'Canonical'-type shit you just don't get

[Pearsall]

What/who are the big things that lots of people seem to love but you just don't understand the appeal?

For me, it's The Streets.

I hate his voice.

I hate his beats.

Granted, his lyrics can be clever and funny sometimes, but overall I can't listen to him as I just find his voice terrible beyond belief. I don't understand the slavering over his work exhibited by so many people I otherwise respect.

So (yeah!) negative thread time.

 

[mpc]

What/who are the big things that lots of people seem to love but you just don't understand the appeal?

For me, it's The Streets.

I hate his voice.

I hate his beats.

Granted, his lyrics can be clever and funny sometimes, but overall I can't listen to him as I just find his voice terrible beyond belief. I don't understand the slavering over his work exhibited by so many people I otherwise respect.

So (yeah!) negative thread time.

i 100% agree.

i can't think of anything positive at all to say about the streets.

 

[simon silverdollar]

was never really into Slint.

and i just do not understand the appeal of autechre at all.

but the main one is probably the Beatles: when i listen to them, i just don't feel anything. i don't even see them as particularly good song writers. just one example- i heard Penny Lane for the first time the other day, and i just couldn't see any merit in it whatsoever. [sorry Matt! the problem isn't them, it's me etc...]

and on a more grimist note, more fire's 'oi' never really did anything for me.

for two of these- beatles and more fire- i'm quite willing to accept that i'm missing something.

for the other two, i suspect that they've just been over-hyped massively out of proportion to their talent and value.

 

[nomos]

led zeppelin - which has led to countless arguments. also, kid 606 and jay-z. i feel like i'm forgetting someone though.

 

[HMGovt’s Glorious Return!]

i 100% agree.

i can't think of anything positive at all to say about the streets.

Ditto. I liked the first album for the first dozen listens but now have no time for any of it.

'Your rhymes are wack your the beats don't weigh' as Tim Dog once said.

 

[captain easychord]

defo jay-z!

 

[HMGovt’s Glorious Return!]

and on a more grimist note, more fire's 'oi' never really did anything for me.

The thing with 'oi', there's this machine-gun conspiratorial delivery throughout that sounds like it comes from a badass alter ego inside your head.

Favourite lines:

"1-1 2-2 fuzzy don't screw rat tat tat
My tap bust and bless you
1-2 1-2 Neeko ah pass through
Cardiac arrest will send
A boy 'pon a curfew
3-3 4-4 5-5 6-6 how you gonna catch
Me when I'm on my R-66, riding
Through the rain and the snow cold "

 

[HMGovt’s Glorious Return!]

The Roots

Massive Attack

MC5

New Order

Oasis

 

[mpc]

jay-z is a very good mc but the production on his songs manages to hide his talent (see: black album).

kid 606 has had some awful stuff, but his new lp 'who still kill sound' is really really good. some great booty jungle cheerleading stuff. if he cut out the silly stuff and tracks that do nothing, it would be almost perfect.

the beatles' 'tomorrow never knows' is a faultless song. definitely worth a listen if you aren't sure about the beatles.

 

[Pearsall]

The Roots

Have you ever heard them live? I agree that on albums they are massively overhyped, but the one time I saw them play live I was blown away.

 

[mpc]

New Order

'blue monday'

'leave me alone'

those 2 songs alone make it obligatory to like new order.

 

[hint]

not really in the true spirit of this thread, cos I fully understand why people like them and they sell a shedload of records... but...

how come REM get so much love from certain sectors of the "alternative" scene? they get namechecked a lot as being highly influential... but I've never found them that interesting... perhaps it's an american thing?... or an indie / integrity thing?

 

[egg]

Have you ever heard [the roots] live? I agree that on albums they are massively overhyped, but the one time I saw them play live I was blown away.

yes, thought they were pants still, very dull, jazwankery. that track 'like they do' is nice. otherwise, i think black eyed peas actually do what the roots are trying to do with some success. 'shut up' is a tower of a song - truly great.

not really in the true spirit of this thread, cos I fully understand why people like them and they sell a shedload of records... but...

how come REM get so much love from certain sectors of the "alternative" scene? they get namechecked a lot as being highly influential... but I've never found them that interesting... perhaps it's an american thing?... or an indie / integrity thing?

quite agree. i believe rem are so successful because of a) michael stipe's voice b) two, possibly three songs - losing my religion really. also because there is a formula where simply by i) having one amazing song [viz losing my religion] ii) staying together and iii) putting out more than 5 albums a band defaults to 'great' status forever.

for me the problem with rem is that their songwriting is really really limited.

perhaps they get love from bands with similarly limited powers who are hoping for their own lucky 'losing my religion' break

 

[HMGovt’s Glorious Return!]

yes, thought they were pants still, very dull, jazwankery. that track 'like they do' is nice. otherwise, i think black eyed peas actually do what the roots are trying to do with some success. 'shut up' is a tower of a song - truly great.

I sometimes have to ask myself 'hold on, why are they shit again?'. Where is the love got some peoples' backs up, but any band with krumping in their videos scores a few points.

 

[bassnation]

yes, thought they were pants still, very dull, jazwankery.

i've listened to the album and there was a couple of wicked hip hop tunes like "the web" which were raps riding over stripped down beats and bass.

wasn't into the rest of the more muso stuff, i have to say.

 

[Melchior]

yes, thought they were pants still, very dull, jazwankery. that track 'like they do' is nice. otherwise, i think black eyed peas actually do what the roots are trying to do with some success. 'shut up' is a tower of a song - truly great.

This comment brings tears to my eyes. I absolutely love the Roots, and hate that shut up song with a passion. The thing with the Roots is that around a quarter of each album (more on The Tipping Point) is oretty average, but every album has at elast two or three tracks which are pure brilliance of the highest order.

But hey, I like The Streets a lot as well. Well, actually used to. I listened to original pirate material probably twice evey day for about six months. And then I sw them live and didn't listen to them again for around 5 months. They were just really really average, despite some good moments. And from recent reports of them at the Big Day Out in Auckland last week, they haven't gotten better.

quite agree. i believe rem are so successful because of a) michael stipe's voice b) two, possibly three songs - losing my religion really. also because there is a formula where simply by i) having one amazing song [viz losing my religion] ii) staying together and iii) putting out more than 5 albums a band defaults to 'great' status forever.

It can't be that because they had huge cred before 'losing my religon'... I think it's because they were the inheritors of one side of Husker Du...

Anyway thisngs I don't get that are canon: Goldie. I never liked much of his production stuff, and I was a huge drum and bass fan. But I think Represent are over rated as well...

 

[luka]

the thing about the roots being jazz wankery is a misconception. they haven't done that stuff since their second album, do you want more? which came out in the early nineties. and even that has it's straight hiphop moments, like the one where dice raw smashes it with a freestyle aged 15. you might have a section where they do their solos, that maybe is not everyones cup of tea, but thats just a small piece of the show.

the beach boys i don't get at all. whiny nasal voices and all those weird fussy song structures. what's the appeal?

 

[turtles]

the beach boys i don't get at all. whiny nasal voices and all those weird fussy song structures. what's the appeal?

Ah dude. Have you ever driven to the beach with a surfboard on your roof blaring the beach boys? Only once you have listened to the beach boys in preparation for surfing (preferably while stoned) will you truly understand their genius. Also they make good light, catchy pop music. Mind you I'm much more of an early beach boys fan than a later day one. When their only song topics were girls, surfing and cars, (or some combination thereof, eg "surfer girl") they were unstoppable.

also, agreed on jay-z. yawn.

 

[puretokyo]

Fantastic thread idea, top marks.

Top of list are The Beach Boys and The Beatles. Others include Jay-Z, Aphex Twin, Luke Vibert (some is good), most especially Boards of Canada.

I'll think of more, this is just the beginning I promise you.

PS. Autechre will always be my favourite group ever ever ever. Ever.

 

[minikomi]

nothing like opinions for people to get all opinionated

i second that dice raw track as dope. pretty much the only track id still listen to on that album..


i too have never really understood REM...

but i think the major one that gets me at the moment is ... jet. ugh.