Check out this article from today's paper out here on the West Coast. I thought some of you would have some opinions....

We can take 'em

By Tony Hicks
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

ANYONE ELSE notice that when the Detroit Tigers clinched their series against the New York Yankees last weekend, they played Kool & the Gang's "Celebration," over the P.A.?

Can't imagine where they got that idea.

Yes, they stole the Oakland A's signature victory song -- the one we've been using for 25 years. But, musically speaking, there's even more at stake when the greater Detroit metro area squares off against the East Bay.

The two small-market underdogs battling this week to represent the American League in the World Series have more in common than baseball. Both come from proud, blue-collar areas with rich musical histories predating rock and roll.

But the rock and roll has since been pretty dang good.

Both areas can claim to be part of musical explosions in the pivotal 1960s (Motown and the psychedelic explosion). But when it comes right down to it, everybody knows Detroit has the hype, but the East Bay delivers the goods.

For purposes of this comparison, an artist must be from the area, or at least have spent their musical formative years there. For example, Marvin Gaye would represent Washington, D.C., not Detroit, where he recorded. Sorry. We demand legitimacy. And we're not counting San Francisco, San Jose or Marin. This is an East Bay battle. By comparison, Detroit has a wide geographic area and can still claim most of the entire Motown roster of yesteryear.

But really, how good would all that old music be firing up rabid baseball fans in a life-or-death battle for A.L. supremacy?

So, Detroit, if you've cleaned up your underage fans from all the booze your conquering heroes sprayed on them in the stands after the big win, here's a challenge. Digest 10 examples of why, if the rules mandated stadiums play only home-grown music, Oakland's McAfee Coliseum would blow the bleachers clean off Detroit's Comerica Park. You're a tough bunch. You'll probably have something to say about it.

Speak up ... but do it fast. This thing's going to be over quickly, and we won't have much space once we start covering the A's prepping for the World Series.

OAKLAND

1. Metallica.

Biggest metal band of the past 25 years. Who would you rather have playing when your closer enters the ninth inning, "Seek and Destroy," or "My Girl"? Whammo. Case closed.

2. Sly and the Family Stone.

Detroit helped invent soul, Sly perfected it. Then he made it funky. Larry Graham's bass popping could splinter Detroit's bat rack.

3. Tupac Shakur.

Sure, Detroit has Eminem. But we had the original iconic king of rap. Ask Marshall Mathers who's better; he'll tell you. Tupac said it all: "You either ride with us, or collide with us." Detroit should prepare for the collision.

4. Green Day

Merely the world's biggest punk band. If Metallica doesn't pump up our boys, "Brain Stew" will do nicely. At least in describing Tigers' manager Jim Leyland's head once Big Hurt unleashes the thunder.

5. Creedence Clearwater Revival

One of the greatest bands of all time. Put John Fogerty in. He's ready to play.

6. Tower of Power

The greatest horn section to ever grace a rock and roll record. Anchor saxophonist Emilio Castillo was actually born in Detroit. But guess where he decided to move to learn real funk?

7. Dead Kennedys

The most political and dangerous band in American hardcore history. "Holiday in Cambodia," or "California Uber Alles," would be a nice jolt to any Detroit fans daring to make the trip.

8. Hammer

Regardless of his late career woes, you can't represent Oakland without Hammer, aka Stanley Burrell, former A's batboy and junior assistant. In the unlikely event our boys get down late in the game, who won't get up for "Too Legit to Quit?"

9. Rancid

Berkeley's Rancid brings a necessary punk rock nastiness to which fans can also sing along. "Time Bomb" would be nice to blast through the P.A. once the A's get a couple of runners on, preparing for the inevitable explosion of the Tigers' Kenny Rogers' 107-year-old pitching arm.

10. En Vogue

Oakland ruled R&B and hip-hop during the pre-gangsta '90s. How could we not blast En Vogue's "You're Never Gonna Get It," once the Tigers try fighting back from a late-inning deficit?

Reach Tony Hicks at 925-952-2678 or thicks@cctimes.com.

DETROIT

Were we to challenge a Detroit newspaper for its picks (we asked, they haven't responded ... yet), here's the acts we'd expect them to choose. But what do we know? It's all hippie and surf music out here in Cali.

The competition:

1. Aretha Franklin: OK, so we now "Respect" Detroit, after they went from triple-digit losses to upsetting the mighty Yankees. But the more they whine about "Respect," the more they look like underdogs. Besides, that was an Otis Redding song, anyway. And we all know how he much he liked San Francisco Bay.

2. Stevie Wonder: Granted, he's a classic. Until he recorded that edgy anthem with Paul McCartney. They pull out "Superstition," we counter with "Ebony and Ivory." End of story.

3. Ted Nugent: The Nuge is about the only threat we see from Detroit, as far as firing up the fans. "Cat Scratch Fever" could be a problem. Plus, one never knows when Ted'll show up with his crossbow.

4. The Stooges: Make that two threats. They pretty much invented American punk rock. We're not worthy. "Search and Destroy" could be trouble.

5. The Temptations: A great band who embraced politics and got an edge. "Ball of Confusion" could fire some people up. But not enough.

6. Eminem: A great rapper, but sorry, not seeing it. We counter with Tupac, and that's all she wrote.

7. White Stripes: Good band, but not for baseball. They're too pale.

8. Kid Rock: This guy is about as intimidating as a guy pumping gas on Highway 5. So's his music.

9. Smokey Robinson: He's great ... for nonfans tongue-kissing in their skybox. We don't want them there anyway.

10. MC5: One could do worse than playing singer Rob Tyner's famous war cry "Kick out the jams, mother (expletives)." But 1960s feedback won't scare folks in Oakland. We invented American thrash metal.

-- Tony Hicks

There is plenty to comment on here. I'll just get started with a couple things. Who gives a damn what song was played after the Tigers beat the Yankees. Newsflash, that wasnt the only song that they played that night! Detroit's music history is among the most diverse and spectacular of any city the world has ever known. Im not taking away anything from the city of Oakland, but the author of this article is leaving out whole genres that were either invented or nurtured in the Motor City. He didnt mention Techno. Detroit is the birthplace of electronic music. The author didnt mention how Detroit is a center of gospel music having given the world the likes of the Winans family, Rev. CL Franklin, Donnie McClurkin, etc. I could go on until Im blue in the face about soul music, Motown, rock music (Bob Segar, Iggy Pop, The White Stripes, etc.), and blues (John Lee Hooker, Larry McCray, Bobo Jenkins, etc.).Sure, Marvin was born and raised in DC, but the Whats Going On album was conceived and composed (and finally recorded in LA) in Detroit as well as most of his most admired work.

The author talks about Tupac as if he was a native. Huh? Tupac was a nomad, a drifter. He was born in NYC, lived in Baltimore and then ended up in Marin City, CA. Most of his later years that he was not on lock down in upstate NY, he lived in Georgia. Oak-town was a pitstop. Who will be talked about 50 years from now? En Vouge or the Supremes? Although I love Sly and the Family Stone, many people think they cant fuck with Parlament Funkadelic. Tower of Power or the Funk Brothers? Hey, u be the judge. They talk about Kid Rock not being intimidating?? How about the man with the purple parachute pants? Gimmie a break. Detroit's musical heritage towers over Oakland and I aint afraid to say it!

Detroit is a 305 year old city. The music that we create is apart of our DNA. We could have played a million Detroit songs after the Tigers won Staurday night that were conceived right within these city limits. The writers at the Oakland papers ought to be asking the A's why their team got their asses kicked on Tuesday night.

dreamfactory313 said:

yeah, I knew some peeps would have opinion.

Stax said:

Fogerty 's Centerfield is like the best baseball song of all-time.

Detroit wins this mutha hands down.

dreamfactory313 said:

.... and Wednesday night.