They started in 1966, and while their career was short (3 years), their influence was huge. Eric Clapton (guitar), Ginger Baker (drums) and Jack Bruce (bass/vocals) were already famous when they decided to join together. They were considered the "cream of the crop" in the British scene, thus the name. Their style, while primary blues-influenced, had some touches of psychedelia, plus great musicianship.
While in their first album they hadn't truly reached their potential, their second album, Disraeli Gears, is one of the best rock albums ever. Sunshine of Your Love, which everyone knows even without being aware of it, is in here. However, they were constantly competing with each other, and they broke up the following year.
My Top 5:
5. White Room 4. Outside Woman Blues 3. I Feel Free 2. Strange Brew 1. Bagde
Do I need to say more? One of my favorite bands and one of rock's best groups ever. They emerged in the mid 60's, in the LA psychedelic scene. They experimental style combined blues, psychedelia and rock to create a unique experience. Their vocalist/lyricist, Jim Morrison, was a great frontman.
My favorite albums have to be the first two, the self-titled and Strange Days; somehow later they either abused the formula or did a lot of experimentation (this doesn't mean that it was bad, though). Finally, in 1971, Jim Morrison died mysteriously.
My Top 5:
5. Roadhouse Blues 4. We Could Be So Good Together 3. Peace Frog 2. People Are Strange 1. Break on Through (To the Other Side)
One of the top British Invasion bands from the 60's. Their early songs cemented the way for hard rock with their powerful riffs. Eventually they matured and refined their sound.
I've heard the phrase "they're more British than the Kinks!". This is because they were one of the first bands to do sketches and portraits of everyday life, though mostly in a satirical way. Village Green and Arthur, their greatest albums, are the best examples of this. In the 70's they had moderate success and a few hits (Lola comes to mind), till they faded away.
My Top 5: 5. All Day and All of the Night 4. Picture Book 3. A Well Respected Man 2. You Really Got Me 1. Sunny Afternoon
Lyrics You got to be crazy, you gotta have a real need You gotta sleep on your toes and when you're on the street You got to be able to pick out the easy meat with your eyes closed And then moving in silently, down wind and out of sight You gotta strike when the moment is right without thinking
And after a while, you can work on points for style Like the club tie, and the firm handshake A certain look in the eye and an easy smile You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to So that when they turn their backs on you You'll get the chance to put the knife in
You gotta keep one eye looking over your shoulder You know, it's going to get harder, and harder, and harder As you get older Yeah, and in the end you'll pack up and fly down south Hide your head in the sand Just another sad old man All alone and dying of cancer
And when you lose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sown And as the fear grows, the bad blood slows and turns to stone And it's too late to lose the weight you used to need to throw around So have a good drown, as you go down all alone Dragged down by the stone
Gotta admit that I'm a little bit confused Sometimes it seems to me as if I'm just being used Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake off this creeping malaise If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find my way out of this maze
Deaf, dumb and blind, you just keep on pretending That everyone's expendable, and no one has a real friend And it seems to you the thing to do would be to isolate the winner Everything's done under the sun But you believe at heart everyone's a killer
Who was born in a house full of pain? Who was trained not to spit in the fan? Who was told what to do by the man? Who was broken by trained personnel? Who was fitted with collar and chain? Who was given a pat on the back? Who was breaking away from the pack? Who was only a stranger at home? Who was ground down in the end? Who was found dead on the phone? Who was dragged down by the stone? Who was dragged down by the stone?
Though the song was primarily a satire of egocentric businessmen, it can apply to any of us. Fast-paced, stressful life turns us into Dogs, mistrusting the rest of the pack, trying to always be one step ahead; extreme individualism. Well, you aren't supposed to be Sheep either, just being manipulated. Anyhow, there should be some sort of balance between trust and mistrust, which I think is hard to find.
Electric Light Orchestra (or just ELO) appeared in the 70's. They blended regular rock instruments with an orchestra. Originally, they wanted to continue taking music in the direction the Beatles left it, but they had to give up on this after two albums (because nobody can manage that). That doesn't mean they became worse. In fact, one of their songs was one of John Lennon's favorites.
Starting with their third album, everything they did in the 70's is excellent! Well, I am a little biased about this, I admit it, but they are actually pretty good. Jeff Lynne, the vocalist and mastermind behind this, had good songwriting skills. However, in the 80's they lost their way. Just don't listen to that (except for a few songs of course). My Top 5: -Showdown -Telephone Line -10538 Overture -Strange Magic -Evil Woman
Whenever someone thinks about rock, this group comes to mind. One of the few acts to survive such a long time and still be awesome. They started in the 60's, and were viewed as a tougher counterpart to the Beatles during the 'British Invasion'. Eventually they moved away from covers and pop to a more bluesy style of their own.
Their best albums were made between 1968 and 1972 (from Beggars Banquet to Exile on Main St.), which was when the band was more focused. After that they started to relax. They still release some good songs from time to time, but their average dropped. However, how dare you complain? It's the Rolling Stones! Their live shows are great too.
My Top 5: -Sympathy for the Devil -Gimme Shelter -Paint it, Black -Shine a Light -Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Led Zeppelin and Queen. I don't think there's anything I need to say about these classic bands. I know that this can apply to most of the bands I talk about here, but it is specifically truer for these two.
Now, if you asked me which one I prefer then I would be in trouble because it's very difficult to pick one, considering they have different styles. All I can say is that Led Zeppelin came first and that they were an influence on early Queen.
Since a Top 5 wouldn't be enough, I'm doing a Top 10. I haven't included Stairway to Heaven or Bohemian Rhapsody since they would unfairly occupy the number one spot, being the classics that they are.
Led Zeppelin Top 10: -Immigrant Song -Whole Lotta Love -The Ocean -Dazed and Confused -Heartbreaker -Tangerine -Ramble On -Ten Years Gone -Good Times Bad Times -Black Dog
Queen Top 10: -Killer Queen -We Will Rock You -We Are the Champions -Hammer to Fall -Don't Stop Me Now -Seven Seas of Rhye -I Want to Break Free -Now I'm Here -Another One Bites the Dust -The Millionaire Waltz
Who hasn't heard of this album before? Some say it's overrated, others have an extremely idealised view of it. To be fair, few albums had reached this level of sophistication by 1967. Me? I just enjoy it.
First track, the title track, has a great hard rock feel, with a cool horn tune to give that marching band idea. "With a Little Help From my Friends", sung by Ringo, is the perfect singalong.
My favorite song here, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", has space-ish vocals in the verse to match the weirdness. Of course the chorus is just a regular, title only chorus, but it's to give that childlish atmosphere present in the psychedelic genre. Also, some cool imagery in the lyrics.
"Fixing a Hole" is awesome, with its distorted guitar and trippy lyrics. "She's Leaving Home" is a piece of classical music, with the orchestra and everything; it's very good. "Good Morning Good Morning" has a great brass section and a hardcore guitar solo to remind us who we are dealing with. "Mr. Kite" and its circus atmosphere is extremely enjoyable.
Finally, there's "A Day in the Life", which most choose as their best song ever. This one I cannot describe to you, you must hear it (if you haven't already) and make your own thoughts. Its effect may vary from one person to the next. The final note after the last orchestra build up is just epic. Period.
A definite must for everyone into Classic Rock, this album is very good if you just ignore the ridiculously huge amount of praise it receives. After all, they'd love to turn us on...
