The Hypocrite Blues
I have been trying to figure out what it is that defines my musical taste. Everyone likes to think that they are eclectic. I am under no such illusion. My musical taste is largely defined by where I was and what I was doing at any particular time. So, because I happened to be tangentially related to the music industry there for a short time, my list of bands/artists I like might be a little different to others people’s, but I don’t consider myself any kind of cutting-edge explorer of the bounds of musical sophistry (which is just as well, considering that I freely admit to liking the Hoodoo Gurus).
In my car at the moment there are four CDs:
Broken boy soldiers - The Raconteurs
The best of The Cure – The Cure
Get thee behind me Satan – The White Stripes
Try whistling this – Neil Finn
These seem to be all related to one another in some way to me, but perhaps that is my predilection for seeing linkages where there are none.
I’m also aware that there are some major hypocrisies going on in my musical taste, at least to the casual observer. I am guilty of that classic sin: not liking something that appears almost identical to something else. An outward example of this would be some one who likes The Vines but dislikes Jet. Or likes Anthony Callea but dislikes Guy Sebastian*.
Here are just a few of my musical inconsistencies
Like: Dave Grohl
Dislike: Billy Corgan
When Foo Fighters was released, I promptly forgot about Nirvana. Not one year later, not having lovingly stored my Kurt Cobain memorabilia to one side. One of the things that drew me to Foo Fighters was the revelation (per Rolling Stone, I think) that Dave Grohl had written and performed the whole album. I recall raving about this to some one, who promptly noted Billy Corgan does exactly the same thing. And yet, I hate the Smashing Pumpkins. More specifically, I hate Billy Corgan (inasmuch as anyone can hate some one they have never met). I can only surmise that it was Dave Grohl’s happy-go-lucky manner and enormous teeth (and the fact that his songs didn’t all dwell on death and depression despite his contemporary experiences) that won me over.
Like: Bonnie Raitt
Dislike: Janis Joplin
I love Bonnie Raitt. I’m the first to admit that she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do like her. I blame my dad – who is what you might call an enormous fan. For some reason however, and to the endless irritation of others, I do not like Janis Joplin. Not even in my “wow man, music was made prior to 1980” stage in late high school could I get excited about her (not that I told many people this at the time). The Doors also leave me quite cold, except for a very occasional listen to ‘Riders on the Storm’.
Like: 1970s Split Enz
Dislike: Frank Zappa
Prog rock. It was an interesting time, wasn’t it*? The vast majority of it, very simply, not for me. I love Split Enz and their silly spoon-playing nonsense and over-burdened instrumentation. Frank Zappa, on the other hand…. I know there are those who argue strenuously (and Mr Fix is one of them) that the deeply misogynist lyrics are satire or black humour. Pardon me if I can’t get past it. Just can’t.
Like: Turin Brakes
Dislike: Travis
For the record, it’s probably not Travis’ fault I dislike them. It’s only that by the time I got to this end of the Brit-pop thing I’d really had enough and couldn’t possibly shoe-horn in any more. My brit-pop collection resembled Mr Creosote at the end of a long meal, what with all that Teenage Fanclub and Blur. So while they may be perfectly lovely, the crowded shelves could not accommodate another British melodic popster offering. So sorry about that.
Have you noticed any similar foibles in your own taste? Or are you more successful than me at maintaining a coolsie music vibe?
* I do not find myself inspired by any of these “artists”, although Grizzlewick quite likes The Vines’ cover of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ on the ‘I Am Sam’ soundtrack.
** Not that I would know, as I wasn’t born then.
PS Also, for those of you who were following it, this morning I broke my Dead Salesmen drought by singing ‘Shoe’ in the shower. Very loudly. Then I segued into ‘Wings of Desire’ before becoming distracted by thoughts of Wim Wenders.
In my car at the moment there are four CDs:
Broken boy soldiers - The Raconteurs
The best of The Cure – The Cure
Get thee behind me Satan – The White Stripes
Try whistling this – Neil Finn
These seem to be all related to one another in some way to me, but perhaps that is my predilection for seeing linkages where there are none.
I’m also aware that there are some major hypocrisies going on in my musical taste, at least to the casual observer. I am guilty of that classic sin: not liking something that appears almost identical to something else. An outward example of this would be some one who likes The Vines but dislikes Jet. Or likes Anthony Callea but dislikes Guy Sebastian*.
Here are just a few of my musical inconsistencies
Like: Dave Grohl
Dislike: Billy Corgan
When Foo Fighters was released, I promptly forgot about Nirvana. Not one year later, not having lovingly stored my Kurt Cobain memorabilia to one side. One of the things that drew me to Foo Fighters was the revelation (per Rolling Stone, I think) that Dave Grohl had written and performed the whole album. I recall raving about this to some one, who promptly noted Billy Corgan does exactly the same thing. And yet, I hate the Smashing Pumpkins. More specifically, I hate Billy Corgan (inasmuch as anyone can hate some one they have never met). I can only surmise that it was Dave Grohl’s happy-go-lucky manner and enormous teeth (and the fact that his songs didn’t all dwell on death and depression despite his contemporary experiences) that won me over.
Like: Bonnie Raitt
Dislike: Janis Joplin
I love Bonnie Raitt. I’m the first to admit that she’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I do like her. I blame my dad – who is what you might call an enormous fan. For some reason however, and to the endless irritation of others, I do not like Janis Joplin. Not even in my “wow man, music was made prior to 1980” stage in late high school could I get excited about her (not that I told many people this at the time). The Doors also leave me quite cold, except for a very occasional listen to ‘Riders on the Storm’.
Like: 1970s Split Enz
Dislike: Frank Zappa
Prog rock. It was an interesting time, wasn’t it*? The vast majority of it, very simply, not for me. I love Split Enz and their silly spoon-playing nonsense and over-burdened instrumentation. Frank Zappa, on the other hand…. I know there are those who argue strenuously (and Mr Fix is one of them) that the deeply misogynist lyrics are satire or black humour. Pardon me if I can’t get past it. Just can’t.
Like: Turin Brakes
Dislike: Travis
For the record, it’s probably not Travis’ fault I dislike them. It’s only that by the time I got to this end of the Brit-pop thing I’d really had enough and couldn’t possibly shoe-horn in any more. My brit-pop collection resembled Mr Creosote at the end of a long meal, what with all that Teenage Fanclub and Blur. So while they may be perfectly lovely, the crowded shelves could not accommodate another British melodic popster offering. So sorry about that.
Have you noticed any similar foibles in your own taste? Or are you more successful than me at maintaining a coolsie music vibe?
* I do not find myself inspired by any of these “artists”, although Grizzlewick quite likes The Vines’ cover of ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ on the ‘I Am Sam’ soundtrack.
** Not that I would know, as I wasn’t born then.
PS Also, for those of you who were following it, this morning I broke my Dead Salesmen drought by singing ‘Shoe’ in the shower. Very loudly. Then I segued into ‘Wings of Desire’ before becoming distracted by thoughts of Wim Wenders.
posted by gigglewick at
1:44 pm
12 Comments:
I'm not sure if this is really similar, but it does irk a lot of people who are very serious about their music that I like (kind of love) Kate Bush and Tori Amos. Their fans are pretty rabid, which is hilarious for me when I spend a day watching their music videos on YouTube and reading all the arguments in the comments.
It's kind of the opposite of what I was talking about, but you're right, I have certainly heard that opinion expressed, Non-Blondie.
(also welcome to my blog)
It is Travis' fault that you don't like them. They are god-awful hacks and if I ever hear that "Driftwood" song again I may well kill several people and have a judge declare it temporary insanity provoked by crap moaning. But I did LOVE their cover of 'Hit Me Baby One More Time', they really rocked it. Or rather moaned it, either way it rocked.
I used to have an 'I hate all country and western' stance until I realised that a lot of my favourite music is so heavily influenced by the genre that I was being a tad blind/deaf to my musical reality. I have now changed my stance to 'I hate crap country & western'.
See, I've always liked The Sundays but quickly found Frente, sorry, Frente! rather annoying.
I like Tori too whilst finding nothing wrong with Kate who's been her major influence. I don't understand why some people (fans) get so protective of someone who is essentially a stranger to them.
Eleanor,
I like the Sundays too. I like a few Frente! songs, but the peppiness of their persona got a bit draining, and it's hard to overlook that for the sake of their music (although 'Paper, Bullets and Walls' and 'Oh Brilliance' are very good).
Re fandom/protectiveness - it is quite a thing though, isn't it? See INCraig's blog for that at it's "logical conclusion" in the US circa 1997.
My musical tastes are a laughing stock. I love old Springsteen, Nick Cave when he was still writing all his songs in a 36-hour drug binge, Green Day, The Clash and music to slash one's wrists by. But then I'm also rather partial to Cold Chisel and Hunters and Collectors and I don't even know who The Sundays are. See? Laughable and lacking in all street cred. ~sigh~
redcap,
I think your tastes are delightful.
Although my tolerance of Nick Cave extends essentially to 'Do You Love Me' and 'Where the Wild Roses Grow'....never got into The Birthday Party even in my most depressive moments.
I don't mind Cold Chisel, but more 'Danielle' than 'Khe Sanh'. I DO like Hunters and Collectors, particularly 'Demon Flower', which I consider one of the most evocative albums of the Kennett (political) era.
Redcap speaks my language here (fellow dag?). Nick Cave, Springsteen etc. Some of those artists you mentioned, GW, went whooshing over my head. So not cool (me that is, not you). I do love PJ Harvey in big way (apart from her '4 track demo' which is like listening to cats wail). As I've gotten older I've found my musical tastes have remained quite static. And I'm going out on a very, very daggy limb here, but I love Chris Isaac. Other boat floaters are bands like Placebo, Sneaker Pimps & Garbage which dates me like the Y2K bug to the late 90s/early naughties. Occasionally a new band comes along that I add to that list... latest addition being the Howling Bells. The thing is once they're a favourite they're there to stay and they'll get played again and again and again, regardless of coolness, hipness, image etc. It's whatever works for you, I suppose. Isn't that the point of music?
I agree with nai here re Travis - dreary and yes, godawful, to condense them into a word (of sorts). You were showing good sonic sense to spurn them.
Teenage Fanclub get a big tick - I was obsessed with them in the mid 90s (and while I rarely listen to them now, I'm not ashamed by that youthful foray).
I'm glad the Sundays have been mentioned - every subsequent trill-voiced indie starlet (yes, including the Blasko fiasco, I concede) sounds like a bad photostat of them - they really ruled the roost for my money.
Thing is, I stopped being 'on the pulse' in any meaningful way a good, say, decade ago, and while I resurface from under the piles of ELO, 10CC, Phil Collins, Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen and Cold Chisel to tune into the odd new band from time to time (The Clientele don't seem too bad and I like both Wainwrights), on the whole I listen to whatever pleases me. I think your tastes show a discernment for what is actually good rather than what hangs off the coat-tails of stuff that is good. I don't know many people with taste who really like the Doors.
*ducks* angry Doors posters.
I have a theory that you either like The Smiths, or you like The Doors and depending on which one you like that is the way your musical tastes go.
For example if you like The Doors you were never a fan of Brit Pop but probably liked The Darkness.
I personally hate The Doors and their over rated bollocks. Jim Morrison as poet my ass, my cat writes better poetry.
I can only contribute one comment to this, seeing as my musical knowledge is pitiful.
I like Travis.
I _love_ Kate Bush. Her music has so many layers. Have been a super fan of hers since 1980 (I is old). The Dreaming is the bestest album ever.
Tori used to be good. She's gone quite bland now.
And I went to see Neil when he was promoting Try Whistling This and Richard Tognetti showed up to play. But what was way cooler than that was that Hester and Seymour also showed up half way. It was the best experience ever.
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