sopsych

Underrated: The Outfield. [reminded of that by a comparison VEGANGELICA makes in another thread]

The Outfield only had one hit that still gets much airplay today ("Your Love," for the ignorant), but just about all of the band's singles were lyrically solid and musically complex (despite having a maximum of three official band members) and I don't know of any band that sounds much like The Outfield.

VEGANGELICA

^ When I first heard songs by The Outfield, their simple love themes and rich vocal harmonies made me think for years that the band was from California, like a modern-day Beach Boys. Boy was I surprised when I first looked them up online several years ago and learned that they are British! I had had no idea. (I actually think they really *are* Californian and just got born by accident over there .)

I am struck most by the clarity of Tony Lewis' voice. So clear and even with absolutely no vibrato, his voice is like that of an English choir boy all grown up.

The main negative about the group, I feel, is that their songs' themes and lyrics are often simple and can sound somewhat generic because, well, they *are* often simply songs about love.

I read on Wikipedia today that The Outfield "took an extended hiatus during the mid-1990s as changing musical fashions, especially the popularity of edgier bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam, made life difficult for older bands with a less fashionable aesthetic." This reminded me of one attribute of The Outfield that might reduce their appeal: they *aren't* edgy. I can't think of a single Outfield song, for example, that has aggression in it. Their songs aren't quite on the level of easy listening music, but sometimes, I'm afraid, they are close.

Yet this negative is also part of their allure for me: their straight-forward songs about love have a pure, sweet sound.

I feel their lyrics can be overly bland yet sometimes are saved by stanzas that make them vivid, unique, and personal. In fact, this band has created two of my favorite song moments by matching sound with words in a way that causes me to feel as if I'm living life through their eyes and experiences. I like when a song transports me even briefly into someone else's frame of reference:

The Outfield - "The Night Ain't Over"

My favorite lines and song moment: "It's five in the morning. I can feel the beads of sweat running down the back of my neck. It's so good to be with you again, woh." I also love the wash of sound at the beginning of this song:


The Outfield - The Night Ain't Over - YouTube

* * *

The Outfield - "Say It Isn't So"

I love the poetry of "midnight sun" used to describe the feeling of city nightlife and the way it is made more vibrant by the music: "It's lonely on the streets when it's just one a.m. See a lot of pretty girls passing by. I'm walking in the midnight sun once again."


The Outfield Say It Isn't So- YouTube

* * *

I've spot-listened to some of their more recent songs and while all are solid, none have gripped me like those earlier ones. Yet I have a lasting affection for The Outfield due to "Your Love," "The Night Ain't Over," "Say It Isn't So," and a few other songs by them.

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tygerlilyzz

i could go on and on about overrated artists-- especially those getting play on the radio today. My list of overrated artists would look something like this:

Rhianna-a stupid cow for going back and forth with chris brown not to mention the fact that she cant sing

Brittany spears--nuff said

jennifer lopez-just not that great a singer- dancer, yeah she can do that, singing,nah not so much

tommy lee--anybody remember the song "brandon"



other artists/groups that are over rated in my opinion:

aerosmith

jimi hendrix

beatles- never understood the mania surrounding them-

billy joel

pink floyd

elton john-he does have a few songs I have liked but most, no

I realize some people may see it as heresy to say that some of these artists are over rated but it is my opinion

Trollheart

Yeah, not good enough really. You can't take icons like Floyd, Hendrix, The Beatles and just say they're overrated: that's too easy. I could say Westlife are overrated. But why? You need to put together at least a basic argument, otherwise anyone can say anyone's over, or underrated.

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Holerbot6000

Or at least tell us who you think is UNDER Rated....

Neapolitan

I never heard of Westlife, if I did I couldn't identify them with anything I heard by them. But if you say they are I'll take your word for it, with no explanation needed.

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Trollheart

If that's true, then boy do I envy you!

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Trollheart

To be fair, I don't like Westlife but I wouldn't say they're overrated. They were just a product of their time: EVERY boyband gets hit with that "these are the next big thing" mania that is seldom if ever justified. Can't really blame them, it's the publicity/PR machine and the teen-friendly image. It's still going on, with the likes of One Direction. All vastly overrated in the grander scheme of music, but Westlife are no more overrated than Boyzone, or Take That, or even Nsync.

For a much more detailed opinion, see my (so far) three-part series "Stranger in a strange land" in my journal, where I examine the biggest boybands on the planet, and ask the question: why?

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sopsych

With The Outfield, the songs start to sound the same, and I guess even the band got tired of making them. "Voices of Bablyon" is cool, different musically from other songs by the band. "The Night Ain't Over" and "Say It Isn't So" are two of the songs I don't care for. I guess I don't relate well to the lyrics. Also, I'm not so fond of how Tony Lewis sings. It can sound shrill. The band benefited greately from the backing vocals.

Howard the Duck

i thought the Backstreet Boys had the songs to justify the hype

Max Martin wrote for them - he's great

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