LOL, that reminds me of what so many people thought of KISS, i.e. all image but no substance.

John Carlucci said:

I agree with him regarding the craft of songwriting. It's not easy. In this day and age, everyone wants instant gratification. It takes time to develop talent. In the case of the Beatles & Stones they learned from the covers they did & they grew into something unique. That's what I do not see enough of these days. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine to "grow up in public" in other words, just getting out there & doing & learn as you go. However I don't see a lot of growing going on these days. I see image & gimmicks. There are plenty of bands with Monster head masks out there & I've seen most of them play on multiple occassions & can't remember one of their songs!

I agree with him regarding the craft of songwriting. It's not easy. In this day and age, everyone wants instant gratification. It takes time to develop talent. In the case of the Beatles & Stones they learned from the covers they did & they grew into something unique. That's what I do not see enough of these days. Don't get me wrong, I think it's fine to "grow up in public" in other words, just getting out there & doing & learn as you go. However I don't see a lot of growing going on these days. I see image & gimmicks. There are plenty of bands with Monster head masks out there & I've seen most of them play on multiple occassions & can't remember one of their songs!

Considering how many bands have such crappy songwriters, maybe it's just as well that they only do covers.

BTW, I'm exaggerating a wee bit. Yes, I have seen some great bands over the years that had great original material. Unfortunately, I've also seen a lot of bands who went for a rather generic sound because they could not do any better in terms of songwriting. Maybe for some bands, playing nothing but covers isn't such a bad thing. Keep in mind that the Beatles and Stones started as cover bands, and take a look at what they grew into. Not that I really think this sort of thing always happens.

BTW, Little Steven said something about this in a speech he delivered at SXSW, in which he stressed the importance of studying the songwriting of great bands so you'll become a better songwriter. Yes, I know some of you think LS is full of shit, and that's fine, but I just thought I'd bring that up.

Just my two cents.

 I have noticed lately that more and more bands, even touring bands that I like, are really nothing more than cover bands. Doesn't anyone write their own songs anymore? I find it odd, having come from the original 77 NY Punk Rock scene. One of the reasons that whole movement happened was as a rebellion to the fact that there were very few venues where an original band could play. Cover bands could gig anywhere. Okay, back then the cover bands did top 40. Now the cover bands are smarter, opting to do more obscure songs, but they are still cover bands. There's nothing wrong with doing a few covers in your set, but to base your whole thing on covers to me is just taking the easy route.

BTW, I share both impulses on this subject. Sometimes I do like stuff that's really raw, and other times I like it more produced. Usually, when it's rootsy, I like it raw, and when it's poppy, I like it produced. However, this is not an ironclad rule for me. I've heard rootsy bands that put out well produced albums, and poppy bands that sound a little bit more raw than usual. Then again, it all boils down to one question for me..does it sound good? If it does, then that's all that matters.

Rockin Rod Strychnine said:

Kurt Cobain said the same thing about Nirvana's major label debut (or at least unlistenable to people use to the sound of Aerosmith and Guns N Roses albums).

Well it sure is a good thing that Johnny never sold out!! (see link) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mSE-Iy_tFY

I understand everything ever. Unlistenable is in the ear of the behearer. There are some things from the 80's (due to production style) that I can't hardly stand to listen to anymore even though they were good songs, well played, and had hi fi recording. Stuff like some (not all) of the Lime Spiders, Smitherines, Hoodoo Gurus, Jason and the Scorchers just make me wince. The arena rock drums and Marshall stacks drive me crazy but not in a good way. I realize I am a weirdo and would rather have heard these guys play in a small club or basement with cheap amps and cobbled together drum kit but this is my personal preference and everyone is entitled to theirs.

Kurt Cobain said the same thing about Nirvana's major label debut (or at least unlistenable to people use to the sound of Aerosmith and Guns N Roses albums).

That reminds me of what Johnny Rotten said about the one and only Sex Pistols' album, that if it had been up to him, it would have been unlistenable. Some people just think anything more than that is selling out.

Ryan = Funny.

Ryan Katastrophe said:

I hate lo-fi recordings. Eric Clapton over Robert Johnson all day.

I hate lo-fi recordings. Eric Clapton over Robert Johnson all day.

I still think Little Richard is the best screamer of them all.

It's the twisted brain-wrong of a one-off man-mental. Hey, that's a great name for a band; One-Off Man-Mental & The Twisted Brain-Wrongs.

Alex said:

I fucking love that song! So demented!

electrocute your cock said:

Hasil Adkins laughing and screaming and everything in We Got A Date is just plain fucking terrifying.

Those are all great suggestions. I guess, off the top of my head, as far as new-ish bands go these days, the singer from the Konks lets a few good ones rip on their record. http://www.amazon.com/Konks/dp/B0007M42BY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288229220&sr=8-1

Actually, Keith said something like this before, except he was more diplomatic. I read an interview he did with Rolling Stone back in the late 80s, and he admitted that he didn't like Springsteen's music, because he thought it was just too overblown. However, he did say that he hated to admit this, because he considers Springsteen a friend, and he also said he's a really nice guy too. I'm sure Little Steven already knows about this, so I don't think it's going to be too much of a shock to him.

BTW, in David Marsh's Springsteen biography, he wrote that Keith did like Little Steven's work with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, so maybe that's a consolation prize for LS.

I think Steven's going to ignore it.

And those 2 LP's are still around...Star Records in Oshawa Ontario Canada (just outside Toronto) put out those 2 LP's and still has them listed in their current email catalogue, here's an email for Star Records: starrecordscanada@netzero.net

stoneageromeo said:

Downloading's alright but, concerning the Purple Toads, they put out two albums that are absolutely fantastic so I suggest you buy them instead ...

Downloading's alright but, concerning the Purple Toads, they put out two albums that are absolutely fantastic so I suggest you buy them instead ...

If you need the Irish folk, there's always The Pogues!

Not sure if they're the same as the above types of bands, but there's a lot of good newer folk punk bands I'm into. Mischief Brew, Saw Wheel, Evan Greer, Andrew Jackson Jihad, Johnny Hobo and the Freight Trains to name a few...there are lots of different styles and types of folk punk, but hopefully you'll like some of them.

I can't believe I hadn't seen this post yet. Anyway....Satisfaction, I Wanna Be Your Man, and Around and Around are my top 3 Stones recordings. It's the sound.

I usually only get stuck in this conversation if I'm dumb enough to mention what kind of band I played in. I try to mention Dirty Water (as opposed to actually naming the Standells) and You Really Got Me (I make sure to mention the Kinks in this case) and My Generation and I hope they get it.

I felt Rhino could have done two or three box sets of "Children". Trying to put 25 years onto 4 discs meant a lot of bands were going to miss out. They should have done the 80s for one box and the 90s for another. This year would have been perfect for the last 10. Of course, there are a few Bomp/Voxx comps that kind of fill in the gaps.

Sounds like a great show. Have fun.

I just remembered something...the Cynics played some new songs that night, which will be on their forthcoming new album. Barbara Kostelich told me they are shooting for a February release. The new songs sounded cool, and they will go back to their traditional raw sound.