Lester Bangs / Single word named bands...

Cafe Society
1

OK - this is sort of a two-part request/question…

I seem to recall, a long, long time ago, that Lester Bangs said something to the effect that bands with a single word name were generally bad (and I think he excluded those with “The”, as in “The Beatles”, “The Band”, etc.). I’ve searched the net to see if I could find this quote but I can’t (and, too be honest, it could have been Dave Marsh, but I’d almost swear it was Bangs).

Holding Bangs in awe as I did, I saw his point - “Styx”, “Boston”, etc., come to mind as bad bands to me…

So my questions are:

  1. can anyone help me with the quote? and;

  2. can anyone name bands with single word names that are critically acclaimed as good? (I have a few in mind, but would like to see if others have the same.)

Thanks in advance,

-bbb-

2

Television
Wire
Nirvana
Pulp

Blondie?

God, this is harder than it seems.

3

Traffic
Cream
Genesis
Nirvana
Santana

4

Thinking of bands with a single word name: Hanson, ABBA, Phish, Heart…hmmm, Lester may be on to something!

BTW, don’t anyone go dissing Steve Perry!

5

You’re looking for good bands right?

Aerosmith
Metallica
Chicago
Cream
The Eagles
Fuel
KISS
Poison
Police
Rush
Scorpions
The Cure
The Cars
The Doors

I don’t know if these count…
AC-DC
U2
REM

Go ahead, accuse me of terrible taste…

6

I think it was The Police, and, as I recall, Mr. Bangs excluded bands with “The” preceding a second word… and I think AC-CD, U2, and R.E.M., would be excluded as well…

keep ‘em comin’…

-bbb-

7

Wham! (just kidding)
ummmmmm…
Motorhead
Calexico
Ramones
Deadbolt

8

Isn’t the The Ramones?

9

Wilco
Radiohead

10

Well, it probably depends on who you’re asking about the acclaim, but…

Rancid
Weezer
Sublime
Fugazi
Refused

11

Primus
Tool
Sloan
Eels
Quasi
Queen
Pavement
Beulah
Live
Low
Clinic
Guster
Interpol
Garbage
Cake

12

Yeah, I completely misread the OP. I thought he was excluding the “the” for those bands. What a dumbass am I!

13

Just off the top of my head…

Morphine.
Belly.
Rasputina.
Tindersticks.
Luna.
Stereolab.
Faust.
Suicide.
Neu!
Can.
Portishead.
Smog.
Brainiac.
Orbital.
Nirvana.
Radiohead.
Television.
Wilco.
Autechre.
Tortoise.
Slint.
Fugazi.

14

Not already named:

Alabama.
*Foreigner. *

Maybe there aren’t many good ones because there simply aren’t that many with single names.

15

Creed.

No, wait, maybe he’s got a point…

16

Stillwater! :smiley:

17

mesh
tool
iris
erasure?

18

Rammstein, Evanescence, Deftones.

19

Whoever (Lester Bangs) said that was just plain wrong. Some of the ones listed laready are incredible. Here are some more that I enjoy:
Adema
Audioslave
Bauhaus
Beck
Bjork
Blur
Botch
Bush
Chevelle
Chimaira
Cold
Cracker
Dishwalla
Dope
Downset
Earshot
Everclear
Failure
Far
Filter
Finch
Flaw
Fuel
Godsmack
Goodness
Hammerbox
Hatebreed
Helmet
Hole
Hoobastank
Hooverphonic
Ignite
Incubus
Insolence
Isis
Korn
Lit
Machinehead
Ministry
Mudhoney
Nonpoint
Nothingface
Nullset
Otep
Prong
Seether
Semisonic
Slipknot
Soil
Soilwork
Soulfly
Spineshank
Staind
Strife
Tad
Thrice
Thursday
Tonic
Unloco
Zebrahead

20

Looking through my CD collection…

Air
Amp
Dilute
Dissolve
Elastica
Fog
Fridge
Gas
Hood
Karate
Lamb
Lambchop
Limp
Loop
Love
Magazine
Oasis
Ride
Spoon
Subtle
Tape
Tarentel
Underworld