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QOTD - August 15th, 2013

Greetings.

Today we have a question from a good man, John Petuka.

I got this idea from a post a few days back when a couple of the guys were talking about the band Rush.  Say what you want about their vocals, but anybody who likes Rush knows good music and instantly earns my respect in that regard.  Just like any young person who likes artists that aren't a part of the "young mainstream" music scene like Bruce Springsteen, Soundgarden, or Sting (not Steve Borden) will also pass an unofficial litmus test. 
So, I don't know if you want to break it down to music or movies, but what artists or movies that someone likes serve as your own litmus test?  The litmus test is essentially a non-mainstream artist/movie that hasn't been shoved down the throat of the public and/or is universally loved.  And if a person likes it, you have a good idea that the person seriously knows their stuff (or is just plain cool).

For music, I gotta say Eazy-E & NWA. They're known to an extent, but most people don't listen'em. So, if someone can match me verse for verse on Real Muthaphukkin G'z, I know they're some hip cookies. Also, Blink-182. They're my all-time favorite band. Now, I suppose knowing Blink's work wouldn't be the only way to get my respect, but not starting off with "They're not punk!" or "That's pop bullshit!" because they only know What's My Age Again?. In 2003 Blink released an untitled record that is the most ambitious, brilliant, and gorgeous record I've ever heard. They completely flipped their style 180 degrees, and created a masterpiece. So, if someone knows that, and respects it, I can chaulk them up quite a few respect points. Adam Carolla is another one. He's a hero of mine who's busted his ass from day one to get where he is, and all he asks from people is the same. He's an awesome guy, and most, if not all his views mirror mine.

If we're talking movies, usually horror is how people get my respect. If you know Dream Warriors, Jason Lives, and Fright Night [1985] then we're cool as cool gets. Of course, knowing classic Arnold & Stallone is a slam dunk as well.

How say you?

Send in your own QOTD at caliberw@hotmail.com, or you can tweet them as well @CaliberWinfield. Let us not forget scrublife.wordpress.com, where you can read my recent reviews of True Blood & Breaking Bad, as well as find out what I dubbed The 4 Most Fucking Frustrating Moments In My History With Nintendo. 

Comments

  1. If Blink did the most ambitious album you ever heard, you need to listen to more music.

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  2. If you like ruck n rock then I know you at least have good taste in rap music

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  3. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    now sure where to post this, but this is EXTREMELY important for cm punk:

    http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/living/literally-definition/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

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  4. I actually liked Blink's last two albums (Blink 182 and Neighborhoods) way more than the stuff they did during their punk-POP faze. Sorry.



    1985's Fright Night is an absolute classic.


    I actually do it in reverse. I can pretty much accept someone else's taste on almost anything, but if someone loves Scary Movie 4 or Justin Bieber/Miley Cyrus or Saw 25...I have to draw the line.

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  5. The morons win. Literally.

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  6. It has to be the already mentioned Rush. If someone likes Rush and can name a song that isn't Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Freewill, The Spirit of Radio, Fly by Night, or Working Man...then I know that they get it.

    Not to say that people that don't like Rush can't pass the test, but if someone really slags them, I know that they are either narrow minded or don't understand what makes music good.

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  7. Have you seen Beyond the Lighted Stage?

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  8. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:32 AM

    i dont use rush as a litmus test cause even though theyre my fav, they are very niche (though damn huge at that)


    so i see rush as a bonus. however, they have formed the basis for some very important friendships in my life


    same with zappa~


    i listen to metal and prog, which definitely lend themselves as conversation starters. i mean, you dont just walk up to peeps in tim mcgraw shirts and start a convo based on that


    ive had tons of convos start with random peeps, tho, cause of the shirt i was wearing: symphony x, zappa, tso, genesis (reunion tour a few yrs ago, shirt had all the classic cover art like selling england, nursery cryme, trick, lamb, etc), dream theater, death angel


    so if youre into prog and/or metal, i already know you have the potential to be cool


    and there are 2 types of peeps in this world: those who love kind diamond's vocals, and those who dont matter :P

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  9. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    i saw it a theater. so awesome

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  10. I love all the musicians basically saying, if you can play La Villa Strangiatto...well, you are a virtuoso.

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  11. Absolutely. The sheer star power of the people interviewed shows me that people that know music understand how amazing Rush is.

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  12. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:35 AM

    reminds of a chick i was talkin to once. very smart, pretty funny. somehow rush came up, and she said 'i dont listen to them, but i lot of people i respect do, so maybe i should give them a try'


    i thought that was pretty cool.


    she also told me how she liked dream theater's 'space dye vest'

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  13. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:36 AM

    well damn then i am a virtuoso, cause in high school some buddies and i played. sounded damn good and we only had a chance to practice twice. then again, rush was all of our fav band, so we really knew the song


    i had the easy part, tho. i played guitar, and even the most die hard rush fan will have to admit that alex tends to be sloppy at times. so i didnt have to be as crisp as the drums/bass

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  14. That's a very important distinction.

    I can respect someone that says "good musicians, but not my bag."

    I cannot respect the musical tastes of someone who says "Rush sucks. How can you listen to that?"

    The latter are usually mid 30's metalheads that say things like "The new Killswitch album blows away anything Rush ever did!"

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  15. One of my litmus tests whether or not someone thinks that entertainment media preference is a reason for 'respect'. Some of the most uninteresting people I know like all kinds of non-mainstream stuff. I've found that many people who only know about mainstream stuff are also people who simply don't care very much about music or movies in general and just watch or listen to whatever is easiest and most convenient for that quick entertainment buzz. There are certainly exceptions in both cases, but I think this hold true for the majority.

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  16. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:37 AM

    hey dont be knockin kse... they have some decent stuff

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  17. It's nuts. I went to my first Rush show in 1983 (Signals tour) when I was 8 (thanks Uncle Jorge!). I went to my last show late last year and it's amazing to see so many young folks from all ages going to these shows for a band that's been around since the very early 70s.

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  18. Oh, I'm certainly not. I consider myself a fan. However, the above statement? Absurdity.

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  19. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:40 AM

    didnt get into em until 8th grade or so, when presto came out. 1st chance i would have had to see 'em would have been the counterparts tour, but i couldnt make it (motherfucker)


    seen em every tour since then.


    was kinda pissed this past go around cause my stop got the set list that did not have middletown dreams, which i LOVE. they were playing months later a couple of hrs again and i strongly considered going JUST to hear that song since the setlist rotation was such that it should have been played. but a couple of week prior they started messing with things and threw limelight in as a 3rd choice.


    so given the new uncertainty plus the trek and cost, i opted not to take the chance


    and of course they played middletown dreams.

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  20. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:41 AM

    THIS ISSSSSSSSSSSS


    MY LAAAAAAAAAAAAAT


    CAN OF RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAID

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  21. I like their post-Signals stuff, but we would be lying to ourselves if we thought that those albums are equal to the "Golden era" of Rush which I consider to be Fly by Night-Moving Pictures. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just really tough to top some of those albums.

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  22. I can find something to appreciate on every album, but I agree with your assessment.

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  23. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 10:46 AM

    well, i love me some 80's rush


    in fact, geddy has stated that his fav album is power windows

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  24. Everyone wanted to bitch about all the synth - but that is what has made Rush stick around for 4+ decades - they adapt the popular thing of the time in rock music to work within their framework.

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  25. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:50 AM

    Neighborhoods was honestly their most disappointing album ever. Blink are at their worst when they hang on to a style for too long. Dude Ranch was great, then they polished their pop-punk stuff for Enema, and that was incredible, but then they kept that same style for Take Off Your Pants, and while it's a good record, it's not amazing. They switched it up for the untitled record, and that's incredible. 'Hoods has some fantastic songs, Ghosts On The Dance Floor is a Top 5 of all time, but only the first half of the album is good. The rest is massive filler.

    I agree. I can accept anyone's tastes as well, but if they love themselves a Date Movie/Epic Movie/Disaster Movie, then we can't do business. Hell, even digging Beib or Miley is fine with me. But those movies? No way. No fucking way.

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  26. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:52 AM

    I listen to every genre there is. One minute for me it's Dream Theater, then John Hyatt, then Spice-1, followed by Anthrax. Blink's album is the most ambitious, because they completely went a different direction than their previous records. Most bands never dare, and those that do, do not succeed. Not even Metallica.

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  27. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:53 AM

    For a second there I thought you were talking about Neil Diamond. Man, Neil & The King should get together. Call themselves Diamonds Are Your Best Friends. And Neil will wear the make-up and shit too.

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  28. I am little behind on music but have finally reached this decade:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uROzHhg28XI

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  29. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:56 AM

    I don't personally listen to Rush, but if it's on I'm more than cool with it. They're one of those bands I respect because they're on such a different level all the time, and rarely do the same thing twice. Plus the name Geddy Lee is so bad-ass.

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  30. When I found out that King Diamond was on a track on the new Volbeat album, it became an instant buy. Love KD.

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  31. I can appreciate that. They aren't everyone's cup of tea, but dammit they are FANTASTIC and innovative musicians.

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  32. I don't have any for entertainment, really. I have things I love and things I hate, and I might make fun of my girlfriend and her friends for playing country on the jukebox after I played Pharcyde, but a litmus test? No. Dumb.

    Sports, though? I have a few. Example: do you think Scottie Pippen was only great because he played with Jordan? Do you think Tim Duncan is boring? If you answer was yes either, I probably won't talk basketball with you.

    Do you strongly believe Miguel Cabrera deserved the MVP over Mike Trout last year? Don't talk about baseball with me until you read Fangraphs for, like, a day.

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  33. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:58 AM

    I enjoyed Fever Pitch! [the American version]

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  34. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    They really are. I also love how with most Rush fans, when it comes to listing Top 5 bands, or albums, or musical styles it's always.

    1. Rush
    2. Go fuck yourself

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  35. I'm not quite that bad. There is a gap between Rush and number 2, but there IS a number 2.

    In fact, I'll throw them out there for discussion:

    1: Rush
    2: Van Halen
    3: Pantera
    4: Metallica
    5: Pearl Jam

    Honorable mentions to:

    Genesis, Machine head, Garth Brooks, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden.

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  36. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 11:07 AM

    You know, it saddens me so much that adult rock & roll is dead. I mean, there will never be a time again when we have adults making classic rock & roll music that's popular. Sure, there are current bands out there that rock. But we'll never see something like Van Halen, Metallica, Black Sabbath, and such burning up the charts and on popular radio.

    Other generations didn't have to keep going back to their classics, because there was always new stuff coming out that kicked ass. We don't have that. There will be no Dire Straits coming around the corner for us. Or a Guns N Roses. It sucks.

    Great list though. I'm not huge on Rush or Pantera, so I'd have to throw Guns & Roses and Oasis in there [if we're talking straight rock & roll]

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  37. For me, the idea of someone having a "litmus test" IS a litmus test. We all like some cool shit, we all like some stupid shit, you can't make a snap judgement off just a small piece of info.


    /dries hands after throwing wet blanket

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  38. My favorite current rock bands can be counted on 3 fingers:

    1: Shinedown
    2: Stone Sour
    3: Aranda

    Everything else today makes me rage.

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  39. I have plenty of people in my inner circle that don't like the things I like. However, I typically don't talk to them about those things.

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  40. Charismatic e-Negro Jef VinsonAugust 15, 2013 at 11:13 AM

    Look up Rosenberg interview with Ice Cube at youtube where he talks about how bad Eazy was when he first started rhyming.

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  41. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 11:14 AM

    yeah i'm not that bad either

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  42. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    yeah but youre still just a rat in a cage

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  43. Oh, me too, but it's not at the same level and some of it is much more dated sounding.

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  44. Agreed. I can't listen to "Roll the Bones" with a straight face.

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  45. Most Rush fans? I don't agree with this made up stat.


    :-)

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  46. If they think the Backstreet Boys are equivalent, or better than the Sex Pistols their musical opinions are completely invalidated.

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  47. Muse. They're heavily influenced two of my favorite bands, Queen and Rush.

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  48. Serious answer. I don't really do this with entertainment stuff... but having worked in politics everyone always wants to talk politics with me... if they refer to the news as "The liberal media" or they think Al Gore said "I invented the internet" they are uninformed, to ignorant to form their own opinions, and to bias to have a real discussion with so I just shut down and move on as soon as possible.

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  49. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 11:27 AM

    Parallax, how are Sex Pistols better? Both were formed for no reason other than to make money. The Sex Pistols were formed by a fashion designer! Fashion is suppose to be the enemy of punk. Both groups had their songs written for them. And no one in the Sex Pistols has a lick of talent. Anyone will tell you that. At least the BSB can actually sing.

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  50. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 11:28 AM

    I remember that interview. Eazy would have to go one line at a time, and the room would have to be all blacked out with practically no one in the studio.

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  51. As much as it pains me to say it, this is on the money.

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  52. Hey, I'm glad to see someone who's a Bulls fan acknowledge that MJ didn't do it on his own. So many people gave Lebron shit for signing up with Wade and Bosh, while not acknowledging that MJ played with HOFers of his own as did Bird and Magic.

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  53. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 11:30 AM

    You know, if I wasn't so self-diluted on my own self-declared greatness, I'd start having a complex about the fact everyone is always in pain when they find themselves agreeing with me.

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  54. I never really got Rush. I can respect the technical prowess of the musicians, but Geddy Lee's voice is irritating and the lyrics don't really do much for me. Having said that there is a significant part of their catalogue that I've never even heard, so I'm no expert.
    I don't really have a litmus test for what's good. My friends like all sorts of things. I do have litmus tests for what's bad though.
    I like a pretty wide mix of music, most of it fairly mainstream, but not all. I think it's weird when people align themselves really tightly to one or two genres and can't seem to appreciate anything else. If you only listen to electronic music, or metal, or country, I just don't get that. There's all kinds of good music across genres.
    I also think that people who exclusively like bands that you've never heard of are a bit silly. Like, really? You don't enjoy a SINGLE popular band of the last 60 or so years or popular music?
    And if you only listen to what's new at the moment, and your idea of a classic is from 2010 then I'm probably not going to have a lot in common with you.
    Of course, if you like The Band then that's a pretty good indication that you're cool.

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  55. Or in this case agreeing with the Cracked article that you got this information from...

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  56. Come on, man. He makes good points, either argue those or let him have his victory.

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  57. The whole point of this post is a litmus test for which you take people's opinion seriously. I stated that this is one way that I don't and ...



    http://www.cracked.com/article_19061_5-artistic-geniuses-who-only-became-great-after-selling-out_p2.html

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  58. OK, now that I've caught my breath after laughing for ten minutes at calling the self-titled "Blink-182" a "masterpiece..." Hold on, I was wrong. I'm not done. Sorry...

    ...

    OK, I'm back. You are aware "Revolver" exists, right? And "Pet Sounds?" How about when The Who decided to go for it and release an entire rock opera with "Tommy?" How about when Pink Floyd turned one ambitious song ("Echoes") into an entire ambitious album? I could go on and on through each decade but I don't want to take the time.

    I'm not going to call Blink-182 some "pop bullshit" because there is nothing bullshit about pop. However, there was no new maturity in their 2003 album. It was hollow. Songs like "I Miss You" and "Feeling This" aren't carried very well emotionally. It's ironic in a sense because their early "pop bullshit" like "Dammit" actually DID! Mark nails the frustration of the protagonist. Tom DeLonge, meanwhile, is a slog through the self-titled work. He can't sing for shit.

    I think the most telling thing about how insignificant that band will be remembered as is what Green Day did only a year later, putting out an album that did actually have heart and did have ambition that didn't come off as artificial. Blink 182 had surpassed them in public perception in the early part of the century (Hell, Green Day was opening for Blink for a while which just seems nuts.) With "American Idiot," Green Day obliterated them and Blink-182 has never and will never snatch the pop-punk brass ring from them again.

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  59. Ummm, if I'm talking about music with someone and he or she mentions "iTunes" or his or her "iPod", I immediately disengage the conversation and walk away, mid sentence if necessary. MP3s are sonic poison which corrupt the purity of any recordings which are prostituted into that format. I refuse to taint my intellect by lowering myself into a musical discussion with anyone who thinks an artist's true voice can be captured by any medium other than cassette.
    And to answer the solicited question, anyone who, in the aforementioned format, professes an appreciation for the Spin Doctors' landmark debut studio album, A Pocket Full of Kryptonite, is welcome to share my headspace...at least until he or she ruins it by engaging in such nitwittery as ordering a domestic beer or donning a baseball styled "cap".

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  60. If I can find a girl that likes Shawshank Redemption, Groundhog Day & Public Enemy, I think I'll marry her on the spot...

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  61. music is TOOL, easily

    I was waiting to see if someone mentioned it, but no one did.

    Yet.

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  62. Except for Garage Days Inc. and the Black Album.

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  63. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 12:18 PM

    Garage Days was merely covers. And the Black Album was pretty similar to their previous works, just a bit more polished. Like how Blink went from Dude Ranch to Enema. I was referring to St. Anger. Man was that terrible. Although the lead single did grow on me.

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  64. Oh man. Trying to explain to my non computer savvy friends about Arpanet and how much Gore fought to direct money to expand it with the Gore Bill (Thus sort of bringing the internet into existence) is something I'm glad I don't really have to do anymore. Though it weirdly still comes up from time to time.

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  65. Shouldn't Red Barchetta be on that list?

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  66. Ahh, Dream Theater. For when Rush just seems a little too hardcore.

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  67. Roll the Bones can easily stand up among those albums.

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  68. Probably. It was an off the top of the head list. There are plenty of others to add too.

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  69. I'm going to have to disagree with you here. Johnny Rotten absolutely had talent. The only one who was actually terrible was Sid and he wasn't on a single recording I think.
    Every song on Bollocks is extremely well produced and well played.

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  70. I'm pretty sure you could hop on OKCupid and filter for those attributes.

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  71. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 12:32 PM

    Because they had studio musicians. Every member of the Pistols were hired for their looks.

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  72. Steve Jones did all the guitar and bass work. The only one who pistol who didn't play on the album is Sid.

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  73. I saw Green Day open for Blink once. I wasn't really into Blink but I was taking my younger brother for his birthday and I thought that it was really weird.

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  74. Yup. And the quote itself is wrong also...

    "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative
    in creating the Internet. I took the initiative in moving forward a
    whole range of initiatives that have proven to be important to our
    country’s economic growth and environmental protection, improvements in our educational system.”


    That is the actual quote.

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  75. Oh, no question about that. Metallica got old and rich. It's hard to write angry music when you're living in a mansion and banging super models. Even if you do occasionally catch fire.

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  76. Yeah, but those millionaires created Death Magnetic. It's hard to pinpoint the exact surroundings needed to create great art.

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  77. I respectfully, wholeheartedly, disagree. I consider Roll the Bones their worst album to date.

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  78. I wasn't a huge fan of Death Magnetic either to tell the truth.

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  79. Hip Hop- Nas, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane

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  80. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 12:50 PM

    Yeah, Steve filled in for the guy who was suppose to fill in for Sid. I don't recall the guys name, but he was their former bass player. Each member did some things, but they were so terrible they were done in 10 second clips because they couldn't even play full chord progressions. So studio musicians were brought in to speed things up, or the producers themselves played it.

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  81. For me music wise it's folks who know the full catalog of at least one of the following: They Might Be Giants, Violent Femmes, Devo, The Dead Milkmen, TV On the Radio, Modest Mouse, Weezer, Everclear, or the Pixies. And I'm talking about deep cuts, not just the radio hits of any of them.


    Movies, I'm not really a movie buff myself but anything Terry Gilliam aside from Monty Python stuff, the lesser seen Tim Burton movies, Summer Wars, and all the Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli movies.

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  82. I thought Death Magnetic was fantastic, personally. Not in the grand scheme of what I consider Metallica to be, but compared to mainstream rock albums of the same 3 year period, it blew a lot of them away.

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  83. St. Anger sucked hard, but a lot of it was in the production too. Every time Lars hit his snare, it sounded like he hit a tin can with a ceramic chopstick.

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  84. I dunno man, I thought Magnetic fit right in with their early stuff, just a notch below as far as quality songs. In other words, my list is something like this:


    1. Master of Puppets
    2. Ride the Lightning
    3. Kill 'em All
    4. In Justice...
    5. Death Magnetic
    6. Black Album












    Everything else.

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  85. Real MFn Gs is awesome. :)

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  86. I'm not a Metallica fan that equates "sounds like early Metallica" with "good". I'm rare, but I exist.

    One of my favorite, and one of their most daring tracks in my opinion, is on Reload!

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  87. By far. I consider it to be nearly unable to be listened to.

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  88. My litmus test for friends is that they have SOMETHING that is outside the box. I like so much different stuff that I can find common ground with most anyone who is open minded enough to have a variety of interests.


    But a few things that will instantly endear you to me....


    Movies: Hot Rod, 3 O'Clock High, Black Dynamite


    Music: Weird Al, Junior Brown, The Darkness


    TV: Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, MST3K

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  89. Should be easy to find the first two....the third...that's tough. Even girls that like rap tend to stay away from the serious stuff. And hardcore rap fans that are into PE are likely to find Shawshank and Groundhog "too white"

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  90. If this post is ironic it is easily COTY.

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  91. Really? I have plenty of liberal friends. I just don't discuss politics with them.

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  92. I'm a big Blink 182 fan — not as much these days like I used to be — but I have to agree with you. If that's the best album you've ever heard, you have to start listening to more stuff. I don't even think that's their best album let alone the best ever.

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  93. I'm a big fan of Neighborhoods. I think it's a more solid album than the self-titled. Their EP, Dogs Eating Dogs, was very solid as well.

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  94. I'm a blink fan and I can't disagree it sounds different than their previous stuff, but it isn't a 180.

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  95. I loved Billy Corgan's comments when he was talking about the best bands of all time, and he said that as much as Rush has been marginalized over the years, when it really comes down to it, regardless of the reasons some people don't like them - Geddy's voice, for example - they simply can't be ignored in that discussion.

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  96. I'm sure I'll be mocked for this but.....


    I'm convinced if Metallica just took the best tracks from Load and Reload and put out one CD it may not crack the top 4 Metallica albums but would be looked upon a lot more favorably. There are a lot of good songs on both records but there is just to much filler (IE Slither.)

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  97. My brother got me into Rush, and they quickly became my favorite band after I really got into listening to them. Me and my bro have always had a good relationship, but bonding over Rush has really brought us closer, too, which I'll always be thankful to the band for. We've seen them live twice, most recently on their current tour, and I hope to see them at least once more before they call it a career.


    My favorite album of theirs is Moving Pictures, and my least favourite era would be the synth stuff of the mid-late 80s, but even then there's a bunch of songs in that time period that I love, just not as much as their early or recent stuff. I can pretty much find *something* I like in just about every Rush song, and I really like how they put their songs together. Other favorites would be Permanent Waves, 2112, and Clockwork Angels.


    I also find that I appreciate and like their songs more the more I listen to them. I was actually fairly unimpressed with Clockwork Angels on my first playthrough, but after several listens, it grew on me, and now it's one of my favorite albums by them. I still notice little drum fills, guitar riffs, and bass lines that I like in songs that I've listened to 100 times and never noticed before. I think they're a band that really rewards attention to detail.


    The live shows are such a blast because you can tell the band loves performing and put everything that have into it, and I loved hearing EVERY song, and it seemed most people at the show did, too, as so many people were air-drumming and singing along to all the lyrics to everything (I was as well). Though I mentioned I wasn't as big on their synth period as their other work, they played songs from that time that I really enjoy, like Manhattan Project and Analog Kid.


    Finally, while being a quality person is not a requirement for me to enjoy someone's work (I am a wrestling fan, after all), I really love the fact that they seem like such down-to-Earth, non-primadonnas. Insanely talented but still grateful and humble, have stuck with each other for 40 years without any public riffs or falling out, and are still going strong in the year 2013. Beyond the Lighted Stage really solidified for me that they're awesome dudes, and I still love the story of how they made 2112 the way they did after the record company told them to make something more accessible and mainstream, because they wanted to make music on their terms or not at all.


    Anyway, I like Rush.

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  98. If someone can't nail down a favorite musical artist and says they listen to "whatever is on the radio" I immediately dock them 10 points.

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  99. And I have plenty of conservative friends that I can discuss politics with... until they pull that stupid shit which to me shows how little they are packing intellectually and figure they are a waste of my time... this goes for birthers and the like also... but those are more extreme anyway "liberal media" is a crutch for even some more mainstream conservatives.

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  100. I'm in the former boat. They're all very good musicians but I can't stand Geddy's voice and the music just doesn't do anything for me. I respect them as they're technically great from a music standpoint, just not my cup o' tea.

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  101. I don't have a litmus test per se but if someone likes Faith No More and/or Prong then they're in my good books.

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  102. I hate the people who just use the blanket statement "well I listen to all kinds of music" just so that they can appear worldly.

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  103. Scottie is my favorite athlete ever.

    The difference with MJ/Bird/Magic playing with other HOFers, of course, is that they didn't leave their team to join up with (arguably) the second-best player in the league at the time and their biggest individual rival. I don't blame Bron for leaving, but it's not an apples to apples comparison.

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  104. Litmus test may have been the wrong term to use here. I honestly don't go around testing people. But there are certain artists, films, or books that people mention in conversations that immediately pull my attention toward them and make me almost instantly respect that person's view on the topic.

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  105. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:48 PM

    '3 O'Clock High'


    casey szzchchchzzzzchhmazko (sp?) ftw

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  106. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:49 PM

    'I never really got Rush. I can respect the technical prowess of the
    musicians, but Geddy Lee's voice is irritating and the lyrics don't
    really do much for me. Having said that there is a significant part of
    their catalogue that I've never even heard, so I'm no expert.'


    your refusal to share kits and/or kats with me now makes sense

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  107. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:51 PM

    maybe roll the bones and closer to the heart, too


    i actually heard 'the trees' on the radio a few months ago

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  108. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:52 PM

    i really like pantera's 'power metal' album


    pantera glam!!! (relatively speaking)

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  109. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:53 PM

    upvote for queen


    queen 2, sheer heart attack, and of course a night at the opera stand out.


    jazz is quite good, too

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  110. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:54 PM

    ' I was actually fairly unimpressed with Clockwork Angels on my first
    playthrough'


    >:o



    'but after several listens, it grew on me, and now it's one
    of my favorite albums by them.'


    :)

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  111. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:55 PM

    DISAGREE


    somethin' about that album doesnt click with me.


    i dont hate it, but it doesnt have oomph and falls flat

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  112. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    my least fav is snakes and arrows. too folk-y for my tastes

    but roll the bones does not get played that much for me. weak production imo

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  113. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM

    well he was laid back cause


    e-z does it

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  114. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM

    Really? I just couldn't get into it. After track 6, the album became such filler. Gone were the amazing hooks, guitar melodies, and lyrics. The album started off so brilliantly, but tapered off. They didn't take any risks, such as the double melody on the end of Feeling This, or the distant poem on Violence, the all acoustic instruments on I Miss You, the absolutely brilliant backwards piano & letter reading before Stockholm, guest appearances like Robert Smith. The untitled record was just 5 star song after 5 star song. Songs like Down, Always, Go, Easy Target, All of This, I'm Lost Without You, Not Now. I just don't see how you can say Neighborhoods compares. It started off great, with songs like Ghosts On The Dance Floor, the 2nd track, Up All Night, After Midnight, but then it just became sorta bleh. Nothing stood out. Unfortunately, the same happened with Dogs Eating Dogs. The only song that was fantastic was Pretty Little Girl, and even that was ruined at the end with the British rapper.

    It just didn't make any sense for Neighborhoods to be so lackluster when after the 2003 record we got the amazing first record by AVA, and the Plus44 album. Those are both absolutely stunning in their quality.

    Oh, and the album isn't self titled. It literally doesn't have a title. They didn't want one for the record, as they didn't want to give the project a label, and wanted people to put whatever they saw into it. But everyone ends up calling it the self-titled anyway.

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  115. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 5:00 PM

    we all know nova created the internet

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  116. I offered you the small half of a Pep pal, take it or leave it.
    So where do I start with a Rush album then? I'd LIKE to enjoy them. I've seen them live once - short set at a festival.

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  117. Your_Favourite_AssholeAugust 15, 2013 at 5:14 PM

    whats a pep pal?


    tough on where to start. definitely rock edge in the 70's that gets more experimental as the decade progressed in terms of song structure, lyrical themes, and different kinds of sounds bein used


    80's got much more snyth heavy as the decade moved on, but the edge was still there, imo. shorter songs, "pound for pound" more punch type deal. definitely more radio friendly, relatively speaking



    not sure how to describe the 90's. aside from roll the bones (91), their other two 90's albums are more stripped down and you can hear the more straight ahead "wall of sound" sort of grunge influence (though I wouldnt really call it that).


    last few albums are more focused on rock with some finesse (though snakes n arrows is too folksy imo)


    their more recent album 'clockwork angels' debuted at #2 on the charts and is pretty much heralded as one of the best albums theyve ever done, even 40 yrs into their recording career. rocks, heavy, finesse, atmospheric, thoughtful lyrics, virtuoso playing...


    geddys voice is only really high on the 70's stuff.

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  118. Maybe I'll youtube some of the newer stuff.

    This is a Pep.

    http://www.123rf.com/photo_14444037_toronto-canada--may-10-2012-this-is-a-studio-shot-of-pep-peppermint-candy-made-by-cadbury-isolated-o.html

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  119. It kind of is. It's not like Cleveland is a hot bed for free agents like Boston, LA or Chicago is/was. The Celtics loaded up (as did the Lakers) in the 80s with a bunch of gimme trades. It may not be the same exact route, but it's still the same thing, you need to play with other HOFer's to be a dominant dynasty.

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  120. Actually, Low Man's Lyric.

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  121. I liked Snakes and Arrows quite a bit. You can really hear the personal hell that Neil went through in the lyrics.

    My least favorite is probably Vapor Trails.

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  122. It's not the "playing with other HOFers" aspect, it's the "I can't beat them, so I'm going to join them" part. Trades at least require you to give something to get something and someone willing to deal.

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  123. As a massive Pearl Jam fan, I always appreciate when someone can talk about songs from "No Code." I LOVED that album, but most people just dismissed it. "Hail, Hail" is in my top 5 PJ songs.


    Come to think of it, anyone who can talk Pearl Jam outside of the hits like Alive, Daughter, Black, etc. is good in my book. Not that I dislike those songs...I love them, and "Black" is my favorite song of all time. But it's always cool to talk about the unrecognized part of any band's catalog you're a fan of.

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  124. I think you can't go wrong with giving Moving Pictures and Clockwork Angels a listen.

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  125. "Anorexic rapper"

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  126. Dan Gilbert, for years, couldn't get a single worthwhile player to play with Lebron. It wasn't going to happen. No one wants to play in Cleveland, at least top marquee NBA players. He had no choice. He was never going to have the luxury that MJ or Magic or Bird enjoyed in their respective cities. Period.

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  127. 'M guessing you haven't heard of PIL?

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  128. Music :Morrissey
    Video Games: Neo Geo
    Movies :just became Pacific Rim

    And I agree with what Parralax said. If you're not an Obama fan, fine. But when they start with the death camps and he was born in kenya and he's a muslim and the media protects him and all the other bullshit it just makes me think less of the person. If everyone else is a sheep who likes Obama because of the media, then why aren't you a sheep for believing whatever Beck or O'Reily says on their media?

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  129. There were lots of teams he could've gone to, most that didn't already have 2 top players. I don't fault him for going to Miami, but it's still a different situation than what other guys have done. And it just seems cheap for the guy considered the best player in the league to take the easy way out. It's definitely paid off, though. And again, I don't fault him for doing so.

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  130. I don't buy that. Kobe threatened to go to the Lakers if they didn't get him guys. The Lakers then ripped off the Grizzlies and got Gasol for a bag of peanuts, or Kwamee Brown. The point is, you have to get top players. What's the point of leaving Cleveland to go to another team that doesn't have stars you can play with? It's better if the Bulls go out and sign Rodman, rather than MJ go to play with Rodman? You're playing semantics.

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  131. *correction, Kobe threatened to go to the Clippers.

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  132. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 17, 2013 at 5:20 AM

    I thought I was the only other person on Earth who knew about 3 O'Clock High. I always thought the bully looked like Heath Ledger.

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  133. Caliber_Winfield_The_3rdAugust 17, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    I got into music on my own, as my parents were never into pop-culture. So, hip-hop was my first love. I absolutely loved it, and REFUSED to listen to anything else. Especially rock. Fuck rock music was my motto. I mean, hey, when you're young and stupid, you do stupid things.

    However, even during my "fuck all things non-rap!" phase, there was one song that I loved. Still, to this day, remains one of the greatest songs of all time. One song that no matter how much I hated rock, this one would make it into my rotation.

    Better Man.

    Goddamn what a gorgeous song.

    I play guitar, and few things are better than when you're at a party with some friends, everyone is drunk, you start playing Better Man, and you get to the end, with everyone screaming "SHE LOVED HIIIM!! SHE DON'T WANT TO BE THIS WAAAAYY!! SHE NEEDS HIM!!! THAT'S WHY SHE'LL BE BACK AGAAAIIINN!!"


    I live in Seattle, so, finding Pearl Jam fans is like finding rain here.

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  134. The Bully reminded me of Raven in some ways. He's been in other stuff, most notably one of the detectives in Something About Mary.

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