MU will debut Jordans 28 against Pitt

[MUeng]

Pretty awesome that we are an official Jordan brand school, not just Nike.  Anyone know when we were blessed as Jordan brand?  Upon joining Big East?  Wonder how our new affiliation with the C7 will affect it...

[keefe]

He did say American...

Not too mention, The Doors and The Eagles suck.

I know he did but that is a silly stipulation. To say that Bob Marley or the Beatles did not have a profound influence on American culture is absurd.

By the way, Santana was born in Mexico but went to grade school, middle school, and high school in the Bay area. His passport has always been American.

Jimi Hendrix is from Seattle.

[keefe]

What?  No Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Dickie Doo and the Dont's, The Oneders?

I'm just not that familiar. I only listed the specific albums with which I a familiar and have read have shaped global culture. From that stream of consciousness I would say Common's challenge has been exceeded.

I have heard of NWA's Compton and its influence is due to its extreme negativity. Replete with violence, racism, and sexism and an artificial bravado that seemed to capture the attention of pinheads in the FBI (Hey, let's send them a nasty letter...)

If the choice is NWA or Thelonoius Monk. Coltrane, Metheny, or Dizzy it would never, ever be NWA.

[thehammock]

Keefe...really enjoyed your stuff on LA Gear!

[ATWizJr]

Del Paxton's "Time to Blow"?

[77ncaachamps]

John Philip Sousa.

I heard he's influential. Thousands of people sing and bop along to his songs on any given Saturday.

"We" once did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXsdiodeICU

[keefe]

Keefe...really enjoyed your stuff on LA Gear!

What's amazing is that is a true story. The Goldberg's started Skechers and are using the same "me too" business model.

[Steve Buscemi]

Del Paxton's "Time to Blow"?

You are my biggest fan for this reference.

[keefe]

John Philip Sousa.

I heard he's influential. Thousands of people sing and bop along to his songs on any given Saturday.

"We" once did.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXsdiodeICU

I never knew that. I am surprised he lowered himself to do this for a non-AAU member university.

[ATWizJr]

You are my biggest fan for this reference.

Thanks, Skitch.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan

White Album, Sgt Pepper, Revolver - Beatles

London Calling - The Clash

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

Offramp, Beyond the Missouri Sky, Imaginary Day - Pat Metheny

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis

A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

Workingman's Dead, Steal Your Face, Europe '72, From The Mars Hotel - Grateful Dead (But let's face it, they were never a studio band)

Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix

The Birth of Soul - Ray Charles

Born to Run - The Boss

Astral Weeks, Moondance - Van Morrison

Let's Stay Together - AL Green

Horses - Patti Smith

Otis Blue - Otis Redding

Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart

Tapestry - Carole King

The Complete Recordings - Robert Johnson

Harvest - Neil Young

Innervisions - Stevie Wonder

Live At the Apollo - James Brown

Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites - Yo Yo Ma

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

The Doors - The Doors

The Joshua Tree - U2

Abraxas, III - Santana

Never Mind the Bollocks - Sex Pistols

The Band, Music From Big Pink, The Last Waltz - The Band

Fillmore East, Eat a Peach - The Allman Bros

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Who's Next - The Who

Blue - Joanie Mitchell

Let It Bleed, Beggar's Banquet - The Rolling Stones

Ramones - Ramones

The Anthology - Muddy Waters

Hotel California - The Eagles

Legend - Bob Marley and the Wailers

I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses

Saturate Before Using - Jackson Browne

This list is great, however, it is missing Delta Blues (aside from Muddy Waters). In a nut shell, those blues artists most heavily influenced post WWII British invasion artists that thus influenced American baby boomers. An odd cycle for most of the blues artists that died penniless with out recognition in their own homeland. I'd also like to add Husker Du's record Zen Arcade to the list. Husker Du's impact far surpassed their own commercial success. Case in point, bands like Husker Du and Sonic Youth heavily influenced Nirvana. With out those bands, Nirvana wouldn't have existed.  Nirvana's Nevermind album that pretty most heavily defines "grunge" and the 90s would have never been made.

Also, check out Gavin McInnes's history of cool. It goes into better explanation. This excerpt is from his Street Boners book from a few years back.
http://www.streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blog/the-history-of-cool/

[keefe]

This list is great, however, it is missing Delta Blues (aside from Muddy Waters). In a nut shell, those blues artists most heavily influenced post WWII British invasion artists that thus influenced American baby boomers. An odd cycle for most of the blues artists that died penniless with out recognition in their own homeland. I'd also like to add Husker Du's record Zen Arcade to the list. Husker Du's impact far surpassed their own commercial success. Case in point, bands like Husker Du and Sonic Youth heavily influenced Nirvana. With out those bands, Nirvana wouldn't have existed.  Nirvana's Nevermind album that pretty most heavily defines "grunge" and the 90s would have never been made.

Also, check out Gavin McInnes's history of cool. It goes into better explanation. This excerpt is from his Street Boners book from a few years back.
http://www.streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blog/the-history-of-cool/

Hold on! I have Robert Johnson, The Complete Recordings on the list!  This anthology is the definitive survey of the greatest Delta Blues player of them all. Clapton, Duane Allman, John Hiatt, and John Lennon all said Johnson was the most compelling musician of the 20th Century. David Fricke lists him as one of the 5 greatest guitarists of all time.

Some artists I didn't list but could have were BB King, Ella Fitzgerald with Louie, T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Earl Hooker, Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bessie Smith, Etta James. Koko Taylor, and Aretha. On this board, one never knows the reaction or response one might expect.

I have seen BB King, Koko Taylor, and Etta James in recent years; two of them are gone and BB couldn't stand. He and Lucille were seated for the three hour show. My point is the Blues are dying and global music will never be the same. What is interesting is that players like Robert Johnson were a direct link to the slave cabins and the spirituals that kept a people's hopes alive. without Johnson, and Muddy, and T-Bone, and BB there never would have been the Beatles, the Stones, Cream, the Doors, CCR, the Dead, etc... And to our shrill friend Avenue Commons there would never be Straight Outta Compton without Robert Johnson.

One of the greatest direct influences on both Brit 60's and '70's southern was T-Bone Walker. The Hamburg Sessions and early Stones were really a blatant take on I Get So Weary. Dickie Betts shamelessly copied Walker's riffs and the Allman's covered many of T-Bone's best stuff. And to your point, the Beatles, Stones, and Allmans reaped millions while T-Bone scraped by playing the clubs on Central Ave in LA. The first time T Bone got a whiff of money was when Hemingway produced some of his albums in the 60's and he got his first real paycheck.

The best white guitarist of all-time is Stevie Ray. Texas Flood and his posthumous Fillmore Sessions are legendary. Stevie Ray's coming out was Montreaux in '82 and David Bowie, the Stones, and Clapton all asked him that night to join their upcoming tours. Mick Jagger said he had never seen so much energy and fire get coaxed out of a Fender Stratocaster as Stevie Ray did at Montreaux. The night of his death, at Alpine Valley, Clapton introduced him as the world's greatest guitar player. And Slow Hand meant it. Stevie Ray took the Delta Blues and stoked them with Texas jalapenos for the most electrifying blues ever played.

[Lennys Tap]

It can be done. In fact, I wouldn't even say it is the most influential Rap album. Public Enemy's Def Jam was arguably more influential. But here are several albums that had far greater impact on music and culture:

Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan

White Album, Sgt Pepper, Revolver - Beatles

London Calling - The Clash

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd

Offramp, Beyond the Missouri Sky, Imaginary Day - Pat Metheny

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis

A Love Supreme - John Coltrane

Workingman's Dead, Steal Your Face, Europe '72, From The Mars Hotel - Grateful Dead (But let's face it, they were never a studio band)

Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland - Jimi Hendrix

The Birth of Soul - Ray Charles

Born to Run - The Boss

Astral Weeks, Moondance - Van Morrison

Let's Stay Together - AL Green

Horses - Patti Smith

Otis Blue - Otis Redding

Trout Mask Replica - Captain Beefheart

Tapestry - Carole King

The Complete Recordings - Robert Johnson

Harvest - Neil Young

Innervisions - Stevie Wonder

Live At the Apollo - James Brown

Bach: The Unaccompanied Cello Suites - Yo Yo Ma

Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

The Doors - The Doors

The Joshua Tree - U2

Abraxas, III - Santana

Never Mind the Bollocks - Sex Pistols

The Band, Music From Big Pink, The Last Waltz - The Band

Fillmore East, Eat a Peach - The Allman Bros

Rumours - Fleetwood Mac

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Who's Next - The Who

Blue - Joanie Mitchell

Let It Bleed, Beggar's Banquet - The Rolling Stones

Ramones - Ramones

The Anthology - Muddy Waters

Hotel California - The Eagles

Legend - Bob Marley and the Wailers

I Walk the Line - Johnny Cash

Appetite For Destruction - Guns N' Roses

Saturate Before Using - Jackson Browne

Great list, Keefe. When ruminating on pop culture then and now you rarely miss. Off the top of my head, I'd include something from Tom Waits (Nighthawks at the Diner?), John Prine, Warren Zevon and Graham Parker but I'm really not quibbling. Loved that you included Highway 61 Revisited with the two more famous Dylan albums. Saturate Before Using is another nice surprise, a somewhat sappy album that I nevertheless loved. All around nice job.

[keefe]

I'd also like to add Husker Du's record Zen Arcade to the list. Husker Du's impact far surpassed their own commercial success. Case in point, bands like Husker Du and Sonic Youth heavily influenced Nirvana. With out those bands, Nirvana wouldn't have existed.  Nirvana's Nevermind album that pretty most heavily defines "grunge" and the 90s would have never been made.

Husker Du. Man I forgot all about them. Saw them at the Palms with the Dead Kennedys Holiday in Cambodia Tour. Opening bands were Husker Du, Oil Tasters,  Violent Femmes and Bad Brains. Classic stuff. All of these bands (including the Femmes at that time - Gordon Gano was a huge fan of Lou Reed and early Femmes reflected that raw, seedy edge) had that unvarnished, frenetic, angry driving punk sound.

I have Sonic Youth in my iPod. Interestingly I have both Fascism and Superstar. Superstar's sardonic undercurrent always makes me laugh at that whole manufactured SoCal Syntho Pop rubbish churned out by the labels in the 70's - The Carpenters, The Captain and Tennille, et al.

[keefe]

Yeah, that would be a funny combination.  My wife and I saw Van Halen last year and Kool and the Gang opened up.  A rather bizarre combination fans, though at this point in the careers of both bands the fans are in their 40's and 50's and probably didn't give a rip about it as much.   

This is weird...these are two very different demographics. I guess the ultimate in crossover.

[keefe]

Great list, Keefe. When ruminating on pop culture then and now you rarely miss. Off the top of my head, I'd include something from Tom Waits (Nighthawks at the Diner?), John Prine, Warren Zevon and Graham Parker but I'm really not quibbling. Loved that you included Highway 61 Revisited with the two more famous Dylan albums. Saturate Before Using is another nice surprise, a somewhat sappy album that I nevertheless loved. All around nice job.

Thanks, Lenny. I am a huge fan of Waits but the challenge here was those albums having a significant impact on the broader cultural spectrum. Waits is a bit esoteric and I think his largest audience has been through his work for Coppola. Problem with most soundtracks is that the music registers more deeply but there is rarely a recognition for the work as stand alone art. Of his work I am particularly fond of his live stuff and Nighthawks is the best of that work.

You might notice I listed Captain Beefheart. What many don't know is that Waits and Don van Vliet were close and shared an intense admiration for Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues. Blue Horseshoe was spot on in citing the seminal influence of the Delta Blues in virtually all modern music - from Buddy Holly all the way through to today's rap. Elvis came out of that social milieu - the Presley's were from the poor, white side of the tracks and he grew up listening to Gospel and the Delta Blues living cheek to jowl with the blacks.

The others you mention are great as well and to Zevon and Prine I would add another cultural icon, Frank Zappa. These artists were great satirists who lampooned the foibles of an America trying to come to grips with seismic social change against a backdrop of economic prosperity, political stability, and status quo inertia.

I threw in Jackson Browne because his folksy, thought provoking lyricism really did define the 70's in many ways and his song writing influenced the Dirt Band, the Velvet Underground, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, The Doobies, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Nataly Dawn, Neko Case among others. Browne is quite active in domestic politics and while that doesn't appeal to me he has contributed to efforts on the Tibetan refugee issue and that is where my efforts are now focused so I deeply appreciate his ability to generate attention and funds.

[Lennys Tap]

Thanks, Lenny. I am a huge fan of Waits but the challenge here was those albums having a significant impact on the broader cultural spectrum. Waits is a bit esoteric and I think his largest audience has been through his work for Coppola. Problem with most soundtracks is that the music registers more deeply but there is rarely a recognition for the work as stand alone art. Of his work I am particularly fond of his live stuff and Nighthawks is the best of that work.

You might notice I listed Captain Beefheart. What many don't know is that Waits and Don van Vliet were close and shared an intense admiration for Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues. Blue Horseshoe was spot on in citing the seminal influence of the Delta Blues in virtually all modern music - from Buddy Holly all the way through to today's rap. Elvis came out of that social milieu - the Presley's were from the poor, white side of the tracks and he grew up listening to Gospel and the Delta Blues living cheek to jowl with the blacks.

The others you mention are great as well and to Zevon and Prine I would add another cultural icon, Frank Zappa. These artists were great satirists who lampooned the foibles of an America trying to come to grips with seismic social change against a backdrop of economic prosperity, political stability, and status quo inertia.

I threw in Jackson Browne because his folksy, thought provoking lyricism really did define the 70's in many ways and his song writing influenced the Dirt Band, the Velvet Underground, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, The Doobies, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Nataly Dawn, Neko Case among others. Browne is quite active in domestic politics and while that doesn't appeal to me he has contributed to efforts on the Tibetan refugee issue and that is where my efforts are now focused so I deeply appreciate his ability to generate attention and funds.

Can't believe I left Zappa off my list - good catch.

A thought on Highway 61 - it's opening stanza may be my all time favorite:
               God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son!"
               Abe said "Man, you must be putin' me on!"
               God say "No" Abe say "What?"
               God say "You can do what you want Abe, but-
               The next time you see me comin', you'd better run"
               Abe say, "Where you want this killin' done?"
               God said "Out on Highway 61"

[Dr. Blackheart]

This website decides it...sorted by US albums

http://www.besteveralbums.com/overall.php?&f=CountryCode&fv=us

[keefe]

Can't believe I left Zappa off my list - good catch.

A thought on Highway 61 - it's opening stanza may be my all time favorite:
               God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son!"
               Abe said "Man, you must putin' me on!"
               God say "No" Abe say "What?"
               God say "You can do what you want Abe, but-
               The next time you see me comin', you'd better run"
               Abe say, "Where you want this killin' done?"
               God said "Out on Highway 61"

We think alike! That is exactly why I love Dylan.

I think music was traditionally inspirational. With the 20th Century it became more evocative. Our generation's was more intellectually engaging and that has given way to the emotional. Frankly, I prefer ours but then I am an old guy.

[keefe]

This website decides it...sorted by US albums

http://www.besteveralbums.com/overall.php?&f=CountryCode&fv=us

I took the filter off...not sure I agree 4 of the best 20 are radiohead but a very good representative sample.

[Lennys Tap]

This website decides it...sorted by US albums

http://www.besteveralbums.com/overall.php?&f=CountryCode&fv=us

Good site. Not a huge Beach Boys fan, but Pet Sounds was great and had a major influence on the Beatles (mostly McCartney). And how did I leave Jack White/White Stripes off my list?

[JoeSmith1721]

Thanks, Lenny. I am a huge fan of Waits but the challenge here was those albums having a significant impact on the broader cultural spectrum. Waits is a bit esoteric and I think his largest audience has been through his work for Coppola. Problem with most soundtracks is that the music registers more deeply but there is rarely a recognition for the work as stand alone art. Of his work I am particularly fond of his live stuff and Nighthawks is the best of that work.

You might notice I listed Captain Beefheart. What many don't know is that Waits and Don van Vliet were close and shared an intense admiration for Robert Johnson and the Delta Blues. Blue Horseshoe was spot on in citing the seminal influence of the Delta Blues in virtually all modern music - from Buddy Holly all the way through to today's rap. Elvis came out of that social milieu - the Presley's were from the poor, white side of the tracks and he grew up listening to Gospel and the Delta Blues living cheek to jowl with the blacks.

The others you mention are great as well and to Zevon and Prine I would add another cultural icon, Frank Zappa. These artists were great satirists who lampooned the foibles of an America trying to come to grips with seismic social change against a backdrop of economic prosperity, political stability, and status quo inertia.

I threw in Jackson Browne because his folksy, thought provoking lyricism really did define the 70's in many ways and his song writing influenced the Dirt Band, the Velvet Underground, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, The Doobies, Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Nataly Dawn, Neko Case among others. Browne is quite active in domestic politics and while that doesn't appeal to me he has contributed to efforts on the Tibetan refugee issue and that is where my efforts are now focused so I deeply appreciate his ability to generate attention and funds.

The Velvet Underground were a few years before Jackson Browne, all four of their albums were released before Browne's first and speaking of overall American influence, the Velvet Underground has to be near the top of that list, without a doubt.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Everytime Clapton plays  I hear Lightnin' Hopkins.  Big influence on him

[keefe]

The Velvet Underground were a few years before Jackson Browne, all four of their albums were released before Browne's first and speaking of overall American influence, the Velvet Underground has to be near the top of that list, without a doubt.

Jackson Browne lived in Greenwich Village and wrote songs and played with the Dirt Band in the mid-to-late 60's. He became friends with Lou Reed and ended up living together with Nico.  Browne was a prolific song writer and many bands recorded his work. It was during this period while living with Nico that he gave a lot of input to the Underground.

He started his own solo career with Saturate Before Using in 72 or 73. 

[keefe]

Everytime Clapton plays  I hear Lightnin' Hopkins.  Big influence on him

I'll check him out.  What album is best place to start?