The LA region is so much larger and more populous than SF that it's really not a fair fight. With that in mind, LA scene (or anti-scene, maybe) just seems more diverse, so many different bands with different approaches, as opposed to a bunch of ex-folkies jamming on Gibson SGs (plus Sly the outlier.) So it's LA pretty easily, but I have high regard for the SF scene nonetheless - really, I like practically everyone mentioned on this thread so far.
― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Monday, 3 June 2013 15:34 (eleven years ago) link
50ft Hose definitely a point in San Fran's favour, but nowhere near enough.
United States of America easily balances that out for LA's side.
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
I always forget the United States was from LA. Yeah I am comfortable with my vote...
― Drugs A. Money, Monday, 3 June 2013 17:22 (eleven years ago) link
USA were very short lived though. Less than 6 months in the recording line-up I think.
― Stevolende, Monday, 3 June 2013 17:39 (eleven years ago) link
Some other LA bands that haven't been mentioned yet but are worth consideration:
Leaves, Dovers, The Merry Go Round, The Rising Sons, Alice Cooper, Millennium, Sagittarius, The Association, The Smoke, October Country, The Ballroom, Eternity's Children
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 18:20 (eleven years ago) link
Davie Allan & the Arrows
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 18:22 (eleven years ago) link
might as well allow Dr. John in there too
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 18:23 (eleven years ago) link
also the beach boys are better than every single norcal band in history so
otm x 1000 (except for sly)
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 3 June 2013 21:16 (eleven years ago) link
i realize this is a boring un-hip opinion and everyone who's cool has long since moved on to being 'over' hating the dead but it needs to be said: the grateful dead are still the worst of the fucking worst
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 3 June 2013 21:18 (eleven years ago) link
Worse even than the Airplane? Your animosity spilleth over...
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:20 (eleven years ago) link
i was probably going a bit overboard upthread -- i do like a couple airplane songs.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 3 June 2013 21:22 (eleven years ago) link
Well apart from them 9grateful Dead) being absolutely brilliant up to 1974 at least. Well at least lots of their recorded material the ability to fail live just added to the risk which made it more interesting. But there is hours of very good impro rock that is amazing
― Stevolende, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:23 (eleven years ago) link
One Dead song I'd recommend to anyone who doesn't get with their wandering stuff: "Cold Rain and Snow" from their debut. Just a great pop song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7qkbF8PbtE
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:25 (eleven years ago) link
― Stevolende, Monday, June 3, 2013 4:23 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^ stoned right now
xplame song
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:27 (eleven years ago) link
Not stoned at all. Fact , the Grateful dead put out fantastic music up until their '74 retirement and some afterwards. & there is literally hours of amazing impro rock that is scorching, possibly hundreds of hours. The band in full flight, especially between '68 and '70 is amazing.
― Stevolende, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:37 (eleven years ago) link
so stoned
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:37 (eleven years ago) link
get ahold of yourself man
We made history last night by getting you to admit you were wrong about something, iatee; I'm hoping you'll also come around on "Cold Rain and Snow" someday.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:41 (eleven years ago) link
you were having an acid flashback clem I never admitted I was wrong
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:42 (eleven years ago) link
lol
― too busy s1ockin' on my 乒乓 (wins), Monday, 3 June 2013 21:45 (eleven years ago) link
a billboard article from nov 14, 1970 has convinced me I am wrong
― iatee, Sunday, June 2, 2013 10:14 PM (Yesterday)
Flashing back all over again.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:46 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/hIlaWeS.jpg
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:53 (eleven years ago) link
Just a great pop song.
this song sucks fyi
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 21:56 (eleven years ago) link
Well, I don't think I'm making any converts here--along with "China Cat Sunflower" and "Friend of the Devil," it's my favourite Dead song.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 21:57 (eleven years ago) link
if you're not stoned right now yet you're participating in a thread called "west coast vs. west coast" about which city had a better '60s rock scene, then I really question wtf you're doing with your life.
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:11 (eleven years ago) link
some really boring trolling in this thread, I grew up in SoCal and have spent hours & hours rolling out anti-NoCal hate, good times on Friday nights. ~When I was a teenager.~ Not afterwards though. Anybody got some "hippies are smelly!" jokes? Lol!!
― Oral Sex in Sharp’s Ridge Park (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Monday, 3 June 2013 22:26 (eleven years ago) link
I stick with what I'm saying. Dead have a larger archive of recorded material than most and between the late 60s & mid 70s there is a stack of jaw dropping music by them. They were incredible in full flight. As out there as pretty much anybody before or since.
― Stevolende, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:28 (eleven years ago) link
NorCal is a better place than SoCal it just made worse music
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:31 (eleven years ago) link
San Francisco is too nice to really inspire good music whereas the beach boys were inspired by the bleakness and despair that is Los Angeles
― iatee, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:32 (eleven years ago) link
This turned out a lot more strident than I expected. I actually thought it'd be everyone tripping over each other about how great such-and-such are. Instead it's been the Jefferson Airplane are awful, the Beach Boys are awful, the Grateful Dead are awful, etc.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:33 (eleven years ago) link
Santana up to Caravenserai is really some of the best shit ever, just incredibly pleasurable music.
― brimstead, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:33 (eleven years ago) link
Peanut Butter Conspiracy are good.
― timellison, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:40 (eleven years ago) link
hey you're the one who was claiming the Charlatans were equals to the Beach Boys! just because the beach boys had the nerve to make music that was so great you listened to it until you were utterly sick of it.
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:40 (eleven years ago) link
true. freaks vs. hippies sums it up really. a bunch of nice, well educated kids playing dress up vs. some truly strange and damaged people, hustlers, social climbers, and just the overall dregs of society.
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:44 (eleven years ago) link
"I OD'd on Endless Summer as a teenager, and I'm not as enamored of Pet Sounds and beyond as everyone else"--that doesn't exactly seem the same as saying such-and-such is the worst thing ever. I also said I realized I'd be alone on valuing the Charlatans just as much.
I mean, that's fine. I'm just saying I'm surprised that some of these bands are so hated.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:45 (eleven years ago) link
"just because the beach boys had the nerve to make music that was so great..."
Where do you come up with stuff like this?! You're saying you never get a little tired of certain artists because you went through a period where you played them too much?
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:47 (eleven years ago) link
I was just giving you a hard time. I do think that some of the hate on this thread must be exaggerated. a lot of the time "that sucks" really means, "if pushed, I would begrudgingly accept that it's classic but I've heard it too much and am bored of it."
― wk, Monday, 3 June 2013 22:54 (eleven years ago) link
One thing that definitely interferes with my feelings about the Beach Boys today--I suppose it shouldn't, but it does--is the idea that they've never stopped, that they're still out there going through the motions and playing these songs. I think of Mike Love, and that interferes. Ditto the Rolling Stones, ditto the Who. (Bob Dylan and Neil Young, being so idiosyncratic, are spared from that.) The Charlatans, Moby Grape, Beau Brummels, even Sly, that's not a problem--it's easier to romanticize them, and easier to keep some of that mystery intact. Again, not fair, but a reality for me.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 23:03 (eleven years ago) link
the last Beach Boys album actually had some startlingly good stuff on it
true story
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:05 (eleven years ago) link
Surprised nobody added Flying Burritos Bros to the LA pile-on.
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:06 (eleven years ago) link
just the overall dregs of society.
Grateful Dead fans iirc
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:08 (eleven years ago) link
i saw one of the BBs 'reunion' concerts last year and i was kinda stunned by how good it was. probably as much due to the backup band as anything, but nearly all the songs sounded great.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
All I heard was the single, and--I'm about to get strident--I thought it was dreadful. Maybe there's other stuff I'd like, I don't know. Was Brian involved?
(FBB, yes--the International Submarine Band, too?)
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
There are precious few situations where I'm not going to vote for whatever side the Byrds are on, so LA in a walk for me.
― dschinghis kraan (NickB), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:12 (eleven years ago) link
Was Brian involved?
the single was fucking horrible. but yes Brian was involved in the album.
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:14 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaDiwoACJ2Q
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:17 (eleven years ago) link
not great (Al's voice kinda bugs) but song is more than I would have expected them being capable of
― Mr. Scarf Ace is Back (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 3 June 2013 23:18 (eleven years ago) link
Thanks--that's really nice, yeah (especially with the old footage). No idea how they could release that other song instead.
― clemenza, Monday, 3 June 2013 23:20 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, I love it. I think it's classic Beach Boys bubblegum.
― timellison, Monday, 3 June 2013 23:25 (eleven years ago) link
Strange, but one of the first things that really drew me to the Beach Boys was "All Summer Long" over the end credits of American Graffiti when I was 12 or 13. They had an identity for me before that--a few songs I knew from the radio, a best-of in my parents' record collection--but American Graffiti, and then Endless Summer right after, established a much stronger connection. Lucas's use of the song was so perfect--I'm too lazy to check, but I think the opening notes are precisely timed to the visuals.
I say strange because, in the context of American Graffiti, the Beach Boys represent the scary future, or at least the confusing present--it's surf music that Milner, the aging, die-hard rocker, doesn't really understand and dismisses contemptuously.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 4 June 2013 01:00 (eleven years ago) link