The Sensational Alex Harvey Band vs....

[Ginnie]

You know folks, often times I wonder if I am be delusional for thinking so highly of this band.
This almost obscure band from Scotland in the Seventies who hardly anyone - that I know, anyway - has even heard. But I started thinking about this as I was driving around the other day listening to a "best of" CD I made for the car.
Every song was so strong, so dramatic, so musical, entertaining and the playing was just incredible. I listened closely - to all the little nuances of sound in "Midnight Moses" and "Action Strasse". I listened to Alex's inflections with his voice, with his emphasis of tone and growl in just the right places. I said to myself, "I don't think I'm half mad for loving this band so much.
I thought, what other band has six or seven albums in their repertoire of this quality?

Well, there are the Beatles of course - they will always be number one with me - but hey, they're the friggin' BEATLES.
So who else?
The Rolling Stones came to mind. Now do I like six Rolling Stones albums as much as SAHB?
I can hardly listen to they're early ones - they were pretty good at playing the blues, but the production on them are horrible. Some of the mid-sixties stuff has good songs on them, but I find too much filler in them. I'm certainly not considering "Their Satanic Majesties Request" !

Beggars Banquet - great, their best
Let It Bleed - another great one
Sticky Fingers - pretty good
Exile on Main Street - yet another great album
Goats Head Soup - nope.
Get yer Ya Ya's Out - I love this album, but I'm only considering studio albums. Anyway, SAHB live at the BBC is this albums equal anyways...
It's Only Rock'n Roll - I like this one, but not as good as any SAHB album
I won't even consider any after this album...

So, there's six here from pretty good to really great. Okay then, I guess the Stones are SAHB's equals...

Some other bands...

The Who - I can't find six but they have about four good to great ones. Yes, Tommy, Quadrephrenia, Who's Next are really good. Live at Leeds is a live one...

Led Zeppelin - I, II, III, IV, Houses of the Holy, Physical Graffitti - here's six great ones. So I guess Led Zep could be considered better, but I hardly listen to them lately. I can play a SAHB album every day and still be quite entertained.

The Kinks? Nope. Yes? Nope. Pink Floyd? Probably. U2? Nope, although they come close.
The Doors? Nope.

You get my point. I've listed some of the top bands of the last fifty years and only the Beatles can best them. "best" is perhaps the wrong word to use. Its subjective anyway. Only the Stones, Led Zep and Pink Floyd are comparable to me.
So, let me ask you folks - am I delusional or do I have a valid point?

[Catherine]

I think, for what it's worth, Ginnie, that you are a fairly serious minded fellow and as such you really have made every endeavour to justify your taste for The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and their music; thinking of other favourites and drawing a real and true comparison.

I spent my teenage years telling people who asked what band my brother was in, that they would never have heard of them and, in the main, I was right - and that was in their home town!!

You have reached your conclusions based on fairly sturdy and logical research - what more can a music lover do?

I think you have a very valid point, I'm sure Darling Man (God only knows what we're listening to now) would not neccesarily agree, he has absurdly wide and eclectic musical tastes but ain't nothing quite gets the same spine tingling, hair raising reaction as The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, pretty much always at their very best

Have a karma and another forget-me-not field

[victor55]

I think its far too subjective Gin, If you're a fan you generally like everything unless a band does a 180, but then again some could interprete that as evolving.

[stuart]

Ginnie, great post. +1 for thee ;D

It is near impossible for me to explain to my expressionless friends what drew me to this music, and what continues to draw me. It's a visceral, almost primal and involuntary connection at one level. But there's a playful, multi-layered intellect at work as well, and I guess not everyone is blessed with the ability to grasp and/or appreciate it.

More simply put, SAHB scratches an itch that no other music can reach.

[Ginnie]

Sept 30, 2010 20:06:19 GMT victor55 said:

I think its far too subjective Gin, If you're a fan you generally like everything unless a band does a 180, but then again some could interprete that as evolving.

Subjective? Moi? ;D

But I don't like everything SAHB did...
I mentioned 6 albums, not 8 ! I'm not really keen on the Penthouse Tapes, although it certainly has its moments. Same with SAHB Without Alex. So there.

And SAHB did change its sound as it went along - from a more blues oriented sound to Rock Drill, which sounds like progressive rock to me.
Yeah, I'm biased I guess - but the music speaks for itself and I just can't understand why everyone else doesn't here it.

[Ginnie]

Sept 30, 2010 22:39:06 GMT stuart said:

More simply put, SAHB scratches an itch that no other music can reach.

I like that expression!

[victor55]

Sept 30, 2010 23:38:47 GMT Ginnie said:

Sept 30, 2010 20:06:19 GMT victor55 said:

I think its far too subjective Gin, If you're a fan you generally like everything unless a band does a 180, but then again some could interprete that as evolving.

Subjective? Moi? ;D

But I don't like everything SAHB did...
I mentioned 6 albums, not 8 ! I'm not really keen on the Penthouse Tapes, although it certainly has its moments. Same with SAHB Without Alex. So there.

And SAHB did change its sound as it went along - from a more blues oriented sound to Rock Drill, which sounds like progressive rock to me.
Yeah, I'm biased I guess - but the music speaks for itself and I just can't understand why everyone else doesn't here it.

Ah but there's the rub Gin- I'm guilty as charged because I do love everything that SAHB did its just so damn unique-I cant get enough.. and I want it in any version i can find, as I do the Man himself .

I tell you whats uplifting My daughter came home from college last weekend and made a copy of the British Tour to play for her Roomies-now, they cant get enough either and she'll be making copies of the rest(sorry buoys but it is all in the family) Now we're talking about a room full of 18 year olds turning on to the SAHB-It just lives on..

[lloydie]

There is something really special about SAHB.I was a fan in the 70s and I decided to take my Wife and Son to the ACDC convention at Wrexham a few years ago SAHB were playing.From then on She has loved the band and have seen them several times since.My Son who in general likes metal with barking singers also likes them and regards Zal as one of the best.Thats my lunch time input anyway Roll on SAHB stock

[Catherine]

Oct 1, 2010 11:36:10 GMT lloydie said:

There is something really special about SAHB.I was a fan in the 70s and I decided to take my Wife and Son to the ACDC convention at Wrexham a few years ago SAHB were playing.From then on She has loved the band and have seen them several times since.My Son who in general likes metal with barking singers also likes them and regards Zal as one of the best.Thats my lunch time input anyway Roll on SAHB stock

We were there too!!! The guys played really well, with Zal & Max making good use of the "catwalk" configuration of the stage......not many people there but them as was were soon SAHB fans!!!!!!