Singles That Don't Represent the Band Well

The Batlord · 07-17-2014, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

A couple more, starting with one I like -
A Flock of Seagulls - Wishing (1983) - This is a classic case of "Far better than the rest of their work" as if the Music Gods decided that for just one ultra fine moment, this usually dire band had the song to match Mike Score's hair and Future Now image instead of the usual cheese whiz Sci Fi Pop that screamed One Year Wonder (at least in the US). One beep going through the song which hypnotizing the listener, Nice Synth sweeps, a melody you can whistle to, Paul Reynold's guitar (the only thing that made their first three albums listenable) hitting the notes perfectly with no filler or solos, and Feather-Do himself sounding quite well. This is a choice of a New Wave Era Music Snob ready to admit to the skeletons in the record collection because it is good song...and then you turn to something like "I Ran" and the other moments that they earned their wings as Another British Band That Did Better in The States and wonder what caused such a great moment, which actually turned into their homeland hit. After Reynolds left, they flew south for the sad Dream Come True, making at least their first three albums sound like masterpieces - this from the second and best, Listen. Damn them, in a good way.

Dude, you seriously know more about bad music than I will ever know about good music. You of all people on this site make me feel inadequate in my music knowledge.

Rexx Shredd · 07-19-2014, 11:21 AM

"Little Willy" by Sweet

The Batlord · 07-23-2014, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Music

i dont have something to say :p

Spam that's honest. Refreshing.

VEGANGELICA · 07-31-2014, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

The Damned - Alone Again Or (1987) - From the ill fated Anything album, which to be fair had a couple of nice tracks turned into singles (the title track being the very good one), this was the sound of a band trying to be too respectful in their cover of a Psychedelic era classic - this one from Love's Forever Changes album. I never connected The Damned with tasteful respect with their covers as they were either thrashing it up ("Help", "Ballroom Blitz"), soaking the song with 80's Punk Acid ("White Rabbit", their Naz Nomad and the Nightmares album), or going full tilt Wind Swept Gothic Epic ("Eloise", a well deserved UK Top 10), but this is the sound of a band who sound great going over the top sounding like they were trying to be professional - and this also went for the cover of "LA Woman" on the Whistle Test. Going Pro sounded good on the originals, although they were not Classic Damned by a long shot, but this cover showed that the move was a serious oil and water combination which almost ended their story with a disappointment in the end (although the worst was yet to come in The 90's) no matter how good of a move it was in a business sense and how well it worked the first time.

"Alone Again Or" was the first song by The Damned that I heard, and I love this cover because the guitar sounds so emotional and the song is so melodic.

"Alone Again Or" by The Damned: love it!

^ After hearing this song, I got excited, thinking the rest of their music might sound like that! So I was very disappointed to realize that "Alone Again Or" wasn't representative of the frenzied, rough music they usually make, which doesn't move me.

Other music by The Damned: Yech.

Screen13 · 08-01-2014, 10:20 AM

I can understand.
To those who are still going "WTF is Screen on about?!!!", an explaination is in order.

They had a lot of different eras with so many line up changes that their collection is really pick and choose.

The best of the early years was this...

Earlier on, they had a couple of singles that broke Punk through in The UK including "New Rose"

Music for Pleasure was their first downfall when the band were fragmenting and losing the plot for the first time. For some reason, maybe memories of listening to it in a car on a way to a show in The 80's Punk years, I don't view it with the distaste that even strong fans view it with.

To me, their greatest era was in the Early 80's with The Black Album and Strawberries, and a 1984 single in "Thanks for the Night/Nasty" was another great record. With a lot of hooks, thanks to their love of 60's Garage Punk and Psych (and with Captain Sensible, a dash of Prog - I can tell he someone was listening to Pink Floyd's "Echoes" while constructing the just as epic "Curtain Call"), things livened up a bit. I still call that time their best.

Without Captain Sensible, who was back in the line-up by the 2Ks, they signed to MCA in 85 and released their more polished music, and at first they were seriously doing well with it. Even an over the top version of "Eloise" was among that era's highlights. It's sad to have seen them fall from what could have been a strong line of commercial successes with the Anything album, sounding like a lot of the energy was drained out through the production. You might like this, as I feel that it's possibly the best representation of their Late 80's line-up where "Eloise" was performed in a perfect setting.

I think after hearing this, their version of "Alone Again Or" seems a bit empty.

Plankton · 08-01-2014, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Screen13

The Damned - Alone Again Or (1987) - From the ill fated Anything album, which to be fair had a couple of nice tracks turned into singles (the title track being the very good one), this was the sound of a band trying to be too respectful in their cover of a Psychedelic era classic - this one from Love's Forever Changes album.

UFO covered it as well.

Their version was my first experience with that tune, and when The Damned did it, I thought they were covering UFO. Not so.

Great song though.

Nachoman13 · 08-01-2014, 12:22 PM

Busta Rhymes -Twerk It

Over the years he has devolved to the point of singing in a fake Jamaican accent... The man who's flow, aggression and lyrics had a big impact on late 90's hip hop reduced to working with Nicki Minaj

Black Francis · 08-01-2014, 01:37 PM

'Where is my mind" the weakest song from the Pixies is their most popular hit just cause of Fight club..

Also "Let's dance" by bowie cause sadly that was my introduction to bowie..

it was an 80's hit a little after i was born so that was my only reference to him and at the time and i hated it. this may sound stupid but i was too young to get how diverse he is honestly at the time if you had showed me 'space oddity' i would've thought it was by a different artist.

~~James~~ · 08-01-2014, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Francis

'Where is my mind" the weakest song from the Pixies is their most popular hit just cause of Fight club..

Hardly their weakest song, man. C'mon!

FRED HALE SR. · 08-01-2014, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

Hardly their weakest song, man. C'mon!

Actually a fantastic song. The Pixies do not have the ability to write a bad song.

07-19-2014, 11:21 AM	#32 (permalink)
Rexx Shredd Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 158	"Little Willy" by Sweet __________________ OK :) URBAN SHOKKER -- Old School P-Funk Style FUNK -- out NOW on Carbon 12 Records

08-01-2014, 12:22 PM	#37 (permalink)
Nachoman13 Groupie Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: London, UK Posts: 30	Busta Rhymes -Twerk It Over the years he has devolved to the point of singing in a fake Jamaican accent... The man who's flow, aggression and lyrics had a big impact on late 90's hip hop reduced to working with Nicki Minaj __________________ London boy in love with Hip Hop, biggin' up the east, the west and the dirty south

08-01-2014, 01:37 PM	#38 (permalink)
Black Francis Out of Place Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: in an abstract house Posts: 4,111	'Where is my mind" the weakest song from the Pixies is their most popular hit just cause of Fight club.. Also "Let's dance" by bowie cause sadly that was my introduction to bowie.. it was an 80's hit a little after i was born so that was my only reference to him and at the time and i hated it. this may sound stupid but i was too young to get how diverse he is honestly at the time if you had showed me 'space oddity' i would've thought it was by a different artist. __________________ "Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

08-01-2014, 10:20 AM	#35 (permalink)
Screen13 Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 1,388	I can understand. To those who are still going "WTF is Screen on about?!!!", an explaination is in order. They had a lot of different eras with so many line up changes that their collection is really pick and choose. The best of the early years was this... Earlier on, they had a couple of singles that broke Punk through in The UK including "New Rose" Music for Pleasure was their first downfall when the band were fragmenting and losing the plot for the first time. For some reason, maybe memories of listening to it in a car on a way to a show in The 80's Punk years, I don't view it with the distaste that even strong fans view it with. To me, their greatest era was in the Early 80's with The Black Album and Strawberries, and a 1984 single in "Thanks for the Night/Nasty" was another great record. With a lot of hooks, thanks to their love of 60's Garage Punk and Psych (and with Captain Sensible, a dash of Prog - I can tell he someone was listening to Pink Floyd's "Echoes" while constructing the just as epic "Curtain Call"), things livened up a bit. I still call that time their best. Without Captain Sensible, who was back in the line-up by the 2Ks, they signed to MCA in 85 and released their more polished music, and at first they were seriously doing well with it. Even an over the top version of "Eloise" was among that era's highlights. It's sad to have seen them fall from what could have been a strong line of commercial successes with the Anything album, sounding like a lot of the energy was drained out through the production. You might like this, as I feel that it's possibly the best representation of their Late 80's line-up where "Eloise" was performed in a perfect setting. I think after hearing this, their version of "Alone Again Or" seems a bit empty.