Best/most important American rock band

The Faces were great.

 

I saw Rod Stewart at Caesar's during his Vegas residency. It was a pretty schlocky Vegas production -- fancy set, all-female string section in matching gowns, heavy emphasis on the "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" end of his discography. His voice sounded great but overall it was really forgettable.

About 2/3 of the way through the set most of the band walks off stage and he says "I'm gonna do a song for you we've never done here in Vegas." Rod, one guitarist, a bass player and a drummer tore through "Every Picture Tells a Story." It was fucking AMAZING. For about five minutes he was once again the greatest rock singer on earth.

Then it was back to "Hot Legs" and kicking soccer balls into the crowd.

 

Come on, that’s like “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” hut for the young-ins.

 

Do people really not understand what the Beach Boys were in the '60s?

 

I think a lot of people know the early boy-band-does-Chuck-Berry stuff and the later Mike Love version of the band playing the grand openings of supermarkets, and they don't appreciate how mind-bendingly wonderful the "Pet Sounds" era was.

 

The Beatles, the Stones, and Beach Boys here going head to head with each other, and inspiring each other.

 

Yep. "Sgt. Pepper" is absolutely a response to "Pet Sounds."

And "Pet Sounds" is better.

 

I really don't know how influential the Beach Boys are - Brian Wilson? Absolutely. Remember the Wrecking Crew played on most of the albums.

 

It's a meaningless distinction. Brian Wilson essentially was the Beach Boys. When we say they were influential we're not suggesting it was because Dennis had a bitchin' drum solo.

 

Three Dog Night was huge in the late '60s and early '70s, too.

 

REM

 

Santana
Stevie Ray Vaughn
George Thoroughgood and the Destroyers