Bands and artists you "just don't get"

[Tig***]

AC/DC
I just tried to watch a recent televised concert, and was so turned off, well, I couldn't last more then a few minutes.
I remember liking them back in the Bon Scott days, but I just can't understand the Angus and Malcolm Young hype that still exists. Seriously, it was embarrassing just to see Angus jumping around in school boy getup.
Could I be wrong, missing out on greatness?

[thearabianmage]

I've never understood the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. All good musicians. Competently-written tunes. Heard many of their songs over the past 15 years. Just don't dig it.

[Mike S.]

Grateful Dead (I'm frankly grateful that some of them are dead).
Bruce Springsteen (voice like a cheese grater).
Metal (all of it, dude),
80's Hair bands (The lot of them. They all tried to look and sound the same anyway, right?)
Current Emo/teen girl magnet boy bands.
Rap (give it a rest already, and turn down that damned car stereo),
The Beatles (pop music that is highly overrated considering what else was going on in the 60's),
Buddy Holly (what a nerd),
Eric Clapton (yeah, I said it. There are hundreds of REAL DEAL blues musicians who are far more creative and innovative than this cat will ever be).

Oh yes, there are more. I'm middle aged, can you tell?

Now let the bickering begin.

[DeanEVO_Dude]

I guess we all solo or group acts that we don't take a like'n too. What is so great about LADY GA GA, PINK,PUSSYCAT DOLLS, or this stuff they call to music Alternative METAL RAP? SAY WHAT?
It's more about circus acts today than it is talent, at least you can repeat most of the words from songs of the 60s 70s 80s without getting arrested.

Speaking of "circus acts"... ICP anyone?
Any of the bands with singers who don't sing, they gutterally scream the lyrics.
Pink Floyd I could never get into...(guess I didn't do enough of the right drugs).
Dylan and The Dead are up there too... Great songwriters, though!

Cheers!

[red]

Bruce Springsteen (voice like a cheese grater).

Try the "Born to Run" album, it's very, very good.

Eric Clapton (yeah, I said it. There are hundreds of REAL DEAL blues musicians who are far more creative and innovative than this cat will ever be).

I've always thought so too.

[markb]

The Beatles are a special case IMO. As far as it goes I'm not sure what part of their work I'm supposed to "get". It's all over the place stylistically and just leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about. The usual replies to this mention individual songs as examples of their mastery which kind of misses the point of what I'm saying. I don't get them as a whole while admitting that they wrote some good songs.

[Mike S.]

Try the "Born to Run" album, it's very, very good.

I've always thought so too.

Many thanks for the recommendation Red. I have indeed heard that album, and am still not overly impressed. Guess it isn't my cup of tea.

He's not the worst thing going by any means, however I just can't embrace his work as many seem to.

I would have mentioned that I'm absolutely sick of so called "young country" music (and most of the rest of Country as well), however living as close as I do to the Nashville area, I'm afraid of getting mobbed for insulting the sacred cow(boy).

Ooops, guess the cat is out of the bag on that one too.

I confess to liking the more folk and bluegrass oriented forms from time to time, but I'm primarily a jazz/blues and classic rock kind of guy. I grew up with punk and new wave, and still enjoy it on a primal level. It might sound like absolute crap to the outsider, but we all know how humans tend to wax nostalgic about their youth.

[Eric***]

The Beatles are a special case IMO. As far as it goes I'm not sure what part of their work I'm supposed to "get". It's all over the place stylistically and just leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about. The usual replies to this mention individual songs as examples of their mastery which kind of misses the point of what I'm saying. I don't get them as a whole while admitting that they wrote some good songs.

Interesting. This makes me wonder what your tastes are, given this. Not electric blues, not Beatles, not prog or metal. It's not as though that's all there is, but I'm curious what your musical orbit tends to be centered around.

[markb]

Interesting. This makes me wonder what your tastes are, given this. Not electric blues, not Beatles, not prog or metal. It's not as though that's all there is, but I'm curious what your musical orbit tends to be centered around.

Well here's the contents of my iTunes library boiled down.

A lot of assorted "world" musics (europe, africa, etc, etc).
A lot of british folk music with a particular emphasis on english folk-rock acts.
A lot of US traditional music (old time, early blues, etc)
A lot of alt-country (whatever that is), roots rock?
Some pop/rock acts I mainly enjoy for the songwriting (who are probably big Beatles fans, oh the irony!).
Some singer-songwriter (Dylan, etc)
Some art rock from my youth that I still like (mostly european)
Every note that Richard Thompson has ever recorded
There's more if you want to play the genre game but it gets tiring.

Edit: forgot to mention a lot of western swing, the real pioneers of electric guitar.

[Eric***]

Well here's the contents of my iTunes library boiled down.

A lot of assorted "world" musics (europe, africa, etc, etc).
A lot of british folk music with a particular emphasis on english folk-rock acts.
A lot of US traditional music (old time, early blues, etc)
A lot of alt-country (whatever that is), roots rock?
Some pop/rock acts I mainly enjoy for the songwriting (who are probably big Beatles fans, oh the irony!).
Some singer-songwriter (Dylan, etc)
Some art rock from my youth that I still like (mostly european)
Every note that Richard Thompson has ever recorded
There's more if you want to play the genre game but it gets tiring.

Edit: forgot to mention a lot of western swing, the real pioneers of electric guitar.

Thanks for that. I too like alt-country quite a bit.

[Tig***]

I would have mentioned that I'm absolutely sick of so called "young country" music (and most of the rest of Country as well), however living as close as I do to the Nashville area, I'm afraid of getting mobbed for insulting the sacred cow(boy).

I confess to liking the more folk and bluegrass oriented forms from time to time, but I'm primarily a jazz/blues and classic rock kind of guy. I grew up with punk and new wave, and still enjoy it on a primal level. It might sound like absolute crap to the outsider, but we all know how humans tend to wax nostalgic about their youth.

Don't worry, you won't get strung up by this mob! I understand the country/young country view. I'd say I like about 1 in 10 country acts, with a leaning toward the outlaws like Willie Nelson. I enjoy Brad Paisley's talent and playing, but not the songs themselves.

I'm also a graduate of the punk-new wave era, which is a guilty pleasure of sorts.

[Tig***]

The Beatles are a special case IMO. As far as it goes I'm not sure what part of their work I'm supposed to "get". It's all over the place stylistically and just leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about. The usual replies to this mention individual songs as examples of their mastery which kind of misses the point of what I'm saying. I don't get them as a whole while admitting that they wrote some good songs.

I find that I can't listen to most of the Beatles anymore, especially the early yeah-yeah-yeah albums and the "hits" that have been over played. However, they did produce a few treasures that I'll never tire of. Several songs from Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Abbey Road really are good.

The songs played here all happen to be my favorites, and they play them better then the original recordings.

[street music]

The Beatles are a special case IMO. As far as it goes I'm not sure what part of their work I'm supposed to "get". It's all over the place stylistically and just leaves me wondering what all the fuss is about. The usual replies to this mention individual songs as examples of their mastery which kind of misses the point of what I'm saying. I don't get them as a whole while admitting that they wrote some good songs.

Mark, man I found this shocking coming from you. I thought you could really appreciate great music , vocals , and playing ability.

[Mike S.]

That's the problem with these types of discussions, the minute someone's personal favorite is selected for condemnation, there is the tendency to defend rather than "let it be" (pun intended).

[Tig***]

That's the problem with these types of discussions, the minute someone's personal favorite is selected for condemnation, there is the tendency to defend rather than "let it be" (pun intended).

This is one of those "let's agree to disagree" type of threads.
If it were in another forum, there's be flame wars times eleventy!

[sunvalleylaw]

I think the group has done a good job of keeping the discussion civil here. Keep it up guys! I have refrained from participation as my reactions were to "defend" bands I like, or "pile on" bands that have been mentioned.

For me, I keep bumping up against this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGt9j...eature=related

But I think folks have done a good job mostly about keeping it about what they don't get. Good job folks.

[marnold***]

The good news is that when it comes to musical tastes, I know I'm always right! *insert tongue-in-cheek smiley here*

[Retro Hound]

Hey! Marnold and I must have the same taste. *insert tongue-in-cheek smiley here*

[R_of_G]

I have refrained from participation as my reactions were to "defend" bands I like...

I've been tempted to do the same, then I remembered that in many cases, the fact that few other people "get" some of the artists that I like really only makes me appreciate the artist that much more. I've been called a music snob many many times and I've never seen it as anything other than a compliment.