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Anyway, I'd throw a vote to the Funk Brothers, the Motown house band. Nobody knew who they were for too many years, but during the label's best years of 1962-71 they just might have been the best damn band in America.
But since there's no "other" option, I'd have to say it's a hard choice between . . .
The original Allman Brothers Band
The Blues Project
The Butterfield Blues Band
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Blue Oyster Cult (from 1972-76, anyway)
Santana
The Sir Douglas Quintet
The original Quicksilver Messenger Service (their songwriting was inconsistent but they were a great playing and jamming band)
Phish
The Five Royales (led by the impeccable, underrated guitarist Lowman Pauling)
Booker T. and the MGs
Sly and the Family Stone (before the dope ate the talent, anyway)
Jefferson Airplane
The Band
Earth, Wind and Fire
The J. Geils Band (when they were preponderantly a blues group)
The original Mountain
The Rascals
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (if they'd only had the Rascals' songwriting talent, they would have been the best blue-eyed soul band of their time)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
The Velvet Underground
The original Mothers of Invention (from Freak Out! through Weasels Ripped My Flesh)
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band ( . . . Mr. Zoot Horn Rollo, hit that long lunar note and make it float!)
The MC5
The Ramones
REM
Pearl Jam
Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Soundgarden
Its a fair list. Crosby Stills Nash (+Young) are American, except for Nash, but I would have still voted for the Eagles. Hendrix may have been the most influential. My favorite might be Kansas, but I realize my tastes are not of the majority.
I went to the Foo Fighters Sunday and they rocked our world for 3 freaking hours.
David Gruhl was drummer and a held back artist until Kurt Cobain bit it. Had he not died, this David character... best musician on the planet... may not have been discovered.
I hope it turns out he's not British or something. I love music from across the pond. It's the best. But if hear one more limey accent, I think I'm gonna snuff it.
Foo Fighters "get it". Frank Zappa was right up there with Jimi Hendrix gypsy-style. But when he wasnt guitar riffin or talking to stupid politicians, he didn't get it.
Foo Fighters... live... is like... Shangri La.
You "get it" as well.
Dave Grohl was the superior talent in Nirvana, no question. Even when he was in Scream (the band he was in before Nirvana), label execs wanted nothing to do with his band and everything to do with him. He made a name for himself on the DC hardcore scene.
It was no coincidence Nirvana got bigger when Dave joined the band. His drumming is a crucial part of that band. He was also recording his own music on the side during his Scream days. People that assume he just picked up a guitar one day after Cobain died are sadly mistaken. Even if Cobain had lived, the band was at a rough point and were about to break up anyway. In fact, in 93, Dave quit the band briefly. He still wouldve gone on to do his own music.
His own band is far more dynamic and hes proved it since 1995.
I highly doubt Cobain wouldve tried putting John Paul Jones, Bob Mould or Brian May on his records. Hell, even Norah Jones.
Dave Grohl was the superior talent in Nirvana, no question. Even when he was in Scream (the band he was in before Nirvana), label execs wanted nothing to do with his band and everything to do with him. He made a name for himself on the DC hardcore scene.
It was no coincidence Nirvana got bigger when Dave joined the band. His drumming is a crucial part of that band. He was also recording his own music on the side during his Scream days. People that assume he just picked up a guitar one day after Cobain died are sadly mistaken. Even if Cobain had lived, the band was at a rough point and were about to break up anyway. In fact, in 93, Dave quit the band briefly. He still wouldve gone on to do his own music.
His own band is far more dynamic and hes proved it since 1995.
I highly doubt Cobain wouldve tried putting John Paul Jones, Bob Mould or Brian May on his records. Hell, even Norah Jones.
Considering John Paul Jones did the string arrangements for REM's Automatic For The People and Cobain loved REM, it is possible the two could have worked together. Brian May probably not. Regarding Bob Mould, he traveled in the same social/music circles so they also could have done something.
For greatest band there should be a certain amount of longevity. Greatest would have to appeal to at least 2 generations and be household names. If your grandmother or grandson never heard of them, they can't be the greatest.
Dying young would eliminate. I always use James Dean as an example. We don't know if he would have been the great actor or ended up on game shows and the Love Boat. Many in entertainment history are hot for awhile and then nothing.
The Beach Boys would be my pick.
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