BRMC are the ZZ Top of modern psych rock

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This is the thread where I admit the following uncool statements that will ostracize myself even further from the ILX braintrust

a) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is derivative, by the numbers, occasionally boring and pretty much sleepwalking a cliched path.
b) I still like them. It's all terrible rockist cliches, but "Stop" is a catchy song - I sing along, bang my head, and play air guitar. Yes, I know I'm going to hell for admitting it, but I really hear nothing more than catchy tunes played competently (hence the ZZ Top namecheck)
c) I might be drunk while posting this.

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Saturday, 9 August 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I quite like their first disc. Although......ZZ Top ???

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 August 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

d) I might have encouraged this thread simply because I wanted "BRMC are the ZZ Top of modern psych rock" to be the hot new ILX it-meme.

e) geezers kiosk

― The Four Singing Beatles (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 9 August 2003 10:57 (twenty-two years ago)

dude, zz top is way better! their holy name should not even be uttered in the same sentence as wretched brmc! plus zz top had the LOOK (the right look, as opposed to brmc's wrong look)

if brmc looked like zz top i might like them

― geeta (geeta), Saturday, 9 August 2003 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Geeta is of course OTM: High Rise are maybe the only power trio who come close to ZZTop at their best

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Saturday, 9 August 2003 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I was gonna say...the ZZ Top notion is awfully high praise.

I like em too, Chris, to a point. About half the first record and a few things on the (largely turgid, methinks after two listens) new one are just fine. Most of what there is to hate about 'em seems to me the package--name, song-titles, etc. Otherwise they're no more/less derivative than, say, the Ratpure (sic) who get so much love around here.

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Saturday, 9 August 2003 13:39 (twenty-two years ago)

the ZZ Top notion is awfully high praise.

I have to agree, but I was there when he came up with this notion, namely the opening set for Spz last year in San Diego. It makes sense if you think of ZZ Top not as a band but a representation of a cliche that can somehow work (if ZZ Top doesn't fit for you, think George Thoroughgood).

BRMC have the one good song. It's the Spacemen 3 ripoff.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 August 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

If only BRMC had their own custom hot rod...

I haven't heard the entire album-plus-singles ouevre of The Moving Sidewalks, the band Billy Gibbons used to play in during the late '60s, but if their slow-burn psych-dirge cover of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" is any indication, the BRMC-ZZ Top connection is a bit less insane than one might think. (amg: "thoroughly mediocre")

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 9 August 2003 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"BRMC have the one good song. It's the Spacemen 3 ripoff."

Oh right. That one. (Heh.)

― M Specktor (M Specktor), Saturday, 9 August 2003 17:47 (twenty-two years ago)

ZZ Top and George Thorogood in the same sentence. (*kills self*)

― dave q, Saturday, 9 August 2003 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh right. That one. (Heh.)

As opposed to the other one, see. ;-)

I have been the cause of Dave Q's demise! I feel like I should go out and do seven years penance.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 August 2003 18:26 (twenty-two years ago)

it's nice to see some love for ZZ Top. not only my love for their texas boogieblooz-gone-synthpop period, but just over all. and if weren't for them, there'd be no meat puppets and that would be very bad.

now BMRC -- i don't know about them. it's nothing but complementary for them to be compared to ZZ Top though!

― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 9 August 2003 18:42 (twenty-two years ago)

(He should be called "George Thoro-BAD"!! Har har. And not "b-b-b-bad" for mercy's sake! This is the second thread in as many days where I get to say how much I hate that fuckin' song)

― dave q, Saturday, 9 August 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

(Actually I see the point Ned was making! Thorogood/ZZ Top = BMRC/anything good ever!)

― dave q, Saturday, 9 August 2003 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

The comparison is still totally lost on me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 August 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

If the Moving Sidewalks record is "thoroughly mediocre", why does it receive 4 stars?! Whatever, par for the course. Anyway, it's not a bad record, some pretty good grimy thump - "Need Me" and "99th Floor" being two of the great garage-rock stompers of the era. For what it's worth, the other pre-ZZ Top band American Blues (Hill and Beard) was probably more purely blasted, but that's not necessarily a good thing (lots of silliness cluttering up their two lps).

And yes, Thorogood is a blight on all that's holy in the world. It's too bad Jeremy Spencer went nuts, maybe he could have cashed in on some of that early-80's blues craze. He was probably too short tho.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 9 August 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

i liked the video for "i drink alone," where george is smoking that big fat stogey.

― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 9 August 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually I see the point Ned was making! Thorogood/ZZ Top = BMRC/anything good ever!

Hurrah! See, I suggested it for a reason.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 August 2003 21:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Do BRMC have any kind of equivalent to The ZZ Top Beard Fact though?

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 9 August 2003 21:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe how they theoretically rock out by standing stock still, but that's a common complaint.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 9 August 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I always thought that one gent out of the BRMC looked uncannily like Syd Barrett...witness...

Look at the guy on the far right in profile....
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre600/e662/e66246x35wt.jpg

Now compare with ol' Syd.
http://www.sydbarrett.net/images/webb/pp1.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 August 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Once again.....blokey bloke out of BRMC:
http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/brmc/feature/ustour/chicago_late/01.jpg

...and dear deranged Syd....

http://www.sydbarrett.net/images/66-68/Misc/1967-6.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 August 2003 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

From that last picture, I know who'll be playing him in The Syd Barrett Story.

http://image.pathfinder.com/who/photos/stiller.jpg

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 9 August 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

And re the AMG entry for the Moving Sidewalks not jibing with the rating: that's nothing compared to the QOTSA Songs for the Deaf writeup.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Sunday, 10 August 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the BRMC are more Jesus And Mary Chain than ZZ Top.

― brg30 (brg30), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Er, BRG, the point isn't exact one-to-one comparisons but similar stylization in a particular area.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd maybe?

― dave q, Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

You are EVIL...and on the money.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 10 August 2003 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

brmc's new album is average at best, but listen to their first album and go see them live and you will have a better opinion of them. PS thorogood hugs

― rusty bedsprings, Saturday, 13 December 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

If you actually READ the thread, Rusty, you'll see your request was already answered.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 December 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

e) geezers kiosk

― charltonlido (gareth), Sunday, 1 May 2005 14:56 (twenty years ago)

ZZ Top likes fun; BRMC does not. QED

― Open your eyes; you can fly! (ex machina), Sunday, 1 May 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

This is a true and holy statement. The band broke up, right? At least I hope so.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 1 May 2005 16:24 (twenty years ago)

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