Unpopular Musical Opinions

[crownie]

Really? He must have Slash by the balls money wise....then again in 1994, Guns N' Roses announced their next album would be titled "Chinese Democracy". It only took 14 years to eventuate minus Slash, who in the meantime released four albums and founded two bands! "Chinese Democracy" finally turns up and with over a decade of tinkering and fine-tuning the result is just plain terrible! As the only original member at the time, was this just a bad case of Axl simply overthinking it?

It certainly did sound unfinished, songs like madagascar and street of dreams sounded good in the live versions but didn't live up to the potential when recorded and his vocals on some songs are not very good as well.

They spent millions to record illusions and 15 years older it sounds so much bigger and better then Chinese Democracy which Axl also spent millions to record.

I also think by the time it got released people didn't care about it anymore, as you said Slash had already released lots of music and the hype that might of been there if Axl released it in the late 90's had mostly gone away.

and yeah not having Slash play on the album probably mattered as well!

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Are Dune Rats a parody on stoner bands making fun of the whole thing or are they actually like that?

If it's the latter then they need to be shot out of a cannon.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Are Dune Rats a parody on stoner bands making fun of the whole thing or are they actually like that?

If it's the latter then they need to be shot out of a cannon.

Having lank hair and wearing the same cap every day for nine months is what chicks dig in regional towns, which is where these bands mostly play. File under King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. No talent, no intention... just shite aesthetics.

 

[Richard Cranium]

What's that about the Gizz now?

 

[Damon_3388]

It certainly did sound unfinished, songs like madagascar and street of dreams sounded good in the live versions but didn't live up to the potential when recorded and his vocals on some songs are not very good as well.

They spent millions to record illusions and 15 years older it sounds so much bigger and better then Chinese Democracy which Axl also spent millions to record.

I also think by the time it got released people didn't care about it anymore, as you said Slash had already released lots of music and the hype that might of been there if Axl released it in the late 90's had mostly gone away.

and yeah not having Slash play on the album probably mattered as well!

By the time it came out, it sounded very dated (reeked of that late '90s obsession that rock bands had with trying to incorperate electronic sounds, after NIN hit it big) and was wayyyyy over-produced.

 

[Damon_3388]

I always thought Use Your Illusion II really showed their musical peak.

Gets s**t on in hindsight because of all the drama that followed. People absolutely lapped it up at the time, though. As they should have too, because it was genuinely great.

 

[JackOutback]

Having lank hair and wearing the same cap every day for nine months is what chicks dig in regional towns, which is where these bands mostly play. File under King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. No talent, no intention... just shite aesthetics.

Exactly how popular does a band have to be before you sneer at them? Like, is there a formula? I consider myself a music snob but I do allow myself to enjoy bands that more than a dozen people like

 

[Damon_3388]

Triple M used to milk him to death when I was kid in the '90s, so his songs were embedded into my brain at an early age, but I've only recently finally "got" the genius of John Mellencamp.

In a way, he's a bit of a poor man's Springsteen, but you don't really even hear his name mentioned anymore, let alone anyone showing any love or respect for his music.

Geez, Mellencamp had some bloody great tunes:

"Pink Houses"
"Check It Out"
"Cherry Bomb"
"Crumblin' Down"
"Rain on the Scarecrow"
"Jack & Diane"
"Hurts So Good"
"Small Town"
"Lonely Ol' Night"
"I Need a Lover"
"Wild Night"

Also, it might be the small stature, and the hair, and the dance moves (see the "Check It Out" and "Crumblin' Down" videos in particular), but something about him reminds me a little bit of Prince as well.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Yeah that's controversial. A complete facsimile of Springsteen but at the same time you do make a point. Cryuff14, where are you end this debate.

 

[Cruyff14]

Triple M used to milk him to death when I was kid in the '90s, so his songs were embedded into my brain at an early age, but I've only recently finally "got" the genius of John Mellencamp.

In a way, he's a bit of a poor man's Springsteen, but you don't really even hear his name mentioned anymore, let alone anyone showing any love or respect for his music.

Geez, Mellencamp had some bloody great tunes:

"Pink Houses"
"Check It Out"
"Cherry Bomb"
"Crumblin' Down"
"Rain on the Scarecrow"
"Jack & Diane"
"Hurts So Good"
"Small Town"
"Lonely Ol' Night"
"I Need a Lover"
"Wild Night"

Also, it might be the small stature, and the hair, and the dance moves (see the "Check It Out" and "Crumblin' Down" videos in particular), but something about him reminds me a little bit of Prince as well.

Yeah that's controversial. A complete facsimile of Springsteen but at the same time you do make a point. Cryuff14, where are you end this debate.

I like Mellencamp, and he has quite a few good songs. I agree that he is a poor man's Springsteen.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Triple M used to milk him to death when I was kid in the '90s, so his songs were embedded into my brain at an early age, but I've only recently finally "got" the genius of John Mellencamp.

In a way, he's a bit of a poor man's Springsteen, but you don't really even hear his name mentioned anymore, let alone anyone showing any love or respect for his music.

Geez, Mellencamp had some bloody great tunes:

"Pink Houses"
"Check It Out"
"Cherry Bomb"
"Crumblin' Down"
"Rain on the Scarecrow"
"Jack & Diane"
"Hurts So Good"
"Small Town"
"Lonely Ol' Night"
"I Need a Lover"
"Wild Night"

Also, it might be the small stature, and the hair, and the dance moves (see the "Check It Out" and "Crumblin' Down" videos in particular), but something about him reminds me a little bit of Prince as well.

Rave On's also a cracker.

Like yourself I grew up with some of his stuff.

 

[Damon_3388]

Rave On's also a cracker.

Like yourself I grew up with some of his stuff.

Forgot about that one.

I've just realised it's almost "Squeeze Box" by The Who, with different lyrics.

 

[Mr_Bojangles]

Forgot about that one.

I've just realised it's almost "Squeeze Box" by The Who, with different lyrics.

And it's a cover.

 

[Damon_3388]

And it's a cover.

Forgot that, too.

So The Who ripped off Buddy Holly then.

 

[adammania9]

In Utero is better than Nevermind

 

[edgie]

Whilst on the Springsteen comparisons, Bon Jovi is a more pop orientated Springsteen too.

 

[edgie]

I like Chinese Democracy, it's certainly not a great album but it's by no means dogshit. Better is a ripper and glad they had the stones to play it live.

Coma is GnR's best long some by a mile.

 

[james Dean]

Blur and Oasis were both s**t

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers should've all gotten a hot shot after they recorded One Hot Minute(which I enjoyed).

 

[james Dean]

Red Hot Chilli Peppers should've all gotten a hot shot after they recorded One Hot Minute(which I enjoyed).

What did you think of Dave Navarro's addition to the album?

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

What did you think of Dave Navarro's addition to the album?

Far better than anything Frusciante did after him.

 

[james Dean]

Far better than anything Frusciante did after him.

Now that's an unpopular opinion

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Now that's an unpopular opinion

Probably.

But then again, I know a shitload of "Peppers" fans who think Californication is their "early stuff" and that Frusciante's 2 note solos are awesome.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Here's another unpopular opinion....

Dave Grohl and his Foo fighters became everything that Kurt was trying hard to keep Nirvana from turning into.

Easily accessible, radio friendly, anthemic, safe, rock for bogans.

 

[PhatBoy]

Here's another unpopular opinion....

Dave Grohl and his Foo fighters became everything that Kurt was trying hard to keep Nirvana from turning into.

Easily accessible, radio friendly, anthemic, safe, rock for bogans.

Hmm kind of. Not necessarily through his own doing though.

First album was raw and awesome.
Second album was more polished but f***ing amazing - Up In Arms, Everlong, Hey Johnny Park were all classics, it's not Grohl's fault every f***wit sports producer in history thinks that putting 'My Hero' in a montage is being original.
Their third album was their most radio friendly, but songs like Generator, Stitches and a few others were decent enough. The film clip for Learn To Fly alone made it a decent song.

The album after that - I think it was One By One - went back to being pretty raw and un-radio friendly. I think In Your Honour saw them start to go downhill. But remember, there's only so long you can be an angry young person. There comes a time when just deliberately trying to avoid railing against authority or social convention becomes tiresome. Even the boys from RaTM don't seem particularly dedicated to their causes anymore musically.

I'd have been very surprised if Cobain didn't start to make slightly more radio friendly stuff at some point.

Grohl has earned the right to do whatever he wants really - he was arguably the most musically accomplished member of Nirvana - just being in the band buys you a blank check IMO. He recorded two entire albums single handedly, and it's probably no coincidence that they are the FF two best. He's done the Probot album which while not my cup of tea, seemed purely a means of satisfying an urge rather than an attempt to sell records. He's played with QOTSA at their peak.

Basically the guy could release a hip hop album and I don't think it would really undo the good things he's done.