# Let's list good bands and musicians who tried something cringeworthily different.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-good-bands-and-musicians-who-tried-something-cringeworthily-different/449189>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 13, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-good-bands-and-musicians-who-tried-something-cringeworthily-different/449189 "2008-05-13T19:00:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-good-bands-and-musicians-who-tried-something-cringeworthily-different/449189/21 "2008-05-14T18:47:07Z")

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Captain Beefheart’s attempts to make normal mid-70s music – _Unconditionally Guaranteed_ and its follow-up _Bluejeans & Moonbeams_ – seem pretty much universally loathed by his fans and met with utter indifference by everyone else.

Violent Femmes frontman Gordon Gano released a gospel album under the name Mercy Seat. Eek. Why can’t he get just one fornication?

I think the Chris Gaines thing best suits the concept of “cringeworthy,” though. I’m thinking of the heavily Photoshopped pictures of Mr. Gaines in particular. Gah!

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**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-good-bands-and-musicians-who-tried-something-cringeworthily-different/449189/22 "2008-05-14T19:06:50Z")

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David Lee Roth did a Van Halen cover album in the style of bluegrass

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-good-bands-and-musicians-who-tried-something-cringeworthily-different/449189/23 "2008-05-14T19:29:14Z")

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[QUOTE=Phase42]  
Does Pat Boone’s [_In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy_](http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Mood-More-Mr-Nice/dp/B000005KOE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1210723677&sr=8-2) count?  
[/QUOTE]

I can never decide if that was a parody or not. Either way, it was beyond “cringeworthy”.  
I nominate John Fogerty’s “Centerfield.” This, from the guy who gave us “Proud Mary”, “Born on the Bayou”, “Fortunate Son?”

And let’s not forget KISS deciding to do the power ballad, “Forever”, sans make-up. _shudder_

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