Bands who adopted their sound from other band's songs/albums

[BigSixFan]

A few bands, to include:

* Heart: I love their earlier stuff, but they are a blatent Led Zeppelin emulation. Heck, Mistral Wind is structured very similarly to Stairway to Heaven.

* Kingdom Come: Another Zep wannabe.

* Led Zeppelin: As anyone stolen more from the old-timers than The Mighty Zep?

* Kansas: Was Kansas influenced by Bloodrock's Passage? Warren Ham later played with Kansas. For that matter, Bloodrock's Passage has quite the Jethro Tull sound. Which leads us, of course, to:

* Jethro Tull: Some of their stuff has a pronounced Fairport Convention sound.

* Triumvirate and UK's Danger Money: ELP tributes.

[bob_32_116]

Some of the comments in this thread remind me of Pharrell Williams' response to the recent court ruling that "Blurred Lines" plagiarised from Marvin Gaye: "Soul music sounds like soul music."

Likewise, English folk music sounds like English folk music, etc. Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span all took inspiration from folk. So did Mannheim Steamroller, for that matter. That doesn't mean any of those bands were emulating any of the others.

[GuitarGeek]

Some of the comments in this thread remind me of Pharrell Williams' response to the recent court ruling that "Blurred Lines" plagiarised from Marvin Gaye: "Soul music sounds like soul music."

Likewise, English folk music sounds like English folk music, etc. Jethro Tull, Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span all took inspiration from folk. So did Mannheim Steamroller, for that matter. That doesn't mean any of those bands were emulating any of the others.

WEll, there's a difference between being influenced by something, and sounding almost just like it. Using the example of Metallica, I don't think they sound indistinguishable from Diamondhead (though to be honest, I've only ever heard a few Diamondhead songs, but as far as I can remember, Hetfield's vocals don't sound anything like the Diamonhead singer's). Likewise, you're not likely to mistake Led Zeppelin for Joan Baez, Albert King, or any of the other people they ripped off.

On the other hand, if you were to play something like Diabolica, Misplaced Childhood or The Sky Moves Sideways for someone who's never heard RMI, Marillion (well, Fish era Marillion, anyway) or Porcupine Tree, they might be forgiven for mistaking them for prime era Tangerine Dream, Genesis or Pink Floyd. And as I said earlier, Astral Entrance by Eloy so blatantly based off the first section of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, it's amazing they weren't sued.

I still remember the first time I heard Kingdom Come on the radio. DJ plays whatever the first single off the record was, then says, "I've been requests for that band all day long, and now that I hear 'em, I can see why: they sound exactly like Led Zeppelin!". Supposedly, their debut album was the biggest selling record in the history of Atlantic Records, presumably because of the hype surrounding that point, but I think it eventually became an albatross around their necks, to the point that the singer got upset in interviews when people would bring it up.

[klothos]

Godsmack -----> Alice In Chains

[bob_32_116]

WEll, there's a difference between being influenced by something, and sounding almost just like it.

Yes of course there is, and I did not mean to suggest otherwise. When I first heard Misplaced Childhood, that was my reaction; this sounds like a poor man's Genesis.

As for Kingdom Come, not only have I never heard them, I had never heard OF them until this board, so clearly that first album was not enough to propel them to international stardom.

[GuitarGeek]

Yes of course there is, and I did not mean to suggest otherwise. When I first heard Misplaced Childhood, that was my reaction; this sounds like a poor man's Genesis.

I wouldn't say "poor man's Genesis", but I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't make the Genesis connection, at least.

[2steves]

I wouldn't say "poor man's Genesis", but I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't make the Genesis connection, at least.

When Tony Banks was asked about Marillion and Misplaced Childhood all he could say was--It's funny to him.

Misplaced Childhood is one of the few albums that I liked that is such a blatant rip-off---not into groups that are not original. Be original or why bother?

[GuitarGeek]

When Tony Banks was asked about Marillion and Misplaced Childhood all he could say was--It's funny to him.

Misplaced Childhood is one of the few albums that I liked that is such a blatant rip-off---not into groups that are not original. Be original or why bother?

I"m fine with bands with who do something that's a little less than original, so long as it's good quality stuff. I"m fine with the fact that The Sky Moves Sideways sounds like Shine On You Crazy Diamond II, or that RMI sound a bit like Tangerine Dream, or that the Fish era Marillion records sound like Genesis.

For me, I'm one of those people who's always saying, "I wish there were a couple more albums like...", with regards to whatever my favorite records are. I always wish there were another couple records like Moving Pictures, Animals, Rubycon, A Trick Of The Tail, Relayer, Space Ritual, Remember The Future, etc. So if someone else is willing to provide that service, fine with me.

[2steves]

Yeah I think a lot of prog fans feel the way you do---^^but I don't---usually I don't need a record to sound like another record. But it's just a matter of taste.

[Modry Effekt]

Pacific sound - Forget your dream


Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man

[GuitarGeek]

Yeah I think a lot of prog fans feel the way you do---^^but I don't---usually I don't need a record to sound like another record. But it's just a matter of taste.

Well, I don't need a record to sound like another record, either. What I need is for the record to sound good. But I've heard too many supposedly "completely original, unlike anything you've ever heard before" bands in the last 10 or 15 years who didn't sound good, to my ears. I'd rather listen to Radio Massacre International's sort of Tangerine Dream-like records, than listen to...oh, I don't know, let's say Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

On the other hand, there's bands like Djam Karet, Magma, VDGG, who don't sound like anyone else, who I love as well.

[Digital_Man]

If a band is deliberately trying to sound like another band I can be ok with that. The problem is most of them don't know they are sounding a little too much like their heroes. I heard this band called Unifaun who seem to be very intentionally trying to sound like early Genesis. They aren't lifting melodies or anything but it's so obvious they are trying to sound like them. It's a tribute without being an official tribute.

[bob_32_116]

I'm eagerly awaiting the first court case in which someone charged with counterfeiting claims to be simply making a "tribute" to the dollar bill.

[Rufus]

Genesis based their early sound on The Moody Blues and various English folk bands for sure!

[moecurlythanu]

Genesis based their early sound on The Moody Blues and various English folk bands for sure!

Nonsense. "The Silent Sun" was patterned after the Bee Gees, as Jonathan King was a big Bee Gees fan, and they were trying to impress him.

[bob_32_116]

^^ "The Silent Sun" and "One-Eyed Hound" sound more like the Bee Gees than the Bee Gees did. For sure, they were emulating that sound on their first album and their early singles. there is also perhaps a touch of the Moody Blues influence on certain album tracks such as "The Conqueror" and "One Day". By the time of Trespass however most of that is gone, and you start to hear English pastoral/folky influences, courtesy no doubt of Anthony Phillips.

I guess when you say "their early sound", it depends on how early you are referring to.

[GuitarGeek]

Nonsense. "The Silent Sun" was patterned after the Bee Gees, as Jonathan King was a big Bee Gees fan, and they were trying to impress him.

Although King denied it decades later, saying that it wasn't fair to compare Silent Sun to the Bee Gees because "this was really before that".

BTW, what did Jonathan King ever do after his his association with Genesis ended? I think just about the only time I ever hear him talked about or interviewed anywhere is connection to Genesis. The one and only time I think I've seen him anywhere, he was delivering an editorial of some kind, well, it was more like a rant, I think on CNN or some other "news" channel. This was back in the mid 90's, or so. And I know he had a single before he came into contact with Genesis, but it seems like most of his career for the last 35 years has been talking about how he discovered Genesis.

[GuitarGeek]

If a band is deliberately trying to sound like another band I can be ok with that. The problem is most of them don't know they are sounding a little too much like their heroes..

As I said, I met Gary Straiter from Starcastle, actually denied to me that they sounded like Yes. "Anyone who thought we sounded like Yes weren't really listening". Yeah, sure buddy.

Fortunately, I had forgotten at the time the story I heard from someone who saw Starcastle back in the 70's, which basically hinged on the point that the band didn't just sound like Yes, but the bass player (meaning Gary, which is why I'm glad I didn't mention this to him) didn't just playing a Rickenbacker but even dressed like Squire, right down to the fur covered pirate boots.

[trurl]

Although King denied it decades later, saying that it wasn't fair to compare Silent Sun to the Bee Gees because "this was really before that".

One of the earlier Genesis docs he flat out says it: "I wanted the album to be a Bee-Gees pastiche". And Gabriel or Banks, one, said they wrote in that style because it was what he liked. He was just being a revisionist dickwad later.

[GuitarGeek]

One of the earlier Genesis docs he flat out says it: "I wanted the album to be a Bee-Gees pastiche". And Gabriel or Banks, one, said they wrote in that style because it was what he liked. He was just being a revisionist dickwad later.

Yeah, I remember both Peter and Tony said that it was a deliberate Bee Gees pastiche. But in that one documentary that came out on VHS back in the early 90's, King denies it. He says something like "It's not fair to compare them to the Bee Gees or Buffalo Springfield, because this was really before that".

[moecurlythanu]

By the time of Trespass however most of that is gone, and you start to hear English pastoral/folky influences, courtesy no doubt of Anthony Phillips.

I haven't read any Genesis biographies in quite a long time, but my recollection is that before they wrote and rehearsed 'Trespass,' they cloistered themselves in a rural cottage that belonged to a relative of one of the band members or someone close to the band. The LP getting the most spins there was 'In The Court Of The Crimson King.'
I haven't read any bios on Ant specifically, but I've heard him connected more to Ralph Vaughn Williams as an influence, rather than to British Folk music directly. Having said that, it's highly likely that he was at least exposed to local Folk music. How much he drew from it? Who knows?
Also, don't underestimate the influence of Church Hymns learned at Charterhouse on the bands' music. This is oft cited in interviews & bios. If you are a Genesis fan and have never read Armando Gallo's bio, I highly recommend that you do.

[moecurlythanu]

Although King denied it decades later, saying that it wasn't fair to compare Silent Sun to the Bee Gees because "this was really before that".

Kind of irrelevant, really. The fact that the band admitted to trying to impress him by deliberately crafting a Bee Gees sound-alike song tells what they were up to in those early days.

BTW, what did Jonathan King ever do after his his association with Genesis ended? I think just about the only time I ever hear him talked about or interviewed anywhere is connection to Genesis. The one and only time I think I've seen him anywhere, he was delivering an editorial of some kind, well, it was more like a rant, I think on CNN or some other "news" channel. This was back in the mid 90's, or so. And I know he had a single before he came into contact with Genesis, but it seems like most of his career for the last 35 years has been talking about how he discovered Genesis.

I hope I'm not misremembering again, but I think in later years he became a well known celebrity pedophile (or as the Brits would spell it, paedophile.) I don't recall the circumstances, but if it's accurate, there should be something online.

[the winter tree]

I wouldn't say "poor man's Genesis", but I don't think I've ever met anyone who didn't make the Genesis connection, at least.

I actually talked to a guy at a Marillion concert back in 1989 or '90 and I mentioned the obvious early Genesis influence and he looked at me like I was nuts. He got very indignant and said"...they sound NOTHING like Genesis and they are WAY better than Genesis!"

What could I say after that? ;-)

Ironically, after the show I heard Mark Kelly mention to someone what a huge influence "Trick of the Tail" was for the band.

[the winter tree]

Genesis based their early sound on The Moody Blues and various English folk bands for sure!

I've heard them mention FAMILY as a big influence. I bought a FAMILY compilation and there's a song called "Burning Bridges" that sounds very Genesis-like, although it came out in 1973. The Strawbs "Grave New World" sounds like a cross between Genesis and Jethro Tull in many places.

The Moody Blues seem to have been a bit of an influence on the first King Crimson lineup. Wasn't Tony Clarke going to produce them at one point? Of course Crimson took it all much further.

[bob_32_116]

I hope I'm not misremembering again, but I think in later years he became a well known celebrity pedophile (or as the Brits would spell it, paedophile.) I don't recall the circumstances, but if it's accurate, there should be something online.

Wikipedia says he produced early recordings by The Bay City Rollers and by 10cc. It also says he "was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2001 for sexually abusing five boys". In view of that, it's ironic that he released one single under the pseudonym "Shag".