1691 replies to this topic

[Bob Loblaw]

[b]Friday Nights Have Been Lonely
Change Your Plans And Then Phone Me

#101.




The Strokes (466 Points, 13 Votes)

lol

Time has not been kind to thy.

Time has not been kind to your?

[UselessRocker]

I've always hated Phish, even before I ever listened to them. About 10 years ago, a friend tried to change my mind and he played me 2 or 3 songs that he thought would be a good introduction. They were actually not bad. But I don't think I've listened to Phish since that day, so I guess they weren't that good.

However, I love Red Lobster.

[_____________]

I've always hated Phish, even before I ever listened to them. About 10 years ago, a friend tried to change my mind and he played me 2 or 3 songs that he thought would be a good introduction. They were actually not bad. But I don't think I've listened to Phish since that day, so I guess they weren't that good.

However, I love Red Lobster.

i've always hated them as well... then my friend made me do shrooms and go to a show at UIC Pavillion in '97 or so... then i hated them even more...

however, i too, love Red Lobster.

[spiritofeden]

I've always hated Phish, even before I ever listened to them. About 10 years ago, a friend tried to change my mind and he played me 2 or 3 songs that he thought would be a good introduction. They were actually not bad. But I don't think I've listened to Phish since that day, so I guess they weren't that good.

However, I love Red Lobster.

i've always hated them as well... then my friend made me do shrooms and go to a show at UIC Pavillion in '97 or so... then i hated them even more...

however, i too, love Red Lobster.

Doing shrooms at a Phish show would just make me want to leave and do something interesting.

[velocity]

They're like the Dead, aren't they? I probably have never heard one of their songs. And I always lump them together with the DMB because of the jammy aura that envelopes all 3 bands like a flea-infested poncho.

[RabbiSchmoiley]

They're bad, but String Cheese Incident are much, much, much worse.

[Bleep Blop]

They're bad, but String Cheese Incident are much, much, much worse.

Don't forget the sugar version of them- OAR. Awful bands.

I'm not a Phish fan, but there are worse things in this world than Phish(and way worse within their own subgenre). The fact that I have huge jazzhead/good music listening friends that love Phish tells me that they aren't shit, they just aren't my thing.

[spiritofeden]

They're bad, but String Cheese Incident are much, much, much worse.

Don't forget the sugar version of them- OAR. Awful bands.

I'm not a Phish fan, but there are worse things in this world than Phish(and way worse within their own subgenre). The fact that I have huge jazzhead/good music listening friends that love Phish tells me that they aren't shit, they just aren't my thing.

they are deffinitly not my "thing". i would rather listen to "Kill All Hippies" by Primal Scream.

[Ennui]

somebody please explain to me how phish beat cat stevens. red lobster will burn in hell

[Soundscape]

at least Phish did those full-albums-live tradition on Halloween..something that Dream Theater has tried to adopt to an extent when they play a city a 2nd-straight-night.

[Rob Gordon]

Looking forward to the next ten or so. Finally in big boy teritory.

Exactly. And quite anxious to see where the Grateful Dead place after the typical bashing going on.

[Mitchell]

The Doors being so low makes up for that.

[Slackmo]

Looking forward to the next ten or so. Finally in big boy teritory.

Exactly. And quite anxious to see where the Grateful Dead place after the typical bashing going on.

Exactly. And eager to see repeated bashing when they arrive at least 400 spots too high.

[Ent]

I'm not a Phish fan, but there are worse things in this world than Phish(and way worse within their own subgenre). The fact that I have huge jazzhead/good music listening friends that love Phish tells me that they aren't shit, they just aren't my thing.

they are deffinitly not my "thing". i would rather listen to "Kill All Hippies" by Primal Scream.

Didn't Primal Scream make a concept album about tripping on x? friggin hippies.

[Paul]

Not To Put Too Fine A Point On It
Say I'm The Only Bee In Your Bonnet

#100.




They Might Be Giants (470 Points, 9 Votes, 1 #1 Vote)

Years Active: 1982-present

All Music Biography: Combining a knack for infectious melodies with a quirky, bizarre sense of humor and a vaguely avant-garde aesthetic borrowed from the New York post-punk underground, They Might Be Giants became one of the most unlikely alternative success stories of the late '80s and early '90s. Musically, the duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell borrowed from everywhere, but their freewheeling eclecticism was enhanced by their arcane, geeky sense of humor. They would reference everything from British Invasion to Tin Pan Alley, while making allusion to pulp fiction and President Polk. Through their string of indie releases and constant touring as a duo, They Might Be Giants built up a huge following on college campuses during the late '80s, switching to a major label in the early '90s. With support from MTV, 1990's Flood became a gold album, and with it, the band began to reap commercial rewards, moving into the status of one of the most popular alternative bands before grunge. However, the group's whimsical outlook became buried in the avalanche of post-grunge groups that dominated MTV and modern rock radio in the mid-'90s, and the group retreated to its cult following.

Flansburgh and Linnell met when they were children in Lincoln, MA. During high school, they began writing songs together, yet they never officially formed a band. Both Johns went to college after high school, with Linnell playing in the Mundanes, a new wave group from Rhode Island. By 1981, the pair had reunited, deciding to move to Brooklyn to pursue a musical career. Taking their name from a George C. Scott film and performing their original material with a drum machine, They Might Be Giants soon became fixtures on the Manhattan underground. Although Flansburgh and Linnell were building a cult following, they had a hard time getting a record deal, so they set up Dial-A-Song -- a phone line that played songs on an answering machine -- as a way to get their songs heard. The gimmick worked. Not only did it lead to a deal with the indie label Bar/None, but over the years it was a successful venture; at one point, the service was receiving hundreds of calls a day.

They Might Be Giants released their eponymous debut in 1986, and the album became a college radio hit; it also made waves on MTV due to the inventive video for "Don't Let's Start." Two years later they released Lincoln, which expanded their following considerably. Featuring the college hit "Ana Ng," Lincoln climbed to number 89 on the charts, earning the attention of major labels. They Might Be Giants decided to sign with Elektra Records in 1990, releasing Flood later that year. Flood worked its way to gold status, thanks to the singles "Birdhouse in Your Soul" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," which both had popular videos directed by Flansburgh. In the wake of the group's success, Restless/Bar/None released the B-sides and rarities compilation Miscellaneous T in 1991.

Apollo 18, released in 1992, wasn't quite as successful as Flood, yet it consolidated the group's cult. For the album's supporting tour, They Might Be Giants performed with a full backing band for the first time, hiring former Pere Ubu bassist Tony Maimone and drummer Brian Doherty. The shift toward a full band coincided with the dominance of grunge rock in alternative rock. Though they were strengthened by the powerful sound of a full band, They Might Be Giants failed to receive much attention from MTV, mainstream modern rock radio, or college radio when they released John Henry in the fall of 1994. Recorded with the full band, John Henry lost the group several fans, yet the group's concerts remained popular attractions, especially on American college campuses. Still, the band's next album, 1996's Factory Showroom, was virtually ignored by the press, MTV, and radio. The live Severe Tire Damage followed two years later.

They Might Be Giants maintained their "hardest working men in show business" status in 2001 when they issued Mink Car, a stunning follow-up to Factory Showroom that boasted collaborations with M. Doughty, Adam Schlesinger, and the Elegant Too. They celebrated their 20th anniversary in summer 2002 with the release of their first children's album, No! Rhino also celebrated the band's tenure with the first-ever They Might Be Giants retrospective, Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants. A year later, Flansburgh and Linnell joined Canadian artist Marcel Dzama for the children's book and CD set Bed, Bed, Bed. The Indestructible Object EP arrived in spring 2004, just a few months before the band's eighth full-length album, The Spine. Early in 2005, Here Come the ABCs and its accompanying DVD were the band's first releases for Disney Sound. Later that year, They Got Lost arrived.

Over the course of the next two years, TMBG released a series of monthly and bi-monthly podcasts. They also contributed to various film soundtracks, including Disney's Meet the Robinsons and the film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. The band's 14th studio release, The Else, hit stores in the summer of 2007. Here Come the 123's, the sequel to Here Come the ABC's, appeared in early 2008. Later that year, the CD/DVD set Venue Songs, which featured appearances by actor/comedian John Hodgman, was released.

All Music Album Picks: Then: The Earlier Years, A User's Guide To They Might Be Giants

SOMBies Say:

"Ya know the song on that one Dunkin Donuts commerical where the chorus goes 'plenty of room, plenty of room, plenty of room.' That sounds a lot like They Might Be Giants, am I right?" - Moo & Oink

"'I Am Not Allowed To Think' from the most underrated They Might Be Giants' album, John Henry. 3 minutes of pop masterpiecety." - MattDrufke

Ranked Highest By: MattDrufke (#1)

[M_Rots]

Awful band - belongs close to the top of every Worst Groups list ever made. A novelty group that never realized the novelty ran out in 1990.

[Paul]

And Outside, Two Million Drunk Bostonians
Are Getting Ready To Sing "Auld Lang Syne" Out Of Tune

#99.




The Dismemberment Plan (470 Points, 5 Votes, 1 #1 Vote)

Years Active: 1993-2003, 2007

All Music Biography: Washington, D.C.-based emo quartet the Dismemberment Plan -- frontman Travis Morrison, guitarist Jason Caddell, bassist Eric Axelson and drummer Joe Easley -- debuted in 1994 with the single "Can We Be Mature?," signing to DeSoto to release the full-length ! in the fall of 1995. The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified followed a year and a half later, and after releasing 1998's The Ice of Boston EP on major label Interscope, the group returned to DeSoto for 1999's Emergency & I. In early 2001, the Dismemberment Plan and Juno issued the Split Release EP, which featured new songs and covers from each of the bands.

All Music Album Pick: Emergency & I

SOMBies Say:

"travis' voice may not be your cup of tea but their dance parties are fucking off the hook." - thrillho

"D-plan are fairly recognized in the 'I dont listen to the radio and I'm in college' crowd. at least the people I've met/talked to/enjoyed musical notes with." - Cinnamon Poots

"I've honestly never heard a note of E&I, at least not that I'm aware of. Nothing I've read leads me to believe I'd enjoy it. Maybe someday I'll begrudgingly listen." - yancy

"The Plan were an indie band that desperately wanted to be anything but. E&I is a mainstream pop record as conceived by inescapably indie kids" - Sickpup

Ranked Highest By: gwa (#1)

[undo]

"I've honestly never heard a note of E&I, at least not that I'm aware of. Nothing I've read leads me to believe I'd enjoy it. Maybe someday I'll begrudgingly listen." - yancy

I used to feel the same way but they're really not as bad as I'd expected.

[Paul]

(And We Are...)
The Coolest Motherfunkers On The Planet

#98.




OutKast (471 Points, 14 Votes)

Years Active: 1991-present

All Music Biography: OutKast's blend of gritty Southern soul, fluid raps, and the rolling G-funk of their Organized Noize production crew epitomized the Atlanta wing of hip-hop's rising force, the Dirty South, during the late '90s. Along with Goodie Mob, OutKast took Southern hip-hop in bold, innovative new directions: less reliance on aggression, more positivity and melody, thicker arrangements, and intricate lyrics. After Dré and Big Boi hit number one on the rap charts with their first single, "Player's Ball," the duo embarked on a run of platinum albums spiked with several hit singles, enjoying numerous critical accolades in addition to their commercial success.

André Benjamin (Dré) and Antwan Patton (Big Boi) attended the same high school in the Atlanta borough of East Point, and several lyrical battles made each gain respect for the other's skills. They formed OutKast and were pursued by Organized Noize Productions, hitmakers for TLC and Xscape. Signed to the local LaFace label just after high school, OutKast recorded and released "Player's Ball," then watched the single rise to number one on the rap charts. It slipped from the top spot only after six weeks, was certified gold, and created a buzz for a full-length release. That album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, hit the Top 20 in 1994 and was certified platinum by the end of the year. Dré and Big Boi also won Best New Rap Group of the Year at the 1995 Source Awards.

OutKast returned with a new album in 1996, releasing ATLiens that August; it hit number two and went platinum with help from the gold-selling single "Elevators (Me & You)" (number 12 pop, number one rap), as well as the Top 40 title track. Aquemini followed in 1998, also hitting number two and going double platinum. There were no huge hit singles this time around, but critics lavishly praised the album's unified, progressive vision, hailing it as a great leap forward and including it on many year-end polls. Unfortunately, in a somewhat bizarre turn of events, OutKast was sued over the album's lead single, "Rosa Parks," by none other than the civil rights pioneer herself, who claimed that the group had unlawfully appropriated her name to promote their music, also objecting to some of the song's language. The initial court decision dismissed the suit in late 1999.

Dré modified his name to André 3000 before the group issued its hotly anticipated fourth album, Stankonia, in late 2000. Riding the momentum of uniformly excellent reviews and the stellar singles "B.O.B." and "Ms. Jackson," Stankonia debuted at number two and went triple platinum in just a few months; meanwhile, "Ms. Jackson" became their first number one pop single the following February. 2003's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, a double album, debuted at number one and spawned a pair of number one singles: the Dré-fronted "Hey Ya" and the Big Boi-fronted "The Way You Move." Three years later, as breakup rumors continued to swirl, they returned with the feature film Idlewild and an accompanying soundtrack.

All Music Album Pick: Stankonia

SOMBies Say:

"to me Outkast were great in the 90s. i love that mood they had during that period. dark and gloomy and hot and everything. but afterwards they went pop and it was fine as far as their pop singles were, but musically they lost their true form to me." - Artem

"Pretty much every big OutKast hit of the 2000s is important, but I can't think of anything else that has mattered since then that has sounded anything like those songs." - Paul

"I rank Stankonia high if only for "B.O.B" which may be one of the greatest songs, rap or otherwise, of all time." - Johnny Bravo

"And, frankly, Stankonia is a big bloated mess, too. I disagree with the contention that these guys just suddenly went nutso on the double album. They were already pulling into umpteen too many directions. You have to go back to before Andre's turn to find their most focused, straightforward hip hop efforts." - Ben

Ranked Highest By: Midnite_Vulture(#5)

[Paul]

Just A Deck Of Cards And A Jug Of Wine
And A Woman's Lies Makes A Life Like Mine

#97.




Hank Williams (478 Points, 9 Votes)

Years Active: 1937-1952

All Music Biography: Hank Williams is the father of contemporary country music. He was a superstar by the age of 25; he was dead at the age of 29. In those four short years, he established the rules for all the country performers who followed him and, in the process, much of popular music. Hank wrote a body of songs that became popular classics, and his direct, emotional lyrics and vocals became the standard for most popular performers. He lived a life as troubled and reckless as that depicted in his songs.

Williams was born in Mount Olive, AL, on September 17, 1923. When he was eight years old, he was given a guitar by his mother. His musical education was provided by a local blues street singer, Rufus Payne, who was called Tee Tot. From Tee Tot, Williams learned how to play the guitar and sing the blues, which would come to provide a strong undercurrent in his songwriting. Williams began performing around the Georgiana and Greenville areas of Alabama in his early teens. His mother moved the family to Montgomery, AL, in 1937, where she opened a boarding house. In Montgomery, he formed a band called the Drifting Cowboys and landed a regular spot on a local radio station, WSFA, in 1941. During his shows, Williams would sing songs from his idol, Roy Acuff, as well as several other country hits of the day. WSFA dubbed him "the Singing Kid" and Williams stayed with the station for the rest of the decade.

Williams met Audrey Mae Sheppard, a farm girl from Banks, AL, in 1943 while he was playing a medicine show. The following year, the couple married and moved into Lilly's boarding house. Audrey became Williams' manager just before the marriage. By 1946, he was a local celebrity, but he was unable to make much headway nationally. That year, Hank and Audrey visited Nashville with the intent of meeting songwriter/music publisher Fred Rose, one of the heads of Acuff-Rose Publishing. Rose liked Williams' songs and asked him to record two sessions for Sterling Records, which resulted in two singles. Both of the singles -- "Never Again" in December 1946 and "Honky Tonkin'" in February 1947 -- were successful and Williams signed a contract with MGM Records early in 1947. Rose became the singer's manager and record producer.

"Move It on Over," released later in 1947, became Hank's first single for MGM. It was an immediate hit, climbing into the country Top Five. By the summer of 1948, he had joined the Louisiana Hayride, appearing both on its tours and radio programs. "Honky Tonkin'" was released in 1948, followed by "I'm a Long Gone Daddy." While neither song was as successful as "Move It on Over," they were popular, with the latter peaking in the Top Ten. Early in 1949, he recorded "Lovesick Blues," a Tin Pan Alley song initially recorded by Emmett Miller and made popular by Rex Griffin. The single became a huge hit upon its release in the spring of 1949, staying at number one for 16 weeks and crossing over into the pop Top 25. Williams sang the song at the Grand Ole Opry, where he performed an unprecedented six encores. He had become a star.

Hank and Audrey Williams had their first child, Randall Hank, in the spring of 1949. Also in the spring, Hank assembled the most famous edition of the Drifting Cowboys, featuring guitarist Bob McNett, bassist Hillous Butrum, fiddler Jerry Rivers, and steel guitarist Don Helms. Soon, he and the band were earning 1,000 dollars per concert and were selling out shows across the country. Williams had no fewer than seven hits in 1949 after "Lovesick Blues," including the Top Fives "Wedding Bells," "Mind Your Own Business," "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)," and "My Bucket's Got a Hole in It"; in addition to having a string of hit singles in 1950 including the number ones "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," "Why Don't You Love Me," and "Moanin' the Blues"; as well as the Top Tens "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'," "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy," "They'll Never Take Her Love From Me," "Why Should We Try," and "Nobody's Lonesome for Me." That same year, Williams began recording a series of spiritual records under the name Luke the Drifter.

Williams continued to rack up hits in 1951, beginning with the Top Ten hit "Dear John" and its number one flip side, "Cold, Cold Heart." That same year, pop vocalist Tony Bennett recorded "Cold, Cold Heart" and had a hit, leading to a stream of covers from such mainstream artists as Jo Stafford, Guy Mitchell, Frankie Laine, Teresa Brewer, and several others. Williams had also begun to experience the fruits of crossover success, appearing on the Perry Como television show and being part of a package tour that also featured Bob Hope, Jack Benny, and Minny Pearl. In addition to "Dear John" and "Cold, Cold Heart," Williams had several other hits in 1951, including the number one "Hey, Good Lookin'" and "Howlin' at the Moon," "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love With You)," "Crazy Heart," "Lonesome Whistle," and "Baby, We're Really in Love," which all charted in the Top Ten.

Though his professional career was soaring, Hank's personal life was beginning to spin out of control. Before he became a star, he had a mild drinking problem, but it had been more or less controlled during his first few years of fame. However, as he began to earn large amounts of money and spend long times away from home, he began to drink frequently. Furthermore, Hank's marriage to Audrey was deteriorating. Not only were they fighting, resulting in occasional separations, but Audrey was trying to create her own recording career without any success. In the fall of 1951, Hank was on a hunting trip on his Tennessee farm when he tripped and fell, re-activating a dormant back injury. Williams began taking morphine and other pain killers for his back and quickly became addicted.

In January of 1952, Hank and Audrey separated for a final time and he headed back to Montgomery to live with his mother. The hits were still coming fast for Williams, with "Honky Tonk Blues" hitting number two in the spring. In fact, he released five more singles in 1952 -- "Half as Much," "Jambalaya," "Settin' the Woods on Fire," "You Win Again," and "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" -- which all went Top Ten. In spite of all of his success, Hank turned completely reckless in 1952, spending nearly all of his waking hours drunk and taking drugs, while he was frequently destroying property and playing with guns.

Williams left his mother in early spring, moving in with Ray Price in Nashville. In May, Audrey and Hank were officially divorced. She was awarded the house and their child, as well as half of his future royalties. Williams continued to play a large number of concerts, but he was always drunk during the show, or he missed the gig altogether. In August, the Grand Ole Opry fired Williams for that very reason. He was told that he could return once he was sober. Instead of heeding the Opry's warning, he just sank deeper into his self-destructive behavior. Soon, his friends were leaving him, as the Drifting Cowboys began working with Price and Fred Rose no longer supported him. Williams was still playing the Louisiana Hayride, but he was performing with local pickup bands and was earning reduced wages. That fall, he met Billie Jean Jones Eshlimar, the 19-year-old daughter of a Louisiana policeman. By October, they were married. Hank also signed an agreement to support the baby -- who had yet to be delivered -- of one of his other girlfriends, Bobbie Jett, in October. By the end of the year, Williams was having heart problems and Toby Marshall, a con man doctor, was giving him various prescription drugs to help soothe the pain.

Hank was scheduled to play a concert in Canton, OH, on January 1, 1953. He was scheduled to fly out of Knoxville, TN, on New Year's Eve, but the weather was so bad he had to hire a chauffeur to drive him to Ohio in his new Cadillac. Before they left for Ohio, Williams was injected with two shots of vitamin B-12 and morphine by a doctor. Williams got into the backseat of the Cadillac with a bottle of whiskey, and the teenage chauffeur headed out for Canton. When the driver was stopped for speeding, the policeman noticed that Hank looked like a dead man. Williams was taken to a West Virginian hospital and he was officially declared dead at 7:00 a.m. on January 1, 1953. He had died in the back of the Cadillac, on his way to a concert. The last single released in his lifetime was "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive."

Hank was buried in Montgomery, AL, three days later. His funeral drew a record crowd, larger than any crowd since Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the President of the Confederacy in 1861. Dozens of country music stars attended, as did Audrey Williams, Billie Jean Jones, and Bobbie Jett, who happened to give birth to a daughter three days later. "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" reached number one immediately after his death, and it was followed by a number of hit records throughout 1953, including the number ones "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Kaw-Liga," and "Take These Chains From My Heart."

After his death, MGM wanted to keep issuing Williams records, so they took some of his original demos and overdubbed bands onto the original recording. The first of these, "Weary Blues From Waitin'," was a hit, but the others weren't quite as successful. In 1961, Hank was one of the first inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Throughout the '60s, Williams' records were released in overdubbed versions featuring heavy strings, as well as reprocessed stereo. For years, these bastardized versions were the only records in print, and only in the '80s, when his music was released on compact disc, was his catalog restored to its original form. Even during those years when only overdubbed versions of his hits existed, Williams' impact never diminished. His songs have become classics, his recordings have stood the test of time, and his life story is legendary. It's easy to see why Hank Williams is considered by many as the defining figure of country music.

All Music Album Pick: The Ultimate Collection

SOMBies Say:

"the best thing I got out of this show was a tour mate of his said he used

to tease hank for reading dimestore comic books. Hank replied

'where do you think I get all my ideas for songs from?'

good stuff." - avec

"Also, Dero's only shown a passing interest in Hank Williams, the Carter Family, early raw, rural rockabilly, folk music, and the like." - birdistheword (in the "Is Jim On Drugs?" thread)

"Hank Williams, Sr. -"Lost Highway" and "I Saw the Light", looped." - brainstorm (in the "music to kill yourself to" thread)

Ranked Highest By: Waylon (#3)