Ask 411 Music 08.21.08: Jam On

Posted by Blake Lauderback on 08.21.2008

This week in Ask 411 Music we are discussing the greatest "jam bands" of all time, Zappa's legacy, Morrison's legacy holding down The Doors, Skynyrd v2.0, world record sales totals, and why The Beatles stayed home. Plus, I get the chance to sound off on some pet peeves in the industry. Check it out!

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Hello again everybody. Hope everyone is having themselves an enjoyable (or at least bearable) week thus far. Thanks for stopping by Ask 411 Music, where we embrace our musical obsession and wear it proudly, as if it a sign to the world saying, "Yes, some of us are over opinionated, and even a few of us a bit nerdy, and quite frankly, we are all a little weird, but when it comes down to it, we know more then you… so ha."

Life in the Lauderback household continues to spin not-quite-but-almost out of control, like a merry-go-round on speed. Speaking of which, anybody seen the Alfred Hitchcock film Strangers on a Train? If not, check it out… but you will think twice about ever saddling up on an inanimate animal on a carousel again. Sorry, rambling…

Incase you were absent last class, and your neighbor takes horrible notes, here is a bit of review…

- I made two glaring errors last week, both which I apologize greatly for. Number one, in my rush to meet the deadline I totally misspelled the name of Tool's drummer, Danny Carey. I am well aware of his actual name, and I should have caught that. I also was incorrect on the name of a song by Snow Patrol, which I called "Light Up." The actual name of the song is "Run," though "light up" is mentioned frequently in the chorus… though that is no excuse. I suppose you could also bust me for not pointing out that The Killers are not actually British. However, I gave my thoughts about them anyway since they were asked about by name in the question. I also got beaten up for spelling Neil Peart's name wrong… which is funny, because I was right.

- The Top 7 Drum Performances list spark a bit of debate. Some of you loved my list, while others hated it, and you know what? That's cool. I hope that everyone will check out the suggestions made by me and everyone else that threw their hat into the ring. I know I certainly checked out some new music as a result.

- The new wave of Brit Rock was a hot topic as we looked at many of the rock acts to come from across the pond since the early 90's. There were lots of great suggestions made from people (many of whom are from across the same pond) so give it all a listen. One thing stayed pretty constant though, no one seems to care for Coldplay, which is cool since I agree, but then who is buying all of their albums?

- Steppenwolf still has a few fans out there that seemed pretty pumped about their album Steppenwolf the Second being last week's Forgotten Classic. Always good to see support for an older band.

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As promised last week, we are going to wrap up our look at the most essential artists of the 1970's.

The 1970's

In review, it was here in the 1970's that rock and roll splintered, died, was resurrected, and started the circle again. The previous decade had certainly seen variety in rock and roll, but there still seemed to be a unified front of rock and roll. The following decade saw the rise of hard rock, metal, prog rock, punk, and countless other sub-genres of rock and roll.

So with all of these changes and different genres floating around, which artists were the most influential of the period? Well so far we have covered the thundering power of Led Zeppelin, the prog rock genius of Pink Floyd, and the grandiose contributions of Queen. We also looked at the mixture of pop sensibilities and social commentary of The Ramones and the brilliant one-two punch of blaring guitars and southern charm that is Lynyrd Skynyrd. So, who is left? What five artists will round out our version of the most essential artists from the 1970's? Here goes…

The Eagles - These guys were another band that was heavily influenced by the music of the south, but were as Skynyrd went the down and dirty blues-rock direction, The Eagles sprang right up out of country music. There is no denying the commercial success of the band, as they were not only one of the highest selling bands of the decade, but they still hold a place near the top in all-time record sales. In my mind, the thing that made them so appealing to the masses was their cross over sound that was equal parts rock, country, and pop, and it is very rare that one artist or band is able to break into to many different genres. If you have never checked them out, I would recommend my personal favorite tracks from them, "Desperado," "Life in the Fast Lane," "Heartache Tonight," and of course, a little tune called "Hotel California."

Black Sabbath - Of course the argument still wages on as to whether or not they should have share credit with Zeppelin as the first heavy metal band, but there is no denying that these four gentleman from Birmingham, England did more to shape the world of metal than any other. Tony Iommi defined the metal guitar riff, and every player since has struggled to find a single riff that he has not already done, and done better. Ozzy Osbourne helped define the role of the front man in metal, and did much to establish the darkness and mystique that has been a part of metal ever since, and Bill Ward and Geezer Butler laid out the perfect blueprint for what a rhythm section should aspire to be in this new world of darkness.

David Bowie - Bowie's career is certainly not without missteps, but he was fearless and courageous enough to try anything and everything that entered his head. Androgynous, asexual punk? No problem. Aide in inventing glam rock? Eh, sure. Portray yourself as a rock and roller from another planet while calling yourself Ziggy Stardust? Well, why not? This man has reinvented himself more times than Madonna while writing music that is somewhere between ten and a million times better. You can classify him as pop, rock, proto-punk, early alternative, glam, space-rock, or anything else you like, but you must also classify him as a great musician and a hell of a showman.

Aerosmith - Speaking of rock's greatest chameleon acts, you cannot talk about reinventing yourself without taking a look at Aerosmith, who managed to redefine themselves in every decade since their inception. So the problem becomes, where do you classify them? Well, as much as I respect their later incarnations, I must admit that early Aerosmith is still my favorite Aerosmith. Thought by many to be the greatest American rock and roll band of all time (though I know from past columns that many of you will disagree) the "bad boys from Boston" rock the decade putting out a lineup of one of the best series of albums in history from the self-titled Aerosmith, their sophomore album Toys in the Attic, and numero tres, Rocks.

KISS - I labored long and hard over who to give this final spot in this little study. There are certainly more talented bands out there, and probably bands that were more influential from a musical standpoint, but the world of rock would be quite different without these guys. The 1960's were littered with great live acts, but the format was pretty simple. Get up on stage, perform, talk a little here and there, perform some more, thank the audience, and then leave. As the 70's rolled around, the concert going fan was looking for a little more bang for their buck. While KISS had their share of hard rocking hits, their legacy will be what they did for the live show. Gone were the days of the stand-and-sing rockers that pranced around a little if they were feeling crazy, and here was a band that embraced a level of showmanship that no one could comprehend, much less duplicate. Explosions, fire, lights galore, and plenty of blood… there is a reason that people still claim that the best show that they have ever seen was KISS.

Now there you have it, but I know that there are plenty of acts that could have gone either way, and might very well deserve a spot. So, let the debate begin. Tell me who you would have included.

Class is in Session

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" I'm looking through you, where did you go? / I thought I knew you, what did I know? / You don't look different, but you have changed / I'm looking through you, you're not the same.

Your lips are moving, I cannot hear / Your voice is soothing but the words aren't clear / You don't sound different, I've learnt the game / I'm looking through you, you're not the same.

Why, tell me why did you not treat me right? / Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight, / You're thinking of me the same old way, / You were above me, but not today. / The only difference is you're down there. / I'm looking through you and you're nowhere.

Why tell me why did you not treat me right? / Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight, / I'm looking through you, where did you go? / I thought I knew you, what did I know? / You don't look different, but you have changed, / I'm looking through you, you're not the same." - I'm Looking Through You

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Q: i am an avid 411 reader and even more 411wrestling... yea im a dork like that

anyhow i have a question about finding a song that i hear often at the supermarket of all places... i have the wonderful job of being a secret shopper and yes i do tackle people

anyhow i know this song starts off with a light sounding instrumental and the first lyrics are "its a shame its a shame its a shame..a perfect shame"

its a female singer i am sure... anyhow its bugging me to know who this is and i have exhausted all my own resources which makes me feel stupid because i have been a dj in Ybor City Tampa at night for the last 10 years and have covered ALL music minus techno (cuz techno sucks)

please help me figure this out...the song is by no means a heavy song or electronic song

- Dan

A: Dan, I am tossing this question out with no answer because I need more time to figure this puppy out, and hopefully some of my readers can point us in the right direction. If you have any more information regarding the song itself, pass it along. Genre? Era? Anything! Don't give up yet buddy, we'll figure this one out together.

Q: Hello Blake Lauderback,

I e-mailed you awhile back with regards to the Beatles' legacy. Keep up the great work. Since, in addition to the question-answering-guy, you seem to be the Beatles expert as well, hopefully you'll be able to answer this question:

Just why exactly did The Beatles stop playing live? Counting your reason from awhile back, that they couldn't play louder than their screaming fans, that makes it four reasons I've heard from various outlets:

1) The instruments couldn't compete with the noise of the fans (before the evolution of modern amps and speakers)
2) The songs they recorded were far too complex to play live in any recognizable form
3) They were just sick of playing live and touring
4) The tensions in the band were too high for them to play as a cohesive unit

Come to think of it, it may not have been you who suggested reason #1. Anyway, do you know the real reason, or at least the reason given by John, Paul, George, or Ringo?

Also, you were talking about British bands this week, and a couple bands I think you might really like are Hard-Fi and the Kaiser Chiefs. I personally thought that Hard-Fi's debut "Stars of CCTV" was one of the most complete albums I've heard in a long time, where there were no filler tracks and it sounded great listening to an individual song, or the album as a whole. But then again, I'm a huge and unapologetic Oasis fan, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Thank you very much,
- Vince.

A: Alright Vince, here is the deal. All four of the options that you mentioned played a substantial role in the band's decision not to tour anymore. Let's look at them one at a time shall we?

1) I am not sure that all of the equipment is really to blame, but the band was quite irritated at the fact that they were performing, but no one could hear a single note that they ever played because of the riotous fans screaming their heads off from the time they stepped on stage until they stepped off. In fact the band fully admitted that they were no longer half the live act that they once were because they were just going through the motions since they couldn't be heard anyway.

2) Rubber Soul marks the beginning of the era in which the band's music was predominantly studio driven. The band was taking on new sounds and techniques that could not be recreated live the way they are today. Had they possessed the technology from even just a decade down the line they would have been able to reproduce the sounds they desired.

3) They were most certainly sick and tired of touring and putting up with life on the road. Look at it from this perspective… these guys performed and recorded more in their time together (less than a decade) than many bands do in twice and sometimes three times as long. The guys went non-stop for way too long, ultimately burning themselves out, and since the touring was the most time consuming and trying experience, they decided to dump it.

4) Now, as a result of reason number three, the guys had just started to hit that rocky patch where they stopped operating as a single unit. All four guys were starting to spend more time apart and more importantly, writing apart. However, I can't really knock this chain of events, because one, I can guarantee I would be sick to death of any one of my friends if we spent that much time together, and two, the guys experiencing life on their own did a great deal for their creativity, and ultimately led to some of the greatest music in their careers.

Now, I would love to offer up more thoughts on the matter, but to be honest, someone else has already done that much better than I could have. All of the above information can be found in The Beatles:Anthology (both the book and the video) I highly recommend checking out both of them. In fact, assuming that it made the move from Texas, I have to copies of the book, so I may have to see about giving that bad boy away soon.

Thank you for the great Brit Rock suggestions too. I have briefly checked them out, and so far so good. I am looking forward to digging in deeper.

I don't want you to leave completely empty handed though Vince, so I will leave you with a quote from John Lennon in regards to their decision to cease touring…

"How can we tour when we're making stuff like we're doing on the new album? We can only do what we're doing. We've toured – that was then. If we do another tour we will probably hire London for one big happening, and we'd have us, the Stones, and The Who, and everybody else on it. Unless that happens, forget it. I don't want to be a moptop. For those who want moptops, The Monkees are right up there, man." – John Lennon



Q: What do you think are some of the silliest complaints music fans make? I personally I have two.

1.) Bands and musicians either going commercial/corporate/selling out/ etc. I just find this to be silly. How else are these people going to become famous and sometimes even legendary? They need to sell out in order to become popular. They want their music to be heard. If they make some cash on the side, that's great for them. If they don't sell out, they are nothing more than a quickly forgotten garage band.

2.) "Real" music vs. "fake" music. Just what the heck is "real" music? Is it a singer screaming in your face while playing really loud, screechy noise on an instrument? Because that seems to be alot of people's definition of "real" music? I believe there is no such thing as "fake" music. You might not be a fan of a certain genre/musician/band, and some genres do die out as time goes by, but I consider them all real music.

- JLAJRC

A: Well first of all, I completely agree with your list thus far. The idea of being in the record industry is to play and be heard (and often, to make some fat cash.) How selfish is it of us as fans to not wish the best for the artists we love?

I have to admit that while I agree in principle to your second complaint, I fall into that category quite frequently. I personally have a really hard time admitting that rap and hardcore scremo metal are "real." (But I promise to work on that for you!)

Now to add to the list…

3.) I can't stand it when people think that a band or artist owes them something personally. Whether it is an autograph or a reunion tour, these people are not indebted to you or I because we enjoy their music. Look at it as a service industry, they provide the service (enlightening our lives with music) and we purchase said service (Cds, T-Shirts, tickets, etc.) That is the end of the transaction. If my favorite restaurant closes up, I am not going to go stand outside of it and demand that they resume operation because "they own me" am I?

4.) People that refuse to see history and understand where music comes from, therefore assuming that whatever MTV force feeds them is automatically the end-all be-all of music. Just because something is old doesn't mean that it isn't relevant and amazing. Trust me, the world isn't going to forget Beethoven or Bach, but it will certainly not remember half of the crap out there today. (At least I hope not)

5.) Conversely, people that assume anything recorded after a certain date is horrible. It is not like people suddenly forgot how to make music after some magical date. There will always be new stuff out there that is amazing; you just have to find it.

6.) People that are still complaining about having to pay to download music must wake up. How would you feel about putting everything you have into something, creating your life's work, and then having someone steal it from you? It would suck. You can call people greedy or money hungry, but when it comes down to it, it is still their property that you are taking.

There you have it… some music fan complaints that drive me nuts. Anybody have other pet peeves?

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

The Top 7 Jam Bands

Disclaimer: After reading Dan Haggerty's article about the lost art of jamming in rock and roll in his weekly dose of greatness, The Most Pit, I decided to show a little love to those bands that are willing to leave it all on stage, even if that means a half hour guitar solo or two (or twelve).

HONORABLE MENTION: Primus, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Black Crowes, Gov't Mule, The String Cheese Incident, Little Feat, O.A.R., Ben Harper, Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, Jack Johnson, Victor Wooten, Ben Folds Five, and countless others that I am sure to think of as soon as I post this.

7. Guster – I will keep it brief, as I already spent time last week on the Top 5 singing this band's praises, but they are too good to go unmentioned. Guster basically plays a dirty little trick on the general public. They rope you in with their endearing if somewhat poppy sound before you even realize that they are a jam band. If you have ever had the pleasure of seeing them live then you have had the joy of seeing them lower the boom on their audience as the pull out all of the stops.

6. Widespread Panic – This band basically picked up where number one on this list left off. The band formed in the early 1980's (though it would be later in the decade before they saw their first release) and took on the mantle of being a neo-hippie jam band. (Who knew that counted as a genre?) Throughout their career, the band has toured like crazy to the delight of their primarily grass-roots fan base. Even after the death of guitarist and co-founder Mike Houser, there has been no stopping these guys from getting out and jamming.

5. The Disco Biscuits – I am just now really getting into these guys. On my way up to visit Tennessee before we made the move here from Texas, my wife and I were attempting to drive the thirteen or so hour drive straight through the night. In the process I rediscovered these guys on Sirius. What really impresses me about these guys other than their obvious talent is that I have yet to listen to a single one of their songs and say, "This one sounds just like that other one of theirs!" To me, that is one of the biggest challenges for a jam band, because frequently jam bands fall back on the same rhythm or chord progression. If you haven't heard of these guys, do yourself a favor and check it out ASAP. My personal favorite song right now is "Jamillia."

4. The Dave Matthews Band – It amazes me that these guys have operated as such a unique act over the past decade or so. While the world of rock music has been all over the place, these guys have been there, solid as ever. The South African born Matthews is a brilliant songwriter that has assembled a fantastic group of musicians around him, including the amazing Carter Beauford, who in my mind has to be considered one of the best drummers of his generation. Like many other jam bands, these guys have a rabid fan base that just can't get enough of these guys. They have several live albums out there. I recommend Live at Folsom Field, but you can't really go wrong with any of them.

3. Phish – Many people draw immediate comparisions between Phish and the band in the top spot on this list, and while there are certainly some shared characteristics, Phish puts much more emphasis on the jazz improv side of it as opposed to the folk influences of the 1960's. (Surely you have enough clues to figure out number one by now!) In addition, these guys feature a great deal more silliness than many of their contemporaries, as this band is never serious. Along with a few other bands on this list, Phish did a great deal to keep the genre and concept of jamming alive, as they spent a lot more time and effort on the live improvisation as opposed to the album format. However, if you are looking for an album to pick up and get your feet wet (get it… wet feet… Phish) I would suggest A Picture of Nectar.

2. The Allman Brothers – If you read this column frequently then you are aware of my love for good old fashioned blues rock, and these guys are in a class all their own in that regard. These guys were an ingenious mix of southern rock and guitar virtuosity, and I cannot stress enough how the tragic death of Duane Allman changed the landscape of rock permanently, because the loss of this highly underrated guitarist created a hole in the band that was irreplaceable. One listen to their version of "Statesboro Blues," and you will be a believer too!

1. The Grateful Dead – Oh come on, you knew who it was. These guys are easily the most successful and idolized rock band of all time. Their fan base (aka the Deadheads) treat the band as more of a religious deity than a rock and roll act, and because of this their star has never faded. As I have stated before, I am not exactly the biggest fan of their folk based style, but I must say that I am eternally grateful (good lord, another pun) for the trail they blazed for future generations, proving that you can find success doing it your own way. (Even when your way involves tie-die, a devoted fan base with a lack of personal hygiene, and enough pot to shock Willie Nelson.)

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Forgotten Classic After a few weeks of dusting off some older albums for this section, I decided to once again venture into the not so distant past and take a look at a band that I think it being forgotten much to quickly. The band in question is Live, and the album we are going to look at is 1994's Throwing Copper. This band has earned a reputation for being a hard hitting act with a tendency to be overtly spiritual in their lyrics. (Think more U2 and less Creed) Their debut album, Mental Jewelry was steeped in Eastern Philosophy, but it is ironically their follow up to that, Throwing Copper that displays their passion and spirituality the best despite the fact that they laid off of the philosophy a bit. This album that was loaded with hits ("I Alone," "Selling the Drama," "All Over You," and "Lightening Crashes") proved that the boys deserved their newfound success in the post-Nirvana scene. Here we are, almost fifteen years removed, and I for one hope that the next generation stumbles across this passionate act.

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Q: Hey man, great to see that you liked my idea for the top double albums. Here's a few questions to keep you busy.

1. It's clear that Jim Morrison's legacy overshadows that of the rest of The Doors. Do you think it is sad that their contributions will never be fully appreciated or do you see this as simply a fitting tribute to Morrison's talent as a front man?

2. I'm from Liverpool so we always get random pieces of Beatles trivia in the local papers. Last week one claimed that all in all Paul McCartney is the biggest selling musician in rock history. Is this true?

3. What do you think of the post-crash Lynyrd Skynyrd records. I feel that they are judged overly harshly as people see them as "not real Skynyrd" and whilst they never reached the heights of the original lineup they did produce many good songs.

Thanks again
- Rob E.

A: Thanks Rob, keep the questions coming!

I do think that it is a bit of a shame that the other band members in The Doors seem to be footnotes on the life of Jim Morrison to many. The fact is, when it came to sheer musical talent, I think that Morrison was the weakest link of the band. He had a unique voice that suited the darker psychedelic style of the band, but I think that Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Robby Krieger are more than capable musicians that deserve the same amount of respect that Morrison receives for the band's legacy.

However, it could be said that while they are talented, that they might never have "made it" without the iconic "Lizard King" to provide that unique spark and image.

Incase you were curious, the surviving members originally planned to replace Morrison and continue on, but instead decided to try their own hand at singing. The band released the albums Other Voices and Full Circle with Krieger and Manzarek splitting the vocal duties. Unfortunately, neither album sold anywhere close to amount of their efforts before Jim's death. They did release another album in 1978 called An American Prayer, but it featured the band performing songs that they had written around spoken-word recordings found of Morrison reciting his poetry.

All in all, I don't want to diminish the greatness of Morrison, but I still think it is a shame that the other band mates will never escape his shadow.

I would honestly believe that article about Paul McCartney being the highest selling artist of all time, unless there is some other artist that has managed to sneak into some of the highest selling acts ever without anyone noticing.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, McCartney is in fact the highest selling artist of all time with over 100 millions singles sold and over 60 disc that have at least reached "gold" status. The Beatles are still the highest selling act of all time, giving him quite the cushion against any competition for that title. When you consider all of the albums sold by The Beatles, Wings, and Paul as a solo artist, passing him up is quite a daunting task.

Now, as far as your inquiry about my thoughts on Lynyrd Skynyrd version 2.0, I have very mixed emotions. The tragedy that struck this band is unbelievable, and there are so many sides to it that people just don't seem to think about. I won't go into the gory details, but it wasn't just the people that died involved on the plane, but nearly everyone else on that plane was seriously injured, including broken spines, lost limbs, and horrible scarring. All of that to say that I find it unbelievably irritating when people criticize the band for heading back out on the road after waiting a decade on the sidelines, as if they are just out to make a quick buck on the legacy of the original members, That is not the case what so ever.

Now, when it comes to the actual quality of the work, I think it is very inconsistent. The reunion of the band in the late 80's was only supposed to be for a tribute tour in honor of those that had perished. The resulting album, Southern By the Grace of God: A Tribute Tour was very well received, and all things considered, is an excellent effort. However, the case can be made that the band found success with that album and tour because it relied on the classic songs written by the band, and more specifically Ronnie Van Zandt, before the tragedy.

The other strong effort from version 2.0 is Endangered Species, which is essentially Skynyrd unplugged. Once again, the band sounds great, but they are still hanging on to those earlier songs.

It is not that I dislike the original work from the band post-crash, but I feel that there is just too much unavoidable comparison between what the band was and what it is. The band always sounds solid, but for the most part there is a big hole left in the songwriting, and while baby brother does a solid job filling in on vocals, I just don't feel that he has the same gift that his older brother did.

Although, their most recent studio album, 2003's Vicious Cycle, was quite good, and I would certainly say that it is the best all around effort from the band since the tragedy. Hopefully they will get around to putting out another one in hopes of continuing the trend.



Q: Hi, I picked you up on Google...

"Last week's Forgotten Album, Salisbury by Uriah Heep received way too many "Who is Uriah Heep?" inquiries. Then again, I suppose that is why we talk about it. "
Send them HERE!

- Dave White
Webmaster

A: Thanks man. To anyone that wanted to learn more about Uriah Heep, this is a great place to start.

Q: Do you know what song is played in this clip of SCHOOL OF ROCK? I have been searching for it for a couple of days could you help me? Thanks

- Anonymous

A: Now I have to admit that when I saw this question I was pretty excited because I thought it was going to be a breeze because I figured hey, I own the movie, I will just look for the song before and after and then watch the credits! Not so easy. In the movie, the scene in question is being backed by a heavy guitar and drum bit that is not listed in the credits.

The songs credited in this part of the movie are "Moonage Daydream" by David Bowie, "TV Eye" by The Wylde Ratttz (which is actually a cover of a song by Iggy Pop and The Stooges), and The Velvet Underground's song "Ride into the Sun." However, none of these tracks matchup in the least bit.

So, what is the verdict? I believe it to be part of the score written for the movie. The band The Mooney Suzuki was brought in to fill in any necessary instrumentation for the film. It makes a great deal of sense considering just how well the song lines up with the action, and if you compare it to some of the major releases by the band, the sound matches up quite well.

A little extra trivia for you… two members of the band can be seen in the film standing and wearing sunglasses as Jack Black's character Dewey walks into the Battle of the Bands.

The Mooney Suzuki also have a song on Black's newest film, Tropic Thunder, so he must have enjoyed their work. Speaking of which, has anyone else looked at the track listing for this soundtrack? One of the weirdest and most eclectic I have ever seen! How do you get Creedence Clearwater Revival, MC Hammer, Ten Years After, The Temptations, Steppenwolf, The Edgar Winter Group, and The Crystal Method grouped together?



Q: I was just wondering what you feel is Frank Zappa's place in musical history? I find his work to be extremely complex and different from anything else in music, but don't really see anybody influenced by his stylings. I also think that he is one of the greatest guitarists of all time, if not the greatest and he seems to fail to get that sort of credit.

- Steve S.

A: Frank Zappa is certainly one of rock and roll's most enigmatic characters. I won't deny for a moment that he is an incredibly skilled guitar player and all around musician. But, I think that much of the reason he is forgotten is because for much of the listening public, his catalogue is very inaccessible and hard to get in to.

It is one thing for kids to grow up in a world dominated by shoddy rock music and have them warm up to the classics like Zeppelin and Floyd, but bridging the gap all the way back to Zappa is a hell of a jump. How many people aged 15-30 do you think clamor for Zappa's style that featured over the top compositions rooted deeply in classical music with an affinity for the vocal stylings of the 1950's with 70's style hard rock guitar?

Now, don't get me wrong for a moment. I am not knocking the man's work, because it is everything that you say it is and more. It is wonderfully complex and loaded with fretwork that is untouchable by most, not to mention enough twisted humor and satire to keep a listener in stitches. I personally really enjoy his work, and I hope that your question will inspire more people to check it out, but I also am prepared for the fact that his music isn't for everybody… or even for most people.

Now, I certainly still believe that his influence can be heard, but more so in the work of guitarists like Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen that in that of the average pop-rock band.



Alrighty, to quote Mr. Plant, "let's bring it on home tonight."

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This week's drop of band name knowledge is…

Quicksilver Messenger Service - Since we studied a bit about jam bands today, I figured we would look at an interesting name origin for one of the genre's pioneers. QMS formed in 1965 in San Fransico, and while they never reached the same level of fame as contemporaries like The Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane, they were certainly important to the genesis of the jam band movement. As for the name, a few band members were deep into astrology, and noticed that a couple of them were born under the house of Mercury. Mercury the mythological creature was the messenger to the gods, and mercury the liquid metal is also known as quicksilver. Thus, they combined the two together. I have to say it would be even cooler if they rode bike messenger bikes to get to the stage, but I suppose the ship has sailed on that one.

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

Class Dismissed.