[pdennis]

Hope I'm not stepping on DavidMahler's toes here, but I thought I would try and get some discussion going about American bands. Because there are a number of bands on this list, I'd really like to limit responses to those from people who are at least familiar with all the bands, so that the results will be somewhat meaningful.

I'm asking for your personal favorite, but feel free to consider aspects such as the band's originality and influence, the strengths of its songwriting and performing skills, the quality of its albums, its musical versatility, etc. Any other bands you suggest should have started in the 60's and lasted at least through 1970.

 

[ozz]

The EAGLES

 

[pdennis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozz /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Eagles were not listed so I went with other.

Doesn't technically meet my conditions (they started after 1970), but I guess they are comparable enough to these others that it works.

 

[Happy Camper]

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

close second

Simon and Garfunkel

 

[ozz]

I can't believe I over looked Simon&Garfunkel I retract my first vote
since they did not come into play until 1971.

 

[tru blu]

Sly and the Family Stone

 

[TheAnomaly]

from that list the 'dead. easily.

 

[GlendaleViper]

Hey, c'mon, The Band is Canadian!

My vote would go Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys, but we'd end up in a Pop vs. Rock debate, so I have to go with post-acoustic Bobby D.

The Allmans come in a close second though.

 

[NiceCans]

*certified Dead-Head

 

[DavidMahler]

In terms of which band was doing the best work at the time, definitely the Allmans! I would however include CCR on that list as I suspect, they probably would in fact win!

And no, you're not stepping on my toes at all

 

[TimJo]

Well, I had to go with the Dead on this one. Although if the survey was going to be broken up into two pieces, the late 60's and the early 70's, then I'd vote the Airplane and the Dead respectively. I think the Airplane's music was much better and more innovative in the '60s, but they couldn't keep it together into the '70s. Whereas the Dead really evolved into a solid band, peaking in the period between '70 and '74, in my opinion.

I think the Airplane is a wholly underrated and forgotten band... Bums me out that they don't have any votes.

 

[scompton]

Easily Frank Zappa for me

 

[Barock]

Only one for me - The Doors.

 

[NiceCans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TimJo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think the Airplane is a wholly underrated and forgotten band... Bums me out that they don't have any votes.

I had a hard time not voting for them, they are my next-favorite after the Dead and just ahead of Hot Tuna, but I really got into music heavy after discovering the Dead.

 

[DavidMahler]

The Doors are a good one! I forgot about them. They definitely fit the bill.........

I once put up a poll of "what is your favorite american band of all time"

The nominees were....

Allman Brothers
Eagles
Grateful Dead
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Beach Boys
Doors
Aerosmith
Van Halen
Nirvana
Ramones
Velvet Underground
Byrds
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Stooges

If I remember correctly...... Creedence won by a large margin. And Skynyrd was in second place, with the Doors in 3rd and Beach Boys in 4th.

This poll was back when head-fi allowed up to 60 poll options.....since the poll exceeds 10 options, the thread is no longer available.

Allman Brothers will always have my vote as the greatest American band from the late 60s early 70s. But The Beach Boys are the greatest American band of all time......even though their records don't usually feature them on instruments.

All that being said.... Creedence Clearwater Revival hold a special place because their sound sort of defines what American Classic Rock is about. Their music is stripped down to the essentials and they seemed to have had hit after hit after hit, without selling out. They couldn't play as well as the Allmans, and their concerts weren't as eventful as the Dead, and they didn't compose the masterworks of Brian Wilson, or have as charismatic a frontman as Morrison, but even still their music resonates quite well in modern times.