That Stupid Band Name

The name is dumb? Well the music isn't.

I recently read an article about the dumbest/worst band names on Rolling Stone. The writer suggested names, then let readers vote on them.

One of his suggestions?  The Beatles.

The.  Yup.  Beatles.

Depending on whose version you believe of events, I suppose it's possible.  There's John's "Flaming Pie" version, in which he said "I had a vision when I was twelve, and I saw a man on a flaming pie, and he said "You are Beatles with an 'a'," and we are." Other version involved Stu Sucliffe, Marlon Brando and the movie The Wild One.

Then there's the most simplistic one, in which the lads pronounced their love for Buddy Holly (whose backup band was, in case you didn't know, The Crickets*) and named themselves "The Beetles" or "Silver Beetles" as a play on the "bug" concept.  But, you know, they keep the beat, so let's go with Beatles, no?

*It's sad that I have to explain who The Crickets are or, worse, who Buddy Holly was.  We need music history education in this country!

Look, I have a pronounced love for a band that started life as Huey Lewis and the American Express before corporate fear scratched the credit card in exchange for "The News." Cut me some slack here, shall we?

And at least The Beatles didn't stick with The Quarrymen or Johnny and the Moon Dogs.

As for the worst/dumbest band name, the voters took The Beatles in 10th place, with Anal (I can't type the word, but it starts with "C"), Chumbawamba, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Foo Fighters up to sixth place. Nickelback came in fifth (too easy to rip them), Goo Goo Dolls, Butthole Surfers, and Hoobastank getting us up to number two.

Overwhelmingly, Limp Bizkit ruled the day.  As the writer said: "Simply put, people really, really, really hate Limp Bizkit."  Remember, they said it, not me.

While we're talking about The Beatles (the anti-Limp Bizkit, clearly), friend, and brilliant music student (as well as a great DJ) Shagger David Leib posted this video on his Facebook wall.  It's a small, but well-done collection of the differences between having the Fabs in mono and stereo.


Does this mean I now have to collect EVERYTHING in mono also, as I told myself I wouldn't have to?!?

I'm listening to "Side 2" of Abbey Road as a I am typing.  Fellow broadcaster Kenn Tomasch suggested it might be the perfect album side.