I question the sanity of Rolling Stone readers

I can't wait to see Waylon's thread when Garth Brooks is named the most influential country act.

 

Speaking of Yeats, Waylon, where's your love for Thin Lizzy?

I'll put Phil Lynott's lyrics up against anyone's.

I realize you have no idea what I'm talking about, given your especially pedestrian musical taste, so run a quick Google search or two before you respond.

 

outing alert: Waylon loves the Stones.

 

Elvis was a progenitor to today's pop stars, who often sing songs that for some reason required five writers.

He was product. A pretty face, a nice voice, an interesting dancer, who managers molded into an Image to sell. He undoubtedly influenced many to become rock musicians, but he also didn't exactly provide the template for the genre's future development.

Pop music has Elvis' fingerprints all over it.

 

I named popular music acts. What do you want me to do? Post a list of obscure alt country acts that I love and try to pass that off as "influential." I don't think I have "pedestrian" taste. But this is a discussion about mainstream acts. I guess if we really want to name an influential band, the Pixies would be up there because of their influence on the Seattle sound.

 

Yep.

As for the magazine, it's light years from what it was when I began reading it in the late 70s. So many great writers, Greil Marcus, Dave Marsh, Paul Nelson, Timothy White, Charles M. Young, Ben Fong-Torres. There's still some good stuff in every issue even if they spend way too much time flogging the latest artist du jour.

I used to read Billboard religiously too and gave that up, and I think RS does a decent job of covering the industry. I am a big Taibbi fan and they have done some terrific investigative stuff over the last few years. Would love more Rob Sheffield.

The fashion spreads are a joke as is the reviews section, which still seems to be populated by fringe acts or friends of Jann Wenner. No album should be in the mag with less than a three-star review unless it's by a major artist.

I suspect the bulk of their readership is guys like me who are in their 30's and 40's and who could really give two shits about what Lil Wayne is going to do in jail.

 

Van Halen was about two steps above Trixter, Dangerous Toys, Babylon A.D. and bands of that ilk, but that's about it. And that's only because Eddie Van Halen is a hell of a guitarist. Really nice cock rock is a pretty apt description.

 

It's interesting that this comes from Rolling Stone, a magazine that has never heard a Stones album (or a solo record) that it hasn't thought was a classic, while shitting on Zeppelin when their albums came out.

Jan Wenner's friendship with Jagger is common knowledge and this is the same magazine that loves Yoko Ono's music as well. (Ono also friends with Wenner).

Again, I want to see someone list the 20 best Stones songs and match them up with Zeppelin's best stuff.

 

Thin Lizzy's not an alt-country band. Of course, you know that. You play the role of music simpleton very well. One of your better performances.

 

Well, Lennon did say, "Before Elvis, there was nothing."

I'm not a huge Presley fan, but I'll take Lennon at his word.

 

Funny you should bring up country because Hank Williams, the original rock star, wants to know where all the love is.

On a related note, apparently John Lennon was a moron.

 

The question, though, was who are the most influential artists. Not musicians.

Elvis' musical limitations are well known. And of course it can be argued that he didn't necessarily invent any musical styles. But a number of distinct styles did coalesce in him in a way that was unique, even in Memphis where there were others who were exposed to the same influences he had. Blues, gospel, various forms of country (honky tonk and bluegrass, specifically), bel canto pop, etc. You name it, he could and did sing it.

There are only two musical acts who ever took the same record to No. 1 on the pop, R&B and country charts - Elvis and the Everly Brothers, who also deserve to be very high up the "influential" list. Elvis did it first, and he did it four times.

Plus there was his look, which was as original as what he was doing in the studio and on stage.

It was that synthesis that made Elvis what he was.