Which band or singer do you detest most ?

[Estreeter]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Don Maclean, "American Pie"

And then there is the cover Madonna did

[banquomerc]

Paul Fusell wrote a book in 1975 called The Great War and Modern Memory-if I recall correctly, he theme was that it is essential to study and consider that war "how it happened" and not to cleanse it or repatriate it or whatever in light or dark of modern perspective. That said, I remember when American Pie came out and it was different tho in 2019 it sounds contrived and campy but so do episodes of MASH or say, the early Beatles. So, a reflective dose of "then and now" does wonders for the perspective-folks can hate the song, but have to recognize what it did. I feel the same way about Ronald Reagan today but he looks like a scholar compared to Trump.

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by banquomerc

Paul Fusell wrote a book in 1975 called The Great War and Modern Memory-if I recall correctly, he theme was that it is essential to study and consider that war "how it happened" and not to cleanse it or repatriate it or whatever in light or dark of modern perspective.

You elevate a terrible song with scholarship. . . I'm loving it.

Originally Posted by banquomerc

That said, I remember when American Pie came out and it was different tho in 2019 it sounds contrived and campy but so do episodes of MASH or say, the early Beatles. So, a reflective dose of "then and now" does wonders for the perspective-folks can hate the song, but have to recognize what it did. I feel the same way about Ronald Reagan today but he looks like a scholar compared to Trump.

Nah, its just awful. I'm old enough to remember when it came out, I hated it then too. The rhymes are sophomoric-- "drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry, good ol' boys drinking whiskey and rye saying this'll be the day that I die"

to which I say:

. . .fuck me that hurt like a needle in my eye . . .er . . . from the guy . . . in the sky . . . by the by . . . did you pick up my cleaning (dry)?

Really, when I saw that he was auctioning those lyrics, it made more than a little ill. It reminds me of Jewel's book of poetry "a night without armor", something a 19 year old girl writes for her English professor she's got a crush on and he wearily has to read.

And "Stairway to Heaven" is the same. Now I'm a big fan of Led Zep, including some of their more bombastic stuff, like Kashmir, but this is just terrible. Its not really rock, its what Bohemian Rhapsody would be if it were . . . if it weren't _good_

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiving

This is your brain on drugs, kids . . .

just one man's opinion, and I know there's a world of folks who love these songs, all I can say is

Ooh, it makes me wonder
Ooh, it really makes me wonder

. . . what they're smoking.

[xillionaire]

Where to begin?!...

1st one that immediately came to mind was Ricky Wilson/Kaiser Chiefs.

Utter twat.

[Brooksie]

Nah, its just awful. I'm old enough to remember when it came out, I hated it then too. The rhymes are sophomoric-- "drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry, good ol' boys drinking whiskey and rye saying this'll be the day that I die"

The chorus is meant to be 'bubblegum' and mindlessly catchy. The song is all about the verses. I used to work with a girl and we talked about some artists we liked, and when I mentioned McLean (she didn't recognise the name initially) she kept chuckling and singing the chorus like it was funny. I asked whether she had ever really listened to the song, but of course not - why bother when it has a silly chorus?

What did you think of McLean's other 'hits' like 'Vincent' or 'Castles in the Air'?

[CalumH]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

...but not as godawaful as "Stairway to Heaven"

You're damn right there. It's a painfully hacked-up loogie of stinking, acrid, absolute bile! One that readily became synonymous with all that was wrong across many genres of rock.

... And yet... just yet... without it we could never have had the classic Butthole Surfers' album title "Hairway to Steven"!

& can we, in all consciousness, let that go.?

[thrabbler]

Coldplay....i have to turn them off everytime i hear that sensless drivel...

[wimbo77]

Originally Posted by thrabbler

Coldplay....i have to turn them off everytime i hear that sensless drivel...

Silly album titles after Rush Of Blood. Although i do own that album and don't mind listening in small doses.

[scoundrel]

Kanye West - his triumph at Glastonbury 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NFywxNC-M8

[Schenker76]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Kanye West - his triumph at Glastonbury 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NFywxNC-M8

Hahahaha! Immediately after that show there was this message going round saying, 'If you get an email saying it is a video of Kanye West singing Bohemian Rhapsody, DO NOT OPEN IT! ---- It REALLY IS Kanye West singing Bohemian Rhapsody!