Friday, October 24, 2008

Friday Ten: Ten Musical Acts I Just Don't Get

In what may be a semi-regular feature, here's a random list of ten things off the top of my head. This week - 10 musical acts that have been critically lauded but that, to varying degrees, I just don't get.

In some cases - The Beach Boys, Strokes and New Order - I can appreciate the odd song here and there. But in others, I just don't see what all the fuss is about.

1. The Beach Boys

2. The Strokes

3. Captain Beefheart

4. Bruce Springsteen

5. Love

6. Joy Division

7. New Order

8. Foals

9. Neutral Milk Hotel

10. Snow Patrol

In which bands and solo artists do you struggle to hear the genius that apparently everyone else immediately gets?

11 comments:

Ole Blue The Heretic said...

The list is long and I will have to get back with you on that. The Grateful Dead comes to mind first.

The Beach boys would probably be second.

the tomahawk kid said...

A current one would have to be the overhyped pile of shite that is Glasvegas.

Groanin' Jock said...

Blue: I don't mind the Grateful Dead, but I certainly don't think they are/were genius.

TK: Can't agree with you on that one, I think Glasvegas are pretty good. But, in a similar kind of vein, I can't abide the Proclaimers.

Misssy M said...

Oasis: Their continued success is mystifying to me.

Groanin' Jock said...

Misssy: Well, between you and TK, my current favourite bands are taking a bit of a hiding! But for Oasis, I think being a teenage male in the mid-1990s probably helped.

BobG said...

You have to remember that looking back on an artist is a lot different than actually being there when they were new and different.

Jaggy said...

1. The Beatles, the Take That of the sixties. A man made boy band of dubious musical ability. John Lennon was just doing what Robbie Williams is currently doing but somehow achieved God like status because his misses was a hippy and he liked a lie-in. Arseholes, the lot of them.

2. Scissor sisters, act gay and sing squeeky and you will be a success my son.

Groanin' Jock said...

Bob: Undoubtedly, but while I can easily hear the good stuff in The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who and Doors, the Beach Boys and Love just leave me cold - for the most part at least.

Jaggy - You have to be fishing with The Beatles, right?!

Scissor Sisters - can take them or leave them - first album was OK, second album was shite.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Tomahawk Kid and Missy. Although I do think that overhyped pile of shite is being rather complimentary to Glasvegas.

Here's my list in no particular order:

The Smiths
Radiohead
U2
Associates
Cocteau Twins
Sex Pistols
Siouxie and the Banshees
Glasvegas
Oasis
Richard Ashcroft/The Verve

Groanin' Jock said...

Rab: Jeez, a whole herd of sacred cows being slaughtered with you!

Can't agree with The Smiths, Radiohead and U2, but I'll wholeheartedly agree with Associates and Siouxsie. The Verve's stuff has always been patchy, and the Pistols was more about the image and the Year Zero mentality than the music.

Jaggy said...

Absolutely not, I really don't see why the Beatles achieved their untouchable status. Can you imagine revering New Kids on the Block in the same way in 30 years time.

Big Rab, I'm with you all the way with U2. He sings really badly, has a name like dog food, then thinks he's a politician and saviour of the 3rd world!

Misssy, I agree on Oasis, what have they done in the last few years that's anything above average.