Bands You Just Can't Get Into ............

[madmike4]

Luke - Have you given a proper listen to Perfect Situation? It sounds like Pinkerton era Weezer if you ask me. Very good stuff IMO.

[JACkory]

Zappa I love but I can see why people wouldn't get the joke and think he's just meandering.

Oh, I get the joke all right. I just don't think it's funny.
I've said it before so I won't go into detail, but the guy's playing sounds as sterile to me as Hawkeye Pierce's scalpel.

Guys - For those of you who cannot connect with Weezer but feel you're missing out on something, I have an exercise that might help.

I cannot connect with Weezer but I don't feel as if I'm missing out on anything. In fact, I kinda take pride in the fact that I cannot connect with Weezer.

And I admit that I never really tried to get into some of the bands I listed (surely noone thinks I forced myself to listen to Smash Mouth's music with the hope that their brilliance would eventually shine forth...same with that wretched Sister Hazel dreck).
But yeah, I have tried to appreciate Prince. Just can't do it.
I actually own 4 Wilco CDs and I still can't really get into them, and that's a case where I wonder what's wrong with me.
I wanted to like Moby, but no luck.
Believe it or not, I have tried like the dickens to appreciate Madonna. Futile gesture all around.
For the life of me I cannot get into John Mellencamp, though I have attempted.
I do like some of Tom Petty's music, but not nearly as much of it as I probably ought to, based upon the other artists that I do like.
Neil Diamond...there's another one.
But I think the one band that I have wanted to like so badly and yet cannot tolerate the vast majority of their music is the Beach Boys. I so often wish I was normal and could say that I think Pet Sounds is pure brilliance and mighty entertaining to boot. To my ears, though, it is not.
I tried to get into Soundgarden, with only limited success.
Even less success with Metallica.
Pearl Jam is a much better band than I give them credit for being, but that said I do have all of their studio albums and I keep thinking that one day I'll get in the mood to discover this reality. But that day has been a long time coming and still looms on the distant horizon.
I tried to understand the charm of Steve Vai's guitar shredding, but it eluded me.
Even seminal bands like Buffallo Springfield are not immune to my blind spot.
Oh, yeah...Jefferson Airplane. It's acceptable to acknowledge that the Starship incarnation sucked, but I have to say I can only stand a few Airplane tracks as well.
Janis Joplin...oh, man, how I loathe that woman's voice. But I tried.
This guy I worked at the CD store with gave me a Bright Eyes CD because I'd read something about them (him) and I really wanted to like it, but couldn't quite reach any semblance of appreciation.
Charlie Parker and be-bop in general. No thanks. But I WISH I were big into be-bop. I think it's a cool sub-genre, maybe I just can't process all those notes flying by at break neck speed...
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Okay, I like Young's contributions (and that also goes for the previously mentioned Buffalo Springfield), but those other three geezers are the pits.
INXS. Even before Hutchence wrote his own ticket and they became desperate TV personalities. And yeah, I tried.
Happy Mondays. Sure thought I'd like them, being a Martin Hannett production and all, but no dice.
Depeche Mode. Other than "Behind the Wheel" and maybe a couple of other songs I despise this band, though I've given more than one of their albums more attention than they deserved.
Willie Nelson. I do so much want to love Willie, but can merely tolerate him well. That said, I'd still like to go see him this Saturday night at the Zoo Amphitheatre.

I admit I've got a lot of "blind spots"...but I still think I've got a very open mind to most music.

Gosh it's late...I'm off to bed now.

[madmike4]

Excellent post JAC. You must be a super-cool dude. But you don't like Weezer or Tom Petty and you never sent me any amazing cds.........so I'm not sure.

[JACkory]

Just being honest, my mad friend.
And the only reason I haven't sent you a CD is cuz I don't have your mailing address.

Compared to Weezer I LOVE Tom Petty. Compared to Springsteen I think Petty's a bore. It's all relative.

But naw, I'm not a super-cool dude, I just want to be called one every now and again cuz it kick starts the manic phase and I get a lot more productive.

[skvorisdeadsorta]

Well, I think you're a super cool dude.
Agreed on the Bright Eyes thing. That one just baffles me.

[luke]

Think my problem is that when I try to get into a band, and I don't, I usually just end up actively disliking the band. Which is different than "not being able to get into", I think. Like, I can't fucking stand Tom Petty. Or Bright Eyes. Or Janis Joplin. But I do fucking love Prince.

madmike, I'm about to give that Weezer track another good listen. Understand that I want desperately to like the new stuff, even more than I do new Garbage. It just hasn't been clicking.

[Kensterberg]

I'm a lot like Luke here. I could say "I can't get into Jimi Hendrix" and that's pretty true. I don't actively dislike Hendrix, but he doesn't connect with me either. But that's a real exception. Generally, it's more like with Zepellin where I really don't like them. I'd rather have dental work without anesthesia than listen to Stairway to Fucking Heaven one more time. Neil Young is probably the most significant artist that I can think of where I can see what others see in him, but I just can't get into him. Neil causes me a lot more consternation than enjoyment, frankly.

Some Wilco suggestions for people who want to see what the fuss is all about ... with an emphasis on more upbeat or rock-type material.

From A.M.
Casino Queen (sounds like the Replacements with a fiddle player)
Passenger Side (my favorite song on the record, and an authentic slice of blue collar middle Americana; also the funniest song about DWI I've ever heard)
Box Full of Letters (a witty look back on a failed relationship that also happens to be catchy as hell)

From Being There:
Misunderstood
Monday
Outtasite (outtamind) (the best Replacements imitation on record)
Red Eyed and Blue
Say You Miss Me
Sunken Treasure (how can anyone not love a song that proclaims that "I was maimed by rock and roll"?)

From Summerteeth (which I would recommend as the band's most accesible record, though not their best)
Can't Stand It
A Shot in the Arm
I'm Always in Love
Via Chicago
She's a Jar
Summerteeth

From Yankee Hotel Foxtrot:
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
Kamera
War on War
Jesus, etc. (maybe the best thing they've ever done, god I love this song)
Ashes of American Flags
Heavy Metal Drummer
I'm the Man Who Loves You
Reservations (one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful songs in rock)

From A Ghost is Born:
Theologians
The Late Greats
Spiders (Kidsmoke) (on the assumption that maybe you don't like all the really good stuff the band has done, but might be drawn in by this overly long exercise in repetitive riffing)


I'm sure that Rocky and Weeping can suggest some other alternatives as well.

[Galactus]

These are fun.

I don't get The Velvet Underground or The Grateful Dead.

I've used to be a much bigger Weezer fan then I am now, I'm very forgiving of them and I still can't find too many good things to say about that last album. Though I don't dislike it.

I really do love Wilco, still I'd admit they're a bit overrated in the grand scheme of things.

I love Zappa as well. I get the joke and I love his guitar playing though I can see how one could think the over processed solos of the eighties were somewhat sterile.

I've gotten to the point where I just plain don't like Janis Joplin.

[phil]

I don't get Punk... Period !!

Those 2 minutes pieces Ken loves so much
are 90 seconds too long IMO,
once you've heard the same three chords twice,
no need to repeat them ...

[Kensterberg]

Phil -- have you ever listened to the Minutemen? They might be right up your alley, as virtually every song clocks in at under 1:00, and they played a ton of different styles within that time frame. See if you can find Double Nickels on the Dime (and then send it to me, as I haven't heard this masterpiece in ages!).

To me, those short running times are part and parcel of rock and roll. Look at how long singles were back in the fifties. For that matter, look at the running times for Beatles tunes up until about Revolver ... and even after that (Lady Madonna, fer instance).

[phil]

Ken ~ I "limewired" the name The Minutemen
and the first song that came up was
- Corona (JACKASS THEME SONG) - sic...

That is two strikes(and a 100 mph fast ball coming)right there !!

[JACkory]

"Corona" was committed to vinyl long before Johnny Knoxville came up with Jackass and it irks me to see it referred to as "The Jackass Theme Song". Absolutely no connection WHATSOEVER with that show.

[melon1]

Jesus, etc. (maybe the best thing they've ever done, god I love this song)


Great! We agree on something else, Ken. As far as the Ramones are concerned, I'm not really familiar with most of their work because I've never really been interested. That's all I meant by listing them: I'm not interested. But it's possible that I just haven't given them a chance. Who I really meant to mention was(and I'll probably get raked over the coals for this one - and probably by you, Ken ) Elvis Costello. Just can't see what everyone's so crazy about with this guy. There's another I forgot to list but I can't think of it at the moment.

[melon1]

Oh yeah, Alice In Chains. Love "Would", but that's about it.

[Kensterberg]

Can't get into Elvis Costello?! Why you little ...

Actually, this one makes a bit more sense to me. I can really understand someone not buying into El's entire catalog. Now I can't understand anyone listening to his first four or five LPs and not finding something worthwhile, but after that he does get pretty hit and miss. But My Aim Is True, This Year's Model (the best second LP in rock!), Armed Forces, and Get Happy are all brilliant albums with something to offer pretty much any fancier of rock and roll.

But I can see where El could strike you the same way Neil Young strikes me. I can see the appeal of some of his work, but I don't "get" him as a major artist.