That being the case, here's a hopefully stress-relieving diversion to keep you all occupied until our sweaty-but-satisfied return. To wit:
Post-Elvis Pop/Rock/Soul/Country Performer(s) Whose Work You Recognize as Important, But Otherwise They Just Don't Do it For You!!!
No arbitrary rules here, but basically we're talking about bands or solo acts who simply aren't your cup of tea, even though you cheerfully concede they have the musical goods. In other words, if their stuff came on the radio, you wouldn't turn it off, but you still wouldn't buy their albums for your personal collection.
And my totally Top of My Head Top Five is...
5. Talking Heads
Daivd Byrne's preppy anxiety attacks have always struck me as just a wee tad pretentious -- so sue me. In any case, this is the only Heads song I have ever listened to for pleasure, and then only in the rocked-out Bob Clearmountain remix, which seems to have vanished mysteriously from YouTube, alas.
4. Led Zeppelin
Figures that the only thing of theirs I love unreservedly would be this stylistically left-field vaguely Latin excursion from their final album. You know -- the one most Zep fans don't care for.
3. Van Halen
Hey -- I've seen Back to the Future; I get why people a generation younger than me dig them, and think Eddie's a cool guitarist. The above is still the only song of theirs that doesn't reduce me to scowling fidgets.
2. The Band
Love 'em being all spooky and stuff behind Dylan, think Garth Hudson is the greatest rock organist ever, but couldn't care less if I never heard any of their records again.
And the number one household name musical icon that pretty much everybody else loves, but I could easily and without regret live without is ---
1. Elton John
What can I tell you -- this one slays me, but other than that I have never listened to a single one of his songs under a pair of headphones for enjoyment. I should add that the "Tiny Dancer" scene in Almost Famous makes me wanna hurl.
Alright then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
21 comments:
I see your Talking Heads and raise you a John Prine.
Ooh, where to begin....
1. Frank Zappa. When I was younger, if you were smart & smoked pot, you were a Zappa fan. But I found him tiresome, unfunny and his music had no swing or soul whatsoever. Sure, I appreciated the political stands he took later in life, but the only Zappa records I ever owned were Apostrophe (it grabbed me for some reason) and the 12" single of Valley Girl.
2. I echo Sal's John Prine. In college especially, I knew people who thought he was a genius. All I heard was a bunch of deliberately depressing songs, each more miserable than the last.
3. 90s fave Dave Matthews Band - the missus went thru a (blessedly short) Dave Matthews period. He couldn't write a danceable beat or a hummable tune if you paid him a billion dollars.
4. Phish. You'd think as a Deadhead, Phish would be a natural for me. What they never got about the Dead is that all those great jams were structured around great SONGS. Sing a Phish song - go ahead, I dare you. You can't.
5. Amd the ultimate, no-fooling, everyone-I-know-think-he's-the-sun,moon & stasrs-and-I-shrug: the aging godling known as Bruce Springsteen. I always found his music more derivatve than homage-like, and his song-stories melodramatic self-aggrandizing piffle. When my friends swoon over Bruuuuuce, I quietly wait for the subject to change.
And don't get me started on those posthumously overrated paper-thin teenyboppers, The Beach Boys....
while this topic provides plenty of room for rambling, it's a bit of a downer - "these are a few of my least favorite things" - may i suggest as a theme for some other weekend - musicians that should be MORE prominent - those who haven't gotten as much recognition as they deserve
or how about songs in favor of peace, or against war?
the roots do a great version of "masters of war" - beginning with using the melody of "to anacreon in heaven" - better known under another name
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRmxlKXsqNE
Don’t mince words, Gummo — tell us what you really think.😎
U2
I should love their music but it leaves me cold and uninvolved.
"Desire" may be the most soulless song to ever use the Bo Diddley beat.
Now Carly Simon's legs engage my interest!
:-)
Captain Al
Don’t mince words, Gummo — tell us what you really think.😎
Whew, that was cathartic!
Second on Elton John.
Billy Joel, just can't stand Billy Joel.
Neil Young. I'm totally on board with Buffalo Springfield, and I really like some of his songs. Even read his book about his obsession with better streaming sound. But I just can't listen to him sing. And I'm a fan of Bad Voices in rock. I imagine it is the was many people feel about Bob Dylan.
Taylor Swift - I don't think I'd know one of her songs if I heard it, but every time I hear one I am, to quote Peter Cook, "filled with inertia." She seems like a lovely woman, an it must be hell to have to be so perfectly crafted every moment you are in public, but I just don't get it.
There are more, but I try to block them out.
I'm with you on Led Zeppelin. There music makes me tired after about 3 songs. I'll add in two more:
Radiohead - other than Creep, Thom Yorke's miserable whine makes me want to put him out of his misery.
Grateful Dead - I grew up with a lot of deadheads in the Bay Area. I even sat through their set at the Bill Graham memorial gig, but they were the most boring act of the day. Endless noodling, all at the same shuffling tempo. Yawn.
- Paul in DK
Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun" is decent, but for some reason I just never connected with these guys, even though I really liked other alt/grunge/noise rockers (Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, Oasis, Stone Roses, Pavement) in the late 80s/early 90s.
Pink Floyd - With the exception of a couple of albums, most of their output just kind of leaves me feeling indifferent.
Tom Waits - I feel a little guilty about this choice because Waits has had a long, varied career, he's interesting and funny in interviews, and I like his first album on Asylum. But his SINGING literally drove me out of a record store back the 1980s (in fairness, I should probably get that album today and see if I feel the same way).
I'm with Steve on The Band - their vocals never did much for me.
I effing HATE the Grateful Dead (speaking of singers who I can't stand) so I won't list them as I refuse to recognize them as important. (whoops - I just did)
J. Giels Band - every time I hear them on the radio, I think, hey I should buy that, but then I think, nah, hearing it on the radio is good enough for me.
NRBQ- see lots of love for them, but they don't move me at all.
Bruuuuuuce!
But at least he's produced a handful of good songs. Something which fellow Joisey-an and consistent schlockmeister Jon Bon cannot claim.
Were there any justice, Fountains of Wayne and the 'Reens would be more popular than both...
A lot of folks here seem to be citing artists they don't like and can't see why anyone would, as opposed to those they respect but aren't moved by. I have plenty in the first category (Lou Reed, Ricki Lee Jones, Neil Young, Miss Simon, Frank Zappa) but the only name that occurs in the second is David Bowie. I can see why he's "important" but he's not important to me.
Interesting that you highlighted 'And She Was,' because I think it has the best-recorded bass drum ever.
Steely Dan. Early stuff is okay and 'Rikki Don't Lose That Number' is superb, but the bigger and slicker they got they turned me cold, cold, cold.
Anything from Rush or Genesis. Dave Matthews doesn't do 'songs.' He noodles.
And sorry, Steve, but I still don't get 'Forever Changes.'
Not necessarily sticking with the criteria but-
Styx-have a story but I'm not in the mood
Guns 'N Roses
Genesis
Black Oak Arkansas
Motley Crue
I find Geddy Lee and Rush to be a channel turner too
Peter Gabriel
Bay City Rollers-never got the memo on why it was "cool" to like these guys
Dave Matthews
Hootie and the Blowfish
Lenny Kravitz
CSN
Gilbert O'Sullivan
Quiet Riot esp. post Randy Rhoads
Freddie & the Dreamers were pretty useless too:)
Van Halen might have made the list except for the fact that David Lee Dickhead bought me three drinks after I insulted the shit out of him even more than he knew.
VR
Steve: Led Zepp's "Fool In the Rain"? You gotta be kidding me! That's your favorite Zeppelin song? We're not even on the same planet with that one.
The Band's "Brown Album" is a treasure from top to bottom. Better than "Big Pink." Bought it and "Abbey Road" the same day. I like most of the Band's albums a lot. Levon, Rick and Richard's rustic vocals put the meat on Robbie's bones. Not so crazy about Robbie solo, though.
Surprised Bowie didn't make your list.
Re: Dead hate
I have a Love/Hate with the Dead. But I always come back for more. They were an acquired taste for me but worth savoring. They have some truly timeless and unique songs in their canon. It's a warts 's all type of thing where every bum note is a heroic chance taken. But it goes both ways. Sometimes the light's all shining on me. Other times I can barely see, as they say.
John Prine, like Guy Clark, was best seen in intimate live settings. Their melodies are rather uninteresting, no matter which way you feel about the lyrics or craft.
Many of the above on my list ... Led Zep, Dave Matthews, Pink Floyd, Zappa ... but I will add: Cream. With one or two exceptions, they bore the pants off me.
Many have already chimed in with some of mine. The one that stands out is Lou Reed. I tried, I really tried but it just did not do anything for me. Led Zep as well
I think Bowie, Led Zep, Grateful Dead, Springsteen, Zappa, Van Halen, U2 all were fairly important, in that they influenced many other bands and/or were enough of a juggernaut to substantially change rock music (not necessarily for the better). But between them all, I can count the number of songs I like on one hand.
Looking specifically at Steve’s list, I’ll comment on a few:
Talking Heads is a band that I do like a lot, especially the Remain In Light and Fear of Music albums. I’m not really sure how important they were though; Stop Making Sense was fairly influential I guess.
Sort of agree about the Band, but I generally don’t change the channel if they come on the radio. But Garth Hudson the best rock organist? Nay, nay, it’s Steve Winwood for the win and not even close.
Elton John…my older sister was a huge fan, so I heard all his stuff through about 1979 or so, but the only two albums that stuck with me are Tumbleweed Connection (“Amoreena” in particular is great, and the nascent Americana vibe is really well done), and Rock of the Westies (it does rock out a lot, and a song about Dan Dare no less, and another with a marimba solo? Sign me up!). But most of the rest…yeah, not much “there” there.
Heard Eddie Cochran doing Twenty-Flight Rock while I was driving to work yesterday (on Little Steven’s Underground Garage channel, where else); great to hear it, so very very good…there were giants in the Earth in those days…
Thank you cthulhu for reminding me of Steve's comment about Garth Hudson.
Steve, I always thought the organ player you admired the most was Matthew Fisher. He's certainly at the top of my list.
Captain Al
All of mine have been pretty much covered in the preceding remarks. And while I'll probably take some grief for this, I just want note a few that, in particular, have always left me scratching my head. First up, Lou Reed. I get the VU's place in the art-rock pantheon, but aside from Walk on the Wild Side, I never understood why Reed was so adored as a solo artist--especially after I bought the album Berlin and had to fight the urge to slash my own wrists...and his. Next up...Queen. Sure, they had a handful of catchy pop hits and Freddie Mercury's voice was unique in its operatic range, but the vast majority of their catalog is utterly forgettable, IMO. And lastly, there's the Moody Blues. I confess to believing Nights in White Satin was something deep when I was in junior high school, but I'm writing that off as a folly of youth. Otherwise... what a bunch of pretentious windbags with another catalog of music to kill yourself by.
I would also like note my agreement with the already-mentioned Genesis, Rush, Zappa, LedZep, Cream, Love and (sorry, Steve) Beach Boys--with a special mention going out to the singularly most irksome band on Earth, IMO: REO Speedwagon, although I don't think they meet the "recognize as important" requirement.
(Also, I'm going to assume you no longer need the Clearmountain mix, as I have yet to find it.)
Pete said:
"A lot of folks here seem to be citing artists they don't like and can't see why anyone would, as opposed to those they respect but aren't moved by."
I see this happen on my blog all the time. The plot gets lost.
But in other news, am I the only one tired of seeing the same people get trashed? It could be a post about Steve & Eydie or Japanese cuisine or Richard Nixon, and ten people will still find a way to trash Bruce, Zeppelin, Bowie, Queen, and Billy Joel.
Now The Band? Really?
Jeez.
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