given entirely too much credit. Finally, The Cars and INXS are horrible in my eyes. I just don't get it.

Worst band I have ever heard? That is tough, because I have seen a lot of horrible independent bands. If you are looking for a better-known act, I would have to say Sugar Ray. I witnessed a live performance from the band and it was one of the worst moments of my musical life. I may have to sleep on that one a bit.

I don't think any band is too deep outright, though some bands, like TOOL, might take themselves a bit too seriously. For my personal preference it all depends on my mood. There are times when I can totally get into the complexity of progressive rock, whether it is TOOL, or maybe a little Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Other times I am just looking for something simple and happy to zone out to. It is all about mood and timing.

Finally, as far as political bands go, I have to give the nod to Rage Against the Machine. They are the definition of this generation's political band, and they were doing it before being political was cool. They spoke their mind freely, and whether or not I agree with everything they said, I respect their passion. System of a Down seems to be more on board with being Anti-Bush than being altogether political, which has become the trendy thing to do. However, they at least seem competent enough to talk about the issues, which half of the bands pumping out similar sentiment are not.

Q:I wanted to get your thoughts on something. I have seen you go over the founders of rock and of hard rock and grunge… but what about punk? Who do you give credit to for founding the genre of punk?

Is it the Ramones? Sex Pistols? Clash?

Just wondering…

- Kenny S.

A: Alright Kenny, lets see what we've got here.

There are multiple answers to your question, so bear with me.

If you are talking influences of punk, you could go back to bands like The Who that began showing the first "punk attitude" with their disrespect for authority. You can also look at some of the garage rock acts of the 60's like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The New York Dolls for acts that influenced the sound of punk.

It wasn't until the mid-70's that the genre took a life of it's own, and many feel that the movement was really a revolt against heavy metal and it's overly complicated songs. What better way to thumb your nose at complexity than to hammer out catchy three-chord songs right?

Now, there are basically two schools to the emergence of punk. New York Punk, which was pushed to the forefront by The Ramones, and British Punk that was defined by acts like The Sex Pistols.

The Ramones and their ilk were more about blazing speed, partying, and humor. This version was rooted in a dislike for the over-serious heavy metal bands out there, and the number one subject of a New York style punk song was parting and having fun.

The British version was similar in chord structure but totally different in meaning. Bands like the aforementioned Sex Pistols were more about political messages like anarchy and disdain for all things authority.

Both styles would eventually mesh and crossover, but punk's origin was most definitely not a unified effort across the pond.

Out of the two trains of thought, I much prefer the good-times and some-what sarcastic vibe of The Ramones as opposed to the over the top and (in my opinion) ridiculous antics of The Sex Pistols.

And then, decades later bands like Blink 182 would come around and castrate the genre of punk forever…

The End

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This week's list…(Insert mental drum roll here)

The Top 7 14 Live Albums

Disclaimer: I am going to break a few rules here. First of all, I am expanding the list to double its usual length, and secondly, after a week of deliberation, I am actually going to amend Round 1 from last week a bit. So don't tell anyone that I violated the rules… just kidding… it is my column and I will do what I want damn it!

14. Live at Folsom Field by Dave Matthews Band – There are plenty of live DMB choices to pick from, but this one is a personal favorite of mine. There is plenty to love as Dave and his fantastic collection of musicians, including Carter Beauford, one of my favorite drummers going today. Some can't miss tracks include a great cover of "All Along the Watchtower," "Two Step," and "Ants Marching."

13. Live Killers by Queen – Queen, and more specifically, Freddie Mercury, is one of the premier live acts of all time. The band was one of the hottest acts in the world at the time of this release, and bootleg copies of their shows were fetching a pretty penny, so the band decided that it was time to let the audience take home the live experience. Critics unreasonably panned this album at the time, which makes little to no sense, because one listen to it today and you will be hooked. Show stopping tunes like "We Will Rock You," "Killer Queen," "Bicycle Race," and of course, "Bohemian Rhapsody" fill this set list and prove Queen's standing as one of the best acts, live or otherwise, in rock.

12. Get Yer Ya-Yas Out by The Rolling Stones – I didn't really fully appreciate the Stones live style until catching their concert film earlier this year. For the longest time I saw the rawness of their performance to be a negative, but after seeing the film I understand that it is that quality that adds to the brilliance of the show. Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out is a classic Stones performance the likes of which they have done somewhere between one hundred and six million times, featuring tracks like "Jumpin' Jack Flash," "Sympathy for the Devil," and my favorite, a great elongated version of "Midnight Rambler."

11. Exit… Stage Left by Rush – Rush has quite a few live albums to choose from, but this one takes the cake for me. Packed with classics like "Tom Sawyer," and some lesser-known songs like "La Villa Strangiato," Rush used this live album to further prove themselves to be masters of their craft with the outstanding musicianship that has become their calling card.

10. Made in Japan by Deep Purple – As I have covered before in this space, Deep Purple is often overlooked by the history books. Deep Purple deserves a great deal more credit for their role in the development of hard rock/heavy metal. No Deep Purple Collection would be complete without live versions of classic tunes like "Highway Star," "Space Truckin'," and of course, a song you MIGHT have heard of called "Smoke on the Water." This live disc should be required listening for all metalheads out there.

9. Alive by KISS – You have to respect the original. Until KISS released this album, not only were they struggling financially, but also the industry had little to no faith in the idea of a live rock and roll album. Gene, Paul, Ace, and Peter turned the world on its live music listening ear with this brilliant release. In fact you are much more likely to hear tracks off of this album like "Rock and Roll All Nite" on the radio than you will their studio-recorded counterpart. The album went on to launch the band to superstardom as it showed off the magnitude of their live performances, and it's success allowed many of these other albums to exist.

8. Jazz at Massey Hall by The Quintet – I know, I know… I am using a valuable spot on the list for a little known jazz act that should have been saved for good ol' rock and roll. However, this album is too good to be missed, regardless of the genre. The Quintet released only one album and is comprised by the legends Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell, and Charles Mingus. Since this one and only release didn't see the light of day until after the death of Parker, there was no chance for a sequel, but this collaboration between five of the biggest names in the history of jazz is a must hear for both the rookie jazz listener and the veteran fanatic alike.

7. S&M by Metallica – I think that this album is often overlooked because it isn't very highly regarded by the metalheads out there, but I personally believe that Metallica's performance of their hits alongside the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is a truly magical moment. In a time when not nearly enough respect is paid to classical music, it is refreshing to see a band embrace the power and emotion that the symphony can offer.

6. The Last Waltz by The Band – Sometimes you have to remind people in this day and age that in the late 1960's, The Band was one of the most popular and well respected acts in the world. Unfortunately, time has erased much of their popularity, as their folksy style didn't age as well as some of their contemporaries. This album coincides with the movie of the same name, directed by one Martin Scorsese, that chronicles the last performance by this great band that got their start as a backing band for Bob Dylan.

5. Frampton Comes Alive by Peter Frampton – When I posted last week's edition, I had already agonized about whether to put this one or Alive in the Top 7 due to their influence on the live album format. My initial choice was to slide KISS into this spot, but after sleeping on it, I changed my mind. It is my list… I can do that you know. Peter Frampton's solo career hit record peaks after the release of this album, and it changed the sound of the guitar forever as it began to popularize the "talk box" effect. This album was HUGE in the states, so much so that I am fairly sure that if you did not own a copy, they ask you to move to Canada or Mexico.

4. At Filmore East by The Allman Brothers Band – This is live Blues-Jazz-Rock at it's finest. I was mistaken in leaving this one off of the first Round last week, and while I had originally planned it to be in Round II this week, I had a change of heart. While many of the albums on this list were tweaked a bit for quality here and there, the only editing done to this beauty is to short the ridiculously long jams by the band. While this album does sport a few hits like "Statesboro Blues" and "The Whipping Post," the live show was more about the intricate interactions between the musicians. If you ever wondered why so many people pay their respect to Duane Allman, check this one out.

3. At Folsom Prison by Johnny Cash – Not only did the man in black have two outstanding live albums, but also they were both recorded in California prisons. This version is my favorite of the two as it real captures some deep emotions that I believe is amplified by the setting. Plus, you cannot deny the brilliance of the song "Folsom Prison Blues."

2. How The West Was Won by Led Zeppelin – I know that the more popular pick from these guys is The Song Remains the Same, and I wouldn't dream of taking away from such a brilliant work, but I feel a more personal connection to this album since it served as my own personal rabbit hole into the world of Zeppelin. Featuring classic versions of songs like "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll," and of course, "Stairway to Heaven," this album and its companion DVD are essential to every collection.

1. Live at Leeds by The Who – I for one believe that when a kid walks in to Guitar Center or wherever and purchases their first instrument, the clerk should hand them a copy of this album and say, "Here kid… this is what you should aspire to be." Bear witness to the genius of this band as they tiptoe the tightrope of brilliance and chaos on tracks like "My Generation," "Summertime Blues," and "Substitute." I gave this album another listen this week and I was, as always, blown away by the outstanding performance by everyone on this album.


At Filmore East by The Allman Brothers Band

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Forgotten Classic

This album is personal favorite of mine, and is from a band that I often claim to be one of the most overlooked acts in the history of hard rock. The act in question? Thin Lizzy, and we are focusing in on their biggest album, Jailbreak. The disc, which features three of their most famous tracks, the title track "Jailbreak," "Cowboy Song," and "The Boys are Back in Town," is one of the most solid all around records in all of 1970's rock. It is a shame that Phil and the boys haven't received the acclaim that they should have coming to them. Starting right now, we are calling this "The Campaign for Thin Lizzy in the Hall of Fame '09."

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Q: Simple question for you this time… Where did the term Rock and Roll come from? Thnx – Ashley K.

A: Well, I suppose that depends on whom you asked. There seems to be a significant amount of people who believe that the term was derived from an old nautical term used by sailors to describe the movement of a ship out to sea.

The more common line of thought is that it came from legendary DJ Alan Freed, who played a vital role in the popularization of the genre in American. He supposedly took in from a lyric from the song "Sixty Minute Man" by the band The Dominos. The very suggestive song used the term to describe what most believe to be a sexual encounter (Which really isn't too hard to see.)

Freed began to use the term Rock and Roll in place of the term Rhythm and Blues, because R&B was considered to be "Black Music." So, Alan tricked the ignorant masses into thinking it was something totally different while he was basically integrating the art form under their noses.

My favorite part about this little con is that these people were supposedly interested in preserving their morality and dignity by distancing themselves from what they perceived to be African American culture, so instead they used a term that was basically coined to describe a sex act. Pretty high on the old irony scale here.

Q: What is the deal with Brian Wilson? I have been arguing with my roommate about whether or not he ended the Beach Boys because he went nuts… is he or isn't he? – Kyle H.

A: No, Brian Wilson never went "crazy," but I have heard that he did have some issues with the overwhelming nature of success. He did become a bit more reclusive from the public eye after he left the Beach Boys, and he spent most of the 1970's away from the spotlight, though he did work sporadically with the Beach Boys as both a writer and producer.

As the 1960's came to a close, the Beach Boys surfing, super-happy style was being forced back in favor of a movement of music with a more serious tone. The Boys never really changed their style to keep up with the times, so they too took a back seat throughout the decade.

Both Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys made their comebacks in the mid-80's at almost the exact same time. Wilson's was met with indifference while his former mates to the song "Kokomo" to the top of charts, earning a second chance from their fan base that was now nostalgic for days gone by.

In the past decade or so however, Wilson has been the more successful as he has released several critically successful albums including SmiLE, which was praised by critics and fans alike. While he is a passable performer, Wilson's true talent has always been as a songwriter, something that he seems to have embraced over the past twenty-some-odd years.

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This week's drop of band name knowledge is…

Manfred Mann - Most people make the incorrect assumption that the band name is just another randomly selected band name, chosen because it "sounds cool." The name may have been chosen for that reason, but it could also have something to do with it being the actual name of the founding vocalist and keyboard player. This British Invasion act has fallen through the cracks of time a bit, but I recommend checking them out if you are a fan of The Beatles or The Rolling Stones.

See you all back here next week… and send me some freaking questions.

Class Dismissed.