[zybar]

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I have been digging out lots of my "classic" rock cd's and I must admit that I am digging it!  

Although my tastes these days lean towards jazz, alt country, and female vocals, there is something special about these "oldies".

Here is a partial list of what was played:

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks, Tupelo Honey, Moondance
The Doors - American Prayer, Absolutely Live, LA Woman
Rush - 2112, Farewell to Kings, Hemispheres
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic, Goucho
Boston - Boston
Paul Simon - Graceland
Allman Brothers - Eat a Peach
Grateful Dead - American Beauty, Shakedown Street, Wake of the Flood, Working Man's Dead, Blues for Allah
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand the Weather, Texas Flood
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here, Animals
The Eagles - Hotel California
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II and III

George

[Digi-G]

Yeah, I listen to this kind of stuff all of the time.  Here's what I've listened to recently:

Moody Blues - On The Threashold of a Dream (MFSL cd)
Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed (DTS 5.1)
Beatles - White Album
Rolling Stones - Black & Blue
The Zombies - Greatest (Rhino Remaster)
McCartney - Band on the Run (Remaster, but still not sonically impressive)

[jermmd]

I love classic rock but I can't stand Rush.  I just don't get it.

[jermmd]

I love classic rock but I can't stand Rush.  I just don't get it.

[ctviggen]

I used to like all of those bands, but I've heard them so often that now I cannot listen to them.  If Led Zeppelin comes on the radio, I immediately switch stations.  The "rock" station I listened to when I was younger played LZ every third song.  Ok, I'm kidding -- actually, it was every fourth song.  And I'm not kidding.  Consequently, I can't listen to LZ, Boston, the Moody Blues, or anything "classic."  I also own no music from any of these artists.

[Bwanagreg]

I guess you have to look at the reason why this stuff was/is so grossly overplayed - it's damn fine music! I have the same problem with burnout though. I recently "rediscovered" Led Zep when I bought the 2 DVD collection of live performances. Damn they knew how to play live! I never saw them live myself - I had tickets to their last tour: the one cancelled when Bonham died - so this DVD was really a fresh experience.

Pink Floyd is the band that I used to love the most but rarely listen to now. I'll still listen to their more obscure records, and Meddle always has a special place for me, but if I hear anything from the Wall I have to turn it off. I used to listen to that album daily, at least when it was new. I'll always respect Dark Side of the Moon, but I rarely play it anymore.

I remember that a record reviewer was asked why he always gave higher ratings for classical recordings on average than pop/rock records. He said that over the centuries, only the very best classical music pieces survived the weeding-out process of time and remained in the catalogue, whereas every piece of crap pop recording still had to be reviewed. I think we are seeing the weeding out process now in what is still being called "classic rock". The lesser material from 30 years ago is seldom played, except as a nostalgia item or "one-hit wonder". There was some truly awful music in the 60's and 70's, along with the good stuff.

Anyone remember Captain and Tenille?
http://www.captainandtennille.net/
 

[Marbles]

Just as an aside, I much prefer the classic rock I listen to on LP rather than on CD.

[zybar]

Just as an aside, I much prefer the classic rock I listen to on LP rather than on CD.

Agreed!!

Unfortunately, I haven't had a table since I sold my LP12 over a year ago.

George

[jermmd]

I've got a whole box of LP's of classic rock that hasn't been played in more than 15 years.

Joe M.

[Marbles]

I've got a whole box of LP's of classic rock that hasn't been played in more than 15 years.

Joe M.

Drag em out and play them, or maybe make a list and post it here if you want to sell 'em...

[nathanm]

Are you kidding me bwanagreg, I'm always cranking "Muskrat Love" at 100db! Dut dutut dut doo...

[Bwanagreg]

Nathan, I'm very sorry for you  

[meilankev]

George,

Great post (and a great list of music)!

It's funny - on the main audio site I spend time with, I've been teasing the head honcho there about how his tastes in music seem to have shifted over the time I've known him.  We've been to each others' houses about 15 times in these past 2 years.  Early on, his choices pretty much matched mine.

But as his system has "improved", he now pulls out "audiophile music" almost exclusively when we are together.  I swear I will pull out something by Bob Marley, and he follows with some obscure Japanese Jazz pianist.  I follow with Roxy Music, just to have him put on Jacintha next.  Sometimes I wonder if he even likes this music, or if he's fallen into the trap of "listening to the gear".  After our last get-together, I ribbed him that if I hear another stand-up bass over the next 48 hours, I might go on a shooting spree.  

Certainly, a certain percentage of rock music from the 1960s and 1970s was so poorly recorded that it can be a negative distraction.  And I admit those albums seldom find their way onto my turntable.

But a lot of it was well-recorded; some of it was very well-recorded - perhaps a little below "audiophile quality".  And these Classic Rock recordings (along with historical Blues) makes up 75% of my listening time.  And not for some nostalgic reasons; it's because I simply find this music more enjoyable than anything from Mapleshade.

When folks come over, I never (and I mean never) ask them how they like my audio system.  But I will absolutely bug them to see if they liked some seldom-heard King Crimson song (perhaps a little "Ladies of the Road"   ).

Great thread,
Kevin

[Bwanagreg]

Kevin,

100% agreement here, especially on the lameness of most audiophool music

I don't even think of KC as classic rock since many of those records, especially the mid-70's recordings with Bruford, still sound fresh to my ears.

I always used to use certain "classic" albums to test new stereo gear. Dark Side of the Moon was the de facto standard, but a lot of the KC albums, especially something like Larks Tongues, has a lot of low level info buried in the mix. I'll take superb musicians recorded with average gear over the opposite any day.

I'll have to put Islands on tonight to hear LOTR though, now that you brought it up.

After I finish Muskrat Love  

Cat food, again?