Bands you keep trying to like but can't get into

What's wrong with fretless bass?

There are a few canon bands/albums I've always kept trying and trying to love, or even like, like Van Morrison "Astral Weeks", or Slayer "Reign in Blood", and I look forward to the day those albums finally click for me

I always liked Black Sabbath and The Stones but I don't think I'll truly love either until I own a car with a tapedeck

Hejira was one of those albums I got into a song at a time, took quite a while. I still wouldn't put it on a par with Hissing or Court & Spark, which are both all-time favourites for me.

'astral weeks' took me like a decade to really love but it's totally worth it

While we're at it, I'll cop to not "getting" about 75% of the singles on ILM's best of 2012 list.

I'm going to try the Smiths again pretty soon. So far, all I've got for them is the title track from The Queen Is Dead.

While we're at it, I'll cop to not "getting" about 75% of the singles on ILM's best of 2012 list.

Fleetwood Mac. I feel kind of alone in this regard, I grew up hearing their stuff on the radio but it seemed kind of bland and faceless to me, and now the things I see them routinely praised for just seem like things that Steely Dan did better.

Have you tried Fleetwood Mac v1.0

ie Peter Green? Not even really the same band/music at all so it's kinda moot that you'll still dislike Stevie/Lindsay
but a fun + worthwhile sidetrip

I got some early Mac records from my mother-in-law but they didn't leave much impression on me. granted I think I only listened to them once.

shakey - give bare trees a go

Shakey, do you know the song "Hypnotized?" Start there, imo (Bob Welch, so between the Green and the Lindsey eras.) Not "better" than Steely Dan, but similar lush sonics, off-kilter lyrics and expert playing by all concerned.

Or, what M@tt said works too.

marnie stern

Another one: Meshuggah. Try as I might, I cannot make fandom happen.

Welch-era Mac is definitely the way in

no, it's not. That's just something people say to make themselves feel better about owning Welch-era records.

i enjoy them a lot

Shakey, do you know the song "Hypnotized?"

hmm yeah this is pretty good

B bbbb

B bbbb

Whoops.

otm

B bbbb

Grim Reapah!!!

Welch-era Mac is definitely the way in

Yes! Future Games is probably my favorite Mac record. Danny Kirwan is super-underrated.

I'm going to try the Smiths again pretty soon. So far, all I've got for them is the title track from The Queen Is Dead.

― cloacachella (how's life), Sunday, January 27, 2013 8:37 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Loading The Sound of the Smiths onto my iTunes for listening on the commute tomorrow morning, courtesy the local public library. Here we go again, I guess.

i'm kinda with shakey on FM but i should probably give them another shot. i do dig 'go your own way.'

Still don't get the welch-era love on this board. I mean, those records are nice I guess.

you're nice i guess....NOT

(j.k. you are probably a very nice person but bare trees rules dude)

"Sunny side of heaven" is cool. I'll try it again some day.

John Cale

Simon and Garfunkel....I give up--that shit is too twee for my taste

There's always a sense of trepidation when I'm about to listen to music by reprehensible people that I might like it, but every time it's been pretty disappointing (and also very relieving!)

This doesn't work with food, though.

The Fall, The Smiths, The Clash, also John Cale as mentioned above

Although I was really into the record he did with Terry Riley for a while

second Marnie Stern, Meshuggah also. And Hella. And Mick Barr, and all that tech guitar stuff.

John Zorn

Talk Talk

re: hella, maybe try playing it at 3/4 or 1/2 speed?

^^^great endorsement

2/3 speed, sheesh

Although I was really into the record he did with Terry Riley for a while

yeah, church of anthrax is great, velvets are great, I love some of the albums he produced, but I just don't get what people see in his solo recs. and on paper they seem like exactly the sort of thing I would like.

i'm going to try the Smiths again pretty soon. So far, all I've got for them is the title track from The Queen Is Dead.

― cloacachella (how's life), Sunday, January 27, 2013 8:37 AM (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Loading The Sound of the Smiths onto my iTunes for listening on the commute tomorrow morning, courtesy the local public library. Here we go again, I guess.

― how's life, Monday, February 11, 2013 6:47 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

best way into the smiths is louder than bombs

it took me a long time to get into the smiths (louder than bombs was my first cd by them, and it didn't do the trick for me, so i understand).

gateway for me was looking up 1984/85 live performances on youtube and just being overwhelmed by the presence of morrissey

like this performance of still ill: youtuuuuuuube

2013 will be the year that I completely give up my indie guilt

or actually, this one from 1983 features taller hair aka is better: youtuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuube

the smiths are so divisive that I can't imagine feeling guilty for not liking them. I love them but it's easy to see how people would be put off by morrissey.

XTC and Dinosaur Jr, chiefly.

― Z S, Monday, July 9, 2007 3:44 PM (5 years ago)

5-year update:

i'm a pretty big fan of dino jr now (to the extent of volunteering to run the dinosaur jr tracks poll when it arrives sometime in 2042), xtc i've come to terms with. i really like about half of drums & wires and black sea, and some of english settlement. i feel like i understand where they're coming from a lot better now, even if i'm not a megafan.

i will return with another update in 2018

no one should feel guilty for not liking anyone. and yeah, they're pretty divisive i guess. the thing is, morrissey used to actively annoy me. just his voice, his way of picking a single key pitch for each phrase and running around and over and under it, always returning to it. seemed really amateurish and gimmicky. now i love it. that's his thing. now it sounds amateurish (in an endearing way) and unique and distinctive.