Guilty Pleasures
Posted by: Todd A on 19 October 2000
All right, ‘fess up: what horrible, corporate tripe do you like? You know that Kenny G or ‘N Sync song or artist that you secretly enjoy.
While I don’t expect anyone to actually enjoy those two artists, I am confident that every single one of you out there has at least a couple of pieces of music that you enjoy that you don’t generally talk or write about. I write this because I get the distinct impression from the musical threads and other threads that forum members generally place a premium on originality and quality. That, by default, eliminates most of the over-hyped pop / rock and “smooth” jazz garbage out there, and results in a higher-than-mass-market rate of classical, jazz, and underground music consumption.
My guilty pleasures include a little Enja, Boney James, Madonna (Ray of Light – an enjoyable piece of pop blah), and, Oh Lord have mercy, Bon Jovi (a little of the crap from the ‘80s no less!). There are a few others, but my shame is great enough as is.
(PS – I don’t know if one of these threads existed on the old forum.)
Posted on: 23 October 2000 by Andrew Randle
Steve said: "Yes, its all very clever ... in a pretentious, self-congratulatory way"
Steve, you missed half of the point. Zappa's music is supposed to be pretentious and self-congratulatory. All part of his mocking of society.
Zappa Quote from Heavenly Bank Account: "Remember folks, there's a big difference between kneeling down and bending over."
Andrew
Andrew Randle
2B || !2B;
4 ^ = ?;
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by Steve Catterall
No I don't think I missed the point - there is no point to miss, wonderfully illustrated by the puerile quote.
Thanks Robert I think you hit the nail on the head there.
For decent Humour in music, see the Smiths 
Incidentally - what's wrong with Steps. Perfectly decent Pop band
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by Tony L
quote:
King Crimson
Frank Zappa
Miles Davis
Captain Beefheart
Wow, Steve is embarrassed by some of the coolest parts of my record collection…
Zappa is totally inconsistent, though the good bits (usually found on the earlier albums) are great, he can as mentioned disappear up his own rectum on occasion, and it is best not to be around when this happens. Beefheart is a musical milestone of the importance of the likes of Can or Neu! Crim really delivered the goods on more than a few occasions, as long as you ignore the early lyrics completely. Miles Davis is as influential as… well, Miles Davis, at least in the 50s and 60s, I'm radically less convinced by his 70s and 80s output.
Tony.
Closet T.Rex fan. Proud, not guilty.
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by Rico
quote:
Miles Davis is as influential as… well, Miles Davis, at least in the 50s and 60s, I'm radically less convinced by his 70s and 80s output.
Like his guest spot on Miami Vice (re-run recently)?
Rico - musichead
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by Pete
... was good enough for Jan Hammer, whom I don't regard as embarassing. Doubters referred to collaborations with one Mr. J. Beck Esq.
Pete.
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by Jonathan Gorse
I don't enjoy much of the punky, thrashy noise which seems so popular on the forum and sounds as though it was recorded half-way up a badgers ass(much of which seems to make even a Naim system sound like a £20 tranny!!) and have to confess that I like a lot of stuff which is considered softcore (because it has melody!) by the rest of you eg:
Fleetwood Mac
Roxy Music
Procol Harum
Sean Mullins
Pink Floyd
Chris Rea
the Corrs
Hell I can even tolerate Sarah Brightman in short bursts under duress (well maybe not). The next gig I am going to is Bjorn Again and after that the Australian Floyd! The last one was Procol Harum a couple of weeks ago.
As a matter of fact recently I have been enjoying the Dixie Chicks latest album. It's hard not to be impressed with the brilliance of tracks such as 'Cowboy take me away' and the humerous lyrical magnificence that is 'Mattress dancing'
Have I made you post-punk types puke into your rolled £5 note yet??
Jonathan
Posted on: 24 October 2000 by fred simon
quote:
Things I feel embarassed about owning include ... Miles Davis Bitches Brew
Why are you embarrassed about owning Bitches Brew?
Posted on: 25 October 2000 by Pete
Fred calls on "Bitches Brew", but not entirely unsurprisingly "Tales From Topographic Oceans" goes unchallenged. Rick Wakeman has publicly admitted his embarassment about that one, and quite right too!
BB I didn't get on with at all well when I first got it, just over 10 years ago. Gave it away soon afterwards. Borrowed a copy last year and it all made sense straight away. Great stuff!
Jonathon, is it not the case that something like the outro solo on "Editions of You" is actually much closer to "punky, thrashy noise" than the likes of "More Than This", both from your stated like of Roxy Music? Similarly check out the likes of "Careful With That Axe Eugene", Interstellar Overdrive", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun", "On the Run" and "The Nile Song" from the Pink People and decide how much you do or don't like noise. Play spot the melody in many of the Mac's early blues workouts (i.e., "When You're Looking for Somebody", or indeed some of the more experimental bits of "Tusk". I think you probably like a good bit of noise more than you realize...
Pete.
Posted on: 25 October 2000 by fred simon
quote:
Guilty that I really don't get it. Those enough reasons? You are making me feel guilty for feeling guilty about it for god's sake!
Just by asking why you feel embarrassed about owning Bitches Brew? Man, that's some hard core guilt! Please consult your clergyman. (insert your favorite emoticon here)
This thread is called guilty pleasures; I was just curious why Bitches Brew was a guilty pleasure for you but it seems that it brings you only guilt, no pleasure.
Posted on: 27 October 2000 by Pete
Dozy, put it away for 10 years and then listen to it again, in the meantime gradually broadening out the collection. Then you'll love the whole thing, at least based on my initial reactions to it being more or less exactly like yours. It certainly isn't particularly accessible compared to, say, "Kind of Blue" or "Heavy Weather".
Not listening first? Some great stuff has come my way by leap of faith purchases, especially in the realm of concert tickets.
Pete.
Posted on: 20 April 2002 by Cheese
Funny that no-one has mentioned Elton John yet ?! Indeed, I thoroughly enjoy his thickly romantic melodies. Or has he meanwhile become respectable regarding the present artistic desert ?
Cheese
Posted on: 21 April 2002 by Mike Sae
The Bangles > Love 'em. Have all their LPs, many of their 7"s; they get regular play at my house.
Natalie Imbruglia > Love 'er. Have all her albums, singles and even her vinyl singles, but haven't gotten to her 7"s yet. Was anxiously waiting for White Lily to come out, as it was delayed 3+ months due to inept BMG management types.
I'm not ashamed per se, but I guess I should be.
Posted on: 28 April 2002 by Bob McC
Seems to me there's a lot of unnecessary angst going on here. IMHO ANY music you guys like is OK by me. Sure there's lots I can't stand but I don't make any universal value judgements about it. Whatever you listen to at the end of a harrowing day that puts you back on an even keel and at peace with the world is fine by me. That's what music does for me, doesn't/shouldn't it do it for us all?
Posted on: 28 April 2002 by dvdkeogh
All,
If you thought that it couldn't get any worse I have the following CD singles, which I DO still listen to on occasion:
Sarah Brightman and
Andrea Bocelli: Time to say GoodbyeNick Berry: Heartbeat (made up for though by additional tracks from
Sandy Shaw and
The Kinks!)
I even bought
Blue: If you come back over Christmas!
Bugger, I even [very] occasionally listen to
Paul Young: From Time to Time
Pants, I there's also the small matter of my
Vanessa Mae: The Violin Player and
Bond: Born CDs...
What do these say about me???
Dave
Posted on: 29 April 2002 by JYOW
OK, I used to like Harry Connick Junior, including "We are in Love", "Lofty's Roach Souffle", and, gulp, "When Harry Met sally". Now I would not to be caught listening to any of his lounge music.
Another one is Diana Krall. Before she became famous, she had this awesome album "Stepping out". Now whe is just a Britney Spears singing some seudo Jazz. What a shame.
Posted on: 29 April 2002 by David Tribe
Al Stewart: "Year Of The Cat" and "Modern Times". Slick well produced studio pop. Lyrics are vaguely enigmatic with references to faraway, exotic places and activities.I've always liked this stuff.
Posted on: 06 May 2002 by MarkEJ
...and I would certainly file him in "electric folk" rather than "pop".
I am unembarassed to reveal that we have just completed our Al Stewart collection, all on vinyl bar the most recent, which so far to me is the only one which seems a bit of a duffer.
So what do I feel guilty about? Nothing really -- I'm even happy admit to owning a copy of "What a Wonderful World -- Harold Smart at the Thomas Organ; (Take Your Pick from the world's greatest melodies for dancing and easy listening); no. 5 in the Ad-Rhythm Series, etc.", which I bought new with my own money a very long time ago...
We have no Sweet, no Mud, no Madonna, no Steps, only a bit of Abba, a Status Quo compilation called "12 Gold Bars", a dodgy collection of soul hits intriguingly titled "Black Gold", and an obscure film soundtrack album called "Lemon Popsicle", about all of which I cannot be bothered to muster even the slightest tinge of guilt (oh alright -- there's a Leo Sayer record in there somewhere which... well, hmmmm). I could confidently reach, blindfolded, into the record shelves, grab something, play it and find something to enjoy embedded in the grooves. Naturally, it might not be what one originally bought it for, and it might not be the artists' best work -- but it'll probably be fun.
Best;
Mark
(an imperfect
forum environment is
better than none)
Posted on: 26 July 2002 by Rana Ali
Guilty pleasures? Try his "Orange" album, especially side 2 (if you listen on vinyl). "Folk rock" at its pinnacle (even if the pinnacle is not a high one!)
Rana
Posted on: 02 June 2003 by jayd
Thought I'd resurrect an interesting (if somewhat touchy) thread by adding my vote for Slade.
Why do I consider them a guilty pleasure? because when I put them on, someone invariably says "Dude... Slade?"
By the way, how are Noddy and the boys regarded in Britain these days? National treasures? Silly old sods?
Posted on: 03 June 2003 by the other nickc
ToddJust interested to hear why you think Arvo Part is a 'second rate' composer?
Posted on: 03 June 2003 by greeny
quote:
By the way, how are Noddy and the boys regarded in Britain these days?
I think with mild affection in most cases, I've got to admit this is one band I've just never even considered buying any albums by, obviously I have heard plenty of singles.
There's a brief review of the Slade In Flame DVD in Q203 - 5 stars "the best rock movie of all time"
Posted on: 05 June 2003 by Todd A
quote:
Originally posted by the other nickc:
Just interested to hear why you think Arvo Part is a 'second rate' composer?
You're right: my initial assessment was too generous. Part is a third or fourth rate composer. Why? Well, firstly I generally consider first rate composers to be the Great Composers. Part is definitely not one of them. Beyond that, I find his spiritualist / minimalist approach boring and anything but profound, as I do with most composers of his ilk. (Sofia Gubaidulina is the only “similar” – and I use that term broadly – composer I really like.) Granted, I’ve only heard three or four of his works, or more precisely only parts of three or four of his works, and I hear precious little invention or innovation.
Posted on: 06 June 2003 by the other nickc
Todd
Not qualified to argue with you from a technical point of view so I guess i'll have to take your word on the innovation/invention argument. (Although I have to say that a well known composer is a friend of the family and rates Arvo Part highly).
But at the end of the day either music does something for you or it doesn't. Arvo Part hit's the spot for me
Posted on: 06 June 2003 by Todd A
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Lees:
On a more serious note, the other nickc has it right - regardless of innovation or invention does Part's stuff work on a musical level?
I quite agree about that music can be successful without being particularly innovative. I like plenty of music like that. But not Part.
quote:
Originally posted by Nick Lees:
Are, for example, Webern or Stockhausen "better" composers than Part on the basis of their innovation?
Webern is far superior to Part in every regard. Interestingly, I just listened to his Passacaglia for Orchestra last night, and while it's not one of his late, great, compact, dense serial works, it rather transcends anything Part could hope to write. Consider Webern's cantatas, string ensemble music, and all of his great orchestral works, and it is clear he is a musical giant, whereas Part is a mere Verne Troyer. Stockhausen I'm less enthusiastic about.
