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Tophat665 · 08-05-2005, 07:15 PM

OK,
First, let me be pedantic. Unique means one of a kind, so it is not possible of there to be degrees of unique. A band is either unique, or they are not. If you want to modify it, then you have to go with "truly unique", "Almost unique", or "most nearly unique". //pedantic (It's a pet peeve)

That said, it is my unpleasant duty to disagree with Sion. Yes was never Unique. Awesome, but not unique. They were in many was similar to ELP, and have other things in common with, say, Alan Parson's Project. Also, recently, Spock's Beard, Gordian Knot, and Porcupine tree are quite like them.

I also disagee that Ben Folds is unique. He's very well executed pop music with borderline novelty lyrics. Sort of like Bruce Hornsby meets the original Spike Jones.

I would have to agree that the combination of operatic scale, pyschedelia, and pyschological darkness in Pink Floyd (particularly from Animals on) is truly unique.

Cake is nearly unique, but are, in some ways similar to Talking Heads, anher nearly unique band.

Now They Might Be Giants is absolutely unique. Nothing even close.

Early Primus shares certain characteristics with the latter part of the first incarnation of King Crimson (Compare Lark's Tongues in Aspic part III with Southbound Pachyderm). Since then, they have diverged into territory strictly there own.

Tool, I would say, is unique to music in the same sort of perversely icky way that Robert Mappelthorp is to photography, only Tool has talent.

There are also some bands that are unique in really difficult to define ways. Blue Öyster Cult, for insance, is musically pretty straightforward blues based rock & roll; Buck Dharma has a unique sound, and is a guitar genius, but the same could be said of lots of guitarists without necessarily making their band unique. What makes BÖC unique is the juxtaposition of very straightforward rock & roll with a nearly science-fiction lyric sensibility. Hawkwind has a similar sensibility, but a different - more psychadelic - approach to muic. (Obligatory for me to mention BÖC.)

In a similar vein, Phish combined jazz based rock with, not to put too fine a point on it, utter nonsense, and then salted their albums with bluegrass. I can't think of another band who's lyrics are so utterly nonsensical, yet strangely compelling.

Speaking of bluegrass, Bela Fleck and the Fleck Tones: Banjo Jazz. Unique in my experience.

Jethro Tull also is interesting. At the very least they are unique in winning the first every heavy metal grammy. Other bands, Traffic for one, have used the flute, but no on other than Ian Anderson has ever played the Power flute. There is an early classical feel to much of their music, and a sort of almost pastoral feel to some of their work (Heavy Horses in particular). All this from a band who's first album was straight unadulterated blues.

08-05-2005, 07:15 PM	#144 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	OK, First, let me be pedantic. Unique means one of a kind, so it is not possible of there to be degrees of unique. A band is either unique, or they are not. If you want to modify it, then you have to go with "truly unique", "Almost unique", or "most nearly unique". //pedantic (It's a pet peeve) That said, it is my unpleasant duty to disagree with Sion. Yes was never Unique. Awesome, but not unique. They were in many was similar to ELP, and have other things in common with, say, Alan Parson's Project. Also, recently, Spock's Beard, Gordian Knot, and Porcupine tree are quite like them. I also disagee that Ben Folds is unique. He's very well executed pop music with borderline novelty lyrics. Sort of like Bruce Hornsby meets the original Spike Jones. I would have to agree that the combination of operatic scale, pyschedelia, and pyschological darkness in Pink Floyd (particularly from Animals on) is truly unique. Cake is nearly unique, but are, in some ways similar to Talking Heads, anher nearly unique band. Now They Might Be Giants is absolutely unique. Nothing even close. Early Primus shares certain characteristics with the latter part of the first incarnation of King Crimson (Compare Lark's Tongues in Aspic part III with Southbound Pachyderm). Since then, they have diverged into territory strictly there own. Tool, I would say, is unique to music in the same sort of perversely icky way that Robert Mappelthorp is to photography, only Tool has talent. There are also some bands that are unique in really difficult to define ways. Blue Öyster Cult, for insance, is musically pretty straightforward blues based rock & roll; Buck Dharma has a unique sound, and is a guitar genius, but the same could be said of lots of guitarists without necessarily making their band unique. What makes BÖC unique is the juxtaposition of very straightforward rock & roll with a nearly science-fiction lyric sensibility. Hawkwind has a similar sensibility, but a different - more psychadelic - approach to muic. (Obligatory for me to mention BÖC.) In a similar vein, Phish combined jazz based rock with, not to put too fine a point on it, utter nonsense, and then salted their albums with bluegrass. I can't think of another band who's lyrics are so utterly nonsensical, yet strangely compelling. Speaking of bluegrass, Bela Fleck and the Fleck Tones: Banjo Jazz. Unique in my experience. Jethro Tull also is interesting. At the very least they are unique in winning the first every heavy metal grammy. Other bands, Traffic for one, have used the flute, but no on other than Ian Anderson has ever played the Power flute. There is an early classical feel to much of their music, and a sort of almost pastoral feel to some of their work (Heavy Horses in particular). All this from a band who's first album was straight unadulterated blues. __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.