RUSH and the Runaways

[strawberrybrick]

Whole show is here

[Paulrus]

Or not.

Still waiting to be impressed.

[Bucka001]

Different strokes, gang.

[trurl]

Just to be clear, I don't think they sucked any more than the Pistols sucked (and I happen to think the Pistols sucked far less than most people). I just don't think they have any great claims to serious credibility beyond being a decent fun rocking band that had an angle. They aren't "important" in the sense that, say, The Ramones might be "important".

[Rickenbacker]

They aren't "important" in the sense that, say, The Ramones might be "important".

I dunno. Maybe from an all-female band stand point, they might be. I can't think of an all-female band earlier than them who emphasized hard rock.

[progholio]

He probably did. Although, you do know Joan Jett is a lesbian right? Not sure if she was back then or not. I guess that's not going to come as a big surprise to most on here.

shit, did that even matter back then?
could explain Alex's sly grin.

[trurl]

I dunno. Maybe from an all-female band stand point, they might be. I can't think of an all-female band earlier than them who emphasized hard rock.

Well there is that, I suppose. Although the aforementioned Fanny rocked pretty hard for their time.

[3LockBox]

I don't know if I'd out and out dismiss The Runaways as an influence. The "all-girl punk band" thing was culturally significant back then, but they were the all-female version of something that had already been pioneered. Ann and Nancy Wilson are more significant, IMO. I'm pretty sure we'd have heard from Joan Jett and Lita Ford with or without The Runaways. Cherie Curry on the other hand... doubtful.

[Rickenbacker]

I could be wrong, but I'm thinking they were the 1st all-female band to "shred". At least by 70s standards. Lita could *play*.

[syncopatico]

Since every song of theirs had a very basic 4/4 rhythm (from what i hear); how could the guys in Rush NOT keep from giggling and/or heckling?!!

[GuitarGeek]

Cherie Curry (sic) on the other hand... doubtful.

I dunno. She was a pretty good B-movie actress. Loved her in Wavelength. And I hear she now's a chainsaw artist. That's bound to attraction a degree of attention.

Oh, and to keep this (ahem) "prog" related, the score to Wavelength was done by Tangerine Dream.

[Wisdomview]

I dunno. She was a pretty good B-movie actress. Loved her in Wavelength. And I hear she now's a chainsaw artist. That's bound to attraction a degree of attention.

Oh, and to keep this (ahem) "prog" related, the score to Wavelength was done by Tangerine Dream.

Odd fact: Cherie Currie was once married to Robert Hays of Airplane! fame.

[GuitarGeek]

Odd fact: Cherie Currie was once married to Robert Hays of Airplane! fame.

Surely, you're not serious!

[ThomasKDye]

Surely, you're not serious!

I am serious, and don't call me Cherie.

Wait, I did that wrong.

[GuitarGeek]

I am serious, and don't call me Cherie.

Wait, I did that wrong.

[Wisdomview]

I speak jive........

[Bucka001]

Since every song of theirs had a very basic 4/4 rhythm (from what i hear); how could the guys in Rush NOT keep from giggling and/or heckling?!!

I watched the concert footage that Charles posted earlier in the thread and parts of that concert are pretty awesome. It may be 4/4, but I have to say that while The Runaways were widely acknowledged as having great guitarists in Joan Jett and Lita Ford, and a great front (wo)man in Cherie Currie, what really made the band is Sandy West on drums. She played with real authority and (you'll pardon the expression) balls, and while she's extremely energetic, she also stays in the pocket. Very powerful. Phil Collins had a great quote years ago (which he said he heard from someone else but couldn't remember who): A mediocre drummer can make a great band sound mediocre; a great drummer can make a mediocre band sound great. Sandy West was a great drummer (4/4-exclusive drumming and all!!)

[JIF]

I watched the concert footage that Charles posted earlier in the thread and parts of that concert are pretty awesome. It may be 4/4, but I have to say that while The Runaways were widely acknowledged as having great guitarists in Joan Jett and Lita Ford, and a great front (wo)man in Cherie Currie, what really made the band is Sandy West on drums. She played with real authority and (you'll pardon the expression) balls, and while she's extremely energetic, she also stays in the pocket. Very powerful. Phil Collins had a great quote years ago (which he said he heard from someone else but couldn't remember who): A mediocre drummer can make a great band sound mediocre; a great drummer can make a mediocre band sound great. Sandy West was a great drummer (4/4-exclusive drumming and all!!)

Are you trying to say that The Runaways were a mediocre band?

[Bucka001]

Are you trying to say that The Runaways were a mediocre?

Nope. Just saying she was a great drummer, and any band needs a great drummer. Bill Bruford was a great drummer; doesn't mean Yes was mediocre.

[strawberrybrick]

^ those drummers stick together!

For the rest please put it into perspective:

1975.
Teenage girls.
Rock band.
Kim Fowley.

The Runaways were no small feat.

[trurl]

Sandy was pretty damn solid, for sure. She was definitely the reason they were any good at all.

[Bucka001]

Sandy was pretty damn solid, for sure. She was definitely the reason they were any good at all.

I hear ya on Sandy being pretty good. But to be fair (and only in my opinion), while they would have been sunk if they had a lame drummer (like any band), the group as a whole had a pretty great stage presence when they played live. And the Lita Ford / Joan Jett one-two guitar combo was pretty solid (hard to believe they were 16 yr old girls!). And I love Cherie Currie's delivery on some of those tunes. That sarcastic sneer ("Hello dad, hello mommm") on Cherry Bomb is worthy of Johnny Rotten (a good thing!).

[trurl]

I hear ya on Sandy being pretty good. But to be fair (and only in my opinion), while they would have been sunk if they had a lame drummer (like any band), the group as a whole had a pretty great stage presence when they played live. And the Lita Ford / Joan Jett one-two guitar combo was pretty solid (hard to believe they were 16 yr old girls!). And I love Cherie Currie's delivery on some of those tunes. That sarcastic sneer ("Hello dad, hello mommm") on Cherry Bomb is worthy of Johnny Rotten (a good thing!).

Well, yeah I won't argue that. Anyway, I like them! I really do. I think they wrote some good songs, too. My only argument is how "important" they may or may not have been...

[Paulrus]

My only argument is how "important" they may or may not have been...

Important in terms of giving young girl rockers a role model, absolutely. That can't be overstated.

But important in terms of their musical legacy? I guess with songs like "Cherry Bomb" they helped pave the way for the sort of in your face aggressive female sexuality that people like Madonna exploited in the 80s, so I'll give them that. I just find most of the composition and arranging to be not much more than second-tier punk rock, though to be fair that sort of music is rarely about melody and hooks but is all about attitude and energy. On those terms the Runaways music rates well.

But having now watched that entire film I can *totally* imagine Geddy, Alex and Neil cracking up from the wings.

[Bucka001]

But having now watched that entire film I can *totally* imagine Geddy, Alex and Neil cracking up from the wings.

Fair enough. You couldn't have two more diametrically opposed bands! I have pals who used to laugh at Geddy's voice ("the smurf" as they called it). Others loved it. But I wouldn't have been surprised to see Rush not digging the (to them) overly-simplistic Runaways, and the gals in tR's being bored by the (to them) proggy indulgence of Rush. Different strokes...