What bands areou tthere that you absolutely love 100% - in theory. In reality, you’ve never been able to sit through an entire album, or perhaps even song?
For me, there are several:
KISS - I love the idea of KISS. It makes me angry to see posers like Marilyn Manson totally ripping off their angle. If I were President, not only would I pass legislation ensuring that there is always a KISS at all times, I would also provide for an emergency backup KISS in case anything happens to the real one. But I can’t stand any of their music. I just like the idea behind them.
Neil Young - Everything I’ve read or been told about him makes me believe he’s a cool, very talented individual. He’s completely got my respect. And I’ll never own a CD of his because I just can’t bear listening to him.
Velvet Underground - I love a million bands who name the VU as their number one influence. I’ve heard a million VU covers that are great. I used to own two VU CDs (Loaded and Nico) and ended up selling them to the used CD store because I just didn’t like listening to them.
Led Zepplin - As with the previous entries, you’ll never hear me utter a bad word about these guys. Talented? Oh yeah, no doubt in my mind. Influential? A fool would deny it. Listenable? Not to my ears.
Bob Dylan Rod Stewart (I hear he puts on a damn good show…) Tom Petty (OK, I do listen to Tom Petty a little, but am in no way prepared for his Complete Works) Cat Stevens(see comment on Tom Petty), and Bruce Springsteen
Probably more, but those were the ones that immediately came flying out.
For me, it’d have to be Husker Du. Everyone I now loves (or loved) them. Critics fell over each other praising them, a lot of bands I do like list them as a major influence (I love The Replacements). Hell, I ususally like bands that don’t rely on studio gloss. Not Husker Du, apparently. To me they sound like a bunch of people banging on instruments in a cinderblock bathroom
Much as I’ve tried, I 've given up hope of “getting” them.
I also second KISS. Great idea, groundbreaking theatrics, amazingly cheesy, juvenile band.
The Doors. Especially the really long version of “Light My Fire”. A little harpsicord goes a very long way.
Bob Dylan - Poet of the ages? Voice of a generation? Artist most likely to make you jam knitting needles into your ears?
Prince - Especially his squawking and screeching era.
James Taylor - I like a lot of his stuff, but I can’t listen to more than two songs in a row. There’s just an odd tonal quality to his voice that grates my nerves.
Pink Floyd…I know they are one of the “great bands” but I just don’t get into their music. It’s just too ‘crafted’ for my taste. (That might not be true of the Syd Barrett period, I need to listen to that more).
Good googly woogly, but I love Steely Dan. Funny, though… I pretty much thought everyone else felt the same way YOU do… I didn’t know they were respected…
Well, if time travel ever becomes possible, you’ve got a deal. Of course, that would mean that YOU would be stuck with a bunch of Leif Garret-loving grade-school girls for friends…
…but you’d never have had to listen to Steely Dan at one of their parties…
I am led to believe that The Rolling Stones are a great band. Unfortunately, I will never know how great they are because I can’t stand the sound of Jagger’s voice.
My husband always tells me that he married me in spite of my dislike of Pink Floyd. I know I should like them and I know how influencial they are/have been but put one of their songs on and if I’m sitting at home listening to them, I want to grab a razor and slice my wrists. If I’m in my car, I want to drive into on-coming traffic. So depressing.
Another, Bob Dylan. Again, great folk singer who had amazing social commentary for his generation but I can’t transcend that terrible voice.
I have an unreasoning hatred of Led Zeppelin. I don’t know why; at first I thought it was because of the blues songs they covered without giving credit, or because I associated Paige with that Aleister Crowley bullshit. But for whatever reason, I’m deeply prejudiced against Zeppelin, I resent the technical expertise they display, and I change the station whenever they come on the radio, which is frequently.
I like some of their albums – Animals, or Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but whenever I listen to their supposedly ‘best’ albums (DSotM, WYWH, The Wall) I feel sick. To me it sounds like beauty traded in for bombast and disgustingly ‘greasy’ singing in harmonies all over the place. And oooh so pretentious. Kind of a summary of everything that bugs me about prog-rock.
On all their albums there are 3-5 songs I really like and the rest just makes me cringe.
on Pink Floyd, they are my favorite, absolutely favorite band of all time! Now, since all art is relative, I can understand people’s not liking MOST of their art, but the guitar soloes on The Wall are, in my mind, without a doubt the absolute highest form of musical craftsmanship, sublimnity and virtuosity ever to appear on this planet, bar none. Rooted in the blues yet touching the heavens with exactly the right transcendental deviations from orthodoxy. okay, i’ll stop now
Now, a band i cant stand, yet i should like, is Radiohead. I love their craftmanship, lyrics, and their music is decent too. But i cant stand to listen to them especially the lead singer.
Here’s where I burn some bridges… this is only bands that I have been forced to listen to extensively against my will, bands that people just assume I like and pop the tape in, when really I want to snap the thing in half.
Radiohead
I will never forgive them for releasing “Creep” as a single. The most atrociously awful vocal I have ever heard in pop song.
Blur
You just annoy me. I don’t know why. I buy the CDs, sell them in disgust, hear a track and buy it again, then get disgusted all over again and sell it. The only song I love consistently is “To The End” and I can’t even find the version of it I like.
Bjork
Her records are just… tuneless, pointless headache-inducing noise. And everybody eats it up! I have been subjected to her albums more times than I can count. Literally hundreds of times. I don’t get it. I loved the Sugarcubes. What happened?
They Might Be Giants
Not their fault, really. It’s the fans. I thought they were a fun band until it turned into a bizarre cult.
Bruce Springsteen: I know that when he is good, he is very good, but I just can’t take most of his music. His uptempo songs grate on my nerves (e.g. “Born To Run”). Most of his slow songs seem too repetative and dull to me (e.g. “I’m On Fire” or “Philadelphia”). When someone starts to tell me about their love of his music, I just want to throw Warren Zevon CDs at them.
Prince: I respect his talent, creativity, and versatility; but you can’t make me listen to him for anything. A friend of mine is always mentioning him when we talk about music, I think she overdoes it. But she says I do the same thing with Miles Davis.
Bob Marley: Most reggae sounds exactly the same to me, but especially his music. I will watch shows about him and the political situation in Jamaica and be fascinated. But reggae just bores me to tears. Just get on with it! I even hate Frank Zappa’s music when he used it, whether for humorous purposes or not.
The Ramones: I should like them, but they always came across to me as a TV sitcom’s version of a rock band, good for a laugh but not actually threatening. Their songs all sound like novelty tunes to me. I heard some of the tunes on Joey’s solo album, and just groaned at the polished shlock trying to pass for garage/punk.
