Classic Rock Song Wars - Part I

[KevShmev]

Okay, time to change this up and make it a little more general with classic rock.

Vote for which grouping like you best.

This was tough, but I think I am going with 1 just barely over 5.

[TAC]

One of the easiest choices yet, Kev.

2 all the way!

[MirrorMask]

Man on the Silver Mountain's group.

[KevShmev]

Slow Ride is one of my favorite songs in this poll, but I am not that wild about Bob Seger, and while Free Bird is great, I am kind of burned out on it.  From a personal standpoint, I like all of these options quite a bit (at worst).

[jjrock88]

Man on the Silver Mountain's group.

[Cool Chris]

Comfortably Numb 4 - When David does it live, either with post-Roger PF or as solo, it is my #1 favorite song.
Riders on the Storm 3
Bad Company 3
Total: 10

Free Bird 5
Slow Ride 2
Turn the Page 3
Total: 10

Hotel California 5
Jessica Had to listen to - never knew the name of that song oddly enough 3
Stealin' Had to listen to - never heard before. 1
Total: 9

Satisfaction 5
Carry On Wayward Son 3
Man on the Silver Mountain 3
Total: 11

Roundabout 2
American Pie 5
A Horse With No Name 2
Total: 9

2 pts separate all 5 groups.

[WildRanger]

Fourth group by a fair margin

[ProfessorPeart]

Have to take 1 over 4. Just have never liked the Stones. That kills it for me with that grouping.

[Cool Chris]

Satisfaction is the greatest rock song under 4:00.

I'm ready dtf.org... let me have it!

[KevShmev]

Comfortably Numb 4 - When David does it live, either with post-Roger PF or as solo, it is my #1 favorite song.
 

 

Your #1 favorite song only gets a 4 out of 5?  Your rating system suddenly looks mighty curious.

[Stadler]

Five by a long shot.

[Cool Chris]

Comfortably Numb 4 - When David does it live, either with post-Roger PF or as solo, it is my #1 favorite song.
 

 

Your #1 favorite song only gets a 4 out of 5?  Your rating system suddenly looks mighty curious.

My #1 favorite song is DG's live version. Maybe that is not a proper way to look at it, to say it is my "favorite song" when the song itself (the album version) is not.

In a vacuum it's a 5, but live it goes to a new level, and drops the album version down a notch. It makes sense in my head.

[pg1067]

Three songs I don't recognize by name, but there was no point in finding and familiarizing myself with them.


Category 1:  Comfortably Numb - 2; Riders on the Storm - 0; Bad Company - 2.5.  Total - 4.5.

Category 2:  Free Bird - 2.5; Slow Ride - 2.5; Turn the Page - not familiar.  Total - 5.

Category 3:  Hotel California - 3.5; never heard the other two.  Total - 3.5.

Category 4:  Satisfaction - 2.5; Carry on Wayward Son - 5; Man on the Silver Mountain - 4.  Total - 11.5.

Category 5:  Roundabout - 5; American Pie - 2.5; A Horse with No Name - 2.  Total - 9.5.

[hefdaddy42]

Five by a long shot.

Same here.  It's the only group that I actually like all 3 songs.

[King Postwhore]

Five by a long shot.

Same here.  It's the only group that I actually like all 3 songs.

Same for me as well.

[TAC]

Turn the Page - not familiar. 

Does not compute.

[King Postwhore]

Turn the Page - not familiar. 

Does not compute.

How's it feel being on the other side saying this?

[The Walrus]

Turn the Page - not familiar. 

Does not compute.

How's it feel being on the other side saying this?

 

[TAC]

[pg1067]

Turn the Page - not familiar. 

Does not compute.

I've heard the name before, but I don't recognize the song by the name.  Googling a list of Bob Seger songs, I recognize the names of maybe 4-5 songs, but the only one I'm sure I've heard is Old Time R&R.

[WildRanger]

Three songs I don't recognize by name, but there was no point in finding and familiarizing myself with them.

Category 1:  Comfortably Numb - 2; Riders on the Storm - 0

Category 2:  Free Bird - 2.5

Category 4:  Satisfaction - 2.5

Really? Unpopular and controversial ratings. All those tunes are big rock classics and generally held in high regard.   

[Stadler]

... but there was no point in finding and familiarizing myself with them.

I say this generally, and not to you personally (though I'd love to hear your reply) but I don't understand this.   Three songs, on spotify or Apple Music or whatever is 15 minutes, that can be done while driving or eating or screwing or whatever it is that you do when you listen to music?    I think "music education" is very important.  I think that "what we like" is what drives what we listen to, but I think context is very important.   

[pg1067]

Three songs I don't recognize by name, but there was no point in finding and familiarizing myself with them.

Category 1:  Comfortably Numb - 2; Riders on the Storm - 0

Category 2:  Free Bird - 2.5

Category 4:  Satisfaction - 2.5

Really? Unpopular and controversial ratings. All those tunes are big rock classics and generally held in high regard.   

And yet...opinions.

I don't like Floyd.  when I was in middle school and The Wall came out, I, like many others thought "we don't need no education" was cool.  Beyond that, I can't recall (m)any Floyd songs that didn't put me to sleep.

I cannot stand the Doors.  It's one of the bands that, if a song comes on the radio, I quickly reach to change the station.  The cheesy organ sound and Morrison's vocals are some of the worst things in the history of rock music.

Free Bird is fine.  It's rocking.  It's not bad, but it's not great.  It's average, and I gave it an average score.

I don't like the Stones.  They're too bluesy for my taste.  Satisfaction is one of the few songs of theirs that isn't band.  As with Free Bird, I gave it an average score.

... but there was no point in finding and familiarizing myself with them.

I say this generally, and not to you personally (though I'd love to hear your reply) but I don't understand this.   Three songs, on spotify or Apple Music or whatever is 15 minutes, that can be done while driving or eating or screwing or whatever it is that you do when you listen to music?    I think "music education" is very important.  I think that "what we like" is what drives what we listen to, but I think context is very important.   

I read through these boards at the office.  I don't have any streaming music subscriptions.  And, while I could play them on YouTube, my "no point in finding and familiarizing myself" comment meant that, because of the scores I gave other songs in the categories or because of how highly other categories scored, there was no chance of those categories taking the top spot.  Also, I don't have any particular affinity for Bob Seger and whomever else was in the mix, so the chances that I'd give an of them high scores is pretty slim.

That said, Uriah Heep is on my list of "need to check out one of these days" bands (as is Wishbone Ash).  Wanna recommend me a couple songs by each?

[cramx3]

Freebird FTW

[Stadler]

I read through these boards at the office.  I don't have any streaming music subscriptions.  And, while I could play them on YouTube, my "no point in finding and familiarizing myself" comment meant that, because of the scores I gave other songs in the categories or because of how highly other categories scored, there was no chance of those categories taking the top spot.  Also, I don't have any particular affinity for Bob Seger and whomever else was in the mix, so the chances that I'd give an of them high scores is pretty slim.

Well, it's less about "liking" than just being familiar.  I find Freebird to be somewhat boring (compared to the rest of their catalogue) but I need to know the song, else I'm out of touch.  Same with Seger; I think he's overrated and shouldn't be in the RnRHoF, at least not ahead of Phil Collins, ELP, etc.   But I need to know "Old Time Rock and Roll", if only for cultural reasons.  I also need to know "Turn The Page" to best understand what Metallica was going for (and what they were working from) in their version. 

Will life as we know it end if this isn't done?  Of course not.  But it's good to have in your back pocket.

That said, Uriah Heep is on my list of "need to check out one of these days" bands (as is Wishbone Ash).  Wanna recommend me a couple songs by each?

I don't know if you meant, on purpose, to name two bands I can't name more than one song from, but you did it!  I know "Easy Livin'" from Heep (meh), and not a one from the Ash, but if it matters, Wishbone Ash is on my list too, since they pretty heavily influenced Maiden AND Lizzy (the two-guitar attack thing, so you could probably throw in Priest too). 

[pg1067]

I read through these boards at the office.  I don't have any streaming music subscriptions.  And, while I could play them on YouTube, my "no point in finding and familiarizing myself" comment meant that, because of the scores I gave other songs in the categories or because of how highly other categories scored, there was no chance of those categories taking the top spot.  Also, I don't have any particular affinity for Bob Seger and whomever else was in the mix, so the chances that I'd give an of them high scores is pretty slim.

Well, it's less about "liking" than just being familiar.  I find Freebird to be somewhat boring (compared to the rest of their catalogue) but I need to know the song, else I'm out of touch.  Same with Seger; I think he's overrated and shouldn't be in the RnRHoF, at least not ahead of Phil Collins, ELP, etc.   But I need to know "Old Time Rock and Roll", if only for cultural reasons.  I also need to know "Turn The Page" to best understand what Metallica was going for (and what they were working from) in their version. 

Will life as we know it end if this isn't done?  Of course not.  But it's good to have in your back pocket.

That said, Uriah Heep is on my list of "need to check out one of these days" bands (as is Wishbone Ash).  Wanna recommend me a couple songs by each?

I don't know if you meant, on purpose, to name two bands I can't name more than one song from, but you did it!  I know "Easy Livin'" from Heep (meh), and not a one from the Ash, but if it matters, Wishbone Ash is on my list too, since they pretty heavily influenced Maiden AND Lizzy (the two-guitar attack thing, so you could probably throw in Priest too).

The last Metallica product I bought was Load, which I promptly returned to the record store after giving it a couple of spins.  I didn't even know they covered a Bob Seger song (although it doesn't surprise me given the direction Metallica's music took in the 90s and 00s).  However, using Metallica as a point of reference, I vaguely recall having sought out at least a couple of the songs that they covered on Garage Days ("Last Caress" and "Helpless") and I know I've heard Diamond Head's version of "Am I Evil."  I don't really feel like I'm losing anything by never having heard the originals of the other songs they covered.  From what I've read, you and I have a very different point of view on this issue.  People referring to a song (or movie or book) as "essential" is one of my pet peeves.

As for Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash, I certainly mentioned the latter because of everything I've heard about their influence on Maiden.  I've often heard Uriah Heep as a progenitor of heavy progressive rock.  I didn't realize "Easy Livin'" was a UH song, but I agree that it's very meh.

[Cool Chris]

Well, it's less about "liking" than just being familiar.  I find Freebird to be somewhat boring (compared to the rest of their catalogue) but I need to know the song, else I'm out of touch.  Same with Seger; I think he's overrated and shouldn't be in the RnRHoF, at least not ahead of Phil Collins, ELP, etc.   But I need to know "Old Time Rock and Roll", if only for cultural reasons.  I also need to know "Turn The Page" to best understand what Metallica was going for (and what they were working from) in their version. 

I think I have had this discussion with you before so I apologize. Based on your posts in P/R I know you don't like to make the same point more than once but while you feel this way and it works for your musical journey, it doesn't apply to me, or pg1067 from the sounds of it. I do not care who influenced my favorite bands, or how, or why. It doesn't inform my musical tastes any. I do not feel I "need to know" anything for my own musical edification.

I am not sure I could name one Uriah Heep song. Easy Living?

When I was big in to classic rock I loved The Doors. My interest in them has waned over the years, especially with their last 4 albums. Their first two however are amazing, and I've read more than one person say that they could have shot the majority of their creative load on those two.

Freebird is one of the greatest songs from that era. Crazy to think a band puts out a legendary, iconic song like that on their debut album.

[cramx3]

I get where Stadler is coming from and I think that's more of a music appreciation side of things, but I don't see it as a necessity.  Like, I don't think I need to know the orignial Turn the Page if I enjoy the Metallica version, but I might appreciate it more if I did, or understand it better.  It doesn't make one's musical opinions less valid because they don't know the songs that came before them.  Music history is only history and for knowledge, I'm not sure it has anything to do with enjoying music.  Having said that, there's a few songs I don't know here and I have no desire to search out. 

[WildRanger]

Well, it's less about "liking" than just being familiar.  I find Freebird to be somewhat boring (compared to the rest of their catalogue) but I need to know the song, else I'm out of touch.  Same with Seger; I think he's overrated and shouldn't be in the RnRHoF, at least not ahead of Phil Collins, ELP, etc.   But I need to know "Old Time Rock and Roll", if only for cultural reasons.  I also need to know "Turn The Page" to best understand what Metallica was going for (and what they were working from) in their version. 

I think people are also much more familiar with Metallica cover of Astronomy than the original version by BOC. But if those people don't need to hear original Astronomy at least once, I'd say they're missing out.

[pg1067]

Well, it's less about "liking" than just being familiar.  I find Freebird to be somewhat boring (compared to the rest of their catalogue) but I need to know the song, else I'm out of touch.  Same with Seger; I think he's overrated and shouldn't be in the RnRHoF, at least not ahead of Phil Collins, ELP, etc.   But I need to know "Old Time Rock and Roll", if only for cultural reasons.  I also need to know "Turn The Page" to best understand what Metallica was going for (and what they were working from) in their version. 

I think people are also much more familiar with Metallica cover of Astronomy than the original version by BOC. But if those people don't need to hear original Astronomy at least once, I'd say they're missing out.

Are they missing out any more than they're missing out by never having heard "Flaming Telepaths"?  I'm "missing" out because I've never heard the original of "Crash Course in Brain Surgery" or "Larks Tongues in Aspic, Part Two."  But not having heard the originals doesn't diminish my enjoyment of the Metallica/DT covers.  Disclosure:  I've never heard BOC's or Metallica's version of "Astronomy."

Chris summed up my thoughts on the issue well.  Sometimes I want to seek out the original of a song that a band I like has covered or the influences of a band I like, but that's pretty uncommon, and in the former case, I'm often disappointed ("Diamonds and Rust" and "The Green Manalishi," both covered by Judas Priest, are prime examples).

[Dublagent66]

Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd), Riders on the Storm (The Doors) & Bad Company (Bad Company)