Anyone Remember Canned Heat? John Mayall? The Doobie Brothers?

[Charlie Bernstein]

As one of the oldest/1st line, Gen X’ers - I feel sorry for myself!

For listening and chasing after too much of my older sisters record collections .

I liked a lot of that stuff and one sister in particular had the entire smorgasbord of 1965 to 1975 rock in her record collection.

And I was too preoccupied with the music that was occurring when I was between the ages of two and 10 that I didn’t fully immerse myself in all the fantastic contemporary bands that were happening, and just starting to happen when I was of age to start going to gigs.

I remember very distinctly in 1982 going to see a reunion of the Bluesbreakers and the band was John McVie, Mick Taylor , Mayall , and some drummer.

Cool, fine…

Why in the hell was I not at the Grand Circus theater in downtown Detroit seeing The Clash on the combat rock tour?I loved The Clash starting in ‘79 and yet I remember in that year going to see Robin Trower instead of them. !

Why why why ? Dumb dumb dumb !

I love those guys, too.

Why ? because I didn’t let go of the past - someone else’s past, and forge on full bore into my generations music. And I listen to the clash to this day, and every maybe two-three years I’ll put on the Beano record and kinda dig that or maybe blues from Laurel Canyon but - that’s it.

Two side to that coin, though, right? I feel lucky for hearing all the stuff my folk-singing big sister was into when I was a kid — the old lefties mostly. They had real spirit.

It didn't stop me from liking other stuff. Ushering at a rock theater in '69 and '70 was a great musical and social education.

It’s my fault, but the influence of the boomers was like a big blob that swallowed up everything in its way…

Who gives a crap about mountain!? Country Joe and the F-ing fish ?!

Met Barry "The Fish" Melton backstage once. During their set, he started a joke — What did Ted Kennedy say when Mary Jo Kopekne said she was worried about getting pregnant? — but Joe wouldn't let him deliver the punchline.

So I went backstage to ask him. Found him sulking on a sofa. He started to tell me, then thought better of it and shut up like a clam.

Smart guy.

Now I’m really getting fired up !

Flame on, Torch!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Doobies never went away . . . .

No, indeed. I don't think of them as a bygone band. But it's true that they don't have much of a young audience.

 

[Dukex]

I still listen to The Captain and Me. One of my all-time favorite albums.

 

[tele_savales]

Though I admire the man's tenacity I've never heard of John Mayall. 88years old?

 

[jackinjax]

Yeahbut. How old are you? The three acts we're talking peaked a long, long time ago. If you're Gen X or younger, there's no reason why you should know them.

To be fair to you, you've probably heard the Doobies piped into supermarkets, hardware stores, bars, and restaurants thousands of times, but no one told it was the Doobie Brothers.

Mayall and Canned Heat were a lot more fun, in my humble, but they didn't chart as high or often.

I was a Doobie Brothers fan when they first got started, or at least when they first started getting airtime on the radio. To this day I couldn't name a single member of the group. Canned Heat I can remember maybe a couple of their songs, the ones that got airtime. No band member names.
Honestly, I just listened to what was popular on the radio at the time and only knew them by their band's names. Except for the Beatles (only because they were constantly in the news or referred to as John, Paul, George, and Ringo) I couldn't have told you a name of a member of any band playing at time unless their name part of the group's name.

 

[radiocaster]

Yeahbut. How old are you? The three acts we're talking peaked a long, long time ago. If you're Gen X or younger, there's no reason why you should know them.

To be fair to you, you've probably heard the Doobies piped into supermarkets, hardware stores, bars, and restaurants thousands of times, but no one told it was the Doobie Brothers.

Mayall and Canned Heat were a lot more fun, in my humble, but they didn't chart as high or often.

I don't know what your point is. Gen X starts in 1965 or something like that. Doobies were popular in the 70s.

That, and Woodstock is a well known movie and lots of people listened to 60s music in the 80s and after. You could even watch videos on VH1, still can it seems.

John Mayall is the least known of the 3. I actually heard of him from the Motorhead cover of "I'm Your Witchdoctor".

 

[notmyusualuserid]

I don't know what your point is. Gen X starts in 1965 or something like that. Doobies were popular in the 70s.

That, and Woodstock is a well known movie and lots of people listened to 60s music in the 80s and after. You could even watch videos on VH1, still can it seems.

John Mayall is the least known of the 3. I actually heard of him from the Motorhead cover of "I'm Your Witchdoctor".

Canned Heat and the Doobies are American. Mayall isn't.

Don't feel bad about it

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't know what your point is.

It's that though Buck is raising an interesting question, he's being a little unrealistic. People shouldn't be expected to know much about the music of previous generations.

There's no shame in it. I certainly couldn't recognize an Artie Shaw tune or name Billie Holiday's piano player.

And quality and popularity don't always coincide. Scum rises, gold sinks. If you've got gold, enjoy it while it lasts.

Great music? Sure. But of another generation. Every generation has its own voice. The Doobies still has fans, but it's mainly an older audience.

Gen X starts in 1965 or something like that. Doobies were popular in the 70s.

That, and Woodstock is a well known movie and lots of people listened to 60s music in the 80s and after. You could even watch videos on VH1, still can it seems.

Yup. No doubt about.

John Mayall is the least known of the 3.

That's a surprise. Where did you learn that? Mayall had a much longer career than Canned Heat did, put out a lot more recordings, and worked with a lot more heavy-hitting artists.

I actually heard of him from the Motorhead cover of "I'm Your Witchdoctor".

Whatever it takes and by any means necessary!

 

[radiocaster]

I certainly couldn't recognize an Artie Shaw tune or name Billie Holiday's piano player.

Not sure I could name all the musicians in bands I regularly listen to.

Although I do admit I did know more often with vinyl, even if not all the time.

 

[NoTeleBob]

Mayall is barely known outside people and places where they know the modern Blues evolution. Even among the generation of people who know bands from that era.

Canned Heat, for most is an "Oh, yeah, weren't they at Woodstock?".

The Doobies were mainstream. Lots of radio hits. But I imagine most people still think it was started by a couple guys named "Doobie".

 

[NoTeleBob]

snip

The Doobies.... you wouldn't think someone like me would have anything to do with them, but as it happens...
their drummer's parents got me banned from TGP!

This requires some additional explanation!

 

[NoTeleBob]

Fair enough but are you suggesting self created obesity and diabetes is a good life path because "no one knows"?

Not knowing the future is an oh so common and bad bad excuse for lazy hedonism.

Plus obesity and diabetes is known to be a life shortener...

I think you're blowing by the point.

Let me clarify: Get healthy. You'll have a better life for as long as you have one. But no one can predict how long you will have one.

It's a direct counter to the people who like to point out the healthy or uber-healthy people who still died young. They still live a better life along the way.

 

[Rustbucket]

Canned Heat and the Doobies are American. Mayall isn't.

Don't feel bad about it

Yeah, because those British bands are always so underrated.

 

[Harry Styron]

I still listen to The Captain and Me. One of my all-time favorite albums.

Did Mr. Green Jeans play on it? Or was it Toni Tenille?

 

[notmyusualuserid]

Yeah, because those British bands are always so underrated.

No idea what you mean.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

On the one hand, it would be great to have been in canned heat. Ain’t no I IV V - it’s all just I I I I I !
On the other hand, they’re the only white rock band that could’ve done John Lee Hooker justice.
Because hooker and heat is a great record.
And it’s the only one of theirs that I still listen to.

 

[Rustbucket]

No idea what you mean.

Apologies. It was sarcasm for the god-like pedestal people put bands such as Beatles & the Stones. It was just a cheeky response to your previous post that Doobies/Canned heat were more memorable because they were American.

 

[Silent Otto]

Don't forget to boogie!

 

[notmyusualuserid]

Apologies. It was sarcasm for the god-like pedestal people put bands such as Beatles & the Stones. It was just a cheeky response to your previous post that Doobies/Canned heat were more memorable because they were American.

They are to most Americans. I'm a Brit.

 

[radiocaster]

Mayall is barely known outside people and places where they know the modern Blues evolution. Even among the generation of people who know bands from that era.

Canned Heat, for most is an "Oh, yeah, weren't they at Woodstock?".

The Doobies were mainstream. Lots of radio hits. But I imagine most people still think it was started by a couple guys named "Doobie".

Yes, and Ten Years After are better known for Woodstock as well, and for their song which is more rock and roll than blues, although their other songs were just about all blues.

They kind of fit in this discussion as well.

Also want to point out that there are some acts which played at Woodstock but are less known. A lot of people won't say much about the Incredible String Band. Although different stylistically, and a bit off topic for this thread.