Knights & Knaves Alehouse

T. Foster wrote:I don't like Geddy Lee's nasally voice and I don't like the lyrics that seem to strive too hard for profundity (especially the Ayn Rand-influenced ones). Add to that, the aforementioned really fucking annoying college roommate who used to listen to them incessantly and go on and on about how genius they were, which created a really bad association. If I gave them another chance I could probably learn to like at least some of their stuff -- the same way it look me awhile to grok The Who and The Kinks and Genesis and Pink Floyd and Radiohead and a few others -- but at least up to now I've never been willing to give them that chance, not least because I've got plenty of other music to listen to that I know I like without having to work at it (I've actually declared Zero Population Growth for my music collection because I've run out of room -- at least theoretically for every new thing I buy I try to get rid of something old that I no longer like, or at least no longer listen to).

FWIW, as an illustration of what I like, here's the CDs (yeah, I still listen to CDs) that I brought with me to work today:

Rush is a band that I've always just sort of liked. I never went through a hard core obsession phase with them that I periodically have with other bands like Sabbath and BOC. I can't really call myself a fan. Been to their shows, have quite a few of their albums, but wouldn't go so far as to call myself a fan. I think they did some quality albums from about 2112 through Signals. Most of their stuff before and after leaves me cold. (Although, I think Presto is a nice album.)

I kind of feel the same way about those two other great geek bands, Iron Maiden and Jethro Tull. I'm one of those heretics who think that Maiden was better, or at least a lot funner, when DiAnno was the singer and their songs were more about fighting and f___ing than Alexander the Great and Heinlein novels.

But, when it comes right down to it, I'm way too much of a punk to admit that I'm a prog rock fan. Prog rock to me is that secret vice I keep in my closet. Yeah, I bring out Court of the Crimson King, Piper, and Fragile every once in a while (actually on a huge pre-Dark Side Floyd kick right now), but I'm not really proud of it.

Of course, some of my favorite bands out right now are firmly entrenched in the prog tradition, whether originally coming from the Death Scene (Opeth), the hardcore punk scene (The Mars Volta) or the stoner rock scene (Isis). So, who am I kidding?

I'll go pay my penance now by listening to five straight hours of the Ramones.

Os Mutantes - Everything is Possible
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Both in my regular rotation.

rogatny wrote:I'm one of those heretics who think that Maiden was better, or at least a lot funner, when DiAnno was the singer and their songs were more about fighting and f___ing than Alexander the Great and Heinlein novels.

You're not alone in that thought... I've met others who thought Iron Maiden fared better under DiAnno than Dickinson. I'm not sure... the litmus test I'm guessing would be that IM did no better under Blaze Bailey than it did under Dickinson. YMMV.

T. Foster wrote: I don't like Geddy Lee's nasally voice and I don't like the lyrics that seem to strive too hard for profundity (especially the Ayn Rand-influenced ones).

Nothing profound about "I Think I'm Going Bald"!

SirAllen wrote:Strange indeed. Rush is the greatest band ever, followed closely by Sabbath.

Rush is the greatest band ever? Dude, you're going to rock hell for that one.

Greatest band .. ever. Geddy Lee wishes he was this badass, and all those 2e bands from the eighties can bite it too.



The Who may be the best band, but only because the greatest is always taken.

Ok... first time I've ever seen those names.

And I'll bet I never heard anything from them either.

What are they, some of those new "whiney-voiced complaining about minuscule shit that most of us don't even notice" bands?

TheRedPriest wrote:

SirAllen wrote:Strange indeed. Rush is the greatest band ever, followed closely by Sabbath.

Rush is the greatest band ever? Dude, you're going to rock hell for that one.

Greatest band .. ever. Geddy Lee wishes he was this badass, and all those 2e bands from the eighties can bite it too.



The Who may be the best band, but only because the greatest is always taken.

I can only quote the great Dennis Hopper in Apocalypse Now: Wrong! Wrong!

Sabbath invented Heavy Metal.
Rush rules.

Sorry Trent, your old roommate was a shithead.

Don't sweat it Sir Allen, Foster's a Californite.

The nasal voice my wife would agree (she also doesn't like his pitch), but whats wrong with Ayn Rand? "A brilliant red Barchetta From a better vanished time" whats not to love? Rush hit home as much for thier freedom loving-anti government-controlling-Ayn Randness message as their general ability to rock and kick ass. I'm not a huge Rush fan, but I do appreciate their music and message (particularly in this day and time).

Don't sweat it Sir Allen, Foster's a Californite.

Actually Foster's a midwestern transplant.

I'M a native of California: land that brought you Metallica, Slayer, Jefferson Airplane and so on and so on and so on. In fact, the only location that could challenge California as the land of badass rock would be the UK.

I'm only sorry that Rush wasn't a native Californian band . . . though Neil does live in Santa Barbara now.

And while I'd love to counter with some Florida bagging, that is the land of Jimmy Buffet, so I'll take the high road.

- Wheggi

Wheggi: "And while I'd love to counter with some Florida bagging, that is the land of Jimmy Buffet, so I'll take the high road."

You bastard.

Jimmy BUffet.....


JImmy BUffet......

Every grossly overweight houswife's fantasy man.

Saw him in Daytona Beach. Think he must have lost his wallet and needed some fast money. No back up band with him and he sucked.

I mean really bad.

SirAllen wrote:Sabbath invented Heavy Metal.
Rush rules.

Sorry, man. "My bad", as the kids say today. I thought we were talking about bands that played in more than one dimension.

Every time I read the thread subject, I think Rollins.

TheRedPriest wrote:

SirAllen wrote:Sabbath invented Heavy Metal.
Rush rules.

Sorry, man. "My bad", as the kids say today. I thought we were talking about bands that played in more than one dimension.

Rush is so good they even play in the 4th dimension. Timeless!

I'm from the land... nay, the county of... the Great One: Johnny Cash. You may all now gently bite me.