So I sing and play drums in this band. It's on again/off again, and right now we are on again. And it's good. We play covers, and one of my song suggestions was Paul McCartney's "Every Night" from his 1970 solo debut. I've loved this song since day one, and I occasionally fixate on it. Those "Wooo oooo oooo ooooos" make me weak. Lately, it's been bordering on obsession and I felt I just needed to sing and play it.
My bass player...or maybe I'm his drummer, but that's hardly the point...met my suggestion with a mighty cold, "Yeah, I'll do it. But I don't like that song."
"Fwaaa....wha...you...whaaa?!"
This is nothing new. He and I had a similar reaction when our guitar player suggested the Stray Cats' "Rumble In Brighton." (Or, "Stray Cat Strut." Or, "The Knife Feels Sharp Like Cheddar." Or some frigging thing.) And the guitar player and I usually harmonize eye-rolling whenever our bass player suggests some soul/gospel medley of "Mickey's Monkey/His Eye Is On The Sparrow/Chocolate City/Numberless Are The World's Wonders/Hog For You" usually reserved for a 19 piece, R&B, gospel orchestra. But again, this is not my point.
I was a little surprised at my bass player's reaction to "Every Night." I mean, how could anyone not like this perfect piece of pop balladry? And from a Beatle, no less. Well, he was a good sport. (He usually is.) And we did it. It was good, and the "Woooo ooooo ooooos" satisfied all my woo-woo needs.
But this reminded me of a little misunderstanding had between me and my cousin about 7-8 years ago. He loved the Fountains Of Wayne's second album, but really disliked their debut. I didn't see this as a matter of opinion. (My fault) It made no sense...to me. Both albums are identical...to me.
Here's my question.
Is there an artist or a song, that you just cannot grasp another's love or hate for?
It's one thing to lay all your money down on the Vanilla Fudge, and then bitch about a lousy return. But I have a friend, an adult, who thinks The Stone Roses are better than The Beatles. That, I do not forgive.
22 comments:
I used to have a younger neighbor that U2 was the greatest group in the world. I have never heard anything from them worth listening to.
Wow, does this ever sound familiar. I also play in a cover band, and I've traveled both ways on this street. Songs I've suggested that our (now former) guitarist flatly rejected include Gene Pitney's "She's A Heartbreaker" (ok, it's a little obscure), the Brothers Johnson version of "Strawberry Letter 23" (being used in an ad at the time), and the Beatles' "The Night Before."
I was on the other side of that argument with him over the hackneyed "Sweet Home Chicago."
Reading the above, I'm not quite sure what we were ever doing in a band together.
Sal, how's your bass player feel about soul-pop music? Maybe you could sway him with the Fifth Dimension's version of "Every Night"? Which is pretty sweet.
It's like I always say: being in a band would be great if not for the other people in them.
Mine would be errrrrrrrr Paul McCartney secondly, but it would have to be Paul Weller.
Emperor's New Clothes. Every album greeted critically as the greatest album since the last one when it's just dour drivel or sub Sixties cover band stuff.
I'd like to point out, the band members surprisingly get along swimmingly. I didn't mean for it to be band member specific.
As ASH just pointed out, Weller seems to get under his skin, while I think his last few records are some of his best.
As for my bass player, he'll play just about anything...except for the Stray Cats.
I was lucky. When I was in a cover band in the early 70s, I could just bring in obscure stuff I liked and since I was also a professional rock critic, the rest of the band deferred to me. Although I don't think the rest of the guys ever actively disliked one of my choices.
I'm pretty sure we were the only band in America that ever covered The Marcus Hook Roll Band's "Natural Man," though.
I brought the Nazz's "Open My Eyes" to the cover band I was briefly in.
They all lit up when they thought it was "I Can't Explain" after the first few bars, then soured on the rest of it.
I couldn't figure that one out at all (other than the fact that it wasn't "I Can't Explain...)
Genesis/Phil Collins was the one group I never really got at all beyond 1-2 songs (and those were the poppy songs like "No Reply At All" and the bass-line-theft-from-Hot-Fun-In-The-Summertime of "Misunderstanding"). My roommates in college kept trying to convince me -- I even went to see them live with them (post-Gabriel) and was bored silly.
Yet, I love Peter Gabriel's solo work. Go figure.
My best friend is baffled by my love of "Totally Wired" by the Fall.
My wife and I had a moment watching Lady Antebellum at the Grammies...we looked at each other, and said, "I don't get it." They're not bad, there's nothing wrong with the music, but we don't hear that ***THING*** that makes them special.
The Doors. Many a friend has raved about them, but that band leaves me cold. I'm not a musician, but I've always said that I would name my cover band Can't Stand The Doors.
My wife and I are in the midst of a (friendly) dispute over The Decembrists. We have tickets for this Saturday night. I would rather have a tooth filled.
draftervoi; everyone is baffled by my love for the Fall. I think they're the BEST BAND EVER, no-one else I know can stand them. So a slight difference of opinion there.
I've played off and on in a functions band (I'm a Bassist, so watch your step...)for 10 years and every time we lurch into 'Mustang Sally', a little moss grows on my soul...
Bands I DO NOT GET: Stone Roses (saw 'em in a tiny club in B'ham UK - lasted 25 mins before I walked out), The Doors (to paraphrase Dennis Leary - "The Jim Morrison story; I'm drunk - I'm no-one, I'm drunk-I'm famous, I'm drunk-I'm dead"), Van Morrison and (whisper it) Bob Dylan. Either he is the biggest example of The Emperors New Clothes in the history of Popular Music or I am a Dutchman. And I'm not a Dutchman.
How any band could turn their collective nose up at 'Open My Eyes' is a mystery. These people can no longer be your friends.
Bands you cannot hate: Beatles (1962-66), Beach Boys (same) and CCR.
I never ever got Bruce. To me, his voice always sounded like a 45 played on 33. Except his slow songs, which sound like a 45 played on 16.
Honorable mention to Jim Morrison and Bono, both of whom always struck me as pretentious and silly.
On the flip side, your "Ram" mono post of some time ago sparked a positive reevaluation of Macca's solo years.
@Rushbo
Leary's comment about Jim Morrison is one of my very faves. Right up there with John Lydon's, when interviewing Brian Setzer about his big band. "What are you gonna bring back next World War 2?"
Not loving "Every Night" is just un-American... or, maybe un-British. It just ain't right.
I know mature adults who like Spandau Ballet...for this and this alone,they should be,like the Montag character in Farenheit 451, shot on sight....
Okay...that was unnecessarily harsh...I apologize...anyone who likes Spandau Ballet should be, let's say, mildly made fun of....
Eh, my former missus' favorite band in the whole wide world was Uncle Tupelo, whom I did rather like. But they split, and became two separate bands, and she came down hard on the Son Volt side of the slate, while I rather favored Wilco. I, of course, pretended to like SV more than I actually did in the same of domestic harmony, but man oh man, did they secretly bore me. (Wilco, and particularly Jeff Tweedy, OTOH, were dismissed by the SV true believers as "insincere" and "smarmy." (Maybe so, but they rocked harder, and had a sense of humor...)
But really, I sold records for many years, and this is hardly an isolated phenomena. One man's epiphany is another one's nap time - same as it ever was, and ever should be. - bill buckner
i was walking thru a mall the other day and heard the muzak machine playing michael buble' doing "true" (by spandau ballet), it reminded me to call up my ex-wife (from a pay phone) and hang-up on her (since she STILL thinks the world of music begins and ends with them)!!!
for me - I don't know what the deal is with Queen???
you frikkin' tie your own mother down.....
Many years ago (Senior year in high school, I think), I was discussing music with one of my movie theater coworkers and mentioned that my favorite band was The Moody Blues. His response was to the effect of "So, YOU'RE the one." I was apparently the first person he'd met that liked them--or admitted to doing so. I don't even remember the guy's name, but I do recall he was one of those Fleetwood Mac fans who loved Stevie Nicks, but kinda hated Lindsey Buckingham. Demographically, we were 15-20 years beyond the Moodies initial fan base, but they still had hits (and a #1 album) in the 80's. I know that a lot of people dislike the Moodies. I get that and understand why, but don't particularly care because they give me enjoyment.
Many of the performers/bands I "didn't get" in my high school/college years--The Smiths, The Cure, Depeche Mode, New Order--I've since come around on, since I waded out of the narrow classic rock radio swamp a few years back. My kids still haven't sold me on Three Days Grace and Linkin Park. I'm out on Nickelback, too, but I'm guessing most of the readers of this blog concur with my sentiment there.
Loving the site keep up the good work.
I got sat next to a good freind's Dutch finance at a dinner because "You two will get along so well, you're both SOooo into music."so,.." he said after having TWO fights with the waitress before the food had arrived "you like music? What do you listen to?" I sid that he was asking a huge question and that I loved everything from The Ramones to Abba, The Residents to the Beach Boys. Pretty much anything that is a good pop song, which for me can be indie pop, power pop, surf guitars, dance music, electronica - I'm mean I'm eclectic. At some point I mentioned (very much in passing) the word 'Beatles' and it was like I had punched this guy in the face. He immediately went into a raging diatribe about how the Beatles were "shit" and that they only made music for simpletons and retarded people. Now, I have had many lively 'discussions' with people about music in my life but I was almost speechless at the verocity and target of this attack. I said 'Hang on. You can say you don't like the Beatles, or they are over-rated or over exposed or not your thing. But what you can not say is that The Beatles - who anybody with the barest minimum, of the vaguest clue about contemporary music has to admit (however grudgingly) are the building block from which most 'bands' are built. The wrote the blueprint. "PAH - SHIT FOR RETARDS!" screams the Dutchman. Aware my freind was marrying this guy, I was trying to be reasonable and not cause a scene. Well, I enquired, what music to you listen too? "Proper music by proper skilled musicians." I was thinking I was going to have to go to bat to defend the Fabs against a jazz snob or a classical music evangelist. "Genesis and Yes". No offense to anybody who loves those bands but SERIOUSLY? I made a half assed attempt to reason with this prog-light extremist but he was in danger of following the example of zealots with extreme ideas and suicide bombing a performance of Mamma Mia or something. Also have no idea how nickleback/creed/incubus have sold a single cd - but that's another rant.
Ian Bell
Adelaide Australia
Great thread.
I never saw the Stone Roses attraction either.
I remember my dad telling me that Andy Partridge would be great if he could sing and write songs.
I think I managed to keep the sulk up for about three weeks.
Stevie Wonder leaves me cold. How crud like Innervision ever got taken seriously is beyond me.
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