Queensryche: Damn you VH-1!

Cafe Society
1

VH-1 premiered its newest show, “List of Something That Really Defies Listing But We Haven’t Done Before #42” last night.

I think it was subtitled 40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs. Now, some of the songs were excellent choices and deserved every snicker they got. (Cinderella, White Lion, etc.)

But Queensryche?

The song in question was Silent Lucidity, which was admittedly not very metal. (Complete string section, hardly any guitar solo, little opportunity for the banging of heads). However, when Metallica did that whole S & M thing, everyone said it was great- and THEY used a whole orchestra.

Then they started going on about how QR were “the philosophers of metal”, and how metal didn’t really need philosophers. Well, no shit- but they weren’t ever really a metal band.

Sure, there was a (long) period where they wore lots of black, caked on makeup, and teased their hair- but they were different. They had melodies. Geoff Tate could really sing. This, of course, meant they never ever sold any records, at least not until Silent Lucidity.

Anyway, I’m getting a little off-track here, but the point I was intending to make was that Queensryche have always been underrated, and will always be underrated- except right now, because today’s Queensryche sucks.

Sure, they got haircuts and became relevant, but they also lost guitarist/songwriter Chris DeGarmo and all their new material sucks. The old stuff still sounds just as good.

I predict that this thread will die faster than any yet written, because there are only about two other dopers who’ve ever heard of Queensryche

2

“Silent Lucidity” was a decent song. Maybe not a great song, but definitely not deserving of a list like this.

I also that Queensryche was underrated, Operation Mindcrime was a minor masterpiece. I loved that album.

3

I actually like that song a lot.

Never really heard any of there other stuff.

4

Wow…I get to be one of the two! I own all of the band’s CDs (even Tribe and Q2K), seen 'em live 3x, and so on.

I’ll confess to not getting on the bandwagon until Mindcrime came out, but I think all of their stuff’s still great. Shit, I even liked Rage for Order.

I once heard them called “the Pink Floyd of the 90’s.” I’m not much of a Floyd fan, but I can live with the description.

5

That’s alright. I didn’t join the bandwagon until Promised Land, although after hearing it I immediately went out and bought the entire back catalogue.

I have an excuse, though- I was sixish when Queen of the Reich came out.

I never bought Tribe- after Q2K I vowed never to buy another DeGarmoless album, although I did buy the Greatest Hits.

6

You are aware that DeGarmo DOES play some on Tribe, yes?

I was a junior (?) in high school when Mindcrime came out. As I said, I’ve seen 'em three times live, and they put on a hell of a show (the last time, in fact, was the Promised Land tour). In fact, I’ve thought about trying to go see them in Chicago at the House of Blues somewhere around my birthday.

7

WHAT?

Is it any good?

8

Funny you should mention that. I’ve heard of Queensryche (my local public library has an album or two! :eek:) and I just recently saw the video for Silent Lucidity. Yes, it does really suck.

9

It’s not bad. It’s not quite up there with Mindcrime, Promised Land, and Empire. But it’s listenable. I’d venture to say it’s a little more…philosophical than the others, but not quite as together. I think that’s the DeGarmo effect.

Actually, now that I think about it, I have 2 copies (I’d let someone borrow one, and didn’t think I would get it back). Shoot me an email with your address, and I’ll send you one, if you want it.

10

Operation Mindcrime is a great album.

I’ve had enough and I want out!

You can’t walk away now.

11

First, I want to say that I have always loved Queensryche, but in response to the OP, I think the point that VH-1 was trying to make was that “Silent Lucidity” is NOT metal. I had this same discussion with my fiance last night and I tried to explain to him that I don’t think the producers were trying to say that it was a bad song altogether, just that it is bad for it to be considered metal. I have heard people try to group “Silent Lucidity” in with the “power ballads” and I think that is a very bad idea.
Try to think of it in terms of food; Hershey’s chocolate syrup while being good as an ice cream topping would become very bad if it were to be marketed as a pasta topping. (Sorry, I didn’t get much sleep last night.)
Not to defend VH-1 too much but I find their list shows to be amusing and I would hate to see them taken off the air due to a revolt led by the SDMB(and I think something like that would be possible…this board has some very persuasive members).

12

It’s very hard to pin down a definition of metal. Whatever traits you think it all has in common, there’s a counterexample. Is “Silent Lucidity” a metal song? Of course it is–it was written and performed by a metal band. And it definitely fits the structure of a power ballad, even if it is head and shoulders above the rest.

And the notion that metal doesn’t need philosophers could only be put forth by someone who only has exposure to mainstream bands.

13

Didn’t Iron Maiden used to be described as the thinking man’s heavy metal band, or something like that?

14

I’m a bit lost. Per the OP is “awesomely bad metal” good metal or bad metal?

15

They’re using the word bad literally

16

AFAIK, that title has always belonged to Queensrÿche.

I’ve also heard that the band is working on a sequel to Operation Mindcrime.

17

“Don’t ever trust the needle Bill H.…it lies”

Heard of Queensryche? I lived Queensryche back in High School. I’d say the first EP & The Warning were metal, but when you got to Rage for Order they just became something else. I still listen to that disc & it’s held up well.

“I’m like a hungry Criminal…and your protection is minimal…”

Oh…Baby…I’m going to crank up some Ryche right now!

Astro, I do believe the ‘bad’ in awsomely bad really does mean bad which is certainly not good. However, I think there is a wink & a nudge with the awsomely bad songs…kind of like saying “You know you loved Dokken…It’s ok, we did too.”

If VH1 wanted to take a shot a Queensryche, they should have showed the video to “Queen of the Ryche” which was stupid beyond belief.