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Rock Musician hockey all-star teams- 1960s |
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As the dog days of summer hit us and we see more media posts of NHL players, execs and media golfing, boating, traveling or doing whatever it is they choose to do, it’s time to do something fun. Recently while on vacation I connected with an old friend who I see infrequently. We were talking about the good ‘ol days from university collecting records, playing hockey, watching hockey and we got around to discussing hockey today. Somehow within this beer filled conversation we came up with an idea of making first and second all-star teams based on musicians if they were hockey players.
The concept goes like this take the best of the 60s, 70s 80s, 90s, 00s, and 10s rock musicians and make two all-star teams based on positions.
Teams consist of the following positions
1-Lead Guitarist= C/LW/RW/
2-Rhythm guitarist= LW/RW
3-Vocals= LW/RW/C
4-Bass=D
5-Keyboard/other =D
6-Drummer =Goalie
There is some creative license here as vocalists could be a lead guitarist or drummer (The Band) or rhythm guitarist. You’ll see as this gets rolling. Of course there are bands and artists who span multiple decades and that’s part of the fun and debate- were they better in one decade or another? For example would you take 80s Lemieux of 90s cup-winning Lemieux? So below are the 60s 1st and 2nd All-Star Teams- let the debates begin!
60’s Rock Artists 1st and 2nd All-Star Teams
1st team all stars
LW- Jimi Hendrix
This is almost indisputable and the reason he’s not the C is because he slipped a guitar upside down for his left-handedness and learned and played it! Hendrix was so good that he could have been the C too and probably LW as well and just had two D with him. Imagine Jimi in 3-on-3 OT with just two defence with him. As Pete Townsend told Mick Fleetwood after the Monterey Pop festival, “there’s this guy in America who’s going to put us all out of business,” that was 1967.
C- John Lennon
While perhaps not the most gifted guitarist his understanding of the game was beyond comprehension and his vocals were astounding. Think of his song writing and vision and you get perhaps the most tactical version of a hockey player as a musician in that decade.
RW-Eric Clapton
Clapton’s resume in the 60s may not be what everyone thinks of for his career but look what he did- Yardbirds, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Cream, played lead on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, and then supergroup Blind Faith in 1969. The guy was god as the infamous spray painted sign in London said.
LD- Paul McCartney
You can’t not have a Lennon-McCartney duo on this team. Justify it however you like but if you look at the 19060s and do no have the best two Beatles you are missing something. McCartney was the Orr of the decade he played bass but was so much more than that. So thankful he did not have a bad wrist to end his career early.
RD-Ray Manzarek
Played the bass on the keyboards. Think about that. He played a bass track on that set up with one hand while writing songs to match Morrison’s lyrics. What other rock keyboardist of that decade managed to do what Manzerek did?
Goalie- Keith Moon
The guy was a monster all aspects of life. Crazier than a sh!t house bat and drove a car into a swimming pool. The dude was a goalie the minute he got behind the drum set. Rumor has it he was the inspiration for the muppet Animal of the famed band Dr. Teeth.
2nd team all stars
LW-Keith Richards
Before the heroin and blood transfusion and the 3 million lost brain cells ‘Keef’ was the man and ‘rifted’ shots behind goalies left right and center. In fact he was a wild man that even the drummer played around and followed. Yeah he takes a lot of penalties but as a song writer and guitarist he was nothing but pure influence in the 60s. What happened after… well it’s not Jimmy Carson bad.
C-James Brown
You want lead vocals and a guy who knew no boundaries then James Brown in your centre. All he had to do was yell on the dump and chase and the defence let up to turn their backs. Imagine going into a corner with Brown and hearing him natter at you? Esa Tikkanen looks on in admiration. Oh yeah the guy could actually play instruments too, lead bands, and write songs.
RW-Pete Townsend
Is there a guitarist who was lead who did more to make a career without being a mad soloist? Townsend was a crafty bastard who with his windmill could wind up any team or crowd. Would hate to get on his bad side as the guy had no problem destroying Rickenbacher guitars as if they were cheap Sherwoods. Brainchild behind almost all of the Who’s righting- it’s a shame there was so much talent around him in the 60s.
LD-Greg Allman
He may have made it through the 70’s and 80s (barely) had a resurgence in the 90s but the cofounder of one of the jammiest bands of all time was not just stay at home he once stayed behind the keyboards for so long that when the show ended and the doors opened it was daylight. Go read about the Allman Brothers Fillmore East shows. Yes he had more time in the 70s but two albums in 1969 was an amazing start.
RD- John Entwistle ‘the Ox’
The guy was called the Ox. He didn’t just clear the crease he filled it and stopped all comers. While not the most mobile he could take a lead on the bass like nobodies business. Go listen to the Who’s Live at Leeds (Feb 1970 I know) and find me a bass player from that era who could do what Keith does? He did no learn that in the first month of 1970.
Goalie- Ginger Baker
Go watch the doc on him Beware of Mr Baker then go listen to Cream, Blind Faith and any other project he was involved with in the 60s. He might be crazier than Moon but Moon was the legend before legends were made. He was the first two use two kick bass drums and actually recorded Toad an almost all-drum track. Long before the Grateful Dead added a drum segment to their live shows Baker was already done with it.
Coming next is the 1970s and this is where it gets really tough and arguments galore I'm sure.
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