56 replies to this topic

[undo]

1. RUN-DMC
Classic rap trio changed the world, but can they ever change my mind? Raising Hell just gets on my nerves. I realize this was years before De La Soul/Nas/Dr. Dre so I really shouldn't be expecting truly innovative production or lyrics, but there's just nothing here that appeals to me at all. Really all they have going for them is that they were still better than the Beastie Boys at this point.

2. Brian Eno - "Baby's on Fire"
By all accounts considering everything else I'm obsessed with I should love this guy but that's not happening so far. His ambient albums have never moved me like I've been promised they would, and his poppier releases, while probably being groundbreaking and everything, never did much for me either. This seems to be his most famous song, but despite its apparent subversiveness I've never liked it at all. The Superpitcher cover of it did little to change my very sound opinion.

3. Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra - "Some Velvet Morning"
I was streaming this on Last.fm at work one day and a coworker turned to me and asked "What is that?" Not just "What is that?" or "What is that?," but with verbal italics on every word. And I could understand where she was coming from. I like everything I've heard from both of these artists on their own. I love the Primal Scream cover of this song. The original is simply annoying. Maybe if I'd heard it in a Tarantino film when I was 16 I'd probably think it was some classic shit and forgive its countless flaws but as it stands I really don't understand why this is so highly rated. What a mess. I still believe I might come around to this one day but do I want to and what kind of person will I be then?

4. Pop Will Eat Itself
I guess you had to be there.

5. Terry Riley - In C
The feather in the cap of every true elite music listener, but try as I may, this just goes nowhere. Definitely not on the level of Steve Reich's Drumming or Music for 18 Musicians, or even Philip Glass's most uninspired throwaways.

6. REM - Murmur
I simply can't envision a world where this band was seen as truly "groundbreaking," but I guess it happened. There are a few good songs here but what an awful recording. Here's where someone tells me that I've gotta listen to the remastered version to truly appreciate it.

[Chronodiggity]

6. REM - Murmur
I simply can't envision a world where this band was seen as truly "groundbreaking," but I guess it happened. There are a few good songs here but what an awful recording. Here's where someone tells me that I've gotta listen to the remastered version to truly appreciate it.

this opinion is groundbreakingly OTM.

obviously "Radio Free Europe" is a monster jam, and the next few songs after it are pretty cool, but an especially noteworthy record it is not.

[Chronodiggity]

"Pilgrimage" also sounds eerily close to the intro song from Twin Peaks in my mind.

[hibster]

4. Pop Will Eat Itself
I guess you had to be there.

i was a student in birmingham in the late 80's when they broke so i guess i was there, they were the closest thing the midlands had to the beastie boys!

however i have only kept wise up! sucker, can u dig it? dance of the mad, cicciolina, bulletproof!, def. con. one & pwiesation on my ipod & these dont get regular listening, though listening to def. con. one & can u dig it? bring back very fond memories of student nights at local night clubs from back then and i can't see myself ever deleting those two tracks

[Agrimorfee]

Tom Waits (don't dislike, but still not running out to buy albums either) Captain Beefheart Reel Big Fish (but you will probably say that it's no big loss anyway...)

[The Truth]

6. REM - Murmur
I simply can't envision a world where this band was seen as truly "groundbreaking," but I guess it happened. There are a few good songs here but what an awful recording. Here's where someone tells me that I've gotta listen to the remastered version to truly appreciate it.

this opinion is groundbreakingly OTM.

Not really. I remember a number of people on here (Hickman, Good Dr. Bill, BobtheSquid) saying they just don't get Murmur or saying they like it, but don't think it's a masterpiece.

For me, it's their most unique recording. The songs seem to fit together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. I don't really care if it was groundbreaking or if it ushered in "college rock" or whatever, I just love the songs on it ("Radio Free Europe," "Perfect Circle," "Talk About the Passion," "Pilgrimage," "Shaking Through," and "Moral Kiosk" are all great, IMO). I did buy the Murmur Deluxe Edition and I think it's great (because it sounds more dynamic than the original), though if those who don't think it's great don't like the songs, I don't see how getting the remastered version will change anything. I listened to Murmur a week ago and was surprised that some of the lyrics clicked for me in a way they never had before. I remember thinking, Damn, I love this album!

[taste the waste]

OP, sadly, OTM.

[James Iha]

undo's opinion on "some velvet morning" is some heartbreaking shit

[Soma]

Most punk and metal. Well, I probably shouldn't like metal considering what other music I'm into.

[arkin]

And I like all of those, except for Pop Will Eat Itself. Generally speaking 'funk rock' just doesn't do it for me.

[Eskimo kisses]

'Murmur' is kinda "eh" for sure. One of those albums that's okay/fairly good, but a mind-blowing letdown compared to what I was expecting.

[vamos]

Way off on the Terry Riley

[Jimmy TKB]

Captain Beefheart

See, this doesn't compute. One of the things that always mystified me was the Zappa fan who was not a Beefheart fan. How much of it have you heard?

BTW, I can't stand the fucking Eagles. But you know that.
Not big on U2. Any of it. I was there for all that stuff, and it never did a thing for me.

[arkin]

Pink Floyd without Barrett. But I don't even know if I should like it.

[Duff.]

Pink Floyd without Barrett. But I don't even know if I should like it.

Trust your instincts.

[nole.kennedy]

Great topic. I know that I should like some hip-hop, but there is literally nothing in the hip-hop range that intrests me. I have a great friend who has impecable music taste that is always trying to get me to listen to the latest and greatest, good hip-hop act. But everytime I try to get into it, I just can't. I want to like some because I know completely disliking a genre is utterly lame... but I just can't do it. I don't like hip-hop.

[James Iha]

Captain Beefheart

See, this doesn't compute. One of the things that always mystified me was the Zappa fan who was not a Beefheart fan. How much of it have you heard?

i love zappa's whole career, but so much of it is straightforward pop/rock, he just throws in "wacky, dirty" lyrics and unexpected prog breaks and stuff. it's so tight and composed and focused on musical perfection.

whereas beefheart is raw, from the gut stuff, with focus on the idea of being a "non musician." the captain was punk fucking rock.

some zappa fans don't "get" beefheart, and some beefheart fans find zappa to be too sterile w/ too much focus on constantly imposing his pompous "composer" rep and "bitingly cynical worldview" on the listener.

very possible to like one and not the other. if you're somebody who thinks you have "weird" taste and wonder why you don't like beefheart, your taste probably isn't that weird anyway

[stphone]

pavement: i loved all the singles i picked up during my kazaa days -- 'carrot rope', 'cut your hair', 'shady lane', 'gold soundz', 'spit on a stranger', 'summer babe', etc. -- but never found any of their albums to be nearly as good or interesting.

[Friend Catcher]

completely disliking a genre is utterly lame

Stick with what you like. Who cares? I feel the same way about hip hop: the cadence, the emphasis on beats, the rhyming, the posturing, none of it appeals to me regardless where it's coming from.

[arkin]

I like hip-hop a lot but I can't for the life of me get into Lil Wayne. ::shrug::