Sep 152010
Townsman trigmogigmo recently raised an interesting thought that may be blown out as its own thread:
To me, somehow Cheap Trick and The Smithereens, each in a completely different way, make me think “Beatles, but with Marshall stacks”. (There’s a fun question, what other bands are “Beatles, but with…”?)
I see at least two routes we can take on this: 1) bands that fit the “Beatles, but with [A TWIST]” perspective and 2) other bands that have added a twist to a classic template; for instance, “Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque is like ‘Big Star, with Marshall stacks.'”. Of course “Marshall stacks” does not need to be part of any of the possible answers.
GBV-The Beatles with a shitty studio.
Black Sabbath-The Beatles of the darkness.
The Beach Boys-The Beatles who were severely beaten by their dad.
The Black Eyed Peas-The Multi-cultural 21st Beatles that SUCK.
Blondie-The hip new wave disco Beatles from NYC who wised up and got a hot chick to sing.
The Clash-The Revolutionary Beatles.
Earth Wind & Fire-The Black Beatles.
Isn’t GBV the Beatles with ADD? And a shitty studio?
Earth Wind & Fire: Chicago, but with black guys.
Beatallica — Beatles songs done in the Metallica style. It’s actually quite hilarious. Check it out!
As for EW&F, I saw an interview w/Maurice White where he claimed that had EW&F been white, they would have been as big as the Beatles.
Mod said:
Earth Wind & Fire: Chicago, but with black guys.
I say:
Huh? That is extremely incorrect.
I was hoping that would wake you from your slumber, HVB:P Really, I’ve never been a fan of Earth Wind & Fire or Chicago despite the fact that I don’t necessarily dislike their songs. It’s those super-tight, brassy arrangements that kill it for me, and I do not think I’m incorrect in thinking that they share similarities in their brass arrangements. Perhaps a former high school band guy like TB or General Slocum can confirm just how slightly CORRECT I probably am!
re: GBV, also without the songwriting ability
Ramones: The Beatles with TWO Marshal Stacks and a case of Corbona (not glue)
A friend of mine was once really sick of the descriptions of bands on the “Not Lame” label, which specializes in “power-pop.” They worship bands like Shoes or 20-20. So her fake “Not-Lame” band description was, “like the Raspberries, but racist.”
Oasis- the Beatles with only 1 eyebrow.
…and with Marshall stacks.
Nice one, ladymiss!
KISS…The Beatles with makeup, silly outfits, and pyrotechnics.
And obviously without the songs.
Sonic Youth: Beatles with detuned guitars, a blonde, and Marshall stacks.
XTC circa “Skylarking” 1986: Beatles having evolved 20 years into the future.