Johnny 13 wrote:I cannot believe Gang of Four is losing this poll!

A year and a half ago I would very likely have voted Gang of Four, but the summer before last I seriously revisited Metal Box for the first time in quite a while, and suddenly for about three weeks of brutally hot weather I had to listen to it constantly. "Swan Lake," "Careering," "Albatross," "Memories," "Socialist," that bass sound, dear god; also Return the Gift (Autumn 2005) is beyond distasteful to me (it's >20 yrs since I expected anything remotely worthwhile out of Lydon, so this may be an unfair point); thus, no vote.

krakabash wrote:Fuck all y'all.

Cockney Rejects top them both.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a very incorrect statement, unless you are of the boots and braces mindset.

For some reason, post-punk music appealed to me more that the Oi! side of the house.

I'm not saying that the Cockney Rejects were crap, its just that the Gang of Four and PiL have aged better.

PIL.
GOF became boring and domesticated.

Richard wrote:Mazec wrote:
"GoF certainly had the upper hand when it came to writing real lyrics..."
***********************************************************
Wrong.

Quite an adroit display of debating prowess there, I must admit.

The asterisks add a whole new dimension of validity to your rebuttal.

Equally stunning was the use of the quote function.

This isn't really hard for me.

PIL were better at everything, except writing great, tight pop songs. GoF wrote and performed some of the greatest pop songs ever, and for that I commend them.

But PIL were better, weirder and cooler.

PIL.

Mazec wrote:GoF certainly had the upper hand when it came to writing real lyrics...

I disagree with Mazec

I've always enjoyed the shit out of PIL, even though the first album I heard was "Album", complete with high-dollar Steve Vai wankery. And of course their early work destroys "Album".

But I'm going with Gang of Four! "Entertainment" is like an old friend of mine, and I listen to it more than any PIL albums these days.

Viva la Gang of Four!
Viva la PIL!
Viva la Good Music!

ctrl-s wrote: also Return the Gift (Autumn 2005) is beyond distasteful to me

I felt the same way, but I also heard later that the reason they re-recorded those songs was so they could have ownership of them. Apparently, they don't own the originals. I'm not sure if I believe that or not, but it's something to consider. Or not.

Wheely wrote: complete with high-dollar Steve Vai wankery.

and Ginger Baker. "Album" is an interesting album.
Go Huskers

Richard wrote:and Ginger Baker.

Oh, yeah! I'd forgotten that he was on there! I just did a quick search to see who else played on it, and it says Tony Williams was one of the drummers! I can only assume that this is THE Tony Williams, the "playing on the best Miles Davis/Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter, etc... albums while only 17" Tony Williams. Or maybe it's a different guy. Now I want to listen to "Album" when I get home.

Richard wrote:Go Huskers

Well, they certainly do what they can. Usually.