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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 14:06:22 GMT
John Denver won my eternal respect when during the PMRC's nonsensical anti-rock music crusade of the mid-80s, he (along with Dee Snider of Twisted Sister and Frank Zappa) was one of the musicians called to testify before a senate committee. Everyone assumed he was going to side with the PMRC/senators/Republicans/conservatives. Instead he stood up against censorship, for artists' rights to sing what they liked. All three of those people giving testimony was great during those hearings.
Zappa later released a 12-minute "song" documenting the situation, "Porn Wars," on his album Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention. It has a hilarious warning: Wow Kapitan - I didn’t know about John Denver’s testimony at the PMRC hearings. That is cool. I may be a conservative but that was BS. I hate it when the radical religious right wingers make conservatives look like intolerant, uneducated idiots. What were they so afraid of?
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 14:10:39 GMT
My "hmmm moment" at this forum is pretty well guaranteed by my love of the music of Gary Numan. Back in 1979, I was not in a particularly happy place and saw Gary on TOTP performing "Are 'Friends' Electric?" His robotic music and bleak demeanour rang a large bell with me. Robotic is perhaps the wrong word -- you could discern a sensitive human being behind the forbidding facade: And I've followed him on and off ever since. He had his own "wilderness years" but reemerged in the 1990s as a respected pioneer of synth pop with new albums that added industrial rhythms influenced by the likes of Roni Size: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Numan I am curious jk - how do you feel about Kraftwerk?
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 14:12:35 GMT
I guess Bread would fall into the category of Guilty Pleasure Bands because they were never perceived as "hip" in any way, at least among people I've known. But even though they were mostly an easy listening/ballad group, they did have a few rockers. "Mother Freedom" was a pretty heavy riff-rocker, along with "Let Your Love Go" and a few others that I recall. One song of theirs that really struck me recently, after not having heard it in 30 years or so is "Make it With You", not so much because of the song itself, but the production. The arrangement of that song is incredible. Listen to it in headphones and you will understand what I am referring to. I just ordered a remastered CD of the Best of Bread - so I will don the headphones and give “Make It With You” a listen after it arrives.
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Post by kds on Apr 22, 2022 14:13:21 GMT
I'm on the opposite end of the 80s hard rock vs grunge battle. I loved the 80s hard rock scene and a kid, but could never identify with grunge when it became popular when I was in middle school. I eventually came around on Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, but still don't understand the appeal of Pearl Jam or Nirvana. So, I suppose bands like Poison and Bon Jovi might qualify as "guilty pleasures," but I'll make no apologies and harbor no guilt for thinking Nothin But a Good Time is a far better song than Smells Like Teen Spirit. Well - There are at least 10 better Nirvana songs than “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Also Nirvana is far from the best grunge band - but how can you not like “Black” or “Alive” by Pearl Jam? Stone Temple Pilots are great - how do you feel about Alice In Chains? I don't doubt that SLTS isn't Nirvana's best song. But, I can't say I've heard one that I really ever wanted to hear again. As for Black and Alive..those songs just do nothing for me. I also hate the vocal style popularized by Eddie Vedder and many of his peers, the style that continues to be copied by male vocalists to this day. I don't know how to describe it other than the derogatory term "yarling." I actually liked STP far better once Scott Weiland moved away from that vocal style in the mid 90s. I eventually came around on Alice In Chains because I think they are stylistically more in line with traditional hard rock, especially with Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing. The hurdle for me was Layne Staley's vocals. But, once I got past that, and concentrated more on the songs and guitarwork, I enjoyed them immensely more than I did in the early 90s. Soundgarden, I think, is also a bit closer to more traditional hard rock, especially since Cornell was head and shoulders above any singer in that movement in terms of pure vocal talent. That's very evident when he sings circles around Vedder on the Temple of the Dog song Hunger Strike.
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 14:37:24 GMT
I'm at the point where I know no longer feel any guilt for liking a particular song or artist, but I'll play along. Over the past several years, I've dipped my feet a bit into more Jimmy Buffett inspired recent country songs by acts like Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney, and Little Big Town. I also find it interesting that the rise of summery country music in the late 90s / early 00s kind of brought Buffett himself back to his roots. Buffett's 70s material definitely had more of a country vibe to it. In the early 00s, he appeared on songs by Zac Brown as well as the Alan Jackson crossover hit It's Five O Clock Somewhere. In 2004, Buffett released License to Chill, featuring an array of country artists, and it became his highest charting album until his 2020 album (which was aided by the lack of new releases in the COVID era). Do Gordon Lightfoot and Joe Jackson count? I like a few of their songs. I’ve not listened to much Jimmy Buffett, but I have seen Kenny Chesney and Little Big Town live and they were great. Kenny can fill a stadium - he puts on quite a show and can really pick a song. “There Goes My Life” is my daughter’s ringtone on my phone. I wonder if that song will still make me cry when she moves back home for nursing school after 7 years in California. Gordon Lightfoot is a tough one. Who doesn’t like “If You Could Read My Mind”? Have you seen the documentary about him? Dude is still touring. Don’t think he has ever been derided critically, but I suppose he was never cool either. Joe Jackson is still touring as well and supposedly still sounds great live. He was a big thing back in the infancy of MTV. He was actually sort of cool back then. His music sounded much different than most stuff produced in that era. I haven’t heard much of his stuff since Look Sharp came out though. I would actually consider his fans to be “cool” still.
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Post by kds on Apr 22, 2022 14:50:05 GMT
I'm at the point where I know no longer feel any guilt for liking a particular song or artist, but I'll play along. Over the past several years, I've dipped my feet a bit into more Jimmy Buffett inspired recent country songs by acts like Zac Brown, Kenny Chesney, and Little Big Town. I also find it interesting that the rise of summery country music in the late 90s / early 00s kind of brought Buffett himself back to his roots. Buffett's 70s material definitely had more of a country vibe to it. In the early 00s, he appeared on songs by Zac Brown as well as the Alan Jackson crossover hit It's Five O Clock Somewhere. In 2004, Buffett released License to Chill, featuring an array of country artists, and it became his highest charting album until his 2020 album (which was aided by the lack of new releases in the COVID era). Do Gordon Lightfoot and Joe Jackson count? I like a few of their songs. I’ve not listened to much Jimmy Buffett, but I have seen Kenny Chesney and Little Big Town live and they were great. Kenny can fill a stadium - he puts on quite a show and can really pick a song. “There Goes My Life” is my daughter’s ringtone on my phone. I wonder if that song will still make me cry when she moves back home for nursing school after 7 years in California. Gordon Lightfoot is a tough one. Who doesn’t like “If You Could Read My Mind”? Have you seen the documentary about him? Dude is still touring. Don’t think he has ever been derided critically, but I suppose he was never cool either. Joe Jackson is still touring as well and supposedly still sounds great live. He was a big thing back in the infancy of MTV. He was actually sort of cool back then. His music sounded much different than most stuff produced in that era. I haven’t heard much of his stuff since Look Sharp came out though. I would actually consider his fans to be “cool” still. Buffett is a guy whose music I started to explore at 25, right around the time I started to get into the BB hits a little more. I've really grown to appreciate his music as nearly perfect summertime listening. Even though I can listen to the Beach Boys 365 days a year, Buffett's sounds just lend themselves to 80 and 90 degree long days IMO. It sounds out of place in colder months, which is why I haven't really embraced his Christmas albums. I'm more in Chesney's more sunsplashed songs like Beer in Mexico or When the Sun Goes Down. Lightfoot actually just played locally last month I think. I broke down and got a best of collection fairly recently. But, I really don't know much about his history.
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 14:56:11 GMT
Well - There are at least 10 better Nirvana songs than “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Also Nirvana is far from the best grunge band - but how can you not like “Black” or “Alive” by Pearl Jam? Stone Temple Pilots are great - how do you feel about Alice In Chains? I don't doubt that SLTS isn't Nirvana's best song. But, I can't say I've heard one that I really ever wanted to hear again. As for Black and Alive..those songs just do nothing for me. I also hate the vocal style popularized by Eddie Vedder and many of his peers, the style that continues to be copied by male vocalists to this day. I don't know how to describe it other than the derogatory term "yarling." I actually liked STP far better once Scott Weiland moved away from that vocal style in the mid 90s. I eventually came around on Alice In Chains because I think they are stylistically more in line with traditional hard rock, especially with Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing. The hurdle for me was Layne Staley's vocals. But, once I got past that, and concentrated more on the songs and guitarwork, I enjoyed them immensely more than I did in the early 90s. Soundgarden, I think, is also a bit closer to more traditional hard rock, especially since Cornell was head and shoulders above any singer in that movement in terms of pure vocal talent. That's very evident when he sings circles around Vedder on the Temple of the Dog song Hunger Strike. I like Pearl Jam - but have to admit that sometimes when he is singing I start hearing Scott Stapp, and it kind of ruins the song for me. Jerry Cantrell was always my favorite member of AIC. Excellent guitarist and songwriter. He wrote “Rooster” about his dad and I think it’s brilliant. You are so right about “Hunger Strike”. I own a couple of Audioslave CD’s as well and Songbook (Live). I loved Chris Cornell’s voice so much. Still sad I didn’t see Soundgarden the last time they came through Kansas City before Chris died. I had seen them in concert in Seattle in the 90’s and while they sounded great, the audience interaction was nil. Great mosh pit though. Thank goodness I had on my Doc Martens! A lot of stretchers carrying out injured fans that night!
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 15:14:02 GMT
Here is another of my guilty pleasure bands. I’ve seen them live three times. I am not ashamed.
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Post by kds on Apr 22, 2022 16:46:11 GMT
Here is another of my guilty pleasure bands. I’ve seen them live three times. I am not ashamed. Something's Always Wrong is my song by those guys, but they were decent. I think Kap and I brought them up when discussing the wave of early 90s inoffensive pop rock bands, also including Gin Blossoms, The Spin Doctors, etc.
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Post by kds on Apr 22, 2022 16:48:22 GMT
I don't doubt that SLTS isn't Nirvana's best song. But, I can't say I've heard one that I really ever wanted to hear again. As for Black and Alive..those songs just do nothing for me. I also hate the vocal style popularized by Eddie Vedder and many of his peers, the style that continues to be copied by male vocalists to this day. I don't know how to describe it other than the derogatory term "yarling." I actually liked STP far better once Scott Weiland moved away from that vocal style in the mid 90s. I eventually came around on Alice In Chains because I think they are stylistically more in line with traditional hard rock, especially with Jerry Cantrell's guitar playing. The hurdle for me was Layne Staley's vocals. But, once I got past that, and concentrated more on the songs and guitarwork, I enjoyed them immensely more than I did in the early 90s. Soundgarden, I think, is also a bit closer to more traditional hard rock, especially since Cornell was head and shoulders above any singer in that movement in terms of pure vocal talent. That's very evident when he sings circles around Vedder on the Temple of the Dog song Hunger Strike. I like Pearl Jam - but have to admit that sometimes when he is singing I start hearing Scott Stapp, and it kind of ruins the song for me. Jerry Cantrell was always my favorite member of AIC. Excellent guitarist and songwriter. He wrote “Rooster” about his dad and I think it’s brilliant. You are so right about “Hunger Strike”. I own a couple of Audioslave CD’s as well and Songbook (Live). I loved Chris Cornell’s voice so much. Still sad I didn’t see Soundgarden the last time they came through Kansas City before Chris died. I had seen them in concert in Seattle in the 90’s and while they sounded great, the audience interaction was nil. Great mosh pit though. Thank goodness I had on my Doc Martens! A lot of stretchers carrying out injured fans that night! When I working in radio promotions, I got a free copy of Cantrell's Degradation Trip solo album in 2002. I listened and was impressed by the guitar work. So, I went back and listened to some AiC, and I thought "damn, these guys were better than I remember." I actually saw the current version of AiC open for GNR on their first reunion tour in 2016.
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Post by carllove on Apr 22, 2022 17:59:35 GMT
I’ve not listened to much Jimmy Buffett, but I have seen Kenny Chesney and Little Big Town live and they were great. Kenny can fill a stadium - he puts on quite a show and can really pick a song. “There Goes My Life” is my daughter’s ringtone on my phone. I wonder if that song will still make me cry when she moves back home for nursing school after 7 years in California. Gordon Lightfoot is a tough one. Who doesn’t like “If You Could Read My Mind”? Have you seen the documentary about him? Dude is still touring. Don’t think he has ever been derided critically, but I suppose he was never cool either. Joe Jackson is still touring as well and supposedly still sounds great live. He was a big thing back in the infancy of MTV. He was actually sort of cool back then. His music sounded much different than most stuff produced in that era. I haven’t heard much of his stuff since Look Sharp came out though. I would actually consider his fans to be “cool” still. Buffett is a guy whose music I started to explore at 25, right around the time I started to get into the BB hits a little more. I've really grown to appreciate his music as nearly perfect summertime listening. Even though I can listen to the Beach Boys 365 days a year, Buffett's sounds just lend themselves to 80 and 90 degree long days IMO. It sounds out of place in colder months, which is why I haven't really embraced his Christmas albums. I'm more in Chesney's more sunsplashed songs like Beer in Mexico or When the Sun Goes Down. Lightfoot actually just played locally last month I think. I broke down and got a best of collection fairly recently. But, I really don't know much about his history. Ok - this is weird - I was browsing You Tube about an hour ago - and this came up on my “Recommended” videos. I use my iPad for BBT, but I was on my Roku for You Tube. I had never searched for anything about Gordon Lightfoot and the last two videos I watched were a Carol Kaye interview and a video about Pet Sounds and The Wrecking Crew. Maybe it was because I watched the Bread video last night? Good video.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 22, 2022 18:11:00 GMT
Buffett is a guy whose music I started to explore at 25, right around the time I started to get into the BB hits a little more. I've really grown to appreciate his music as nearly perfect summertime listening. Even though I can listen to the Beach Boys 365 days a year, Buffett's sounds just lend themselves to 80 and 90 degree long days IMO. It sounds out of place in colder months, which is why I haven't really embraced his Christmas albums. I'm more in Chesney's more sunsplashed songs like Beer in Mexico or When the Sun Goes Down. Lightfoot actually just played locally last month I think. I broke down and got a best of collection fairly recently. But, I really don't know much about his history. Ok - this is weird - I was browsing You Tube about an hour ago - and this came up on my “Recommended” videos. I use my iPad for BBT, but I was on my Roku for You Tube. I had never searched for anything about Gordon Lightfoot and the last two videos I watched were a Carol Kaye interview and a video about Pet Sounds and The Wrecking Crew. Maybe it was because I watched the Bread video last night? Good video. I like Gordon Lightfoot. Great songwriter and such a distinctive voice. Gordie's had a lot of physical problems through the years but he's still touring and recording. He's 83 years old now. Bob Dylan is a big Gordon Lightfoot fan.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 22, 2022 18:15:06 GMT
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Post by kds on Apr 22, 2022 18:17:33 GMT
I've always liked his Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
It's actually on one of my relaxing on the deck playlists. I don't know if it's good that a song about a real life tragedy is a song that I chill out to.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Apr 22, 2022 22:58:06 GMT
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