OT – What is your greatest musical hot take?

Submitted by Nobody Likes a… on

It’s a Friday deep in the heart of OT season so I thought I’d ask, what is your greatest musical hot take? Someone must believe that “Major Tom” is better than “Space Oddity” or that Chris Gaines is superior to Garth Brooks

 

For me it is that George Harrison was the greatest Beatle. He wrote the single greatest Beatles song “While my guitar gently weeps” and had the best solo career. I will go to my grave believing that “My Sweet Lord” Is infinitely better than “Imagine”. There can also be no argument that The Travelling Wilburys were better than Wings (it’s not a fair comparison, I know). 

HermosaBlue

June 2nd, 2017 at 1:58 PM ^

Some definitional issues here.  As commonly understood, the MC in MC5 stands for Motor City, and the MC5 trace their origins to Lincoln Park and they formed in Detroit in 1964.

Due in part to harassment from the Detroit police, MC5 moved to 1510 Hill Street in Ann Arbor in 1968.  (more here: http://musicorigins.com/2014/12/mc5s-home-in-ann-arbor/)

While I agree that they were not strictly "from" Ann Arbor, that house was, at one point, referred to the MC5 Commune (also the Hill Street Commune, the White Panther Commune - before the evolution into the YIP, and the Trans-Love Energies Unlimited Commune).  TLE started in Detroit, but also relocated to Ann Arbor.

For about half of the MC5's existence, the band was based in Ann Arbor.

Iggy Pop was a frequent visitor to that house, though he and the Stooges resided on a farm just outside Ann Arbor that they called Stooge Manor.

Iggy was born in Muskegon and, as you note, grew up in the Ypsi-Arbor hinterlands - in Coachville Gardens mobile home park just off Carpenter Road between Packard and Ellsworth - more or less across the street from where Home Depot is now.

I guess it boils to your definition of what an Ann Arbor band is.  For both MC5 and Iggy/The Stooges, big chunks of their time were spent based in (or just outside of) Ann Arbor and they were both fixtures in the music scene, even if they weren't born here.

 

Everyone Murders

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^

I just saw them perform, and walked away with a different impression.  I also saw them perform on the Hail to the Thief tour, and walked away with a different impression.  I thought they were kinda good.

Whether they're the greatest band of all time is open to debate.  Lots of competition - both from their era and others.

But they most decidedly don't suck. 

/ Hot take in response to hot take /

corundum

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^

They were certainly better when they were a 3-guitar melt-your-face-off band. Their last two albums were completely underwhelming and they haven't put out a great album since Kid A. In Rainbows had a few good song but they lost me after that. Sounded great live when they were loud and I would recommend the 'Live at the Astoria' for anyone who is into guitar jams and face melting solos. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mi_iylyds6c Full concert: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QerNhaVjZ5o

Everyone Murders

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^

Some friends and I saw that a band called Violent Femmes was playing at Todd's in Detroit, and decided to drop the $8 or so because we liked the name.  Their eponymous album had not yet dropped and we knew nothing about the band.

The bar had about 20 in the audience, and most were in support of the forgettable local warm-up band.  Gordon Gano and friends tore through their set, and we left with our jaws agape.

My hot take was "these guys are really good".

bamf16

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^

Styx was one of the greatest American rock bands. And they only caught a bad rap because most critics are cynical assholes.

jmdblue

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:46 AM ^

Quality of musicianship, large and great catalog, no truly embarrassing musical detours/sellouts, lyrics, live performace, impsct on society, impact on the genre, absolutely top to bottom.  Bruce Springsteen is the greatest rock n roll act of all time.  

NowTameInThe603

June 2nd, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^

I was scrolling trying to find the perfect placement for my hawt take.

 

Bruce springsteen IS the most overrated musician of all time. He is borderline garbage. Best thing he did for me was make an anthem I can rock to when I'm pounding red, white and blue bud heavy cans and celebrating america. Everything else sucks.

JeepinBen

June 2nd, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^

I'm not the Springsteen-Stan by any means. However my inlaws took us to a concert of his maybe 5-7 years ago and it was one of the best concerts I've ever seen. He played for 3 hours. He was throwing his guitar around, the Big Man was still alive, it was a HELL of a show.

(This was the show at the Palace where for the first hour or so he thought he was in Ohio. In his defense, landing at DTW and driving an hour he could be. Or in Canada. When the crowd told him he was in Detroit I was kind of like "ish")

That said, I don't own an album, nor do I seek it out on the radio. Also, "Born in the USA" is anti the vietnam war and very misused.

NowTameInThe603

June 2nd, 2017 at 3:15 PM ^

Who listens to the lyrics besides fanboys? I know literally 1 line from that song. Born in the USA thats it. If anyone knows an edited version that cuts out the rest of the bullshit on that song im all for it.

And as far as the "puts on a good show crowd". Ive been to a springsteen concert and fell asleep. Ive also heard gwar puts on a good show but I will not be listening to their music or going to one of their shows.

KennyHiggins

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:19 AM ^

Can feel the emotion dripping out in his voice.  Short, sweet, passonate tunes that never fail with me.  "And it burns, burns, burns.....The Ring of Fire"

The Krusty Kra…

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:22 AM ^

1. Hotel California is one of the worst songs ever written

2. Tom Petty is unlistenable

3. The cover of "Turn The Page" by Metallica is better than Seger's original

And, just to toss in a grunge take

Foo Fighters will go down as the greatest band with ties to the original Seattle grunge scene and that is because Dave Grohl is one of the greatest musicians of all time.

Wolverdog

June 2nd, 2017 at 10:37 AM ^

To add to your grunge take, Nirvana is one of the most overrated groups ever. People fell in love with Cobain polarized society either to embrace the heroin induced musical ramblings (think anegada da vida) that teens embraced as a big middle finger to their parents and what they thought music "should" be. 

Did  Courtney pull the trigger?