Mosher

I actually love the original, and I loved CVB's cover, but agree that he sang it too cheesy. Ozzy sounded fine to me, his voice fits. But I think the music didn't work. Type O was really interesting, but nevertheless it's in third place. I will take the original vocally and Camper musically.

Good song, great band. I don't think modern Geddy could sing it, I don't think any other Geddy would sound right singing it. I would take Rush with Corey on vocals though. Admittedly I was thinking of what the band could do with those songs, I like the differences in covers much more than the similarities. They'd have to change the key for Ged I guess. In my head I was just listening to the band sans singer. I think they could have an interesting take on all of those.

1. Deep Purple -- Child In Time 2. Talking Heads -- Memories Can't Wait 3. Police -- Secret journey 4. Iron Maiden -- Rime of the Ancient Mariner 5. Hawkwind -- Master of the Universe 6. Alchemist -- Escape From the Black Hole 7. Corrosion of Conformity -- Damned For All Time 8. Heart -- Mistral Wind 9. Living Colour -- Information Overload 10. Soundgarden -- Room A Thousand Years Wide 11. Blue Oyster Cult -- Black Blade 12. Rick James -- Superfreak

Green Day had a huge influence on a newer generation of "so-called" pop-punk groups. My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at The Disco all owe a huge debt for the nineties pop-punk spearheaded by Green Day for instance, especially in the category of their popularity and their ability to find an audience. Green Day didn't really do anything new, but they did take old things and do them in a really commercial and universally relatable way which helped to creat an audience for that brand of punk which many don't even consider to be punk but exists and matters nonetheless. I wasn't discounting their influence so much as lamenting the fact that the bands that they sounded so much like were still not only active but still actively influencing other bands. Those predecessors to Green Day were ignored when Green Day rocketed to stardom. Like Bad Religion as the most obvious example. But again, I'm not slamming Green Day, the fact that they did rocket away proves they're popularity, and no doubt a lot of people turned on to the scene after that. But without adding anything new at all it seems wrong to get in so immediately when other bands that did more have to wait decades. I'm all for Green Day getting in, btw. Just odd how immediate it was, considering.

Whether Green Day is or isn't good isn't the point. They weren't remotely innovative and pretty much every band they owed a massive debt to was still active when they started. Obviously they took that sound and somehow hit the stratosphere with it, and I won't take that from them, but that's a mighty quick entry into the hall for a band that did nothing new. And I like a lot of things they have done, I'm fine with them getting in. It's just tough to see a band sail in that added nothing new when bands that defined a genre still aren't in. (Like the Cure, though to be fair Siouxsie mattered nearly as much at getting things going, with Bauhaus slightly later.)

My opinions, as of now, until someone convinces me of another argument: Bad Brains -- Considering the massive impact they had on hardcore, and in turn the impact hardcore had on grunge and metal, these guys HAVE to get in some day. HR has his issues, but that's irrelevant to the impact. They aren't well known, but their influence certainly is. Probably won't get in yet, though. The Cars -- Actually odd they aren't already in. I don't think they've had the same musical influence, but they have undoubtedly had a massive impact on the radio and I love them. They just might get in this time. Ocasik has been mighty helpful to a lot of bands across a lot of genre as well. They had more impact on how to make a record than they did on how the music sounds, and that's also a big deal. Chaka Khan -- With or without Rufus? She's had a big influence on presentation and larger than life stylings and image. I'm not sure she's affected the state of how music sounds, but she's definitely affected how it's performed. I could see her getting in, but it's tight for her. Chic -- Whether disco 'sucks' or not is irrelevant. Niles Rodgers and Bernard Edwards were huge forces in the sound of the 70's and that sound is echoed in all genre even today. Those two guys could write a hook and they are great musicians. If disco and funk acts get in they have to get in. Listen to them and then listen to many alternative rock acts. The DNA is there. Depeche Mode -- Undeniable influence and should get in based on what they did for their end of the emotive spectrum. Electric Light Orchestra -- Happy happy happy sounds even when they weren't saying happy things. They had an effect on their scene, but honestly I think they took their influences and popularized them. That's important, but I don't think they are as directly influential as much as they are a filter through which their influences were passed. Certainly Lynn could produce the hell out of song, so perhaps in that area. J. Geils Band -- Been around a decade longer than a lot of people would have expected, so otherwise forever. I don't see them getting in though, as sad as their fans will be. Jane’s Addiction -- Too soon for the impact they had, although if Lollapalooza counts then they are automatic someday. I honestly think they stand a better chance for Lollapalooza then they do for their music. Janet Jackson -- No. Unless I'm ignorant of something, and I could be because she does nothing for me. I just see her as being good at servicing her pop songs but not really adding much. Joan Baez -- Should already be there. Joe Tex -- He'd hate this, but James Brown just had more impact. I think he will keep losing out to someone else year after year, despite having been important, I think he'll miss this train. Journey -- Huge band, huge hits. Too polished, too tidy. I don't see it until a fan backlash forces it. Kraftwerk -- They better get in. These guys even influenced early hip hop, let alone the whole New Wave electronic side and every industrial band. MC5 -- They better get in as well. Without those great Detroit bands, do we get Cleveland, and then New York, London, and on through the ages? Pearl Jam -- Absolutely some day, but now? I definitely could see it, and it helps give credit to Green River for Seattle's overall impact. I guess they feel new to me, but that just means I'm old. :) Steppenwolf -- Could get in on reputation and fable. I think they're hurt by the decades of John Kay trying to keep it going with minimal success. I don't think that should hurt them, but I think it serves to reduce how their name rolls on the tongue when comparing them to the other nominees. Tupac Shakur -- Another myth bigger than the artist, but in this case he might get in. Considering the fact that they didn't throw any other hip hop artist in I think he just might. But their are a LOT of rappers that should get in before him. Yes -- I like Rush a lot more, a whole lot more. And I still say Yes should have got in before Rush. They might not get in because the hall hates these bands, and they gave us Rush. They may feel like they can skip a year. But they SHOULD get in. The Zombies -- No. Not everyone gets in and eventually the modern competition squeezes out the bands that didn't make it. A lot of great songs, and significant force on 60's into 70's sounds, but I think the ship passed by.

Some bands I obsess over...and over and over again. Other bands get a moment in the sun before I move on. Only time will decide who gets my repeated obsessive glare, but right now I am stuck on the "I, Human) album by Deus Ex Machina, a multi sub-genre metal act from Singapore. The album is about a clone who becomes aware that he is not human, and tries to reconcile that before deciding to gather the other artificial forms and overthrow humanity. It suits my inner-nerd all too perfectly. Obvious nod to Asimov's I, Robot but I'll note it for the sake of credit due. I'm also listening a lot to Slim and Munly's latest efforts and will most certainly be obsessive over the Drive By Truckers as soon as I grab their newest release. On another note, it is my most recent obsessive phase with Rush that brought me to this forum- so thanks or blame to obsessive Rush fandom for that.

This is an impossible task since every band was influenced and predated by some other band, you can keep drawing things back unless you offer some arbitrary definition. So here's a stab at the challenge, in each case readily challenged by pretty much anyone else. Metal -- I could throw others here but for the purposes of what happened next, I have to give this to Sabbath. Hard Rock -- This is tricky. When I was young people were still calling Zeppelin metal, and if that's was true (it wasn't) then hard rock might be The Kinks or Stones. I don't like the label in that case, so for my own peace of mind I will give that title to Deep Purple over Zeppelin. Alternative Rock -- That is a meaningless term to me, but I first heard it applied to R.E.M. in the early eighties. I imagine the more 'musical' of the hardcore bands were similarly labeled (Husker Du and the Minutemen, but I don't know.) Punk -- I could argue for the MC5 or the Sonics, or perhaps the Stooges, but maybe just for argument I'll slide over to Australia for the Saints and Radio Birdman and the Ramones from the US. We're talking 1974. Glam Rock -- T. Rex Grunge -- Melvins, though they might disagree. If they disagree, then Green River. Electronic -- Kraftwerk Industrial -- Throbbing Gristle Rock 'n' Roll -- The most contentious category of them all? I will go with Scatman Crothers, who released "I Want to Rock and Roll" in 1948". Great song and clearly on track with what Berry, Presley, Richard, and the like were going to be doing in the 50's.

I knew of them but hadn't heard them until the last few years. You can see those threads on the first two Police albums in a few songs, but they became so good at where they were headed that they quickly left those roots behind. But I was surprised at how good they were, if they had wanted to they could have had success as punks.

Madness were more associated with the SKA movement, along with bands like the Specials, although both genres rose to prominence around the same time. Ska, though, began in Jamaica in the 50's or so. What we typically call ska was always a blending of traditional ska with the emerging punk explorations, that's why I mentioned them. On your other point about what punk means to you, is that it seems to mean a lot of things to a lot of people. Early Police (Fall Out, Nothing Achieving, Landlord) were definitely punk by most definitions. I like your answer to my question, though, because it gives me the boundaries for my answer. Based on what I've seen in this thread I'd say I like pop-punk, but up to a point. If it becomes to polished or tries to obviously to be radio or video friendly I start to really hate it. And since I can't actually judge someone's intent perhaps I'm wrong about my reason. But for whatever reason, sometimes it can be 'pop' for my tastes.

I've seen pop-punk used as a label to bash basically anything that doesn't suit a particular fan's tastes so often that I have trouble knowing what it means. To my ears bands like Green Day and the Offspring are just the next step after Bad Religion and the Descendents, who in turn followed the Adolescents. If those are pop punk, then I love punk punk, as Bad Religion is one of my all time favorite bands. I like seeing people here drawing it back further to the Buzzcocks or even back to the Ramones, but I guess that's why the term is hard for me to use. Does Operation Ivy count (or Rancid?) What about the ska influenced punks like Fishbone or the Bosstones? If Madness counts they certainly are pop, and amazing. Does the Clash count? Not on Sandinista, but what about Combat Rock? I get the impression that what we're talking about here is the Bad Religion influence based on the Green Day and Offspring mentions, and I really like most of the older Epitaph bands. I've traveled in a lot of punk circles though and when I read 'pop-punk' it's usually used with derision, so I cringe. Because I love Bad Religion, and they get blamed for causing Green Day and the Offspring, who get blamed for Blink 182, and so on. I hate how elitist punks can be (and progs too, and metal heads). It's really nice to be in a forum where the general consensus seems to be openness to other approaches. I was expecting pretentious responses declaring that anything after (insert year) isn't REAL PUNK. I'm starting to really like this forum.

Recent acquisitions: Anaïs Mitchell -- Hadestown This is an intriguing it of beat-poet folk rock swing buffet of an album. A re-imagining of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with different artists taking different roles. Mitchell herself plays Eurydice, Ani DiFranco plays Persephone, and so on. Slim Cessna's Auto Club -- The Commandments According To SCAC The latest by that great Denver band that so readily captures the mythology of America in all of it's darkest manifestations, but as good as it is nothing compares to seeing them live. DBUK -- Songs One Through Eight Basically the same band as the Auto Club, but with fewer musicians and a subdued sound. Belly of Paris -- Peste Only two songs available from this Baroque rock outfit from Bahrain. I often type a genre and a country into my search engine and check out whatever comes up. Only two songs to check out (with a complete album forthcoming). I LOVED what I heard. Especially the song Macie Shot the Barn Owl.

In answer to the question of Dylan's qualifications for this prize, I'd say that a lyricist of consequence is absolutely to be respected as a writer of literature. I will admit I was also initially struck and forced to ask myself that same question, though. Literature simply means written work of quality, and that's exactly what good lyrics are. There have been several poets who have won in the past, and the mere matter of adding music shouldn't suddenly make poetry disqualified. Dylan is a poet, and Dylan counts. I am very surprised this happened, but I am a big fan of opening this door to lyricists, because an amazing amount of people consider lyrics irrelevant to music, and they mean an awful lot to some.

For these albums and at this time only, the top ten Rush songs are: 1. Natural Science 2. Prime Mover 3. Territories 4. Kid Gloves 5. The Analog Kid 6. Limelight 7. Freewill 8. The Enemy Within 9. Tom Sawyer 10. Subdivisions That was really tough. Bold type for songs that will always make the cut.

I will change this in an hour, but as I head for work the list is, in no particular order: 1: Hemispheres 2: Xanadu 3: Something For Nothing 4: Fountain of Lamneth 5: Beneath Between and Behind 6: La Villa Strangiato 7: A Farewell to Kings 8: Circumstances 9: In the End 10: The Trees

There's far more freedom in just liking what you like rather than liking something secretly.

Skynyrd pre crash were as liberal as southern rock goes. Listen to the lyrics to things going on! Look at the reefer leaf on second helping. Also saturday night special is the strongest anti hand gun song ever written. Gimme me back my bullets is about the billboard charts. I think ronnie would be troubled by the stupid redneck image the band morphed into Lyrically and musically skynyrd up to street survivors are as good as it gets . I've used Saturday Night Special before when assessing Skynyrd. I imagine it was the dollar that shifted them right. Much of their audience, for whatever reason, is right and expects right wing politics. For example, DBT's Patterson Hood angers DBT fans all the time because he makes goes on left rants. Whatever your opinions may be, please don't let it be the dollar that changes your mind. Changing minds is fine, if the change is because you thought about things rather than checked to see what others thought first.

They made that absolutely fine "Must've Been High" country album. Let's count that album, if not the band?

Truth and Salvage are so very smooth. Nice band indeed.

If Drive By Truckers count as Southern Rock, as well as the solo efforts of Jason Isbell, then I am a massive fan of Southern Rock. They're from Alabama, they rock, and they rock in a southern fashion. And they are brilliant. But they're also far to the left (like me). I don't think politics should be relevant, but it looks like some people do not like (or do like, depending) Southern Rock because of political assumptions that aren't necessarily true.

I like Amon Amarth, Bolt Thrower, the older, more brutal Ulver, and the like. I also like Buddy Holly, The Coasters, Fishbone, The Coup, The Stanley Brothers, Loretta Lynn, The Clash, The Dead Kennedys, CCR, the Kinks, and Enya. I think that if you are choosing music based on what label you will be assigned once having done so, then it isn't music you are interested in. What a terrifically boring club that must be, when the criterion for member ship is a checklist of bands you can like and bands you cannot. Who wants to be a metal head if you aren't allowed to listen to Maiden anymore.

Just saw Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, incredible show. Plan on seeing Steve Earle and Slim Cessna's Auto Club in a month. I've seen hundreds of bands over the years, and I would recommend a Slim show to anyone.

The Cars are a fantastic band that wrote spectacular songs that have bear the marks of meticulous effort while maintaining the air of effortless fun. They walked a line that many try for. I like all of their work, but the S/T is supreme. Adding polish later stripped away (for me) some of the magic. Candy-O is still a great album, but the effort is easier to see.

Overrated- Closer to the Heart. I almost chose Lakeside Park. I like Closer and never cared much for Lakeside. But this is about overrated- and Closer is treated like it is essential Rush and it really just isn't. Underrated- Fountain of Lamneth A very young band created a nice allegory for the length and partitions of a human life that I think works really well.Sure the song could blend better and Panacea could use a rewrite, but this song deserves the live treatment and much more respect.

Once again around the library: 1: Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine -- Bob Dylan 2: Russian Dance -- Tom Waits 3: White Rabbit -- Ruin (cover of JA) 4: Perfect Blue Buildings -- Counting Crows 5: Dude Ranch Nurse -- Sonic Youth 6: The Sheik of Araby -- Fats Waller 7: 3rd Act: ? Vs. Scratch 2...Electric Boogaloo -- The Roots 8: Rooting For The Bad Guy -- Wildhearts 9: Those Days Are Gone -- Fishbone 10: In The Dark -- Nina Simone 11: Arise -- Sepultura 12: My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama -- Frank Zappa 13: The Immelman Turn -- Al Stewart 14: Concerto No. 2 in G Minor (Summer) -- Vivaldi 15: Lost In Hollywood --System of a Down