I kind of feel that way except I feel bad saying that about my friends who like them
― space phwoar (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:04 (eleven years ago) link
why not? they both have a real emotional tug to me, and are somewhat nostalgic (big star's beatleisms, kinks village green, etc) and are at their best when they're combining that kind of power ballad level of emotion with rocking out.xp
― wk, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:04 (eleven years ago) link
that wasn't a criticism btw, I was trying to explain the appeal!
― wk, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:05 (eleven years ago) link
I'm also a bit drunk and have been listening to total eclipse of the heart a lot lately so take that into account
― wk, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:06 (eleven years ago) link
what i like about the kinks, their best stuff anyway, is that they sound so casual and fun and even occasionally kind of half-assed and goofy, but the more you listen to them the deeper and sadder and more profound even the simplest songs start to sound. i liked them OK without ever being a huge fan from ages 15-25, but over the last few years they've become one of my top 5 bands. davies creates such a complete and detailed world without ever seeming to really try that hard.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:19 (eleven years ago) link
I like Meshuggah, Mick Barr, and John Zorn, but they don't strike me as things that I would recommend to you based on what I know of your tastes, Hurting 2. (Maybe some Zorn, e.g. Masada or the klezmer-influenced jazz stuff.) Do you like any metal?
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:22 (eleven years ago) link
what i like about the kinks, their best stuff anyway, is that they sound so casual and fun and even occasionally kind of half-assed and goofy, but the more you listen to them the deeper and sadder and more profound even the simplest songs start to sound.
yeah, there's a detached quality that I find appealing. that feeling of being sad, but resigned to your fate. big star have a similar thing imo.
― wk, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:25 (eleven years ago) link
why do you feel like you need to be into beefheart? what similar stuff do you like?
i find it interesting enough to keep trying it and not appealing enough to listen to it for long sessions (maybe a track or two before i get annoyed/distracted)
― Mordy, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:26 (eleven years ago) link
complex w/out being appealing yet, but i think getting more compelling all the time
I like some metal. I mean, you know, Metallica and their whole era of metal, which was in the ether when I was a kid. And, weirdly, some very hard stuff like Lamb of God.
― space phwoar (Hurting 2), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 05:27 (eleven years ago) link
About all the Smiths stuff upthread, no amount of bad dancing or.bad hair or "funny" lyrics or fan hugging is going to get me into Morrissey. This time around I'm trying it from the Johnny Marr angle. His guitar playing has never really called out me, but there's a lot of praise for it, both on here and in interviews with other musicians. M
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 10:49 (eleven years ago) link
I keep trying with Beefheart too. He fits with things I like (when asked about favourite music I've sometimes found myself saying, "The Fall, Can, Beefheart" before catching myself), people I like (and whose taste is sympathetic) like him, I enjoy reading about him, vaguely feel "this is my kind of thing" while listening, but then it just never quite comes together for me – I don't really want to listen to it ever.
Even writing this I'm thinking "surely I like Beefheart? Am I sure I'm not really into him?" Maybe he's someone I'll just get really really into sometime in the future. That seems plausible.
― woof, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:02 (eleven years ago) link
I still haven't heard Beefheart yet. It's interesting that you lump him in with The Fall and Can thoug
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:13 (eleven years ago) link
I still haven't heard Beefheart yet. It's interesting to me hat you lump him in with The Fall and Can though, because I really love Can but I can't stand (and have given up on even trying to like)The Fall.
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:15 (eleven years ago) link
Whoops
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:16 (eleven years ago) link
Anyway, listened to about half of the first disc of that Smiths comp on the way in this morning. Mare still didn't make too much of an impression on me. There were a few places where I could tell he was coming up with some crafty arpeggios and stuff, but mostly it juat seemed like average moderately chorused strumming. Anyone want o point me toward some choice examples of Made fretwork?
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:31 (eleven years ago) link
Marr, not made.
Probably "This Charming Man", for a kickoff.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:33 (eleven years ago) link
Anyone want o point me toward some choice examples of Made fretwork?
Best Johnny Marr songs:
1. The Headmaster Ritual2. What Difference Does it Make? (Hatful of Hollow version)3. This Charming Man4. Some Girls Are Bigger than Others5. How Soon is Now?6. Girl Afraid7. Bigmouth Strikes Again8. Back to the Old House (Hatful of Hollow version)9. Sweet and Tender Hooligan10. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
― Eyeball Kicks, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:36 (eleven years ago) link
Hell yeah! You just had that list ready to go, didn't you? Thanks. I'll concentrate onsome of those.
― how's life, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:40 (eleven years ago) link
The live version of Some Girls Are Bigger than Others might be the best example of all. If you don't like this then you will probably never enjoy The Smiths that much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAzmQbfZoIg
― Eyeball Kicks, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:43 (eleven years ago) link
One of my housemates who's a bit of Mark E Smith type character listens and sings along to the Fall every Saturday and Sunday morning, I'm slowly becoming a convert, I love that 'Spoilt Victorian Child' song especially.
I keep trying to like Talk Talk, I love Bark Psychosis, and I get the connection, but 'Laughing Stock' for example, just washes over me, doesn't really hold my interest like I feel it should.
― Crackle Box, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 11:50 (eleven years ago) link
I keep trying with the Mark Hollis solo album. It's nice, but I keep wandering off to other discs though.
― Mark G, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 12:10 (eleven years ago) link
I also like Marr's accompaniment work on "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and, though it's a little simpler, I think he's quite effective on "William, It Was Really Nothing".
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:08 (eleven years ago) link
In my experience, having that breakthrough moment with The Smiths isn't gonna happen by focusing in on any particular song or performance, but ignoring them and letting them surprise you. One day you'll be in the right mood and "Ask" will come on and you'll be shell-shocked
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:11 (eleven years ago) link
goon otm - I swore for years that I hated the Smiths and then I saw David Tennant sing 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side' on that awesomely terrible Blackpool tv show and I was hooked.
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:22 (eleven years ago) link
Also it helps if you think of Morrissey as a comedian-who-sings rather than a singer-with-wit
― flamboyant goon tie included, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 16:31 (eleven years ago) link
that Still Ill live clip is awesome, andy rourke was such a tight bassist
― downton arby (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
if you can't do the smiths just listen to monochrome set instead.
― scott seward, Tuesday, 12 February 2013 18:16 (eleven years ago) link
Bryan Ferry's voice in general. I'd rather listen to early John Foxx (the first two Ultravox! albums) and Japan/David Sylvian. I rate Roxy Music highly as a band, but I'll never like Ferry's voice.
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Tuesday, 12 February 2013 19:51 (eleven years ago) link
http://pitchfork.com/news/49567-watch-johnny-marr-tell-the-story-behind-the-smiths-heaven-knows-im-miserable-now/
Ace timing, pfork.
― how's life, Friday, 15 February 2013 13:46 (eleven years ago) link
i don't get funky house
― polski smak (clouds), Friday, 15 February 2013 13:58 (eleven years ago) link
that's the impression he gives me. why can't he just sing normally, unmannered and natural? by changing his voice he wants to achieve something. the only thing i can imagine is that he wants to appear more serious, more important, someone to be respected. but for me he comes over as a fake, actually quite laughable and phony. the more i think about it the less i understand why he sprechsings like he does.
yeah I mean why do mbv have to distort their guitars so much so you can't hear individual notes,and why do they obscure what they sing like that. they ae fakers but they are only doing this to be respected!
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 15 February 2013 15:14 (eleven years ago) link
I'll tell you there is only one way to sing, this stretching of your voice thing is crazy. Like how much more impact would Diamanda Galas have if her words on the Armenian genocides could be heard properly instead she is so avant-garde with her voice and fucks around with microphones so much I MEAN WHY I DONT KNOW.
― xyzzzz__, Friday, 15 February 2013 15:19 (eleven years ago) link
She's just trying to impress people/showing off...
― Mark G, Friday, 15 February 2013 15:45 (eleven years ago) link
Derek Bailey! And, to be even more controversial, Albert Ayler!! Two exclamation marks reqd. for that one.
― Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Friday, 15 February 2013 15:49 (eleven years ago) link
Husker Du (or anything else by Mould)Replacements (or anything else by Westerberg)Manics, Oasis, Blur, etcPost-1975 Dylan
The White Album, The Wall
― suspecterrain, Friday, 15 February 2013 21:02 (eleven years ago) link
Replacements (or anything else by Westerberg)
haha yeah if you don'd like the replacements i don't think westerberg solo stuff is gonna close the deal
― 'glown' with the king (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 15 February 2013 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
Westerberg solo stuff -- many other artists evolve their sound over the years; Stephen Duffy's solo material is far better than that when with Lilac Time, Nick Cave better with the Bad Seeds than with Birthday Party, Julian Cope better solo than with Teardrop Explodes.
― suspecterrain, Friday, 15 February 2013 21:24 (eleven years ago) link
agreed, but i don't think that's the case with mr. westerberg
― 'glown' with the king (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 15 February 2013 21:44 (eleven years ago) link
i always think i should be more into roxy music, but i can't quite connect with them.
― tylerw, Friday, 15 February 2013 21:47 (eleven years ago) link
ha it does seem like something you should like tbh
― 'glown' with the king (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 15 February 2013 21:48 (eleven years ago) link
Surely you've heard Ferry's cover of "Like A Hurricane"?
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 15 February 2013 21:49 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, i mean, i'm OK with them, they're just not a band that i've come to love. maybe it'll happen one day...
― tylerw, Friday, 15 February 2013 21:57 (eleven years ago) link
have you heard "the right albums"?
― 'glown' with the king (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 15 February 2013 21:59 (eleven years ago) link
[/zappa]
haha, i'm pretty sure i've listened to everything up to avalon. think i generally like the band, just don't really respond to ferry's thang.
― tylerw, Friday, 15 February 2013 22:05 (eleven years ago) link
and now, for my sins, i'm trying again -- stranded!
― tylerw, Friday, 15 February 2013 22:09 (eleven years ago) link
i think "for your pleasure" is the rockist's rockist's roxy album of choice
― 'glown' with the king (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 15 February 2013 22:22 (eleven years ago) link
there's a certain coldness/emotional vacuum at the heart of Roxy, it's all very arch and performative and you kinda have to dig that. that being said I think what converted me to them was early Eno-era tv clips
― Welcome to my world of proses (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 15 February 2013 22:24 (eleven years ago) link