Your "I Don't Get It" Band

Rusty Brookes

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My "fallen out of love " band would be Oasis. Loved them back in the day. These days I rarely listen to them. I still think they are great musicians. But their music doesn't do much for me these days.

So I hated them back in the day but finding now that I really love their two fuzzy monsters (Morning Glory and Supersonic) - I reckon both of those songs are terrific. A lot of the rest of it I find pretty meh but those two songs are huge.
 

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For me 2 bands that stick out are Pearl Jam and U2.
They both have some great songs but I just can’t get into them
 

Osho

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Ive tended to get most bands that Ive tried to listen to. If I havent got a band it usually is due to, in my humble opinion, they are not that good, not due to my lack of effort :)

Im old enough to remember Abbey Road coming out. By the time punk came around I was old enough to be out and about if you know what I mean. One band late 70s I thought was a joke was The Fall. Despite fanatical following, I thought they were a farce, a pisstake. Then COVID comes, some extra time on hands, and BOOM, The Fall are wonderful. I wonder if others feel the same, or otherwise, any opinions on them would be interesting to hear. If you are not a believer try one of their later albums, it may surprise.

Contrarily, I got a ZoSo tattoo at a young age, I had never heard anything like it. A real musical revelation. After some decades, I now hold quite an unpopular view that LZep were a sensational 3 piece band with a poor singer who damaged many a great song. Now I can only listen to them sparingly, the voice makes me nauseous.

Perhaps Ive lost my marbles and judgement under the deleterious influence of COVID. Thoughts?
 

MC Bad Genius

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Ive tended to get most bands that Ive tried to listen to. If I havent got a band it usually is due to, in my humble opinion, they are not that good, not due to my lack of effort :)

Im old enough to remember Abbey Road coming out. By the time punk came around I was old enough to be out and about if you know what I mean. One band late 70s I thought was a joke was The Fall. Despite fanatical following, I thought they were a farce, a pisstake. Then COVID comes, some extra time on hands, and BOOM, The Fall are wonderful. I wonder if others feel the same, or otherwise, any opinions on them would be interesting to hear. If you are not a believer try one of their later albums, it may surprise.

Contrarily, I got a ZoSo tattoo at a young age, I had never heard anything like it. A real musical revelation. After some decades, I now hold quite an unpopular view that LZep were a sensational 3 piece band with a poor singer who damaged many a great song. Now I can only listen to them sparingly, the voice makes me nauseous.

Perhaps Ive lost my marbles and judgement under the deleterious influence of COVID. Thoughts?
The Fall has always been too overwhelming for me to delve into properly. Where do I even start?
 

Osho

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The Fall has always been too overwhelming for me to delve into properly. Where do I even start?
Internet wisdom says at the start.
I would start in reverse order, from the last. The latter albums have stronger grooves rhythms and hooks, and more rock than post punk.
 

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I've loved The Fall since the late 70's. Along with Wire and the original PIL they are my favourite bands
of the Post Punk era (I'm the same age as John Lydon). I saw them at the Hammersmith Palais in 1982
with The Birthday Party in support and it was an amazing gig. I've seen them again a few times since and
they are always great.

Some of my favourite songs are 'The Man Whose Head Expanded', 'Paintwork', 'L.A.', 'Wings' and 'Cyber Insekt'.
Watch the live version of 'Lost In Music' which I posted earlier in the thread. Here's my fave track 'Cyber Insekt'.
 
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More than likely a few unpopular opinions there but the more I hear, the less I like.

I've got every Beatles album, so I'm still a fan, but have no doubt also they are extraordinarily overrated. Songwriting brilliance, and for innovations in the studio, absolutely without question. Especially from say Rubber Soul onwards.

But, musically, they're pretty average. Sorry they just are. Not entirely their fault, they were good enough for when they came up (early 1960s beat era), then stopping touring before PA systems came into vogue. So they never got to musically catchup on stage like other bands did.
 
Funny name given her voice only hits one tone and it's a ******* horrid one at that
I doubt it's her real singing voice. It sounds like she's trying to emulate the art pop style of Kate Bush and Bjork but the end result sounds like the lovechild of Marge Simpson and Toad from Mario.
 
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I've got every Beatles album, so I'm still a fan, but have no doubt also they are extraordinarily overrated. Songwriting brilliance, and for innovations in the studio, absolutely without question. Especially from say Rubber Soul onwards.

But, musically, they're pretty average. Sorry they just are. Not entirely their fault, they were good enough for when they came up (early 1960s beat era), then stopping touring before PA systems came into vogue. So they never got to musically catchup on stage like other bands did.
Perfect response. I find their music bland. 100% overrated.
 
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I've got every Beatles album, so I'm still a fan, but have no doubt also they are extraordinarily overrated. Songwriting brilliance, and for innovations in the studio, absolutely without question. Especially from say Rubber Soul onwards.

But, musically, they're pretty average. Sorry they just are. Not entirely their fault, they were good enough for when they came up (early 1960s beat era), then stopping touring before PA systems came into vogue. So they never got to musically catchup on stage like other bands did.

They made some decent inroads given their roots as a pretty standard pop-rock band who played bubblegum pop music. Not every band is cut out to be technically amazing and their certainly shouldn't be some cardinal rule you have to be able to play your instruments well. They progressed pretty well overall.

I've actually found their songs overall a little bit overrated. They have a giant back catalogue of classic albums, lots of hit songs, but few I'd count in some of my favourites of all time or I think are genuine 10/10's. They were more a model of consistency and could fill an LP to the absolute max. Something like Revolver is quality the whole way through, but there are few high points - some thought provoking songs, clear advancement in their musicianship and songwriting - but it doesn't floor me.

Sgt Peppers is probably the closest to hitting the mark. The back half in particular, where they're experimenting with different song structures, adding some real psychedelic layers and really messing their own songs up in a cool way, is probably way I like the most. A Day In The Life, For The Benefit of Mr Kite, When I'm Sixty-Four etc.

Abbey Road flat out bores me in parts. The White Album is pretty cool though, and they go down the rabbit hole into some interesting ideas and execute most of the time - it's not everyone's cup of tea though.
 
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The Fall has always been too overwhelming for me to delve into properly. Where do I even start?

I reckon repetition is more important than finding the 'right' starting point.

Do a bit of research, find one acclaimed album and rinse it - in my mind familiarity is the best tool for getting into an artist.
 
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Interesting reading Osho comments about Robert Plant.

To me he’s the least essential member of LZ to what they were actually about but at the same time I still love his vocals. He extracted a hell of a lot out of a voice that isn’t smooth nor pitch perfect. And when you hear people try and cover LZ songs it is highlighted further. Really I can’t fault them, picking the weakest link of that band is like choosing your least favourite child, or suggesting that Roger Taylor was the least impressive member of queen.

Re. Some of the Beatles comments. As highlighted by the fact that I love bands like LZ and Queen and Floyd who generally had entire line ups that were at or near virtuouso levels on their instrument, I can appreciate bands that were good simply because they were all incredible. Equal to the considerable sum of their parts.

The Beatles were not freak musicians. Ringo was imaginative but technically no more than sound. Paul was a by the numbers bass player who didn’t really mess around with runs and scales and grooves. John was nothing special as a rhythm player and George was far from the fastest gun in the west or even a noted riff writer.

But their ability to write a melody - all three of the main songwriters and in some ways George was the best of the lot when he finally got his chance - was unsurpassed. They had a combined gift for writing a melody line that no artist before or since has even gotten close to. I’d say the next best I’ve heard would be John Fogerty and his peak lasted less than three years.


Bands like the Beatles and U2 highlight what I love about music. You don’t have to have the best musicians, the best anything really. As long as you have something to say whether serious or tongue in cheek or simply inspired by the desire to hang someone, if you have something to say and can find a melody with which to say it, there’s no stopping where you can reach.
 

Osho

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Interesting reading Osho comments about Robert Plant.

To me he’s the least essential member of LZ to what they were actually about but at the same time I still love his vocals. He extracted a hell of a lot out of a voice that isn’t smooth nor pitch perfect. And when you hear people try and cover LZ songs it is highlighted further. Really I can’t fault them, picking the weakest link of that band is like choosing your least favourite child, or suggesting that Roger Taylor was the least impressive member of queen.

Re. Some of the Beatles comments. As highlighted by the fact that I love bands like LZ and Queen and Floyd who generally had entire line ups that were at or near virtuouso levels on their instrument, I can appreciate bands that were good simply because they were all incredible. Equal to the considerable sum of their parts.

The Beatles were not freak musicians. Ringo was imaginative but technically no more than sound. Paul was a by the numbers bass player who didn’t really mess around with runs and scales and grooves. John was nothing special as a rhythm player and George was far from the fastest gun in the west or even a noted riff writer.

But their ability to write a melody - all three of the main songwriters and in some ways George was the best of the lot when he finally got his chance - was unsurpassed. They had a combined gift for writing a melody line that no artist before or since has even gotten close to. I’d say the next best I’ve heard would be John Fogerty and his peak lasted less than three years.


Bands like the Beatles and U2 highlight what I love about music. You don’t have to have the best musicians, the best anything really. As long as you have something to say whether serious or tongue in cheek or simply inspired by the desire to hang someone, if you have something to say and can find a melody with which to say it, there’s no stopping where you can reach.
My objection to Plant is not that he was the weakest link, though he was. To my ear his voice and the production of his voice ruined many a song. Kashmir an example. I also note that when his voice his is recessed in production, especially in the early albums, it can work well. The joy for me with Led Zep is the rythym section, and how it meshes with the guitar, and Pages production values.
 
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My objection to Plant is not that he was the weakest link, though he was. To my ear his voice and the production of his voice ruined many a song. Kashmir an example. I also note that when his voice his is recessed in production, especially in the early albums, it can work well. The joy for me with Led Zep is the rythym section, and how it meshes with the guitar, and Pages production values.
Mate I don’t necessarily disagree with any of that and on any different day I can find something different that I love about them. When it boils down to it I think what I love most about them is just their ability to write balls-to-the-wall riff rock. The fact that they had songs about Vikings and Tolkien and mountains and magic just adds to the mystique but if pressed my favourite song of theirs is about nothing at all aside from just rockin’ - Rock and Roll from IV.

Just flat out, start to finish, the whole band in overdrive. The foo fighters cover at Wembley where they got JPJ and Page on stage is one of the biggest sounds imaginable
 

Osho

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Mate I don’t necessarily disagree with any of that and on any different day I can find something different that I love about them. When it boils down to it I think what I love most about them is just their ability to write balls-to-the-wall riff rock. The fact that they had songs about Vikings and Tolkien and mountains and magic just adds to the mystique but if pressed my favourite song of theirs is about nothing at all aside from just rockin’ - Rock and Roll from IV.

Just flat out, start to finish, the whole band in overdrive. The foo fighters cover at Wembley where they got JPJ and Page on stage is one of the biggest sounds imaginable
Talking fave LZ songs, I'm split bw Good Times and Levee.
 

Osho

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They made some decent inroads given their roots as a pretty standard pop-rock band who played bubblegum pop music. Not every band is cut out to be technically amazing and their certainly shouldn't be some cardinal rule you have to be able to play your instruments well. They progressed pretty well overall.

I've actually found their songs overall a little bit overrated. They have a giant back catalogue of classic albums, lots of hit songs, but few I'd count in some of my favourites of all time or I think are genuine 10/10's. They were more a model of consistency and could fill an LP to the absolute max. Something like Revolver is quality the whole way through, but there are few high points - some thought provoking songs, clear advancement in their musicianship and songwriting - but it doesn't floor me.

Sgt Peppers is probably the closest to hitting the mark. The back half in particular, where they're experimenting with different song structures, adding some real psychedelic layers and really messing their own songs up in a cool way, is probably way I like the most. A Day In The Life, For The Benefit of Mr Kite, When I'm Sixty-Four etc.

Abbey Road flat out bores me in parts. The White Album is pretty cool though, and they go down the rabbit hole into some interesting ideas and execute most of the time - it's not everyone's cup of tea though.
The US issue of Magic Mystery Tour is quite spectacular in my opinion.
 

MC Bad Genius

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Interesting reading Osho comments about Robert Plant.

To me he’s the least essential member of LZ to what they were actually about but at the same time I still love his vocals. He extracted a hell of a lot out of a voice that isn’t smooth nor pitch perfect. And when you hear people try and cover LZ songs it is highlighted further. Really I can’t fault them, picking the weakest link of that band is like choosing your least favourite child, or suggesting that Roger Taylor was the least impressive member of queen.

Re. Some of the Beatles comments. As highlighted by the fact that I love bands like LZ and Queen and Floyd who generally had entire line ups that were at or near virtuouso levels on their instrument, I can appreciate bands that were good simply because they were all incredible. Equal to the considerable sum of their parts.

The Beatles were not freak musicians. Ringo was imaginative but technically no more than sound. Paul was a by the numbers bass player who didn’t really mess around with runs and scales and grooves. John was nothing special as a rhythm player and George was far from the fastest gun in the west or even a noted riff writer.

But their ability to write a melody - all three of the main songwriters and in some ways George was the best of the lot when he finally got his chance - was unsurpassed. They had a combined gift for writing a melody line that no artist before or since has even gotten close to. I’d say the next best I’ve heard would be John Fogerty and his peak lasted less than three years.


Bands like the Beatles and U2 highlight what I love about music. You don’t have to have the best musicians, the best anything really. As long as you have something to say whether serious or tongue in cheek or simply inspired by the desire to hang someone, if you have something to say and can find a melody with which to say it, there’s no stopping where you can reach.
Totally agree with you. You'd be hard pressed to find someone that has an easier job than Adam Clayton though.
 
May 5, 2016
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Totally agree with you. You'd be hard pressed to find someone that has an easier job than Adam Clayton though.


Mate I could play any U2 bass line in my sleep. But he actually has somehow managed to turn that incredibly simple style into one that’s instantly recognisable and has managed to give them a pulse. Plus he’s also the coolest bloke in the band!
 

Osho

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Great choices!

When I can find a stereo loud enough Levee would be a close second. It’s a rule with most songs anyway but with that in particular, you HAVE to have it at bowel-shaking levels
Yep, loud works with those tracks.
 
But their ability to write a melody - all three of the main songwriters and in some ways George was the best of the lot when he finally got his chance - was unsurpassed. They had a combined gift for writing a melody line that no artist before or since has even gotten close to. I’d say the next best I’ve heard would be John Fogerty and his peak lasted less than three years.
Them's fighting words!

Sure, releasing both Green River and Willy and the Poor Boys in 1969 is insanely good, but he kept writing quality (albeit less heard) songs for a long time afterwards. How many people realise Status Quo's Rocking all over the World is a Fogerty cover?
I'll argue 'The Old man down the Road' is as good as anything he ever wrote.
 
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