Guilty Pleasures

Posted by: Kevin-W on 17 August 2004

Any of you who listen to sean Rowley's excellent shows on BBC Radio london will know about his regular "guilty pleasures" slots, wherein he plays records which knows he shouldn't like, but does. (His choices include Pilot, Alessi, Neil Diamond and Babs Streisland).

It's been so successful that there's an album coming out next week.

So, what are your guilty pleasures? The songs you love but don't listen to except when there's nobody in the house?

Here are some of mine (a mixture of pomp-rock crap and bubblegum pop):

Wings: Goodnight Tonight

Betty Boo: Where Are You Baby?

Bananarama: Really Saying Something and Shy Boy

Ringo Starr: Back Off Boogaloo

Emerson Lake & Palmer: Hoedown

Mud: Tiger Feet, The Cat Crept In, Dyna-mite

Yes: Yours Is No Disgrace

More when I think of 'em

Kevin (The Fall: Slates)

Posted on: 18 August 2004 by Not For Me

Those that spring to mind....

Gary Glitter
Ottowan
Bert Kampfert
Thee Grey Wolves
Bert Weedon
Baccara
Whitehouse
Dollar

DS

ITC - Akufen - Fabric 17

Posted on: 18 August 2004 by kj burrell

I still think "Its not right (but its ok)" by Whitey Houston is one of the best singles of the last 20 years. I remember, as a kid, when I was hugely into Hawkwind, Alice Cooper, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin falling in love with Tears of A Clown By Smokie Robinson and keeping it completely to myself for fear of ridicule. Now I try not to admit to ever having liked Hawkwind etc. Maybe in 20 years I'll wear Whitney with pride and hide the Stereolab records.

Kevin

Posted on: 18 August 2004 by JonR

OK...[I may never live this down]...

Various songs by Chicago/Peter Cetera
" " " Meat Loaf
The Bangles - "Eternal Flame"
Air Supply - "All out of Love"
Richard Marx - "Right Here Waiting"

and....

Bonnie Tyler - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"

I'm desperately sorry....but I love it!

JonR

Posted on: 18 August 2004 by ejl

Some of mine. I'm not really sure why I'm embarrassed by some of these, but I am:

Joan Baez: Baptism (OTT, over-serious lyrics make this embarassing to play for others)
Bruckner: Motets (ditto the above, except lyrics in Latin so most can't understand enough to laugh, or else find it "spiritual")
The Doobie Bros.: Captain and Me (should I be embarrassed by this?)
Rush: 2112
Boston: first two albums
Dr. Hook: Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (don't tell me it sucks since I already know that)
Dead Boys: Young Loud and Snotty (the misogyny is embarrassing but I still like the album)
Mahler: Symphony #8 (it's hard for some people to understand why it's embarrassing to like this. If you don't get it when you hear it you probably never will. Still, there's something morally wrong with liking this.)
Wagner: Parsifal (a "guilty pleasure" in the fullest, Nietzschean sense -- cf. Der Fall Wagner)
The Fixx: Reach the Beach (I'm a bit ashamed to admit liking a couple INXS albums too)

I wish I could say "that covers it", but it doesn't.

Posted on: 24 August 2004 by bhazen

Really, my entire music collection is rife with guilt; it'd probably be easier to list the albums I'm not embarrassed about...

Anthology, Bread; sappy to the 3rd power, yet I'm strangely compelled...

Brain Salad Surgery, Emerson, Lake & Palmer; fascist connection explored in an earlier thread.

Bee Gees 1st, Bee Gees; to my ears this sounds like great Revolver/Sgt. Pepper-era pop.

The Best of the Guess Who, the Guess Who.

Days of Future Passed, the Moody Blues; this one has the Mantovaniesque strings on it, but to exacerbate my guilt I have all of their albums. Exculpatory sentence: I don't like the poetry.

Posted on: 25 August 2004 by willem

3 of mine (all red eared and ashamed)

Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian
Shocking Blue - Venus
TLC - Waterfall

willem

Posted on: 25 August 2004 by JonR

quote:
Originally posted by Nick Lees:
have just dug out a couple of Chicago singles to play...[..] and don't feel the slightest shame....

A fellow Chicago-admirer.....phew!

JonR

Posted on: 25 August 2004 by bhazen

Paul,

See thread "Mad Prog Rock Fall Out"

I don't really feel shame either Nick - but when hip Seattle friends come round my way, I make sure that my Franz Ferdinand, Sleater-Kinney and Fall CDs are strewn about...

...not.

I think some Boomers of a certain age feel a bit unhip when Gen Y rock writers take deadly aim at their grey-ponytailed, Harley-riding musical tastes. That's not me of course (can't afford a Harley, there's a CDS3 to be buying...)!

[This message was edited by bhazen on Thu 26 August 2004 at 7:10.]

Posted on: 28 August 2004 by toad

I’m sure these Guilty Pleasures are linked to the memories that they recall rather than the the artistic merit of the song…

For me it’s anything by Abba (especially S.O.S.) – once again I’m transported back to my Dad’s Hillman Avenger, trying not to burn my legs on the scorching vinyl seats, the Radiomobile belting out the Swedish troupe as my brother tries to throw my “I-Spy” book out of the window. Yet another interminable (for an eight year old) 55 mph cruise down the A1.

And, of course, now we pretend that all we listened to was Iggy Pop or Bowie that summer…