Best band, IYO, that made it, but should have been ginormous

[Norrin Radd]

The idea for this topic struck me as I finished watching the Extreme concert on HDNet this morning. These guys are absolutely ridiculous musicians AND song writers. And I feel bad for them that people will always remember them for Hole Hearted and More than Words. These guys are one of the best hard rock/funk bands I've ever seen. No exaggeration.

And don't even get me started on Nuno - I'm afraid I'd be accused of blatant Hero worship (and you would be correct - and I would be totally and 100% justified! ) This guy can play anything. When I watched him play the flight of the Bumblee live (and it dispelled for me the urban legends that the original recording was done at half speed and then sped up - it clearly was NOT), I was just completely blown away. Not that he could play it - but at how effortless it was for him. This guy can truly play anything he wants on the guitar. Anything. And FWIW, all of their albums are excellent. UNfortunately, the first two suffer from the production of their time. Just turn up the bass and scoop the mids on those two - a lot - and they sound just fine. Just bloody amazing! And Cherone can still really really sing.

Damn.

SO, who do you think is awesome who should have been bigger, and why?

[nguideau]

I know this sounds dumb. But I'm going to say CCR.

I know they have had plenty of play and top 40 exposure, etc. But I feel like my entire generation's exposure to CCR is nothing more than carefully edited clips of their songs in Wrangler Jeans commercials, or whatever other commercials Fantasy Records sold their music to.

It's too bad some of the poor business and personal decisions those guys made. Had they not lost the rights to their music, and had all the animosity between the band members, perhaps they could've done their legacy proper service. Then, my generation might know how good they really were. It took me way too long to properly discover this band.

In my book, Fogerty should be thought of as one of the great rock 'n' roll songwriters of all time. I know that critically he gets this recognition, but my point is again generational. When the music critics from the Boomers retire or are long gone, I just don't think there's enough people from Gen X forward that know enough about CCR and their music to appreciate them. Whereas the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, and even fellow San Francisco-ans Grateful Dead have managed to see their legacy fall through the generations, thanks to things like Beatles Rock Band, the Stones longevity, movies like "I'm Not There," and the explosion of Dead-style jam bands.

[Neiloler]

[Borderline Productions]

Wishbone Ash — incredibly talented musicians, well-written songs, and the greatest album of all time (Argus).

BeBop Deluxe — Bill Nelson is one of the best guitarist ever. The songs are masterpieces. One of the bright spots of the late 70s (during the dark time of disco).

Both of these band I never get tired of listening to.

Finally, Frank Zappa — he is the most likely of his contemporaries to be still have his music played a century from now.

[misterMagoo]

I guess you are referring to past bands, since current bands may still gain that recognition.

My vote is for Television.

[Tibor]

Jethro Tull... at least to my ears...

[Eddie Famine]

+1 for Bebop Deluxe, also
Roxy Music
Terry Reid
Velvet Underground
Captain Beefheart
The Pixies , and ladies and gents,
THE RAMONES

[misterMagoo]

+1 for Bebop Deluxe, also
Roxy Music
Terry Reid
Velvet Underground
Captain Beefheart
The Pixies , and ladies and gents,
THE RAMONES

Have to disagree. Captain beefheart stayed where he should have.

The Pixies and the Ramones got their dues, they may not be HUGE (well the Pixies anyway) but everyone knows them. Same thing with VU. Widely cherished and recognized band, most people know who they are.

[Brutalitarian Supremacy]

Camel...Andrew Latimer is one of the most underrated players ever...they wipe their asses w/ "Pink Floyd"...well not the Barrett era Floyd but still...they rule

[Randy Bass]

+1 for Wishbone Ash.

Also, the Outlaws (the ones from Tampa).

[slate]

Reef and The Wildhearts

[Dunky]

Slade

[nguideau]

Missed an obvious one... MC5. Gotta love The Stooges, but MC5 should've been first fiddle from the Detroit proto-punk scene, and instead are (to most people) a footnote when talking about Iggy and the Stooges.

[indianDYsummer]

+1 for Bebop Deluxe, also
Roxy Music
Terry Reid
Velvet Underground
Captain Beefheart
The Pixies , and ladies and gents,
THE RAMONES

Have to disagree. Captain beefheart stayed where he should have.

The Pixies and the Ramones got their dues, they may not be HUGE (well the Pixies anyway) but everyone knows them. Same thing with VU. Widely cherished and recognized band, most people know who they are.

Right, but the thread is "best band that made it, but should have been ginormous." The past tense (should have) implies these bands should have been huge during their lifetime.

I can see your comment holding for the Ramones and Pixies, but VU didn't really 'make it' at all until their last album, and even then, not really. They definitely should have been ginormous, and noticed a lot earlier

I'm going with VU too!

[nguideau]

For crying out loud people, VU debuted with the support of the biggest pop artist in history. They were not short on exposure.

Bottom line is that they simply played music that was, for the most part, not palatable to the masses. They had better exposure than most rock 'n' roll bands of the period could've dreamed of.

I love VU, don't mistake me. But think of what "... & Nico" sounded like to rock 'n' roll fans in 1967. The Beatles were still putting albums out. The Stones were still in their heyday. That album was revolutionary and unlike anything else. It usually takes a little time for albums like that to have their impact.

Historically, and as time has moved on, that's what makes that album so great and influential. And certainly, I think that NOW they are one of the most well-respected, widely-appreciated, and influential bands.

My main point is that VU was given a really unbelievable opportunity and level of exposure right from their start, so it isn't as if they were scratching and clawing for PR. They had plenty of fanfare. Lou Reed even said as much (I'm paraphrasing) when he talked about how he felt he was insanely lucky to have written and recorded that album with such great musicians and with so much support (even though Warhol turned out to really piss the band off in the long run).