Kevin's Watch

Underrated: The Kinks, XTC, Stevie Wonder

As for the Beatles, I'll say that Abbey Road alone would've made them a great band, never mind the rapid evolution of albums they made from A Hard Day's Night onward, every year from 1964. Seven albums in 5 years, including Rubber Soul, then right after Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, White Album, never mind the countless singles that never got put on albums, never mind the recording standards and techniques that are commonplace today (double-tracking, tape loops, backwards guitar, and exploring every conceivable genre, whereas most "great" bands have their own brand of sound they consistently stay mired in)... Most bands struggle to release an album every two years, and sometimes it's much longer (look at The Flaming Lips or Radiohead). I don't really see how you can overrate their quality or their prolific output.

Yeah, I've radically changed my opinion of the Beatles since I started this thread. I don't at all think they're overrated anymore.

LM, good to hear about the reversal on the Beatles. What changed your mind?

Underrated: of course, Rush. 19 studio albums, 6 live albums, 24 of which went gold, 14 platinum, 40 million units sold, a bagillion awards, and they're still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame?!? Jesus, what does it take? Good looks?

Overrated: Springsteen, Doors, Grateful Dead, Michael Jackson, all pop music (except Beatles), all country music, all rap music.

Underrated: Genesis, XTC, Rush, Supertramp.

Overrated: 38 Special, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Cinderella, Poison, Nickleback, Alice Cooper, Ratt, Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Grateful Dead, Clapton (he's good, but not THAT good).

On behalf of all Canadians with good musical taste, I want to apologize for Nickelback. I've written a letter asking for a government task force to investigate the potential health detriments of listening to Nickelback, and to see if second-hand Nickelback is just as hazardous.

^ Awesome. Don't worry, I didn't realise they were Canadian. You could always pass them off as Yanks. Disown them, if you will.

matrixman wrote:On behalf of all Canadians with good musical taste, I want to apologize for Nickelback. I've written a letter asking for a government task force to investigate the potential health detriments of listening to Nickelback, and to see if second-hand Nickelback is just as hazardous.

You would figure you would have learned your lesson with Loverboy.

Take heart all! There's always Neil.

danlo wrote:Take heart all! There's always Neil.

I agree. Completely overrated.

Ha ha ha ha ha

If Robert Plant is the prototypical wailer of rock, Neil's the whiner.

Not sure if you're joking Cail, but Neil Young overrated? Few artists in popular music can claim a career as long and of such high artistic quality as he has. Malik, I've frankly become much more familiar with the Beatles' discography since I claimed they were overrated. When I said that I was probably still upset with the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums list which was disgustingly 1960s-centric. I've come to have a deep and sometimes tender appreciation for almost all Beatles albums.

Nope, not joking. Neil Young's certainly talented, but the quality of his output is so wildly uneven that it's scary. He's like Warren Zevon; both of them have recorded probably three times as many songs as they should have.

danlo wrote:Take heart all! There's always Neil.

Neil may have been born in Canada, he may have started playing in bars in Winnipeg with Randy Bachman...but he's lived in the States since the early 70's.

*sigh*
He's American.

AS For Nickleback...

Spoiler

They Suck

Well, I'm going to go out on a very thin limb...alone. I've always thought Nickelback was good at what Nickelback does. What I think of what Nickelback does is a different question.

The Beatles are the greatest popular band ever. I absolutely couldn't believe how many classic songs I'd heard, different in their own right, over the years were theirs.

VH1 had (for rock/metal) #4-Metallica, #3-AC/DC, #2-Sabbath, #1-Zepplin. I'd have to agree except Metallica third.

I know some people don't think Zepplins what their made out to be...but I'd truly disagree. I wasn't a fan until about six years ago...like the Beatles, I started to realize how most music today barrows or is built on their sound, songs...I couldn't believe how many of those seventies hits were theirs.

Stone Magnet sort of wrote:Overrated - *blah blah*, Tool. Yes Tool.

OK, I'll bite!

What, in your opinion, is overrated about Tool?

As much as I love Van Halen, no way they're a top-5 band. AC/DC as well.

Metallica's last good album was Master of Puppets, their only great album is Kill 'Em All.

Underrated: They Might Be Giants, George (Katie Noonan mainly), You am I, Shihad, Regurgitator, The Tea Party, Dinosaur Jr, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Paul Kelly

Overrated: U2, Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Powderfinger, Oasis, Beck, Marilyn Manson

StevieG wrote:

Stone Magnet sort of wrote:Overrated - *blah blah*, Tool. Yes Tool.

OK, I'll bite!

What, in your opinion, is overrated about Tool?

Haha good man. Tool is interesting, because I wouldn't find them overrated if their fans (in my experience) weren't so damn gushy. The typical Tool fan I know raises the band above anything they listen to in a sort of holy rite, with such supplications as "Maynard is the best vocalist there is and ever will be!" "Danny Carey is the most technical drummer ever!" "They are so original and maaan have you heard of the cyclic interpretation of Lateralus?". Tool fans are almost cultish in their adoration. Not that theres anything particularly wrong with that, but it does mean that Tool fans overrate the band. Anyone who goes around saying "... is the best band ever" does that, and Tool has alot of fans like that. I think their output is solid (10,000 days was a bit of a flop though) and they have a cool ethos and whatnot, their fans just annoy the piss outta me haha! No band is that good. Expand your listening horizons!

I've always kind of not understood the popular derision towards the black album. It's by far one of the greatest my all time favorite lp. I understand that they took a year...I understand they brought in Rock to produce. And I can also understand how fans of the first three or four albums would find it alot more polished than their previous sound. But still.

Heh. Nice rant/explanation Stone Magnet!

OK, so Overrated = Fanatical Tool fans. The band is fine!

Oh, and I beg to differ regarding 10,000 Days, but that's another discussion...