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Author Topic: Lester Bangs  (Read 18844 times)
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punkinhead
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« on: November 08, 2008, 04:30:56 PM »

So as far as I knew was what Phillip Seymore Hoffman portrayed him as in Almost Famous.


I just picked up Psychotic Reactions, I can't wait to read!
anyone else a fan?
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« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2008, 06:42:22 PM »

So as far as I knew was what Phillip Seymore Hoffman portrayed him as in Almost Famous.


Didn't Hoffman's version of Lester Bangs call Jim Morrison " a drunk who thinks he's a poet", or something of that nature, on Almost Famous?
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« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2008, 06:56:16 PM »

In the early/mid 1970's, I would ride my bike to the local magazine store and loiter for awhile, reading as many rock & roll magazines as I could until I got kicked out. Creem was the best, and I eventually subscribed to it. I learned a lot and "discovered" a lot of great groups by reading Lester Bangs. He was not only informative but entertaining. He definitely lived his art. 
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punkinhead
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« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2008, 10:06:06 PM »

that's awesome to know.....alive when legends were still publishing

btw, that quote is correct; then he goes on to say: "give me the Guess Who"    Grin
« Last Edit: November 08, 2008, 10:08:23 PM by punkinhead » Logged

To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to www.youtube.com/justinplank

"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy

~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie

"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
lance
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« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2008, 04:13:44 AM »

He loved the Guess Who alright. I like his writing quite a bit.

I take him with a grain of salt, like all critics.
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Alex
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« Reply #5 on: November 09, 2008, 07:27:01 PM »

that's awesome to know.....alive when legends were still publishing

btw, that quote is correct; then he goes on to say: "give me the Guess Who"    Grin

I think I agree with him on that! (No offense to Doors fans)
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Jason
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« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2008, 09:15:43 AM »

The Doors were the most exciting rock 'n roll band to come out of America in the late 1960s. Nothing else compares. And the Guess Who aren't even in the same league as many other late 60s bands. Sorry, but Mr. Bangs was dead wrong. Smiley
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lance
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« Reply #7 on: November 11, 2008, 10:45:27 AM »

I like me some Doors, but I think the Velvet Underground blew them out of the water. Also, there were the Stooges and I don't know what all good rock bands.

I havent heard much Guess Who, what I have heard sounds fairly pedestrian.
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Sheriff John Stone
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« Reply #8 on: November 11, 2008, 04:39:03 PM »

I like me some Doors, but I think the Velvet Underground blew them out of the water.

In what way(s)?
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the captain
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« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2008, 05:15:41 PM »

I like me some Doors, but I think the Velvet Underground blew them out of the water.

In what way(s)?
I'd say in every way except pretentious rambling and cheesy minor-key sucking. But then you know my thoughts on the Doors...  Wink
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« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2008, 12:42:13 PM »

I like me some Doors, but I think the Velvet Underground blew them out of the water.

In what way(s)?
Songwriting, mainly.
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Alex
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« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2008, 06:23:58 PM »

Hell, the Beach Boys blew the Doors out of the water! Songwriting and production-wise, anyway...not so much performance-wise.
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punkinhead
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« Reply #12 on: November 12, 2008, 07:38:35 PM »

speaking of BB/Doors...wasnt Morrison a fan of the Wild Honey album?
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To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to www.youtube.com/justinplank

"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy

~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie

"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
lance
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« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2008, 12:38:56 AM »

I think they were fans of the Beach Boys. You can hear it in some of their songs, I think that song that goes 'And we're on our way! You know we can't come back" song on their first album has a kind of "Little Honda" feel to it.

I do like the doors, I think they have a few really good albums and a host of good songs--think maybe thirty or so songs I really, really like, maybe even more. I think that Krieger and Morrison were both OK songwriters who complimented each other well, Morrison wasn't a great singer technically but he has a kind of power to his voice; Krieger is an underrated guitarist and, yeah, they are all great musicians. I like the way their songs can change the atmosphere in a room

I just think the Velvet Underground was better overall.
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Aegir
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« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2008, 05:34:57 PM »

Why's everyone comparing the Velvet Underground with the Doors?
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the captain
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« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2008, 05:46:57 PM »

Maybe for the same reason the other half of the people are comparing the Beach Boys to the Doors. They're 60s bands. (Really, it's just that someone was talking about Bangs' Doors/Guess Who quote, which led to a "Doors were the most exciting band of the era," which led to someone else just saying that from that era, he preferred VU.)
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« Reply #16 on: November 13, 2008, 05:48:35 PM »

If I may add something--which I may, because seriously, what is anyone going to do about it?--I'd also say that while nobody was, they could decide to compare them because they were both led by presumably literate songwriters and tended to dabble in dark imagery. The way they went about it and their sounds, of course, were entirely different.
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« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2008, 11:55:47 PM »

Maybe for the same reason the other half of the people are comparing the Beach Boys to the Doors. They're 60s bands. (Really, it's just that someone was talking about Bangs' Doors/Guess Who quote, which led to a "Doors were the most exciting band of the era," which led to someone else just saying that from that era, he preferred VU.)

I compare the Beach Boys with just about everybody. When you're a diehard it just comes with the territory.

 Beach Boys vs The Doors, Beach Boys vs Radiohead, Beach Boys vs The Who, Beach Boys vs (insert band name here).... LOL LOL LOL

Though Carl Wilson vs Thom Yorke as singers could be a legitimate comparison...maybe...
« Last Edit: November 13, 2008, 11:57:27 PM by ascrodin » Logged

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punkinhead
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« Reply #18 on: November 14, 2008, 10:32:26 AM »

Nice call   Grin
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To view my video documentation of my Beach Boys collection go to www.youtube.com/justinplank

"Someone needs to tell Adrian Baker that imitation isn't innovation." -The Real Beach Boy

~post of the century~
"Well, you reached out to me too, David, and I'd be more than happy to fill Bgas's shoes. You don't need him anyway - some of us have the same items in our collections as he does and we're also much better writers. Spoiled brat....."
-Mikie

"in this online beach boy community, I've found that you're either correct or corrected. Which in my mind is all in good fun to show ones knowledge of their favorite band."- punkinhead
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« Reply #19 on: November 14, 2008, 07:55:38 PM »

OK you Lou Reed/VU nuts, even though I completely disagree with the Velvet Underground being better than The Doors, and BTW, NOBODY blew The Doors away, I'm going to ask for your help. I've been working on this Lou Reed/VU 80 min. compilation CD, and I'm stuck. I need a song that is no more than 3:35 that will fit in the open spot (Song #8 see below). Yeah, I know these aren't the songs you'd pick, but I like 'em. Thanks....

1. Sweet Jane (Live In Italy)
2. Vicious (Lou Reed Live)
3. Dirty Blvd.
4. Walk On The Wild Side
5. Femme Fatale (VU Live 1969)
6. Pale Blue Eyes (VU Live 1969)
7. Hangin' Round
8.
9. I'm Waiting For The Man (live w/David Bowie)
10. Oh Jim (Lou Reed Live)
11. I'm Sticking With You
12. I Love You Suzanne
13. Perfect Day
14. All Tomorrow's Parties (live at The Bataclan Club 1972)
15. I'll Be Your Mirror (live at The Bataclan Club 1972)
16. You'll Know You Were Loved
17. Satellite Of Love
18. Sad Song 
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« Reply #20 on: November 15, 2008, 05:07:33 PM »

OK you Lou Reed/VU nuts, even though I completely disagree with the Velvet Underground being better than The Doors, and BTW, NOBODY blew The Doors away, I'm going to ask for your help. I've been working on this Lou Reed/VU 80 min. compilation CD, and I'm stuck. I need a song that is no more than 3:35 that will fit in the open spot (Song #8 see below). Yeah, I know these aren't the songs you'd pick, but I like 'em. Thanks....

1. Sweet Jane (Live In Italy)
2. Vicious (Lou Reed Live)
3. Dirty Blvd.
4. Walk On The Wild Side
5. Femme Fatale (VU Live 1969)
6. Pale Blue Eyes (VU Live 1969)
7. Hangin' Round
8.
9. I'm Waiting For The Man (live w/David Bowie)
10. Oh Jim (Lou Reed Live)
11. I'm Sticking With You
12. I Love You Suzanne
13. Perfect Day
14. All Tomorrow's Parties (live at The Bataclan Club 1972)
15. I'll Be Your Mirror (live at The Bataclan Club 1972)
16. You'll Know You Were Loved
17. Satellite Of Love
18. Sad Song 

What about "Sunday Morning"?
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« Reply #21 on: November 16, 2008, 04:11:16 AM »

The VU version of "the Ocean" is one of my favorite songs ever. Might be a little long for that compilation, though.
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Jason
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« Reply #22 on: November 18, 2008, 08:55:09 AM »

80 minutes of solo Lou Reed? Wow, the Spanish Inquisition would have done anything for an instrument of THAT kind of torture.
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The Heartical Don
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« Reply #23 on: November 18, 2008, 12:38:23 PM »

I see that this Lester Bangs thread has spun out of control. Now it's only Reed, Morrison, that kind of nonsense. How dare you people chat about these assorted ne'er do wells? Pretentious phonies. Meh! Really. Drunk, vicious, pseudo-artists. The worst America ever produced. And yet held in high esteem by many well-educated people.

But the Bangs anthology by Greil Marcus is ace. Because Bangs lays bare something that we'd rather not want to know, perhaps. I did not read it in a long time but both the pieces on James Taylor and Peter Laughner are tops. The scene where Laughtner and his Dad, both stinking drunk on Courvoisier, enter Chez Bangs is a classic and also is a dark omen about the eventual fate of both Laughner and Bangs himself.

But guys, really, stop listening to this decadent crap. Go buy yourselves an 8-track cartridge of 'The Best Of The Partridge Family', for instance, or otherwise an Osmonds Box Set, You know it makes cents.
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« Reply #24 on: November 18, 2008, 02:52:39 PM »

I really enjoyed Almost Famous.  I enjoyed the Doors when they were new.  I now only like to occasionally listen to the last music they made.  Seems the booze and drugs made Morrison less intellectually pretentious, more down to earth, and thus more listenable.

I never got the thing about elevating JM to some mythical status i.e. the Lizard King etc.  He WAS a good rock singer.

LA Woman, Roadhouse Blues.   Give me that stuff.

I sometimes flash on the album cover of Strange Days when I'm at a flea market or a free concert downtown.

Is Lester Bangs Alive?
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