tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post862700830974005690..comments2024-03-29T10:49:38.462-04:00Comments on PowerPop: Oh, Shut UpNYMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863355110457910935noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-1589039775419498942008-09-16T16:15:00.000-04:002008-09-16T16:15:00.000-04:00C'mon. The bare-chested guitar of Mark Farner? The...C'mon. The bare-chested guitar of Mark Farner? The bonging base of Mel Schacher? The competent drumming of Don Brewer?<BR/><BR/>How about some Funk-love, peoples?<BR/><BR/>Grand Funk was an influence on the business end of rock, demonstrating the profit potential of big dumb simple arena rock (not that there's anything wrong with that). It's analogous what happened to FM radio later in the decade, when Lee Abrams came along with dollar-signs in his eyes and destroyed a beautiful thing.<BR/><BR/>The original Grand Funk live album is awesome in its boneheadedness. Four sides of big dumb. I don't ever want to hear it again, but I love it. <BR/><BR/>Black Oak Arkansas was the most obvious Funk rip-off. AC/DC comes to mind: equally tuneless and stupid.Noam Sanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14078219408896745687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-79406224628159170562008-09-16T07:21:00.000-04:002008-09-16T07:21:00.000-04:00My boss, who's about 53 or 54, has the guitar intr...My boss, who's about 53 or 54, has the guitar intro to "I'm Your Captain" or whatever it's called as the ringtone on his cell. It took me a while to figure out what it was the first time I heard it.<BR/><BR/>And despite the nay-saying, I could never work up any kind of Hootie-hate. They were an unpretentious bunch of guys working on what was basically an American style of pub-rock when they hit the lottery. I didn't care for them very much, but I didn't find them annoying, either, and they never grated the way that, say, Huey Lewis did in the previous decade.MBowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17992038501958547302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-71110929747849377662008-09-15T20:56:00.000-04:002008-09-15T20:56:00.000-04:00David said... And Simels, as much as I hate to bri...<I>David said... <BR/>And Simels, as much as I hate to bring the hammer down, Lenny Kaye, a guy you would never besmirch, was and is a huge GF fan, and you can look it up<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>Oh, I'm sure, but I'm pretty sure it was the later stuff. Which I like too.<BR/><BR/>The only critic I can remember who could even stand the early stuff was Metal Mike Saunders, and he was the guy who famously said that the Count 5 were better than the Yardbirds because they were one more stage removed from the blues.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-10738186783332364822008-09-15T20:02:00.000-04:002008-09-15T20:02:00.000-04:00And Simels, as much as I hate to bring the hammer ...And Simels, as much as I hate to bring the hammer down, Lenny Kaye, a guy you would never besmirch, was and is a huge GF fan, and you can look it up.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378528518778247285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-1174833851574476432008-09-15T17:25:00.000-04:002008-09-15T17:25:00.000-04:00That could be a listomania unto itself -- all the ...That could be a listomania unto itself -- all the unworthy bands that headlined over the Kinks. I saw Hall and Oates headline over the Kinks in 73 or 74. I'm not saying Hall & Oates SUCKED, but come on -- and the Kinks played to a half-full auditorium with the H&O crowd mostly only showing up for their guys later. <BR/><BR/>But re GF again, an additional factor contributing to your 1970 concert experience may have been that you weren't 14 years old and full of Boones Farm as Jim Anchower & I generally were in that year of yore.Who Am Us Anyway?https://www.blogger.com/profile/08260586634760800759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-22607481323931702702008-09-15T17:11:00.000-04:002008-09-15T17:11:00.000-04:001 -" fellate canines" damn Simels you ar...1 -" fellate canines" damn Simels you are good!!!<BR/><BR/>2 - With rare exceptions the NYT has always fumbled the ball when it comes to R&R.<BR/><BR/>3 - I can tell you folks that Simels speaks from experience when he dumps on Grand Funk. In 1970 Simels & I and a bunch of other loons witnessed Grand Funk headline over the Kinks and Mott the Hoople. After those opening acts Grand Funk truly became the meaning for the word "blows!"<BR/><BR/>ROT(Plumber)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-79797130171935739702008-09-15T16:32:00.000-04:002008-09-15T16:32:00.000-04:00I have to throw in my two cents for "We're an Amer...I have to throw in my two cents for "We're an American Band" --a song that could get my 12-year-old blood going like little else on the Top 40 radio of my youth. And it still delivers the goods: sturdy guitar riffage, a pretty decent rawk vocal--and hey, what about that cowbell? And although I would hesitate to put it on my Things I Like list, the bit about the "chiquitas in Omaha" has a nice ring to it. But REO? They sucked. Except I can kind of get into "Ridin' The Storm Out" when I've huffed enough gas.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378528518778247285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-45634323708984166242008-09-15T16:10:00.000-04:002008-09-15T16:10:00.000-04:00Kid Charlemagne said... I must confess, I still...<I> Kid Charlemagne said...<BR/><BR/> I must confess, I still have affection for "We're An American Band." Produced by Rundgren right?</I><BR/><BR/>Yup. When they became a quartet they actually turned into a pretty decent little pop rock band. The early trio records, however, are absolutely unlistenable....steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-33670449427513633562008-09-15T15:56:00.000-04:002008-09-15T15:56:00.000-04:00I must confess, I still have affection for "We're ...I must confess, I still have affection for "We're An American Band." Produced by Rundgren right?Kid Charlemagnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12109953353900729258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-53092516242267897042008-09-15T15:40:00.000-04:002008-09-15T15:40:00.000-04:00Re Simels & the whole vast PowerPop blog consp...Re Simels & the whole vast PowerPop blog conspiracy on the one hand and the NYT on the other ... what Trey said.<BR/><BR/>Also, re Grand Funk Genetic Contributions, GF was one of the first bands to set their amps to 11, weren't they? I mean was any band ever LOUDER? WHAT?? So they had that going for them. And to be honest, if I heard a racket in my garage & upon investigation came upon <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6chChxzV0" REL="nofollow">THIS SCENE</A>, I wouldn't throw them out.Who Am Us Anyway?https://www.blogger.com/profile/08260586634760800759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-71926109739975922652008-09-15T14:43:00.000-04:002008-09-15T14:43:00.000-04:00We can argue Grand Funk (who I think made some ent...We can argue Grand Funk (who I think made some entertaining records toward the end), but they left absolutely no mark on American music despite their success.<BR/><BR/>They did not add anything to the gene pool is what I'm saying.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-52319321060463299292008-09-15T13:49:00.000-04:002008-09-15T13:49:00.000-04:00Bad as GF may be, I still think this is a great so...Bad as GF may be, I still think <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0UnePikVfk" REL="nofollow">this is a great song.</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-81945000838993089812008-09-15T13:19:00.000-04:002008-09-15T13:19:00.000-04:00I like Grand Funk.I like Grand Funk.Sal Nunziatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09221629293545204260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-85843492847357280842008-09-15T12:47:00.000-04:002008-09-15T12:47:00.000-04:00All the turds I have seen writing over there are w...All the turds I have seen writing over there are writing about themselves. They write to look like a writer, not to inform, and certainly not in service to the music. <BR/><BR/>The great ones who do what you do are writers, for sure, but you guys are music lovers first. Music lovers like us think about music, we obsess about it, we want to understand and pass on the thrill.<BR/><BR/>The guys at the less and less relevent Times just want to write things that they think will be seen as hip or cool. It is the review as thinly veiled biography. And it is BORING!<BR/><BR/>TreyTMinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07221261635305430323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-26879383156368792112008-09-15T12:43:00.000-04:002008-09-15T12:43:00.000-04:00KC:Shoulda known. Sorry to be so obtuse...KC:<BR/><BR/>Shoulda known. Sorry to be so obtuse...steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-1441647811442332462008-09-15T10:05:00.000-04:002008-09-15T10:05:00.000-04:00Steve,I was channeling Jim Anchowerfrom the Onion....Steve,<BR/><BR/>I was channeling <A HREF="http://www.theonion.com/content/columnists/view/anchower" REL="nofollow">Jim Anchower</A>from the Onion.Kid Charlemagnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12109953353900729258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-75595221822245581972008-09-15T09:38:00.002-04:002008-09-15T09:38:00.002-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-31606419415180826482008-09-15T09:38:00.001-04:002008-09-15T09:38:00.001-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-28991683531660409782008-09-15T09:38:00.000-04:002008-09-15T09:38:00.000-04:00KC:I actually interviewed REO at the height of the...KC:<BR/><BR/>I actually interviewed REO at the height of their celebrity.<BR/><BR/>Backstage after a concert in Nashville.<BR/><BR/>Nice guys, but clueless.steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-72823337548701436572008-09-15T09:30:00.000-04:002008-09-15T09:30:00.000-04:00Hey, Smiles,You've haven't lived until you've down...Hey, Smiles,<BR/><BR/>You've haven't lived until you've downed a few MGDs and rode the storm out with REO. Those hombres can rock!Kid Charlemagnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12109953353900729258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-9875289463406718522008-09-15T09:28:00.000-04:002008-09-15T09:28:00.000-04:00Was there a school of Grand Funk? Can you point to...Was there a school of Grand Funk? Can you point to a band obviously influenced by Grand Funk?<BR/><BR/>I think not...<BR/>:-)steve simelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13247393763004076992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-76709567988789382102008-09-15T09:19:00.000-04:002008-09-15T09:19:00.000-04:00REO Speedwagon, absolutely, but I'd argue that...REO Speedwagon, absolutely, but I'd argue that Grand Funk Railroad was slightly more significant than that. <BR/><BR/>Supertramp, Huey Lewis & the News, Air Supply, and Kool and the Gang, are all worthy contenders to the crown, however.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-41761896348557631332008-09-15T08:47:00.000-04:002008-09-15T08:47:00.000-04:00While in Charleston, I worked with a guy who was p...While in Charleston, I worked with a guy who was pretty familiar with the Columbia music scene and knew the Blowfish as passing acquaintances. According to him they were just as flabbergasted by their success as their critics were.geor3gehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18382136451663610951noreply@blogger.com