Great put-downs of musical 'giants' (1 Viewer)

[Gordon McMurphy]

A real putdown was Lynyrd Skynyrd's jibe at whiney Neil Young.

Not entirely true. 'Sweet Home Alabama' was written in response to Young's 'Southern Man' and 'Alabama', but it was all light fun - Young even agreed with them on the reposte! The members of the band - especially Ronnie loved Young's music and he felt the same. 'Powderfinger', one of Young's greatest songs was written for Lyndyrd Skynyrd, but after the plane crash it didn't happen. Ronnie used to wear a Neil Young "Tonight's The Night" T-shirt all the time; legend has it that he was buried in it. At a gig shortly after the plane crash, Young was performing at a charity gig and started singing 'Alabama', but after singing for a while, he segued into 'Sweet Home Alabama'. As Johnny Rogan states in his book, Neil Young: Zero To Sixty: "It was a toughtful and moving valediction."


Gordy

 

[Christopher P]

On "The Daily Show" (can't remember if it was Kilborn or Stewart), they said "The Eagles, the only band to screw each other more than Feetwood Mac...."

Chris

 

[Daniel J.S.]

I believe George Harrison was a fan of Led Zeppelin. He hung out with the group a few times and even told them they needed to do more ballads (I guess he never heard "Thank You", "Tangerine" or "That's the Way"). Harrison obviously knew good music when he heard it (much of the critical opposition was from those who felt they were products of corporate hype and thus soured on them before they heard a note).

 

[Tim Hoover]

I remember back in the early nineties U2 were presented a Grammy by Phil Collins. In his slightly drunken acceptance speech, bassist Adam Clayton said, "By the way, Phil, our parents are all huge fans of your music."

 

[Bill Cowmeadow]

Sarah Brightman
Pat Benatar

On the subject of lousy singers, the worst one I remember was the tall guy with a banjo that walked around in tulips on his tip toes. I don't think anyone had anything good to say about that guy.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Hey, I just remembered. It's the classic putdown: Bob Dylan tearing into Donovan in Don't Look Back.

And Hells Angels chief Sonny Barger's radio-interview comments about the Stones at the beginning of Gimme Shelter.

That ... frontman ... of that ... group ... R.E.M ... *pauses* ... referring to The Beatles as "elevator music" during an insipid 1994 Rolling Stone interview.

 

[rob kilbride]

How about Beavis and Butt-heads nerdy neighbor Stewart wearing a Winger shirt, as opposed to B&B's AC/DC and Metallica!

 

[Zen Butler]

Some love to blast one of those other bands of '67, Jefferson Airplane. Probably due to that abomination that was created in the 80's. It's unjust. The 67-69 outings are nectar.

We Can Be Together

If I was only alive to see them.

 

[Ricardo C]

That ... frontman ... of that ... group ... R.E.M ... *pauses* ... referring to The Beatles as "elevator music" during an insipid 1994 Rolling Stone interview.

Pick any Beatles album at random and you'll find more invention and originality than in any three R.E.M. albums.

 

[Jack Briggs]

Not only that, kind sir, but had there been no Beatles there would never have been an ... ugh ... R.E.M. (one of the few positive aspects of an alternate Beatles-free universe).

And, Zen, I saw the Airplane a number of times! They were my favorite San Francisco band and number two in my personal affection ratings after that little band from Liverpool.

Another classic putdown: Igor Stavinsky commenting on Leonard Bernstein's theatrical, physical style of conducting. And Tchaikovsky's written comments about Beethoven's music ("while I bow to the greatness of some of his music, I don't love it").

 

[MarkHastings]

although I can't say that I've ever heard a musak version of an REM song in an elevator (unlike the Beatles)

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I've heard 'Shiny Happy People', 'Man on the Moon' on MUSAK, and possibly another REM song or two.

 

[Angelo.M]

There's an apocryphal story about an incident that occured during the Band's "Last Waltz" show. Perhaps someone out there can corroborate?

Apparently, after Neil Diamond finished his stint on stage, he passed Dylan off-stage, and said to him "top that."

To which Dylan, legend has it, replied: "A dead man could top that."

 

[Angelo.M]

R.E.M. has released two albums worth of their own Muzak.

They're called "Up" and "Reveal."

 

[Walter Kittel]

Pick any Beatles album at random and you'll find more invention and originality than in any three R.E.M. albums.

While I love The Beatles, I certainly disagree with that sentiment if one were to compare their earlier albums vs. the work that R.E.M. produced in the mid-late '80s.

( Dislike R.E.M. all you want for the Rolling Stones interview, but don't confuse the art with the artist. )

- Walter.

 

[Daniel J.S.]

Here's another knock on Led Zeppelin: Peter Grant approaches Bob Dylan and says "I'm Peter Grant, manager of Led Zeppelin." Dylan responds with "I don't come to you with my fucking problems!"

Stephen Stills once said something like "Bruce Springsteen is nowhere near as good as his hype." Yes, the man who foisted "Love the One You're With" and countless more tripe on us actually dissed the man who wrote "Thunder Road."

About the R.E.M. quote: Michael Stipe is eccentric enough to say something like that. Peter Buck is a big Beatles fan however. Also, R.E.M.'s best work can stand with the Beatles best and "Up" and "Reveal" are very underrated.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I like REM, not quite as much as I like The Beatles, but a lot nonetheless.

I really don't care what Stipe, Dylan, Elvis, or anybody else says about other artists, it doesn't affect my opinion of the commentee or commmentor as an artist.

I do find it a bit irksome when musicians start getting political and spouting their views (whether left or right). The exception being those whose music is already political.

 

[rob kilbride]

Oops, I forgot the heading was musical giants and Winger certainly were certainly not giants. But still I thought it was one of the funniest put downs of musicians I've ever seen.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

That ... frontman ... of that ... group ... R.E.M ... *pauses* ... referring to The Beatles as "elevator music" during an insipid 1994 Rolling Stone interview.

I loathe REM mostly because they're so full of themselves. I still recall when they toured in 1995, Mike Mills (I think) insulted the Police. To paraphrase, he stated that they once were a hot little punk band but they went downhill when they stopped touring and became an "art project".

Problems with this statement:

1) The Police NEVER stopped touring. They toured behind all five of their albums, and Sting has toured behind all his solo work too!

2) REM DID leave the road for SIX years, and they DID become an art project at that time! "Losing My Religion" is meatier than "Every Breath You Take"?

Eight years later and I'm still annoyed with that interview. Maybe I need to get over it!

 

[Chu Gai]

Kinky Friedman said of Willie Nelson "If Willie Nelson had been Rosa Parks, there never would have been a civil rights movement in this country, because he refuses to leave the back of the bus."