The Who (1964-Present)

Most famous for their 1969 album "Tommy", The Who is one of the most innovate music-makers of the 20th century. This group is really powerful when it comes to business in the music industry. Daltrey, Townshend, Entwhistle and Moon are very long lasting performers as well. I see great potential in them and their music. They remind me of the british invasion. If someone ever mentions The united kingdom in over the 70's, I immediately think of The Who. They produced such a unique sound. But I personally prefer their live performances, because the studio versions of their songs I find too "clean". I see no roughness that they are known for. They're known for being the dirtiest, harsh group in their time, But in their studio albums such as Quadrophenia. They don't seem like it.

As a group that still performs today, I'm really astounded they came this far. After losing Keith Moon and John Enwistle, the remaining members stuck together and never stopped performing. It's a very rare thing that happens nowadays. Even in death, the artists legacy live on with the one's surviving.

A favorite song of mine is "Teenage Wasteland" or "Baba O'riley". It is greatly composed for a group like this. It isn't too slow for them, yet it isn't too fast for them. I think of this song whenever somebody mentions The Who.

Members:

-Roger Daltrey: as powerful of a sound he emmits, he's more of a performer than a singer. He's the person to make the show. He's an amazing frontman. And a great composer along with his co-writer, Pete.

 -Pete Townshend: One of the very first "thrash" guitarists. Mostly known for his innovative ways to make difference noises with his guitar.I found him always creative in that sense. In a way I feel kind of bad for him. He can write the greatest lyrics but can't sing them. Tha's the reason why his solo career did'nt take off as much as Daltrey. All in all, he produces new and unique sounds with every album, and he's by far the brains of the group.

- John Entwistle: I enjoy a song with a powerful bassline. And John gives one hundred per cent of it. Entwistle HAS to be one of my favorite bassists of the british invasion. His style is so equal to the rest of the instruments. It fits perfectly. It's a shame he left us.

-Keith Moon: Keith is definetly on my top 5 list of drummers who I am inspired by. He was a powerhouse on the kit. when I first heard his solos on some tracks it blew my mind. Drumming in his style, I'm proud to say that Moon is my favorite member of The Who. Like I said, even in death the band's legacy lives on with him. Had he survived, he would have done A LOT for the group. 

Altogether, I don't mind The Who. Their music is very uplifting and very pleasant. They are one of the very first hard core rock and roll bands to ever exist. and they were even rivals with The Beatles record selling-wise. They are a boisterous group with amzing potential.

Rate:



7 Blue Eyes out of 10

The Rolling Stones (1962-Present)

Disregarding the fact that the Stones basically mimicked everything the Beatles did, I think these guys are creative. They've always been known as the "bad boys" of classic rock, which I don't see it. Sure, they did tons of bad drugs, but they shouldn't be known for that. They should be known for how they copy bands. Don't get me wrong, I really like their songs. But they literally plagirazed the little "Boy Band" concept. Take this, for example, In 1964, The Beatles make thier debut in America, one year after, The Stones come to America. In 1967, The Monkees go psychedelic, around a week later, The Stones go psychadelic. Even in these days, thay came back performing after all the same bands started again.

They are most certainly not my favorite. If I had a top 100 favorite classic rock bands list, they'd be situated in the 70-80 area. So yeah, I'm not a fan. Having said that, I think their music is alright.

As an example, their song "Sympathy For The Devil" is genius. If you listen to the lyrics it really changes the perspectiveon what you think Satan really is. He isn't some demon monster guy with horns, he's seen as a suave person who is cruel inside.

There are many songs of theirs that contain a lot of symbolism, and that's one thing that makes them alright.

Members:

-Mick Jagger: This guy perfectly defines "A ladies man". He slept with around 4,000 women (And David Bowie, but that's just a rumour.). Sexual facts aside, his voice isn't my favorite. I find it whiny and fraud. He forces it too much and it just sounds like a screaming baby. He seems like a nice guy though.

-Keith Richards: I don't know how Keith is still alive to be honest. He's done so many illegal drugs it's not even humanly possible. I find his guitar playing to be very vibrant. His solos are so colourful, that you can basically feel the energy from it. It really gets you hyper. It's almost magical. But you know what else is magical? the fact that he's STILL doing drugs at his age and is still full of life. I tell ya, it's crazy how his lungs stilll work.

-Brian Jones: After his rather quick death in 1969, I belive the band went downhill. Brian was really the pillars of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting skills are absolutely brilliant. But I'm certain drugs were involved with him as well.

-Charlie Watts: A frugal drummer, his fills could be a lot better. His beats could be a bit more complex. But hey, he isn't too bad.

-Ronnie Wood: Not really familiar with him, but I hear he has a talk show. I don't like the fact that he just squeezed into the band after Brian died, but he's a fun musician.

To conclude, They aren't the best, but they're not the worst. They don't have much originality media-wise, but musically, they're extremely innovative. They're also one of the longest lasting groups of music history.

Rate:

5 Brown Sugars out of 10

The Doors (1965-1972)

Despite having a short timeline of music, The Doors managed to drift into the psychedelic era without a problem. I always saw The Doors as Nirvana mixed with The Rolling Stones. The band's rebellious vibe they set out isn't exactly my favorite thing about them, but hey, they play good music. Although they aren't my favorite, there are at least SOME pros about them.

The keyboard really glues everything together with their songs.  Honestly, I doubt they could've gotten popular without that ''odd'' feel the keyboards gave them.

I wouldn't exactly see them as an 'Influential' band. Their lyrics aren't worth studying. (Honestly I think Morrison was too stoned to write good lyrics with actual meaning.) I see them as more of a fun band. Imagine a Doors record emitting through the room when you had a rather tough day, that right there is an ideal scenario for a good time to listen to them.

Their discography is very slim. They weren't around for long, I gotta say. But when they were around, they were a very enjoyable band. Their live performances are super hilarious to watch, for example:

-Jim Morrison: Jim was really something else. In my opinion, he wasn't really as ahead of his time than people say he was. But he was a really mediocre kind of guy. I'm not really a fan of him, yet I don't hate him. His voice really stood out for The Doors, it personified the group. All in all, I always saw him as a drugee who thinks he made a difference in the world.

-Ray Manzarek: As I said before, the keyboards really shaped up the sound in this band. And this organ player really did an astounding job with it. A very classically gifted keyboardist, indeed.

-John Densmore: This drummer is pretty skillful. His fills are well executed most of the time. And his style is very conservative. His beats sound like any ordinary jazz percussionist, but he does them well.

-Robby Krieger: Now this guy isn't no Hendrix, but I give him credit. He dealt with all the member's problems like nothing. If there was an argument, he solved it in no time. He's an 'ok' guitarist. Not really a unique style, but I like him. He's alright.

The Doors are a very joyful band that really gets you up if you're down. I highly recommend them if you enjoy classic rock from the 60's. They defined the psychedelic era, with all the hippies and ''Flower Power''.

Rate:

6 Peace Frogs out of 10

( Quick Sidenote: When I rate the bands, the object I'm rating them with has to do with a song or an album they made. Hence the song ''Peace Frog''. So for the rcord, I'm not just putting whatever comes to mind LeL)

Led Zeppelin (1968-1980)

Where do I even begin with this group? Words aren't sufficent to describe the greatness of this band. I always pictured this band as a supergroup of the greatest musicians of all time.
Like someone just got some very talented people and said "Hey, you four! you guys are in a band now."
And they sort of just went with it. And boy, did that create an amzing thing.
This british rock band never failed to make a good tune. And these tunes were WAYYY ahead of their time. If they made songs during the 2010's, the world woul STILL be astounded by their talent. Plus, the members just....fit. I can't think of anyone else who could've worked better with Robert Plant or Jimmy Page.

Though they're greatly umderrated, I believe that Led Zeppelin could represent every band that has ever been made. They're The Beatles mixed with The Rolling Stones. The Who mixed with Black Sabbath.

Members:

-Robert Plant: He's possibly the universe's best vocalist that has ever lived. This guy is a legend.He might've had the best solo career of the four, (Excluding Bonham, because well, he died). But still, it's noticeable that all the singing took a toll on his voice. I'll be honest, it's not the greatest singing voice anymore. But when he was in his prime, it was almost unbelievable.

-Jimmy Page: Weird sexual harrassment lawsuits aside, Jimmy was a very talented guitarist. His style paved the road for future guitarists like Slash, Carlos Santana and Ace Frehly. Mostly known for playing his double necked guitar (shown below), his distinct style was unique and very innovative. I find him very underrated as a musician. He truly is an excellent artist.

-John Paul Jones: I don't know much about this member, but from what I can comprehend, he just played bass and keyboards occasionally. I find him to be very lucky. He's in a group with three rock and roll legends.


-John Bonham: I saved the best for last. This drummer has skills that not even Neil Peart can achieve. I always called him the Messiah of drumming. This man has god-like rythym. Nobody can surpass him in a drum-off, and that's a guarantee. He makes Buddy Rich look like an amateur with his incredible fills and triplets. One of my favorite Zepplin songs features an unbelievably long drum solo, (It's probably why it's my favorite).

In conclusion, If you're new to classic rock, I highly reccomend giving these guys a listen LATER ON. That way there, if you start off listening to them, your expectations will be too high for other possible bands. These musicians are godly and  better than most music you hear today.

Rate:

 9 Coda's out of 10

Pink Floyd (1965-2015)

Pink Floyd is considered to be one of the most influential bands in rock history. These guys really paved the way for future progressive rock groups. With their unique style of music, they're known for the incredibly original artwork on their album covers.

Take "Dark
Side of The Moon" for example. These musicians made a symbol of recognition to their name just from stealing artwork of Sir Isaac Newton's reflection theory. Most of the time, people think Pink Floyd when they see:

They created an image. They went all out when it came to music.
And it's a good thing they did, because they might have influenced at least a million of other songs from other artists later on.

Members:

-Roger Waters:
I don't agree with him entirely on the business side of Pink Floyd. But still, I feel sympathy for him over the whole David Gilmour problem.
Pink Floyd was his band, and Gilmour just came in and took control over everything. And to be honest, I'd be pretty bummed too if that happened to me.
He definetly gets most of Pink Floyd's money out of profit.I don't blame him, either. He wrote most of the songs, for pete's sake.

-Syd Barrett:
I have a lot of sympathy for Syd. He was a very smart man, but there was really no way of showing his artistic side with drugs and alcohol in the way. Him and Roger had this band, and he was just thrown out like dirt. Sure, his addiction was serious and his brain was literally getting more mush every day. But still, don't kick him out. It's said that "Wish you Were Here" was actually written for Barrett, a few weeks after he was booted out.

-David Gilmour:
Now this guy has talent. He's a true genius. But I'm not too keen on him. All in all, he's sort of a jerk. I don't understand the way he thinks he can manipulate the band. Don't get me wrong, he did a lot of good things for the band. Look at "Comfortably Numb" for example. But I just don't like him.


-Nick Mason & Richard Wright: These two I found are very similar. They were somewhat backgrounded during the whole Gilmour vs Waters issue. Mason is still a very skilled drummer. And Wright is a flawless melody maker. But I don't have much to say about them though.


In conclusion, Pink Floyd is a masterpiece musically, but REALLY dysfunctional when it comes to business and arguments. They recently officially broke up earlier this year.

Rate:

                         

4 walls out of 10