You know, those bands, artists that any card-carrying respectable music fan should like. Considered deities by some and and hipster-approved, or more than approved, but just so sublime that if you confess you don't like them, you're accused of being an idiot or simpleton or you just don't get it.
Well, I just don't get:

Tom Waits - I tried, I really did, but alas, he doesn't move me. His earthiness is too theatrical. And I can't decide what is more grating, his shtick or his cult of fans.
Leonard Cohen - the voice, the maudlin song structure.
Talking Heads - college kids who squeezed the soul out of a great Al Green song and that was enough for me.
I'm fully prepared to be pummeled by admirers of these artists, but I just don't get it.

What are yours?

Clapton, Dylan and Zep. All three built on previous musicians who I prefer over their work. Just an opinion. I do enjoy both Waits and Cohen, the latter because I like a bit of the maudlin now and then. TH has been low on my list as well, but more for the fact they're overplayed.

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stupidguy2
You know, those bands, artists that any card-carrying respectable music fan should like. Considered deities by some and and hipster-approved, or more than approved, but just so sublime that if you confess you don't like them, you're accused of being an idiot or simpleton or you just don't get it.
Well, I just don't get:

Tom Waits - I tried, I really did, but alas, he doesn't move me. His earthiness is too theatrical. And I can't decide what is more grating, his shtick or his cult of fans.
Leonard Cohen - the voice, the maudlin song structure.
Talking Heads - college kids who squeezed the soul out of a great Al Green song and that was enough for me.
I'm fully prepared to be pummeled by admirers of these artists, but I just don't get it.

What are yours?

Too bad about Tom Waits, you're the one who is losing out.
Ditto, Leonard. I won't pummel you, though, I'll just be sad that there are people who are unable to be moved by the deep emotional brilliance of "Bird On A Wire", "Famous Blue Raincoat", or the bittersweet sad humor of "Postcard From A Hooker In Minneapolis".


But on my list first and foremost will always be the Grateful Dead. Talk about a grating cult of fans.

Another one is Jimi. Yes, the guitar playing was brilliant and innovative. The actual music does nothing for me. The worship of him depresses me as much as some of his music.

Led Zeppelin. Ugh. As Keith once said, "they're aptly named. They never took off."

I enjoy some songs, but usually Robert Plant's vocals are just...grating (as are many of their worshipping fans).

The Grateful Dead are tops on my list too. Some of their stuff is ok, but I just don't get it. Too much noodling for me.

Prince is another. Purple Rain came out when I was in high school and it was everywhere. That might be why. And what came after sounded like the same record with different lyrics to me.

Tele I am with you on Hendrix. I have a ton of his stuff, and I respect his talent, but it all seems to blend together into a long jam of sameness. I rarely chose to spin a Hendrix disc from start to finish. Having said that, I love Band of Gypsies and especially Machine Gun from that disc.

Zappa. Again, I know he was super talented, and a huge amount of material. But I just can't be moved by the pretend humor behind it all, and it all seems a bit pretentious to me.

Pink Floyd- I have never understood the fascination with them.

But, each to his own . . .

The Eagles. And, for the most part, Queen.

Neal Young. I've tried, God knows, but I just can't.

Nirvana. I have very good friends, and not just folks that were teenagers and twenty-somethings in the 90's, but others, who really think Nirvana was legendary, but I just never got into it. The quiet-loud-quiet-loud dynamic thing got old very quick, and Cobain's whiny voice never sounded honest. To me they were little more than Guns and Roses in plaid. And I never liked GnR either, for that matter. Both bands were commercial-sounding to me, formulaic and overly image conscious. There was stuff in the late 80's/ early 90's that was far worse, but still. Those bands' huge success never matched their lesser talents, from my point of view.

Grateful Dead

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MILKYWAY
The Eagles. And, for the most part, Queen.

No one is supposed to like the Eagles! "Fvck the eagles!" The Dude - Big Lebowski

Zappa. I did try, a lot.
Crosby, Stills & Nash.
And a lot of the Motown 60's stuff. Not that I can't stand it, but it all sounds very similar to me.

The Stones after "Exile" (Oh my god! Blasphemy! )
Dylan
Springsteen
Cohen
Dire Straits
Hendrix
Simon & Garfunkel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-04-14 04:59 by tonterapi.

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71Tele

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stupidguy2
You know, those bands, artists that any card-carrying respectable music fan should like. Considered deities by some and and hipster-approved, or more than approved, but just so sublime that if you confess you don't like them, you're accused of being an idiot or simpleton or you just don't get it.
Well, I just don't get:

Tom Waits - I tried, I really did, but alas, he doesn't move me. His earthiness is too theatrical. And I can't decide what is more grating, his shtick or his cult of fans.
Leonard Cohen - the voice, the maudlin song structure.
Talking Heads - college kids who squeezed the soul out of a great Al Green song and that was enough for me.
I'm fully prepared to be pummeled by admirers of these artists, but I just don't get it.

What are yours?

Too bad about Tom Waits, you're the one who is losing out.
Ditto, Leonard. I won't pummel you, though, I'll just be sad that there are people who are unable to be moved by the deep emotional brilliance of "Bird On A Wire", "Famous Blue Raincoat", or the bittersweet sad humor of "Postcard From A Hooker In Minneapolis".


But on my list first and foremost will always be the Grateful Dead. Talk about a grating cult of fans.

Another one is Jimi. Yes, the guitar playing was brilliant and innovative. The actual music does nothing for me. The worship of him depresses me as much as some of his music.

How's this:
You can keep your Waits and I'll keep Jimi?
I realize that Waits is original and oh so quirky and oh so esoteric, but the voice seems so contrived and exaggeratedly weird, like a bear telling stories.
I find him too theatrical, like performance art, which I guess in some ways it is and that's fine. Just not for me. If I want theatrics, Ill take showtunes, they're more melodic.
And Jimi! Tele why?

Tele, I will say this..maybe I'll just get Tom Waits someday.
For years, I didn't get DYlan, had the albums because I was supposed to, liked the popular songs, but I just couldn't delve into his work and I felt, frankly, lacking and small.
Then sometime in 2001, I got it. I heard "Tangled Up in Blue" on the radio one day and just really listened to it and it floored me, the epicness of it, the lyrical complexity and truth etc...and I then became obsessed with Dylan.
So maybe there's hope for Waits in my life. I don't his talent and originality as an artist, but I like more simple movements.


For example, at the recent RRHOF ceremony, Waits did four of his songs to the adoring fans and it was like shtick to me. His fans love him but he is an acquired taste. WHen Leon Russell got up there, played his sad piano and sang in his creaky, old quivering voice "A Song For You", it was raw, simple and moving whether you were a fan or not. It resonated because of the song's relatability and Russell's broken delivery. Waits appeals to his fans, that's the difference.
Uh oh, Im going to get it now.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-04-14 05:17 by stupidguy2.

Eric Clapton - I walked out after seven songs last year, and I've never before walked out of a big-ticket concert early in 30+ years of concert-going.

Zappa - There are bits I like, but they're comedy bits. The man had no spiritual side at all, that I can hear anyway. A 50 year old man doing teenage toilet humor and singing about how stupid every single person in the world is is nothing ennobling. I'll defer to smarter ears about his pseudo-classical compositions, but they do nothing for me.

Later-period Tom Waits - I love the early years, when he wrote good "hit" kinds of songs, but when he went minor-key and started banging on pots and pans, he lost me.

Any Elvis Costello after "Spike", and some Elvis Costello DURING "Spike" - The man needs a Lennon to his McCartney, someone to tell him when to edit, and when his bridge sucks, and when to lose a passage so wordy he has to speed up his singing to get it all in.

Townes Van Zandt - In Nashville, we're supposed to worship him. I've tried and tried and tried. Maybe I'm just not smart enough.

Gram Parsons - See above about Townes. I just don't get it.

Wilco - The first album is great. The rest of their records are all things that really smart, haughty people with plastic glasses in coffee shoppes seem to like. The people you want to hit just on principle.

And last but certainly not least....

BRUCE COCKBURN!!! MY GOD HE SUCKS! You know those pretentious a**holes who like Wilco? Bruce Cockburn is playing in their parents' houses. And if your name is pronounced CO-BURN, SPELL IT THAT WAY!!! "Oooh, you pronounced it COCK-burn. You must not be as HIP as we are. It's CO-burn you unhip weasel. Now move aside while we admire how smart we are."

I'm not a Beatles fan,not that I don't like them especially,just that I was never into their type of music,infact I know the lyrics to loads of their songs,but I have not had the urge to buy or even play any of their albums,I could possibly make a cdr of some of their few songs I really like,but I won't because it would not get played enough.
Nothing against them personally just not to my taste.
There are loads of others but they never bother me,each to his own.
I just thought I would mention the Beatles as they have been around all the time I have been appreciating music

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dancingmisterd
Neal Young. I've tried, God knows, but I just can't.

You're not alone.

[www.reverbnation.com]

If you are a Stones-fan, are you really supposed to like Eagles and Queen then?


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Led Zepp is up there for me. I don't like their music, over the top vocals, and the plagerism just cinches it.

Grateful Dead--I don't get it but I don't hate it.

Jimi Hendrix--I enjoy him when he is in a movie or tv or radio but I'm just not moved by him really.

Prince is another that I just don't get but I do not hate.



Two big ones one for me have not been named yet, two very popular acts that I just can not stand:

The Doors--overrated crap.

and..Janis Joplin--I can't believe this is supposed to be real great soul/blues singing. It is to everyone but me I guess.

Eric Clapton
Led Zeppelin
Grateful Dead

good thread. there are many artists with special appeal , those who always have 4-5 stars reviews it doesn't matter how their new cd are. sometimes it seems reviews are already pre written..
bob dylan
van morrison
u2
bruce
bruce cockburn
costello

and, from the new ones

arcade fire
strokes
fleet foxes

personally i have never been a fan of police and sting, talking heads, f.zappa, dire straits, beach boys and many others

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Tate
Nirvana. I have very good friends, and not just folks that were teenagers and twenty-somethings in the 90's, but others, who really think Nirvana was legendary, but I just never got into it. The quiet-loud-quiet-loud dynamic thing got old very quick, and Cobain's whiny voice never sounded honest. To me they were little more than Guns and Roses in plaid. And I never liked GnR either, for that matter. Both bands were commercial-sounding to me, formulaic and overly image conscious. There was stuff in the late 80's/ early 90's that was far worse, but still. Those bands' huge success never matched their lesser talents, from my point of view.

Commercial sounding? Are we listening to the same band?!

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andrea66
good thread. there are many artists with special appeal , those who always have 4-5 stars reviews it doesn't matter how their new cd are. sometimes it seems reviews are already pre written..
bob dylan
van morrison
u2
bruce
bruce cockburn
costello

and, from the new ones

arcade fire
strokes
fleet foxes

personally i have never been a fan of police and sting, talking heads, f.zappa, dire straits, beach boys and many others

Ha Ha, you have to be a Paul Potts-fan...It's only The Beatles missing above from all the big...

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KeefintheNight82
Janis Joplin--I can't believe this is supposed to be real great soul/blues singing. It is to everyone but me I guess.

She's my blind spot too. Call that singing?!

Whilst this list is entirely subjective and the world would be dull if we all liked the same stuff, I thought I'd contribute. What the hell!

Top of my list will always be U2. I've got some of their stuff and aside from the Joshua Tree and Rattle & Hum I just can't relate to it. I've seen them live and when Bono starts preaching about debt and poverty it leaves me cold. I don't go to gigs to be told to donate my hard-earned cash to so called "good causes" by a man who is wealthier than I will ever be. Take Bono out of the band and I might just listen to them again!

Any "prog rock" is an instant turn off for me. Yes, ELP etc etc etc. I don't want to hear 14 minute solos in songs about hobgoblins. Pink Floyd is another act that I don't like. I just can't get into them.

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Tate
Nirvana. I have very good friends, and not just folks that were teenagers and twenty-somethings in the 90's, but others, who really think Nirvana was legendary, but I just never got into it. The quiet-loud-quiet-loud dynamic thing got old very quick, and Cobain's whiny voice never sounded honest. To me they were little more than Guns and Roses in plaid. And I never liked GnR either, for that matter. Both bands were commercial-sounding to me, formulaic and overly image conscious. There was stuff in the late 80's/ early 90's that was far worse, but still. Those bands' huge success never matched their lesser talents, from my point of view.

I know what you mean about the quiet-loud-quiet-loud thing. Led Zeppelin did that, too, but with Nirvana, it became very formulaic.

The Eagles
Bruce Springsteen
Fleetwood Mac
Queen
Billy Joel
Bob Seger

Pink Floyd - though I didn't get the memo about "supposed to like"