# otherwise good songs ruined by one small artistic misstep **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292 "2002-07-10T19:53:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![moodtobestewed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@moodtobestewed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moodtobestewed)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/1 "2002-07-10T19:53:23Z")
My nominees for the category of otherwise good songs ruined by one small artistic misstep: Guided by Voices “I am a Scientist” Great vocal melody, intriguing lyrics, and a driving rhythm section ruined by domr of the most inept and out-of-place guitar playing ever. A least these guys maintained their indie cred by not making this a hit. Michael Jackson “Billie Jean” I guess the lyric is supposed to be “She says I am the one, but the kid is not my son,” but he is clearly singing “She says I am the one, but the _chid_ is not my son.” Now what the fuck a “chid” is I have no idea, but this grates on my nerves to no end. Simon and Garfunkel “Dangling Conversation” Admittedly, this song is a wee bit pretentious, but even worse is that it sounds like a chimp snuck into the studio and banged a cymbal on every single beat. I can just see him there clanging away in his bellhop uniform. Did no one in the control room notice how unmusical this is? Other nominees? ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/2 "2002-07-10T20:15:46Z")
Kate Bush “Get Out of My House.” Perfectly good song until Kate and everybody start making donkey noises. “Ribbons” by The Sisters of Mercy. Same as above, but instead of donkey noises, Andrew Eldritch starts sceaming “Incoming!” as the song winds down. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/3 "2002-07-10T20:35:35Z")
I always thought the flute solo kinda ruined The Troggs’ _Wild Thing_. Also, the Beck song _Novacane_ is really enjoyable until he mixes in that awful distortion so loud that I have to rip my headphones off. I’m sure that was his point, but still… ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/4 "2002-07-10T22:27:04Z")
The song _Electronaut_ by **VNV Nation** is awesome, but near the end, there is a synth line that is accompanied by the most annoying high pitched squeal. It feels like it’s cutting into my eardrum for god’s sake - the human equivalent of a dog whistle. Otherwise, it’s a damn cool track, though. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/5 "2002-07-10T22:34:05Z")
Pink Floyd’s **Time** would be FAR more listenable without those goddam chimes and alarms and crap going off in the beginning. In fact, I can’t listen to **Dark Side of the Moon** anymore because of that and crap like it. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/6 "2002-07-10T23:11:15Z")
This is going back, back the Carpenters’ soft, melodic song “Goodbye to Love” has a totally incongruous fuzz guitar solo in the middle. Richard Carpenter defends it here: [http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonytay/carp/album/songyou.htm](http://web.singnet.com.sg/~tonytay/carp/album/songyou.htm) ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/7 "2002-07-10T23:17:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dooku \* > \*\*I always thought the flute solo kinda ruined The Troggs’ _Wild Thing_. > > \*\* I think its an ocarina, not a flute, and the song wouldn’t be nearly as cool without it. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/8 "2002-07-10T23:32:58Z")
The guitar solo in the **Golden Earring** ’s _When the lady smiles_ is one of the most unimaginative and dull 20 second stretches in music history. Decent track apart from that. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/9 "2002-07-11T00:52:24Z")
I agree with Neurtok. Time by Floyd is an amazing tune and I always feel guilty when i fast forward past the chimes. Those are some haunting fricking lyrics but the chimes the chimes! ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/10 "2002-07-11T02:30:28Z")
Paul McCartney in action… The song starts, a mysterious “A” note hangs in the air… what key is this? A major, A minor? Will it resolve into D major or even F major? No, it’s a lovely, jazzy move to Bb major7. Very nice. First 4 bars: _And when I go away I know my heart can stay with my love, it’s understood… it’s in the hands of my love,_ So far so good: pretty melody, solid lyric, still keeping the jazzy feel with Am7, D9, Gm7… Next line: _And My Love does it good,_ **GOOD?** Is that the best you could think of Paul? GOOD? :rolleyes: I won’t even mention all the "Wo-Wo"s ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/11 "2002-07-11T02:44:14Z")
I’ve been listening to quite a bit of obscure Japanese pop music, and a lot of it would be 100% better if the singer used a voice that actually sounds like they made it past puberty! In this case, I’ve heard the singer use her normal voice before, and it sound INFINTELY better than this… falsetto. Completely ruined so much for me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/12 "2002-07-11T05:52:52Z")
I’ve been looking everywhere for the version of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” without that weird, electronica, techno interlude in the middle. I love the song, but not that weird part. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/13 "2002-07-11T09:49:17Z")
> [@](#): > > “Ribbons” by The Sisters of Mercy. Same as above, but instead of donkey noises, Andrew Eldritch starts sceaming “Incoming!” as the song winds down. I was in a car once and somebody got so fed up with that he ejected the tape and tossed it out the window. It was more of a last straw for the whole album. But I like the donkey noises. It’s not as if that album goes off the rails at the _end_… it loses the plot in the first five seconds and never looks back! I have to hear it right now. -fh ---
**Author:** ![DemonSpawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac8455/32.png) [@DemonSpawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonSpawn)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/14 "2002-07-11T09:54:05Z")
“Tangled up in blue”, a cover version by the Indigo Girls is a great song, but after 2 or 3 verses the whole song changes to a blues for a verse or two and then changes back to the original folk. I have nothing against blues, but it’s just not my kind of music … so I always fast forward that part. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/15 "2002-07-11T09:57:36Z")
Much of The Charlatan’s early work is hurt by bad keyboard instrumentals. Sometimes they work, mostly the don’t – _Chewing Gum Weekend_ (on _Between 10th and 11th_) is a case in point. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/16 "2002-07-11T10:30:51Z")
_Otherside_ by the Red Hot Chili Peppers makes me switch the station whenever I hear it coming. It’s all about the chorous: \*How long, how long will it slide Seperate my side I don’ \* (no “t,” rhymes with “bone”) _I don’ believe it’s bad Slitting my throat is all I ever …_ “Ever…” Ever _what?_ There’s only one way to end that sentence sensibly and make it rhyme - “ever had.” Is that so hard? “Had.” Say the damn word. Their _By the Way_ has another stupid trick like that, but they take the last word out of the thought (and render it meaningless) with the result rhyming. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/17 "2002-07-11T12:18:23Z")
**Free Bird** starts as a pretty good song, until it devolves into the worst guitar solo in the history of music. I switch channels as soon as I hear it. ---
**Author:** ![moodtobestewed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ab097/32.png) [@moodtobestewed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moodtobestewed)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/18 "2002-07-11T12:58:18Z")
A few more: In “Middle of the Road” by the Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde makes this little “Brbrbrbrbr-eow” sound before the solo that’s really annoying. “Hey Bullfrog” by the Beatles would have much better without the barking silliness at the end. ---
**Author:** ![Crepitus\_Fremitus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19adc/32.png) [@Crepitus\_Fremitus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crepitus_Fremitus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/19 "2002-07-11T13:37:56Z")
I kinda like that cat thing Chrissy does. Sexy baby yeah! Ah hem, anyway… “Feel Like Makin’ Love” by Bad Company. It’s a nice, mellow, groovy tune, but just when you’re gettin’ down to it, all nice and woozy: FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE! FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE! FEEL LIKE MAKIN’ LOVE! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292/20 "2002-07-11T13:45:05Z")
“You’re My Home” by Billy Joel. It’s this really nice song that goes: _Well I never had a place that I could call my very own That’s all right, my love, 'cause you’re my home…_ Okay, a little sappy, but nice, right? Until we get to this lyric: _You’re my castle, you’re my cabin and my instant pleasure dome_ INSTANT PLEASURE DOME??? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/otherwise-good-songs-ruined-by-one-small-artistic-misstep/118292.md?page=2)