if you're looking for a rock and roll covers band

try www.asparausnow.com

with an average age of 21, our combined ages are STILL younger then BB King :P

Tom Lyon, Liverpool, England

I wonder why Jeremy didn't write about The Cars.

Victor Kennedy, Maribor, Slovenia

great piece, jeremy, and i agree wholeheartedly, but homer simpson sadi it first and more succinctly. can you handle that?

Ian, Brisbane,

I love Leigh Vernier's comment - spot on. And I identify with JC's piece as well - to an extent.

Steve M, Midlands, England

Great music survives the passage of time.

Whereas rap emanates from the back passage.

Leigh Vernier, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

I think that you just have to look deeper and further to get to the good stuff these days. Maybe it's not always original, but some of it is very good...just stay away from mainstream radio. It plays nothing that is of any use whatsoever.

Graeme, Toronto, Canada

True, great music survives the passage of time (whether 'covered' live or re-recorded, although some originals are hard to be improved upon). But this discussion is mostly about the soundtrack of one's youth. Jeremy's parents probably felt the same about the Who etc. as he feels about today's bands.

Esther Oberbeck, London,

Dear Ash from Canberra: Top Gear Australia may prove the point by being bloody awful. They try to do it word for word and are embarrassing to watch. If they were left to do it their way it might have been OK.

Thanks Jeremy.

Rod, Perth, Australia

I agree with you jeremy, so why do you let the BBC play that awful cover version of Jessica?
Play the original version by the best US band ever. The Allman Brothers Band!

al stuart, london, england

Blimey and I thought I was the only one who shouts 'Kings new clothes' when all the young bands come on Jools... Punk was the end of proper new rock music and those chilly pepper bods are plain awful. The duo on Jonny Woss last Friday must have been taking the Mick...

Epi, Reigate, England

Never have truer words been spoken.
I'm not old enough to have seen all the rock 'n' roll greats (Who, Led Zep, Queen etc) in their prime, but I'm grateful to have been introduced to the music.
There are no songs around now which even come close to eg My Wife, or Stairway to Heaven. It's a shame.

Rebecca, Leeds, UK

Hey! You should try Karaoke...all the old songs are out there! Sometimes abysmal, sometimes brilliant, but never boring! It takes real guts to get up there and be bad!

Susan Lythgoe, Lancashire, UK

Clarkson has unwittingly hit upon the difference between musical genres. People go to LISTEN to Rachmaninov but go to SEE Pink Floyd. If the music is truly great it will survive long after the original band is dead. Perhaps in a hundred years people will sit in raptures to Stairway to Heaven, maybe!

Richard, Fareham, Hants

Jeremy,you have good taste!
Uncle Pete Townshend has just to play one chord and then ,BLANG!you know that all "indie" stuff just cant stand up to any Who songs....

Lionel, Paris,

That's what happens when you listen to "Dad Rock".

Try something new Jeremy, you might like it. I've got a spare ticket for The Killers, why don't you come along?

Sam, Sheffield,

I don't think Muse were better than Pink Floyd, but they are certainly as good as.

James J, London, UK

Jeremy is right. There's nothing that is even in the same league, let alone championship, that can compare with Floyd, Straits, Genesis et al.

I recently watched in astonishment, 'Later with Jools Holland's line of 'guitar greats'. Apart from Clapton and one or two others, the rest were rubbish

David Garfield, London, UK

im 22 and all modern music is awful,its copy and paste.
long live the stones

Chris, Rochdale, UK

There's nothing more pointless in life than trying to argue that one song or band is better than another.

Phil Hughes, Porto-Cristo, Mallorca, Spain

Matt, are you high? Doves, Muse and Elbow better than Pink Floyd?! Some people have absolutely no taste whatsoever, but that's going a bit far.

For modern music Jeremy, try Pelican or Red Sparowes. Sweeping soundscapes, much like Floyd's, building up to a crescendo. Good stuff, I assure you.

DanX, Cardiff, Wales

Modern music is not crap! There is a lot more around today which is the problem, and it is only crap that seems to make it onto the radio because that is what the majority like to listen to. JC try Doves - some cities, Muse and anything by Elbow, all easily as good as Floyd if not better?

Matt, Leeds, UK

Many, if not most, of the new bands don't write anything original anyway. There's this Polish band, whose vocalist seems to copy voice and style of other known vocalists... Then there's another one, whose song sounds like two songs by The Police combined together. They're all just bad copies anyway.

L.S., Gdynia, Poland

I agree re the great volumes of derivative indie guitar nonsense out there. However, searching around will through up reasons to love newly discovered bands. Don't give up!

Diana, london,

Jeremy, me old cock sparrer! Could I introduce you to the Yorkshire broom? It has had sixteen new heads and seventeen new handles.

Steve Buckel, Braunau-am-Inn, Austria

try listening to anberlin

John Williams, brownwood, tx, United States

I totally agree. If a band loses it's fromtman it isn't the same band anymore. That is why I am an Ozzy fan rather than a Black Sabbath fan, but they are cool too. All the bands I listened to when I was growing up are still going and still incredible, Ozzy, ACDC, Motorhead, Alice Cooper, etc. Great!

Sarah Williamson, Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

All Modern music is crap!

Stick with the classics, Mr Clarkson, you have impecable taste in music.

I agree, when I band loses a memeber it isn't the same anymore, esp if it is the main person, the vocalist. Basically the vocalist is the band. Motorhead wouldn't be Motorhead without Lemmy.

Sarah, County Antrim, Ulster

Dare I ask, does this make Oz Top Gear the 'tribute band' of UK Top Gear?

ash, Canberra, Australia

I agree, although I hope this approach does not stray into the two types of music I abhor - Country AND Western.

Mike Wilson, Austin, Texas, USA

http://www.macfloyd.co.uk/home.html

A plug for a tribute band that my wee pal Sam plays with. She has also played for the Dalai Lama, so who says you can't combine tribute with quality?

George, Glasgow, UK

I like that Grant guys comment about Muse a combo of queen and yes....wow i really would like to hear that, Muse it isn't, sorry buddy Simon isright and Jeremy Radiohead are the best

richard bowden, Davao City, p

Coglans Quo are good, post margatreta time! That guy that do's Roy Orbison is pretty damm close and T- rextasy is the best of all tribute bands 'Who' were fine with Zak but only 1/2 as good without the mighty 'Ent' who needs a Pink Floyd reunion when Lord Gilmore is doing fine in Gdansk thank you?

Dave Farmer, Broxbourne, England

Mr Clarkson, once again a superb start to my Sunday!
Being only 18, I actually agree with your outlook on modern music.
Rock is now a mere shadow compared to what it used to be - and its a shame to think that there will never be anything such as Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin and the like ever again!

Kirsten H, Glasgow, UK

Jeremy, when you're right, you're right. Except maybe for the Chilli Peppers.

John Chapman, Durham, Durham

I saw the Quo in '78 and am seeing them again next month, but I'm sure it's not gonna be the same without Alan Lancaster (great british name!) on bass and John Coughlan on drums :-(

chris, st emo,

There is an official tribute band of Pink Floyd coming from Australia I guess. I saw them on youtube.They are really great!

Pity for Richard. I can't stop listening to wet dream

Piotr, Gdynia,

A great article, it made me laugh out aloud much to the concern of the other people in the Internet cafe.

While the world collapses you concentrate on the real issues.

Thank God

clive, Kythira, Greece

I have to disagree about The Who though. I'm too young(18) to have seen The Classic lineup but I saw them last year in Dublin and it was by a long way the best concert I have ever been to, even though it was just Pete and Roger. And the Red Hot Chilli Peppers aren't that bad are they?

Owen, Dublin,

Top article Jezza. I once saw a Queen tribute band in Pembroke and they were great....until the lead singer feel off the modest stage (it collaped underneath him). He elbowed some gyrating fan on the way down and the mother of all fights ensued. "Freddie" got his head kicked in and the concert ended

john, newcastle,

I am glad it is not just me. I have always felt I am a dinosaur for not embracing current "rock" bands. Yes, the era of Floyd, Led Zep et al certainly was a golden age. Jeremy is right though, there are some cracking tribute bands around, one I would recommend is the The Counterfeit Stones. Great.

Steve, Derby, UK

It could be worse, mate. I live in Thailand, where most of the bands don't speak a word of English. They compensate by making noises that they think sound like the original lyrics. I'm so, so tired of listening to Pink Floyd's "anuffer plick in de war". ;-)

Steve, Pattaya, Thailand

Does Jeremy build his own cars?

Pete , Hull, UK

Speak as a yoof to whom all the Franzes and Peppers are directed, yes Jeremy you are right. For the love of Music, bring back Supertramp.

Tim, Edinburgh,

Tens of millions of people think the Red Hot Chili Peppers are brilliant, Jeremy thinks they are rubbish, mmm, let's think about that for a minute. Music has to move on Jeremy, and so do you!

Dan, Bromley, UK

Thanks again Jeremy for another weekly dose of wit and wisdom. Please don't die any time soon! I've seen some great tribute bands including Australian Pink Floyd who were "semitone perfect". I was never lucky enough to see Queen, The Who or The Floyd live in concert so that's all I can do :-(

Doug Short, Edinburgh, UK

Highlight of my fiftieth year musically will be the release of AC/DCs new album on the 20th october,still intact after 28 years and still banging out great rock n roll.

R.Stratford, London, U.K

Never heard of any of them.

john problem, Hackney Wick, UK

Great piece, Jeremy; just like every Sunday. Oh, and don't forget that the Boss is still around in pretty good shape. As for the young ones, my guess is that only Coldplay may be ranked among the greatests.

Javier, Pamplona, Spain

Spot on. Having seen a number of tribute bands over the years, some have little resemblance to the original artists and will remain on the wedding circuit, but there are some real gems out there. Slyde are very close in sound and look to the original Slade and other Glam legends. "Take Me Bak Ome"

Mark, Granada, Spain

Deep Purple have been a slick, professional Deep Purple tribute band since Ritchie was replaced by guitar-for-hire Steve Morse. There are no sparks without friction.

Bill Peter, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fascinating article Mr Clarkson. Such a pleasure to read on a Sunday morning.

Geoff, Birmingham, UK

Thank God I am not the only one to think the Red Hot Chilli Peppers are crap, thought I was going crazy. Can't wait to show my daughter. British rock is still being held up by the icons of the 60's, 70's, 80's. Mark Knopfler for one is still writing and producing excellent material.

Paul, Brisbane, Australia

The interesting thing is that deaths of band members doesn't have to ruin a band. There's an Australian band called The Whitlams who have only one of the founding members left, and are still producing great albums. And they didn't become famous until they were down to two of the founders.

Catherine, Leonay, Australia

The Rolling Stones, the Beatles and most other 60's bands started out doing covers of American R&B classics. Did not do them any harm, bring back raw energy and musicianship.

Colin Hailey, Tenterfield, Australia

Muse are Rubbish Simon, they are the biggest take-offs of a sound like Queen crossed with Yes that make them average at best.

Grant, Hobart, Australia

Jeremy,
I don't think there are less good bands today than there were, I think its how you listen to them. Where you once listened to bands with an open mind, like-minded friends and possibly out of you mind on something, you now listen with a closed mind, alone in the car and worst of all, sober

Ken, Brisbane, Australia

Aw, Jezza, there are some excellent bands out there today! But true, there are some interesting renditions of 'classic' pop. My favourite cover version is Eva Cassidy's version of 'Fields of Gold', and she died of cancer before Wogan started championing her stuff! Death makes you cool!

Ford_Gal, Aberdeen, SCOTLAND

Jeremy, you should really listen out for Muse. They are one of the most original bands today, sounding like nothing else, and with one of the best covers of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good' they tick all the right boxes for you.

Simon, London, England