The Beatles - I vote for early over late every time/  The sheer exuberance
of the early stuff is sensational (She Loves You, Hard Days Night, I Feel
Fine etc etc.).  In fact mention of the word Beatle automatically makes me
think of the Fab Four moptops, all running around daft like in their
movies. In their latter years they were a great, great rock band. But I
think the essence of untouchability, of indestructability, the very
Beatleness of it all, had deserted them by that point: they were JUST a
great rock band.

The Who - It's a tie, I think some of the really early stuff is pretty lame
(singles excepted), and this counterbalances the pomposity of Townsend's
later work.  If we concentrate purely on their singles though, I'd vote for
"early".

The Ramones - Early!  Although their later albums all had at least a couple
of great tracks.

Bob

PS Does anyone else think that the chorus to Sparky's Dream (by TFC) is the
most obvious "Pictures of Lily" rip in existence?

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