What is it about music from the UK?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by cporcp, Jul 16, 2018.

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  1. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    More specifically, British bands.

    I won't list them here, but even just a cursory glance through my collection reveals a disproportionate number of English bands. I've always gravitated more towards them and I'm not really sure why. I'm 56 if that makes any difference, and originally from the West coast - of the US.

    I've had that preference for as long as I can remember, and it wasn't until recently that I started to dig into music from the 70's that originated here.

    For awhile I thought Sparks and Big Star were British, they were so good :winkgrin:
     
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  2. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    It's just slightly "exotic" enough to be different.

    I'm 68, and British acts make up about 40% of my popular music collection.
     
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  3. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    You could be right. I remember being blown away by Who's Next when I was twelve or thirteen, and searching for that similar vibe for many years.
     
  4. mdent

    mdent Forum Resident

    Location:
    New England
    It is/was familiar yet innovative. Many popular British bands from the late 60's and early 70's noted being influenced by some US music from the late 50's.
     
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  5. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    I'm from the UK and you will be lucky if British acts makes up 40% of my collection.
     
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  6. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

  7. Fender Relic

    Fender Relic Forum Resident

    Location:
    PennsylBama
    Well,it's fab,gear,and all that rubbish.
     
  8. Black Magic Woman

    Black Magic Woman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chile
    I’ve always felt UK takes the lead when it comes to bands, while the US has the most notable solo artists.
     
  9. JRJ

    JRJ Forum Resident

    Don't know? 80% of my 500 plus vynils are artists from the UK.
    LZ, Stones, Genesis/Collins/Gabriel, Yes, Kate Bush ect ect and I could go on and on here.
    John
     
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  10. Andrew J

    Andrew J Forum Resident

    Location:
    South East England
    People from the UK were able to take inspiration from acts that couldn't get arrested in the US, and sell it back to them*: all with a distinctly British twist. See Muddy Waters and Rolling Stones, New York Dolls & Ramones - Sex Pistols / The Smiths, Chicago House / Acid House** , 'Northern' soul etc.

    * 'selling it back to them' in not a pre-meditated way. i.e. it was borne out of genuine love for the music.

    ** Just realised, this wasn't the case with acid house. It took ages until 'EDM' became popular stateside. Nevertheless scenes were created which help forge a direction for electronic dance music.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
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  11. mr. steak

    mr. steak Forum Resident

    Location:
    chandler az
    American bands are mainly influenced by Limp Bizkit while UK bands love the Beatles. Pretty obvious.
     
  12. The Lone Cadaver

    The Lone Cadaver Bass & Keys Cadaver

    Location:
    Bronx
    75-80% of my collection is UK and has been since 1964. Of my favorite top 10 bands the only non-UK is Joe Walsh's James Gang.
     
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  13. acetboy

    acetboy Forum Resident

    There are some great American bands and solo artists.

    And the rest all really suck.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
  14. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    I'm not sure how familiar I was with those influences at the time - but probably not very. The Who - and the Kinks especially - seemed very exotic. Don't even get me started on Bowie, T Rex, and Roxy Music...
     
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  15. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Familiarity breeds contempt. Old saying.
     
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  16. Mathew

    Mathew Forum Resident

    Location:
    Denver, Colorado
    Me too. I've given this lots of thought over the years, though I am not sure I can explain it truly.

    Americans make the best pop music I would argue, but the best rock and roll for my tastes is British.
     
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  17. landerstnkb

    landerstnkb Forum Resident

    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Same with me. I’m 50 and have recently “discovered” the greatness of Buffalo Springfield and The Byrds. Up until now the majority of my record collection has been 60s to 2000s UK bands, with the majority being The Who, The Kinks, The Beatles, The Jam, and Blur. A blind buy of Neil Young’s Decade changed my musical outlook and turned me on to The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Eagles, The Dead, CSN&Y, and Tom Petty.
     
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  18. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    This is my experience too - everyone you've mentioned plus Gram Parsons, Big Star, the Raspberries...etc.
     
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  19. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    I agree, as discussed in a thread I started a while ago.... British Bands Vs American Individuals
     
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  20. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    Very true. But I might also argue that because the first music that really grabbed me was British, that it's remained my "first" preference.
    Though I do remember listening to AM radio as a kid in the SF Bay Area - because that was all there was at the time - and how it was all pretty awful.

    What the Brits were doing was revelatory.
     
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  21. cporcp

    cporcp Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Kentucky
    Clapton
    Page
    Beck
    Green

    Just to name a few - granted they're guitarists - but they certainly are some of the greats.
     
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  22. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Wow, and you are from New York as well.
     
  23. vulcangascompany

    vulcangascompany Forum Resident

    Location:
    SW UK
    It's cos we're rubbish at everything else.. ; )
     
  24. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    it's the talent...just the talent.
     
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  25. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    Ha! that's funny...
     
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