Most Underrated Bands

[Leroy Lizard]

Groups that never made it big, but should have. I know of three from the 70s and 80s at the top of my head.

Wall of Voodoo

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BR-l63C-2iA/R90GssODxwI/AAAAAAAAB0k/kLcAc2WDC5c/s320/wall_of_voodoo_11.jpg

The Dickies (this band should have gotten real biiiiiig, but they have had a looooong career*)

http://www.captainoi.com/images/covers/the-dickies-incredible-shrinking-dickies-ahoy-cd-149.jpg

Dub Syndicate

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_69VMMSiJyq4/SyKOTjab5UI/AAAAAAAAGg8/Db0VfxhlDoQ/s400/Dub%2BSyndicate%2BA78711138365695.jpg

*over 30 years

[SicEmBaylor]

Travis

[Crucifax Autumn]

Every progressive band ever, at least from the viewpoint of Rolling Stone and the music media in general.

[Collier11]

Travis is nice

[Collier11]

Toadies

[soonerinabilene]

Harvey Danger

[AlbqSooner]

Moby Grape - jazz rock fusion in '67 or so. Waaaaay before there time.

[swardboy]

Uriah Heep

[yermom]

Anvil

when i saw spots about that documentary thing on them i thought it was a joke, like Spinal Tap or something

[C&CDean]

Uriah Heep

Heep spek.

It seems like we have one of these threads every off-season. Anyhow:

Grand Funk
Dixie Dregs
Black Oak Arkansas
Montrose

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Don't know if you would call Tower of Power a "Big" group or not, but I would include them in this list...

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Hanson

[Dio]

King's X

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Dred Zeppelin

[Tulsa_Fireman]

WHAM!

[OhU1]

Dixie Dregs

I thought me and a few other guys were the only people that had heard of the Dixie Dregs. I guess Dean is one of those guys.

Lizard; Wall of Voodoo - great stuff. All Stan Ridgeway there. Listen to his solo work which is good too.

I thought the Flying Lizards should have had more than 2 albums. The local group Chainsaw Kittens from the early 90's were a lot better than a hell of a lot of other groups of the era. Red Scare from So. Cal. had potential.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

The Beatles

[TheHumanAlphabet]

I thought me and a few other guys were the only people that had heard of the Dixie Dregs. I guess Dean is one of those guys.

I stood in line for several hours waiting to get in for a "jam session" in the ATL for a Dixie Dregs "concert". I liked them back then. After several hours, the lateness of the hour, I left and didn't think the "jam session" would occur. To this day, I don't know if they opened the doors of not...

[Leroy Lizard]

I thought me and a few other guys were the only people that had heard of the Dixie Dregs. I guess Dean is one of those guys.

I've listened to them a bunch as well. But that style of rock is not my favorite.


Lizard; Wall of Voodoo - great stuff. All Stan Ridgeway there. Listen to his solo work which is good too.

Very familiar with his solo work, but I found the lyrics a little too plodding. Everyone else raves about him, but I just can't sit through "Drive, She Said." I know I'm supposed to like it, but I don't. (It's like "American Pie." Everyone raves about it. I don't get it. To me, that song is a whole lot of nothing.)

I like Andy Prieboy's solo work better. His song Pyscho Ex is hilarious and a must hear for anyone having to deal with a nasty ex-wife.

(Too bad about Mark Moreland dying. He was one of the all-time great guitarists in my book.)




I thought the Flying Lizards should have had more than 2 albums.

With a name like the Flying Lizards, what kind of spek would they receive in here?

[OklaPony]

Heep spek.

It seems like we have one of these threads every off-season. Anyhow:

Grand Funk
Dixie Dregs
Black Oak Arkansas
Montrose
I think Grand Funk would qualify for "big". Weren't they a prime time headliner in their heyday? I know they had multiple gold and platinum records.

Dregs... love me some Dregs. One of my all-time fave drummer / bass player combos on a lot of those recordings; Rod Morgenstein and Andy West. I had the pleasure of meeting Rod briefly in 96, seemed like a nice fellow.

Black Oak Arkansas... Tommy Aldridge was / is (?) one of the greatest rock drummers ever to walk this planet. I'd always heard rumors that the B.O.A. machine was kinda like the mafia; once you got in you couldn't get out. Some really odd stories out there about this. Great band, though.


Don't know if you would call Tower of Power a "Big" group or not, but I would include them in this list...
Hmmm... maybe big, particularly in funkalicious 70's. Another out of this world drum / bass pairing; Dave Garibaldi and Rocco Prestia.


I'll add The Producers to this list. That was one seriously talented bunch of pop music mofos right there. Got sealed up by a record company and *poof* they were done.

[Leroy Lizard]

Grand Funk was definitely highly regarded. My favorite song from them was "Creepin'."

Nazareth was also vastly underrated. The song "Please Don't Judas Me" is one of the best guitar songs evar!

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Nazareth was also vastly underrated.


Now you ARE messin' with a som'beyotch!!!

[StoopTroup]

Groups that never made it big, but should have. I know of three from the 70s and 80s at the top of my head.

Wall of Voodoo

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BR-l63C-2iA/R90GssODxwI/AAAAAAAAB0k/kLcAc2WDC5c/s320/wall_of_voodoo_11.jpg

The Dickies (this band should have gotten real biiiiiig, but they have had a looooong career*)

http://www.captainoi.com/images/covers/the-dickies-incredible-shrinking-dickies-ahoy-cd-149.jpg

Dub Syndicate

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_69VMMSiJyq4/SyKOTjab5UI/AAAAAAAAGg8/Db0VfxhlDoQ/s400/Dub%2BSyndicate%2BA78711138365695.jpg

*over 30 years

LMAO

[yankee]

Ke$ha
Soulja Boy
Justin Bieber
T-Pain

[Leroy Lizard]

Ke$ha
Soulja Boy
Justin Bieber
T-Pain

Here are the lyrics of Soulja Boys song "2Milli":

I did what I wanted
Niggas did what they could
A line wouldn't cheated
But the Tiger Woods

(but the Tiger Woods?)

I only keep real niggas in my stable
A million dollar chain
I'm feeling like Gucci’s label

(I'm feeling like Gucci's label?)

I thought some trance songs had some horrible lyrics. The amazing thing is that he can't play a musical instrument, so all he does is write lyrics. And this is the best he can do.

[fadada1]

Pop Will Eat Itself

[OU Adonis]

nelson

[yankee]

Here are the lyrics of Soulja Boys song "2Milli":

I did what I wanted
Niggas did what they could
A line wouldn't cheated
But the Tiger Woods

(but the Tiger Woods?)

I only keep real niggas in my stable
A million dollar chain
I'm feeling like Gucci’s label

(I'm feeling like Gucci's label?)

I thought some trance songs had some horrible lyrics. The amazing thing is that he can't play a musical instrument, so all he does is write lyrics. And this is the best he can do.

the fact that he's (and the others i listed) a millionaire, gives me hope that i can one day put my non-talents on the line and with the help of a little autotune, i can ascend to the top of the charts.

[Leroy Lizard]

Other than depriving your brain of oxygen for about five minutes, I'm not sure what you can do to write songs like SoulJa Boy. I tried to write lyrics as badly as SoulJa Boy and it's really tough. If you have a decent command of the English language you will struggle too.

Don't believe me? Check out these fine samples from a song that I am sure is not titled "Stairway to Heaven."



Soulja Boy up in this thang
fresh to deff
I'm joccin on that bitch now
watch me lean to the left
now watch me shootout in this bitch
watch me cabbage patch dat hoe
I'm gone do it just like dis now
I'm joccin on dese bitches and joccin on dese hoes
wipe me down
now watch me gone strike a pose
watch me pass it to A Reb and he gone crank dat Fabo
he gone pass it back to me and I'm a sup-aman dat hoe

To all SF posters, I am not making those lyrics up. I couldn't pull that off if I tried.

BTW, I should remind you that the title of this thread is "Underrated Bands." Underrated. As in, "they were not highly regarded, but should have been." The fact that SoulJa Boy sold any songs at all means he is vastly overrated.

For one, SoulJa Boy cannot carry a tune. At all. Zippo. Now, that isn't necessarily so bad because a lot of our most famous singers cannot sing. Neil Young. Bob Dylan. But get this... they were fantastic songwriters. Neil Young was comfortable writing tunes for just about genre of music. Bob Dylan has probably had more covers done of his songs than anyone other than maybe the Beatles.

Now, some guys suck at songwriting. But get this... they make up for it by being great singers. No one will accuse the crooners from the 1960s like Eddy Arnold of being great lyricists, but they could hold a tune. My lady Nina Hagen (see my avatar) was not the greatest songwriter, but she could probably go toe to toe with many leading opera singers and hold her own.

Then there are musicians like Ted Nugent, who cannot sing and cannot write songs to save his ***. But he's a nasty, nasty guitarist, so he makes up for it. He's got talent.

SoulJa Boy can't do any of these. Therefore, he sucks.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I thought me and a few other guys were the only people that had heard of the Dixie Dregs. I guess Dean is one of those guys.




Hello????? Steve Morse? The only guy who ever really replaced Blackmore in Deep Purple? Jordan Rudess, touring keyboardist for those guys and now brilliant musician and composer in Dream Theater (one of those underrated prog bands I mentioned earlier)? Anyone with an actual appreciation for great music and complex songs has run across them at some point.

[ndpruitt03]

Love

[King Crimson]

Love

i could mos def agree with that.

dickies might have had a chance if any of their songs were longer than a minute. and they weren't even the best "songs under a minute band"....that title goes to the Minutemen. and it's not even close.

[GKeeper316]

Pop Will Eat Itself

nice!

big audio dynamite
the art of noise.

[King Crimson]

the real answer is Big Star. whatever. most of this thread sucks so much it's scary.

if they are playing your songs on "classic rock radio" Clear Channel demographics, you aren't underrated.

[SoonerInKCMO]

England Dan & John Ford Coley
Ambrosia
Paul Davis
Seals and Croft


Yeesh... how did I become such a '70s AC fan? :(

[okiewaker]

J Geils Band
TAB

[sooner ngintunr]

nelson

FTW!!:D

OAR is my underrated band.

Jonathan Tyler and The Northern Lights just haven't made it yet. (Cains 2nd stage 3-10-10, you won't be disappointed)

LOL@ GFR being underrated. Yeah, they only had 5 platinum albums...

[King Crimson]

this is the worst thread ever. to my knowledge, i've never poster "EVAR"....but.

[King Crimson]

gong

[King Crimson]

henry cow

[King Crimson]

Top Gun.

[SicEmBaylor]

Nickelback

[King Crimson]

pretend motocross 80's scooter

[ndpruitt03]

i could mos def agree with that.


Arthur Lee is flat out amazing. Forever Changes is a great album

[Leroy Lizard]

Gong and Henry Cow were pretty good. I would throw in Focus as well. You could put King Crimson in there as well, but most of their stuff is too esoteric.


England Dan & John Ford Coley
Ambrosia
Paul Davis
Seals and Croft

I get sleepy even reading it. :)

[King Crimson]

i listen to both Gong and HC.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Focus was awesome.

[sooneron]

Jesus and Mary Chain
Catherine Wheel (They had more than Black Metallic)
Ned's Atomic Dustbin ( Largely influenced by PWEI)
Film School

[sooneron]

Darker My Love

[sooneron]

Hoodoo Gurus

[King Crimson]

i like psychocandy but after that, maybe it's a gimmick feel with Jesus and Mary Chain.

[King Crimson]

the real answer is Big Star but i was staying away with the earlier nonsense.

[sooneron]

Teenage Fanclub

[sooneron]

the real answer is Big Star but i was staying away with the earlier nonsense.

I dig BS and where you're coming from, but I have always had issues with the lead vox's "sound". Reminded me too much of late 70's prog band Kayak.

[sooneron]

And I am guessing the title of this thread should really be Under appreciated/purchased by listeners, b/c most of the bands were pretty well reviewed and thus, rated well.

[King Crimson]

the kinks.

[King Crimson]

And I am guessing the title of this thread should really be Under appreciated/purchased by listeners, b/c most of the bands were pretty well reviewed and thus, rated well.

minus Uriah Heep. their reviews in the RS record guide are hilarious. back when RS was kind of good. UH got a square, instead of a star on some lp's.

[sooneron]

Chainsaw Kittens :D

[sooneron]

minus Uriah Heep. their reviews in the RS record guide are hilarious. back when RS was kind of good. UH got a square, instead of a star on some lp's.

lolz!
RS used to write about music? :mack:

[King Crimson]

I dig BS and where you're coming from, but I have always had issues with the lead vox's "sound". Reminded me too much of late 70's prog band Kayak.

alex chilton? he's a bit overrated by Starrist homers.....but this makes no sense.

Chris Bell, who is a principle singer on #1 Record also has a solo LP.

the newish Big Star box set from Rhino is pretty great.....and honestly, i'm the biggest cynic ever when it comes to BS re-releases.

[Crucifax Autumn]

lolz!
RS used to write about music? :mack:

Occasionally, but keep in mind this is the magazine that called Ronnie James Dio an "Ozzy soundalike"!

[King Crimson]

lolz!
RS used to write about music? :mack:

david fricke, greil marcus....they used to have good writers.

a million years ago.

[sooneron]

alex chilton? he's a bit overrated by Starrist homers.....but this makes no sense.

Chris Bell, who is a principle singer on #1 Record also has a solo LP.

the newish Big Star box set from Rhino is pretty great.....and honestly, i'm the biggest cynic ever when it comes to BS re-releases.

Yeah, I just don't dig Chilton's voice. Listening to Give Me Another Chance as I type. Something about it rubs me wrong. Not saying he sucks, just doesn't work for me.
It appears Kayak went with a chick in their more recent incarnations.

[King Crimson]

foghat

[silverwheels]

X

[King Crimson]

X

yup.

good one.

[soonerinkaty]

Death
Cynic!
Symbyosis
Kalisia
Wintersun

Now I know none of you know of these bands, as they are fairly recent bands, but are better than any **** out there today.

[silverwheels]

The Ventures
Sleater-Kinney
Talk Talk, at least towards the end

[Crucifax Autumn]

Death
Cynic!
Symbyosis
Kalisia
Wintersun

Now I know none of you know of these bands, as they are fairly recent bands, but are better than any **** out there today.

Cynic and Death have been around since the early 90s. I was just pushing Cynic on Leroy the other night in the Metal truns 20 thread.

[soonerinkaty]

And what did he think of them? BTW they are releasing an ep soon with different versions of songs on TiA and a new song or two. Boner-inducing right thurr

[Crucifax Autumn]

He never said, but anyone who hears the complexity of Cynic and isn't impressed is a moron.

[soonerinkaty]

I completely agree. I love just about every aspect of their music. The Unkown Guest is one of the greatest songs ive ever heard. And that solo OMGGGGG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us25VHj2dPo

[Crucifax Autumn]

How Could I? is one of my all time favorite songs.

[soonerinkaty]

It is a great one also. Textures blows my mind as well. Hell just about all of them do. Eagle Nature is a fav as well.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I've listened to that CD weekly since it came out. I saw them live back on that tour at the Back Room in Austin. They had a chick playing keyboards and doing the growls on that tour. Tiny blonde just ripping out death vocals was cool as hell. Sean Malone, who is still mostly involved, but not full time is one of the best bass players I've ever heard. If you haven't yet, you should check out his Gordian Knot stuff. Runs the full range from Cynic style music to Celtic and new age sounds.

[soonerinkaty]

I will check them out for sure. Oh and another metal band that is WAY underrated is At All Cost. Shame they never caught on.

[Leroy Lizard]

Now I know none of you know of these bands, as they are fairly recent bands, but are better than any **** out there today.

You really need to check out this thread: http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139920

Ensiferum should be thrown in there as well. But I think these bands just haven't made it over to the states yet.

Tristania and Sirenia are two great ones that are underrated, but the whole symphonic metal genre is underrated.

[Leroy Lizard]

The Ventures

First of all, the Ventures were a big deal. But I owned a lot of stuff from them and found to be too one-dimensional.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I will check them out for sure. Oh and another metal band that is WAY underrated is At All Cost. Shame they never caught on.

Most of the great ones never caught on here, even the ones from here. Leroy is correct when he says there are a lot of them like that. In that other thread there are a ton of bands that are huge in Europe and Asia that the average American has never heard of.

[soonerinkaty]

Hold on, you actually know who At All Cost is? Well, im in knowledgable company indeed. I recently bought an autographed album bu them from hastings for 5 bucks. Win.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Yeah, I think it's metal head night at SF!

[soonerinkaty]

So that being said, what do you think about the new Fear Factory? They are the first metal band i ever listened too, and i have a soft spot for them. Debating getting their new album.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I haven't heard it, but I've never really been a fan. No dislike or anything, just never particularly moved by them.

[soonerinkaty]

Totally understand. But in all fairness, they did the singing/growling thing before most bands. Sorda unique to me that they are still around.

[silverwheels]

First of all, the Ventures were a big deal. But I owned a lot of stuff from them and found to be too one-dimensional.

"Were" being the key word. Most people who have grown up in the past 30 years have never heard of them, because surf music hasn't been popular in many decades. I was happy to hear that they'd been introduced into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, while most people went "who?"

And yes, they are one-dimensional. It's surf music. Doesn't mean that one can't find it to be enjoyable. I'm pretty young and I still rock out to surf music in the Summer, because that's what Summer sounds like to me.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Most of them don't know Sammy Davis Jr. either, but you can't say he's underrated.

[silverwheels]

Depends on the context. If I were 60 or something, I probably wouldn't have included the Ventures. I'm just going off my experiences with people of my generation, so my opinion is going to be different than the opinions of people twice my age.

[sooneron]

yup.

good one.

yup, I am a well documented X fan

[OhU1]

Hello????? Steve Morse? The only guy who ever really replaced Blackmore in Deep Purple? Jordan Rudess, touring keyboardist for those guys and now brilliant musician and composer in Dream Theater (one of those underrated prog bands I mentioned earlier)? Anyone with an actual appreciation for great music and complex songs has run across them at some point.

I was a fan of Dixie Dregs in the early 80's. You couldn't find anyone who knew who the hell they were back then. It doesn't surprise me that they have gone on to success in other ventures.

[Sooner04]

Other than depriving your brain of oxygen for about five minutes, I'm not sure what you can do to write songs like SoulJa Boy. I tried to write lyrics as badly as SoulJa Boy and it's really tough. If you have a decent command of the English language you will struggle too.
Soulja Boy, Exhibit "Q" of my theory that the whole of civilization has gone to ****. I grew up in the '90s and I could appreciate some of the rap back then. Tupac had some good stuff, as did Dr. Dre. Snoop's stuff hasn't aged well. The popular East Coast guys seemed like a bunch of doofuses. The only difference between B.I.G. and Biz Markie is that Biggie got shot.

Anyhow, I've heard some things from this Soulja Boy clown and it's appalling how little talent he has. Little may be the wrong word. It's actually zero. He must've been pulled off the street by Jermaine Dupri or somebody to cut a record on account of how he dressed. The man's records must be on a constant loop in the deeper reaches of Hell.

I thought about this very thread the other night as I left the Elton John/Billy Joel concert. Each of those guys has produced several records that are absolutely timeless. People will be singing "Tiny Dancer" and "Piano Man" for another 100 years. Nobody will remember Soulja Boy. Will there be a reunion tour for rappers in 10 years? I doubt it. They won't be able to get all the people who where together on a damn track to get back together for a show. Here's this week's #1 song: G-Unit, featuring Da Posse with a special appearance by Soulja Boy titled "Where My Homies At?"

Get the **** outta here. And that's what's popular these days? I'm sitting at a concert in OKC listening to two guys who are 30+ years older than me because my generation has provided precisely DICK to the world of music. I'm driving 420 miles round trip in one night to see Paul McCartney play in Tulsa because my generation is rushing to the store to buy the next piece of **** record from Soulja Boy.

Good grief.

[Collier11]

thats cus to get on the radio these days you only have to have a tight beat or a catchy tune, the music doesnt matter. Thats why we get sh*t like 'kiss me through the phone", "fireflies", and other pointless and idiotic songs on the radio

[Collier11]

You also bring up a good point, I was watching Sinbads new standup on Comedy central last Sunday (it was funny and clean FYI) and he was asking the audience who are they gonna listen to when they get older cus there arent really that many good musicians left

[ndpruitt03]

Even older rap is better than newer rap for the most part. People still know the words to Rapper's Delight or Fight the Power, or most of Run DMC or Beastie Boys.

[soonerinkaty]

I'm not sticking up for hip-hop at all, mainstream stuff is **** (lil wayne, etc)

But rest easy. There is still a few rappers with talent. Just hard to find. Look up Atmosphere, Aesop Rock, POS, Eyedea and Abilities, and pretty much anyone on rhymesayers label.

That being said, **** rap.

[C&CDean]

Even older rap is better than newer rap for the most part. People still know the words to Rapper's Delight or Fight the Power, or most of Run DMC or Beastie Boys.

Wrong again nik. I've never heard a single word of those songs. In fact, I've never heard of those songs at all.

The only rap song words I know are "can't touch this" and "muh****ah, muh****a, bitch be a ho, pop a cap in hes ***, muh****a, muh****a homies, yo up at the crib chillin' like a muh****a." And those words are in damn near every rap song so if you've heard one, you've heard them all.

[thesnowbishop]

The Butthole Surfers--sure Pepper was a hit, but it's not indicative of their true hatred for harmony.

The Flying Burrito Brothers.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
Texas Tornados (Augie Myers, Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, and Flaco Jimenez...damn they were good)
The Band (famous yes; underrated yes)
Operation Ivy--skater punk greatness
Morphine
Asleep at the Wheel

[yermom]

&CDean
Wrong again nik. I've never heard a single word of those songs. In fact, I've never heard of those songs at all.

The only rap song words I know are "can't touch this" and "muh****ah, muh****a, bitch be a ho, pop a cap in hes ***, muh****a, muh****a homies, yo up at the crib chillin' like a muh****a." And those words are in damn near every rap song so if you've heard one, you've heard them all.

you probably said the same thing when rock and roll came out, grandpa ;)

[SoonerStormchaser]

http://www.canadiandesignresource.ca/officialgallery/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/rush1974.jpg

[Soonerchaz]

King Crimson is correct. Big Star. Absolutely essential.

Staying in the same vein...I'd offer Badfinger.

And Small Faces.

And early Loggins and Messina.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Fidelity Capital and Income - 73% return last year.

[Leroy Lizard]

To me, an artist passes the rap test if he can belt out the lyrics spontaneously, like Yellowman used to do.

http://www.urbanimage.tv/watermarked/yellowman01_bl.jpg

The real talent in rap is in the studio, not the rapper.

In no way is Rush underrated. They have sold kajillions of songs.

[Collier11]

&CDean

you probably said the same thing when rock and roll came out, grandpa ;)

Rock n Roll is tha debil

[Crucifax Autumn]

To me, an artist passes the rap test if he can belt out the lyrics spontaneously, like Yellowman used to do.

[IMG]

In no way is Rush underrated. They have sold kajillions of songs.

Yeah, but any extra mention of any progressive band is cool with me! :D

[Collier11]

PROG gets Cru off, be careful

[Crucifax Autumn]

I love music that requires more than bobbing the head to a lame-*** 4/4 beat...So shoot me!

[Collier11]

BANG!

[Crucifax Autumn]

This from a Tool fan! What do you think makes them so good? Oh yeah...the fact that they are a prog band!

[Collier11]

I wasnt making fun of you, I was just telling Leroy that if he fulfilled your request of talking more prog you were likely to get off

[Collier11]

I love music that requires more than bobbing the head to a lame-*** 4/4 beat...So shoot me!

read somewhere that Tool used 6.5/8 on some of their songs on the Lateralus CD

[Crucifax Autumn]

They use a ton of screwy times and it keeps their music intersting.

[Leroy Lizard]

Okay, okay, okay... how about some prog out of my collection.

http://www.hollowearth.org/images/prog/pawn.jpg

Of course...

http://www.ambientreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/tangerinedream.jpg

http://www.invisible-face.com/pics/genesis_discs/genesis_lamb.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SVYSrpXV2qc/RtK08hk-TwI/AAAAAAAAAWU/74-EB-tS6BY/s320/1.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_uo_eC6uZluY/RvEWflVouAI/AAAAAAAAAt4/Nc2jk3Hq7mM/s400/drasticseason1.jpg

[Leroy Lizard]

BTW, the worst album I ever owned:

http://img.snowrecords.com/lp/1/2087.jpg

[Crucifax Autumn]

The Musical Box is one of the best songs ever.

W35wtfcByIY

Peter Gabriel Genesis rules!

[Crucifax Autumn]

Check out Phil Collins with hair in that last one! lol

[Crucifax Autumn]

5:26 and on makes me feel funny down there!

[Leroy Lizard]

Is it Phil Collins' hair?

[Crucifax Autumn]

Could be!

[sooneron]

The biggest problem with Tool is their fans.

That, and the fact that they only allow like a dozen or so photogs take shots during their show. :rolleyes:

I was complaining about that to some of their fans at APW last Aug and some chick goes "Well singer dooshbag whatshisname is a really private perseon".

To which I said,"Well he sure did choose the wrong ****ing career path, didn't he?" I shook my head and just walked away.

[Crucifax Autumn]

eh...most of the time the venue has more camera rules than the performer.

[Leroy Lizard]

Gotta' throw Peter Schilling in there as well. He has had some outstanding songs. Major Tom is big time. But Terra Titanic is my fave.

[sooneron]

eh...most of the time the venue has more camera rules than the performer.

NO. The Tool, as their publicist is to refer to them. Only allow selected photogs to shoot them. You don't know what you are talking about.
Performers have so many rules like, no one taking pictures in the pit after 2-3 songs because the make up and hair have started to go bad at that point.

[sooneron]

From the official release given to the press at APW


On Saturday, Tool will not allow any video and will credential limited photographers who must sign the band’s photo release form. We’ve been notified that Tool does not allow wire services/syndicates to shoot and will let you know when we learn which outlets are approved by their publicist.

[yermom]

i have no idea what Maynard looks like. i've seen like one picture maybe, and i don't remember what it looked like if i did

[Crucifax Autumn]

NO. The Tool, as their publicist is to refer to them. Only allow selected photogs to shoot them. You don't know what you are talking about.
Performers have so many rules like, no one taking pictures in the pit after 2-3 songs because the make up and hair have started to go bad at that point.

No need to be a jerk about it. I was just stating that in my experience I've seen more issues with the venues having silly rules, thus it means little to me as I can find plenty of pictures of Tool on weird days where I bump my head and care more about image than music, which is never. I find the second part of that statement ridiculous since I can watch full performances of real bands like Iron Maiden or Dream theater with full sweat. I guess not wearing silly makeup and hairstyles makes crap like sweat normal instead of wardrobe disasters. But I guess Brittney and Madonna wouldn't be very famous if they were ONLY sweaty dancers lip-syncing instead of artificial illusions of beauty.


i have no idea what Maynard looks like. i've seen like one picture maybe, and i don't remember what it looked like if i did

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z63/embracetherandom/Tool-band-10k02.jpg

That's Maynard on the left.

Yep...That guy is WAY too concerned with keeping up his picture perfect image:

http://theblarg.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/maynard.jpg

http://image.pollstar.com/WeblogFiles/pollstar/0908201117115193746_685233_v1.jpg

:D

[Leroy Lizard]

Maynard is a strange one, I must say. He is one of the few artists I have actually met and talked to. (And here come the

In terms of strange looking, Deathstars. Good band, though:

http://th03.deviantart.net/fs42/300W/f/2009/084/a/d/DEATH_STARS_VI_by_silent_order.jpg

[Leroy Lizard]

BTW, are they really called The Tool?

IMO, Tool is the modern-day Led Zeppelin. They are that good.

[Collier11]

They are called TOOL, not The Tool and IMHO they are one of the very very few True Rock bands that actually puts out great and thoughtful music and not just make $ music

[Crucifax Autumn]

There are tons of bands like that. Clear Channel and the rest of the jackhole media conglomerates just don't bother to let the American public have a chance to hear them though. Don't anyone get the idea that the old days of payola and other BS tactics by companies to decide who will be popular ever ended.

[Leroy Lizard]

There used to be a ton of bands that I called "headphone bands." You turn out the lights and listen. Bands like Shriekback, XTC, Fields of the Nephilim, Opal, and Pink Floyd. I used to love burning up two hours an evening just listening. But no one has the patience anymore.

I remember a Tangerine Dream concert that blew me away so much that I ended up driving 70 miles past my destination without even realizing it.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Radio and MTV combined with dump people attention spans just don't allow for bands like that to really get all that popular anymore with extremely rare exceptions.

[Collier11]

There are tons of bands like that. Clear Channel and the rest of the jackhole media conglomerates just don't bother to let the American public have a chance to hear them though. Don't anyone get the idea that the old days of payola and other BS tactics by companies to decide who will be popular ever ended.

I should have said, a very thoughtful and great TRUE rock band who is also wildly commercially successful

[Leroy Lizard]

The trance genre has some good stuff. There is one trance mix of Eno's "An Ending" that is pretty cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAxC9r9LETg

Blank and Jones have some good listening music as well.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I should have said, a very thoughtful and great TRUE rock band who is also wildly commercially successful in the United States with its lowest common denominator, entertainment for the masses, one size fits all, embrace the mediocre society

There ya go. :D

Bands like Tool amaze me in that they can actually manage to pull off getting popular here. I swear, the radio stations must not have noticed how complex the music was until they were already popular or they would have just done what they do ith every other smart band and said "Don't play this, the people are too unsophisticated".

I don't know what's worse, the actual stupidity of the people or the big business mentality that says people are even more stupid than they are.

[Collier11]

yep, I wonder sometimes how their songs still get on the radio.

Are they the Biggest Rock Band to originate in the last 30 years?

[Crucifax Autumn]

Hard to say really. Too many ways to interpret that.

[Collier11]

Well, biggest wasnt the right word, I guess I meant the Best. The best lyrically, stylistically, commercially, the total package

[Leroy Lizard]

I think so.


Bands like Tool amaze me in that they can actually manage to pull off getting popular here. I swear, the radio stations must not have noticed how complex the music was until they were already popular or they would have just done what they do ith every other smart band and said "Don't play this, the people are too unsophisticated".

I am not that amazed because Tool writes great songs.

[Crucifax Autumn]

That usually means commercial failure in the US though.

[Collier11]

that just points to their Greatness

[Crucifax Autumn]

Maybe. I like them a lot too, but I honestly don't know what explains their ability to top charts.

Of course there are a ton of other people who have had similar commercial success over that 30 year period too. Iron Maiden has sold a few hundred million albums since their first came out in 81 and have been one of the biggest bands in the world the entire time without the radio support. U2 has done the same. Disturbed and Sytem of a Down have been consistently on top and consistently had huge radio and MTV support like Tool.

[Collier11]

you really think Disturbed is great music? I tell you who used to be a great band but IMO have become complete sellouts are GreenDay

[Leroy Lizard]

I think Disturbed are damn good. Agree with you about Green Day though.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Green Day used to suck balls. They put out countless albums with no soul or message and tried to call it punk, then finally 15 years into their career put out an actual punk album! lol Then they tried to copy themselves and went back to suckitude.

As for Disturbed, they've been getting consistently better in the area of the actual music, the lyrics, and putting out actual full albums as opposed to a few songs and a bunch of filler. Indestructable is a great album and it's really nice to hear them finally incorporate guitar solos and a more "real metal" sound.

System is just plain quality all around IMO.

[Collier11]

Ive liked SOD since Spiders in the early days.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I like their all over the place musical exploration. Serj has the symphony version of his solo album out now. Good stuff.

[sitzpinkler]

Dredg - if you haven't heard of them, check out their album El Cielo
Metric
Belly
The Breeders
Throwing Muses
Deftones - successful, yes, but I think they should be much bigger

[Jello Biafra]

The Dickies (this band should have gotten real biiiiiig, but they have had a looooong career*)

http://www.captainoi.com/images/covers/the-dickies-incredible-shrinking-dickies-ahoy-cd-149.jpg

*over 30 years



so since these art fags have been around for 30 years...shouldn't they NOW be called the dickie dos?

[SoonerProphet]

<---
Clutch puts out great music on a consistent basis and has a always had a terrific live show. Have seen them at Cain' the Diamond Ball Room in okc.

[King Crimson]

Clutch is a good one.

so is Prong. i saw them open for Bad Brains in the early 90's.....****ing great.

[King Crimson]

i could probably say Bad Brains without controversy either.

[sitzpinkler]

At The Drive-In

[silverwheels]

At The Drive-In

I don't know if they count as underrated. They were starting to get big right when they broke up. Great stuff, though.


Here's another one: Cul de Sac.

[soonerinkaty]

Leroy, if you want great, thought-out music that you can lose your self too, i suggest listen to Cybion by Kalisia. It is a 71 minute epic SONG. Pretty ****ing great i might add too. Took 15 years to create and blows my mind. Give it a whiz.

[sooneron]

BTW, are they really called The Tool?

IMO, Tool is the modern-day Led Zeppelin. They are that good.

That is how their publicist refers to them. I have an e-mail from her.

And Crucifax, don't get your panties in a wad. If you think that's a jerk response, your skin must be that of a earth worm. Ma'am.:texan:

[sooneron]

There ya go. :D

Bands like Tool amaze me in that they can actually manage to pull off getting popular here. I swear, the radio stations must not have noticed how complex the music was until they were already popular or they would have just done what they do ith every other smart band and said "Don't play this, the people are too unsophisticated".

I don't know what's worse, the actual stupidity of the people or the big business mentality that says people are even more stupid than they are.

Rillay? Cuz Mtv was playing their vids from the the beginning way back when I saw them play at Rome XC. :mack:

[sooneron]

I would like to state for the record that I do like a lot of Tool's music, I just think their fans ( which seem to think they're smarter than other music fans) (somewhat proven here :D ) and their stupid fame attitude are tiresome. And the best of the last 30 years? I'm sorry, I need a little more than 4 studio albums over the span of about 18 years.

[Collier11]

Well part of the reason for them only putting out 4 albums is because they value the music. I heard an interview once with them asking why they dont put out more albums and they said cus they arent Korn, they want the music to be great everytime

[Collier11]

another reason I like them so much is because at their concerts you see 6 minute songs turn into 10 and 12 minute songs and it is greatness

[Crucifax Autumn]

Rillay? Cuz Mtv was playing their vids from the the beginning way back when I saw them play at Rome XC. :mack:

How does that contradict what I said? My point was simply that most complicated bands get overlooked by **** like MTV and mainstream radio and somehow Tool slipped through the cracks and got their stuff on MTV from the start. If you seriously think the music industry doesn't push the stupid crap at the expense of true musicians please explain Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and R. Kelly. If MTV cares about quality music why do they play 3 minute pop songs and crappy reality shows almost exclusively?

[Crucifax Autumn]

That is how their publicist refers to them. I have an e-mail from her.

And Crucifax, don't get your panties in a wad. If you think that's a jerk response, your skin must be that of a earth worm. Ma'am.:texan:

Don't worry, you didn't hurt my feelings or anything. I just think their are more polite ways to say things than you seem capable of doing.

[Leroy Lizard]

I had one of Bad Brain's albums that had some great songs, but a lot of the other songs on the album were pretty difficult to listen to. I'll check out Cybion.


Well part of the reason for them only putting out 4 albums is because they value the music. I heard an interview once with them asking why they dont put out more albums and they said cus they arent Korn, they want the music to be great everytime

Awww man, I love Korn!

[Leroy Lizard]

Well part of the reason for them only putting out 4 albums is because they value the music. I heard an interview once with them asking why they dont put out more albums and they said cus they arent Korn, they want the music to be great everytime

Out of the four albums, I can count the number of mediocre songs on one hand.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Korn blows. The lyrics are just WAY to childish for me.

[soonerinkaty]

Did anyone check out Kalisia?

[Crucifax Autumn]

Not yet, but I did download Cybion. I just want to wait until I can actually concentrate on it.

[Collier11]

Out of the four albums, I can count the number of mediocre songs on one hand.

Korn used to be one of my fav bands but the last cpl of albums were just average. They will and should always get credit for being pioneers of a great new kind of music but like I said, lately their stuf has been meh

[Leroy Lizard]

Korn blows. The lyrics are just WAY to childish for me.

Kinda' like ZZ Top.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I only like the first few ZZ Top albums myself. By the time that polished 80s crap hit I was done.

[delhalew]

Splitlip Rayfield
I'd call it "hardcore bluegrass". A metal band that switched to bluegrass.

The singer/songwriter died of cancer, but they gave us three or four great albums and the live stuff is even better, if you can find it. They openef for Reverend Horton Heat back in the day and stole the show.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Did anyone check out Kalisia?

Oh...And I got the deluxe edition. Has covers of Cynic's "How Could I", DT's "A Fortune in Lies", and 6 other bonuses on the 2nd disk. :D

[soonerinkaty]

Oh...And I got the deluxe edition. Has covers of Cynic's "How Could I", DT's "A Fortune in Lies", and 6 other bonuses on the 2nd disk. :D

You lucky bastage! All i got was Cybion, which is amazing anways.

[soonerinkaty]

OH, and I also suggest checking out Blotted Science.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Blotted Science is great stuff. Nice and crazy with jazzy nuttiness going on. Pretty much everything Jarzombek touches is gold, from the old Watchtower days on

[soonerinkaty]

Blotted Science is great stuff. Nice and crazy with jazzy nuttiness going on. Pretty much everything Jarzombek touches is gold, from the old Watchtower days on

Holy crap, do we have the exact same taste in music? Pretty damn sure.

[Collier11]

"did we just become best friends" :D

[Crucifax Autumn]

LOL...Watchtower was a huge stepping stone in the evolution of prog metal, moving it to the next heaviness level after Fates Warning had kicked it up a notch before. Without Watchtower Cynic, Death, Pestilence, and Atheist would have probably been much different bands.

[soonerinkaty]

Boats and hoes!

[Leroy Lizard]

I have a lot of catching up to do.

We need a SoonerFans playlist on YouTube. Trouble is, someone will post a bunch of Nancy Snot'ra songs in it.

[Crucifax Autumn]

LMAO...Too true!

I can't help you much on this Leroy, but Sooner inKaty is a member of the Posse so I can offer at least one little pointer.

Over at the hideout is a huge, alphabetical music forum that I've spent a ridiculous amount of time posting in. Feel free to go over and listen to/watch a bunch of my favorites as well as stuff from some of the other posse members. Be sure and start adding some of the bands you've been talking about too if they don't already have a thread and if they do, just add to it.

It's really easy to post You Tube video there too, as our code just requires you to post the URL of the video without jacking with code. Same goes for MySpace Music and lots of other streaming sites.

Funny thing about Watchtower that I've never quite been able to understand is that their singer during much of their time was Jason McMaster, more famous for another asstin metal band: Dangerous Toys. I think those guys are one of the crappiest bands ever despite my sister practically living at the Back Room to see them and a bunch of other local metal down there. somehow McMaster could see his way to sing crummy hair metal after being in a band as talented as Watchtower. Last I knew he even had a website of his assorted projects and really pushes Watchtower a lot, going so far as to be a force in keeping them recognized by younger people that missed their initial run, though they never did get as big in the US as they did in Germany where they got their first real record deal.

In the late 80s and early 90s there were quite a few good bands playing Back Room in between the dumb hair bands and touring shows. Local groups like Young Thunder and Last Rite were amazing. The YT guitarist lived in my apartments and was very cool. LR lived in a big 8 bedroom house across the street and had some fantastic parties with tons of local metalheads, hot babes, and live music. Good times. Helstar played at BR a lot too back then. I saw Danzig, Ramones, Fates Warning (3 times!), Cynic, Sancruary, Meliah Rage, Powermad, and god knows how many others in that little place. always great to see good bands in a place whwre you are pretty much guaranteed to have a few drinks and chat with the band.

Kinda hard to have as much fun now with kids and all, but it's mainly worth it. I'm trying to make sure they are well trained in musical taste so we can eventually be making family outings of the best heavy concerts.

[btk108]

Supertramp

[Collier11]

whatd you call him :eek:

[btk108]

shhhhhh....he'll never catch it

[Collier11]

he has caught plenty in the past :D

[btk108]

we're not discussin his sex details here.....

[Crucifax Autumn]

Supertramp doesn't count as underrated at all. They are on every classic roick station in the world and always have at least a song or 2 on those K-Tel compilations.

And he didn't hurt my feelings saying that after my post, I thought he was talking about my sister at all those lame Dangerous Toys shows.

[Crucifax Autumn]

he has caught plenty in the past :D

Strangely, and very surprisingly, I'm never caught anything in all my tramping. :eek:

[btk108]

safe sex?

[Collier11]

he just always PIITB of the supertramps

[Crucifax Autumn]

Wanted to? I did that. A LOT! lol

[sooneron]

Well part of the reason for them only putting out 4 albums is because they value the music. I heard an interview once with them asking why they dont put out more albums and they said cus they arent Korn, they want the music to be great everytime

Seriously, don't a lot of bands want the music to be great every time? I don't think this is something that is only beholden to tool and the other bands that you like.

[Collier11]

I think you are missing what im getting at, what they are getting at. Of course id assume that most bands want to put out good music but most bands these days just care about being on the radio and making money more than anything, why do you think (IMO) that Korns 1st 3 albums were great and their last several have been crap? Tool has stated several times (as well as other bands, im not a Tool snob) that it is about the music, not the fame or the $. Thats why they dont spend millions of dollars on music videos, they dont do documentaries and stuff like that.

They want to play their music and be left alone, nothing wrong with that. They just happen to write amazing songs while they are at it

[sooneron]

Don't worry, you didn't hurt my feelings or anything. I just think their are more polite ways to say things than you seem capable of doing.

:rolleyes:

Here's a thought, before you say something, think about how much you really know about what you are saying. EVERY major performer out there has "riders" as to what the photo policies are when they are performing. Venues may have certain camera policies as to what is and what is not allowed, but that is not what I was talking about, as I was a credentialed photographer with slr and hdv cams in hand. Now you know how it works.

[Leroy Lizard]

I think you are missing what im getting at, what they are getting at. Of course id assume that most bands want to put out good music but most bands these days just care about being on the radio and making money more than anything, why do you think (IMO) that Korns 1st 3 albums were great and their last several have been crap? Tool has stated several times (as well as other bands, im not a Tool snob) that it is about the music, not the fame or the $. Thats why they dont spend millions of dollars on music videos, they dont do documentaries and stuff like that.

You sound like their publicist. :D

It comes down a few things: 1. They are exceptionally talented, especially in songwriting. 2. They have a scholarly interest in music that transcends other bands. 3. They actually have the drive to get it done.

It's really that simple. You have to be good; you have to be motivated; you have to be committed.

Take any of those three away, and they turn into 99% of the other bands.

[Collier11]

me thinks Ron needs his diaper changed :D

[Collier11]

You sound like their publicist. :D



Yea I know but thats only cus they are 1 of about 3 rock bands that I think put out really really good music and not just radio crap

[Crucifax Autumn]

:rolleyes:

Here's a thought, before you say something, think about how much you really know about what you are saying. EVERY major performer out there has "riders" as to what the photo policies are when they are performing. Venues may have certain camera policies as to what is and what is not allowed, but that is not what I was talking about, as I was a credentialed photographer with slr and hdv cams in hand. Now you know how it works.

Here's another thought: If you are speaking of credentialed photographers, say so in the original post so that people will have the chance to "know what they are talking about". If you had, we could have focused on how you were upset that your professional credentials weren't good enough to gain the access you felt you were entitled to as opposed to arguing for 2 days about camera policies at venues. I can understand that. I'd be mad if I showed up in my press hat to interview Robert Deniro and his publicist said no.

[delhalew]

I've got tons of respect for tool. An album like AENIMA convinced me, as a group of musicians, they have the kind of chops you rarely see. A finely tuned machine, like Rush or Yes. Yeah, I said it. Flame away.

[Leroy Lizard]

Rush and Yes would have been outstanding if it hadn't been for the squeezed-gonad singing.

[delhalew]

Rush and Yes would have been outstanding if it hadn't been for the squeezed-gonad singing.

Maynard does have a much more pleasant voice.

[Crucifax Autumn]

The voices of both those bands don't bother me at all. I DO prefer a more full ranged vocalist, but with chops like those bands have I can live with it.

[soonerinkaty]

Scar Symmetry??

[Crucifax Autumn]

Very underrated.

[soonerinkaty]

I love your style. May I hop on your pogo stick?

[Leroy Lizard]

Stay off my pogo stick.

[soonerinkaty]

Thats cool, I'm sure some faggie will stroke your chode for ya

[Crucifax Autumn]

I'm actually not a big fan of the band, but they are very talented and very underrated, at least in the US. A couple of years ago I actually predicted they'd be huge here, but aparently I was wrong.

[soonerinkaty]

At one time I was obsessed, but grew out of it I guess. But they are very talented.

[Crucifax Autumn]

Yep. Too much of the screamo kinda sound going on between the brilliant musicianship for me.

[King Crimson]

Justin Bieber


give yankee some spek. underrated, yeah dog.