Greatest California Rock Band of All Time?

[Swaye]

4 geniuses and 20 dummies. About what I figured at HH.

 

[YellowSnow]

4 geniuses and 20 dummies. About what I figured at HH.

I listened to Master of Puppets on Le Peleton the other day. Almost got a PR.

 

[digits]

Just blared 'Diver Down' on the system. Neighbors hate me. Same as it ever was.

 

[YellowSnow]

Just blared 'Diver Down' on the system. Neighbors hate me. Same as it ever was.

Where have all the good times gone?

 

[huskyhooligan]

I hear good things about this Lagoon place.

 

[MikeDamone]

Stillwater

 

[Fenderbender123]

The Beach Boys and it's not even close.

It's complicated with the Beach Boys.

In many respects they are the most influential and important group in this list. No offense to my hatchet packer BFF @Swaye .

They were really the first self contained rock group to write their own songs who make it big in the US (pre-dating the Beatles by a bit). And they were the only US group to challenge the Beatles artistically speaking, albeit for a very brief period in 1966.

But, alas, their hey day was relatively short (i.e., 1963- 66) and they collapsed right as the classic rock era kicked off. Imagine the Beach Boys is Mike Love wasn't a square. The Beatles had two genius songwriters who weren't mentally weak. The Beach Boys had one who was a full on headcase.

The way I see it, the albums and singles they did from 1962 through 1966 have a better collection of songs than any other band on the list. Their subsequent decline is irrelevant to me.

Their recordings are really good, too, especially for the era. I also like how they have several instrumental surf songs (mostly covers) in their early albums. Gives them more diversity.

And keep in mind, their good years may have not been many, but the Beach Boys were putting out 2 sometimes 3 albums a year, along with some singles. So the overall number of years doesn't mean much either.

 

[YellowSnow]

The Beach Boys and it's not even close.

It's complicated with the Beach Boys.

In many respects they are the most influential and important group in this list. No offense to my hatchet packer BFF @Swaye .

They were really the first self contained rock group to write their own songs who make it big in the US (pre-dating the Beatles by a bit). And they were the only US group to challenge the Beatles artistically speaking, albeit for a very brief period in 1966.

But, alas, their hey day was relatively short (i.e., 1963- 66) and they collapsed right as the classic rock era kicked off. Imagine the Beach Boys is Mike Love wasn't a square. The Beatles had two genius songwriters who weren't mentally weak. The Beach Boys had one who was a full on headcase.

The way I see it, the albums and singles they did from 1962 through 1966 have a better collection of songs than any other band on the list. Their subsequent decline is irrelevant to me.

Their recordings are really good, too, especially for the era. I also like how they have several instrumental surf songs (mostly covers) in their early albums. Gives them more diversity.

And keep in mind, their good years may have not been many, but the Beach Boys were putting out 2 sometimes 3 albums a year, along with some singles. So the overall number of years doesn't mean much either.

Obviously, they were a singles band up until Pet Sounds which was really their only front to back great record. But the sheer volume of those classic 1962- 66 singles was astounding. And I agree with you that their best collection of original songs bests anyone on this list. The production quality of their hits with the wrecking crew was leaps and bounds ahead of most other bands at the time too. So what if they sucked at instrumentalists.

 

[MikeDamone]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

 

[YellowSnow]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

 

[El_K]

Imagine if VH didn’t pop out Diver Down in a hurry and took their time and used the originals on DD on 1984. Choose three of the four.

Hang’em High
Full Bug
Little Guitars
Secrets

instead of
1984 intro
Jump
I’ll Wait

 

[YellowSnow]

Imagine if VH didn’t pop out Diver Down in a hurry and took their time and used the originals on DD on 1984. Choose three of the four.

Hang’em High
Full Bug
Little Guitars
Secrets

instead of
1984 intro
Jump
I’ll Wait

Four years between albums though? Sloth.

 

[MikeDamone]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

 

[YellowSnow]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

 

[MikeDamone]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

You're in Black Butte?

 

[YellowSnow]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

You're in Black Butte?

Bend.

 

[MikeDamone]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

You're in Black Butte?

Bend.

I was just there. If I would of known I would gave given you a call

 

[YellowSnow]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

You're in Black Butte?

Bend.

I was just there. If I would of known I would gave given you a call

Next time we can meet up at Lowe’s on Hwy 97. Need some new shitters and the Damone discount. They’ve got an Olive Garrden next door.

 

[MikeDamone]

You can replace California with American

Basically. Almost all the real contenders are California groups.

Hi Harv!

Harv is a digital fag as I understand it.

That's not me.

He's into jam bands

And he house in Central Oregon near me allegedly.

You're in Black Butte?

Bend.

I was just there. If I would of known I would gave given you a call

Next time we can meet up at Lowe’s on Hwy 97. Need some new shitters and the Damone discount. They’ve got an Olive Garrden next door.

I was at 10 Barrel and Zydeco Kitchen

 

[El_K]

Imagine if VH didn’t pop out Diver Down in a hurry and took their time and used the originals on DD on 1984. Choose three of the four.

Hang’em High
Full Bug
Little Guitars
Secrets

instead of
1984 intro
Jump
I’ll Wait

Four years between albums though? Sloth.

Granted almost 3.5 years from Fair Warning to 1984. They could have killed 18 months touring and the next 18 months creating a revisionist 1984 to be released in January of ‘84

Bands back in the day put out an album like every six months it seemed. It seems like after 1985, it was like a new album every two years from your favorite artist. Then every three or four years in the 90’s. Shit, Adele puts out an album every six years.