What Sucks about This Artist?: Pink Floyd

TheBig3 · 09-23-2021, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

I was part of a collab that did a cover of SOYCD back in 2015 on a guitar forum. The guy who did the sax part substituted the sax for a bit of distorted slide guitar. It's really well done and matched the phrasing just about note for note, but he did take a few liberties. I won't say it's better, but I will say it's an interestingly different take on it.

I already know I'm going to get crucified for saying this, but here goes anyway.

Dave Matthews Band threw out their fiddler and replaced him with another guitarist who takes the old solos with a slide guitar and it sucks. Like, I love slide guitar as much as anyone, but it's just not the right option - in the studio where you have options - when other instruments can pull off the sound you want better.

I welcome the nut-kicks to come for daring to mention the Lord High Emperor of Hacky-sack.

Plankton · 09-23-2021, 10:20 AM

Slide guitar, particularly distorted slide, lends itself to replacing or emulating a saxophone more efficiently than it does for violin/fiddle. I absolutely get what you're saying. That seems like it's just a quick fix. There's a part in the movie Brothers (Arnold, Danny Devito) where Jeff Becks playing in the bg and using distorted slide. It sounds like a sax.

SGR · 09-23-2021, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plankton

Slide guitar, particularly distorted slide, lends itself to replacing or emulating a saxophone more efficiently than it does for violin/fiddle. I absolutely get what you're saying. That seems like it's just a quick fix. There's a part in the movie Brothers (Arnold, Danny Devito) where Jeff Becks playing in the bg and using distorted slide. It sounds like a sax.

I think you mean Twins, right (not Brothers)?

Don't know if you've heard, but there's a sequel to that in the works. Hilarious movie and as old geezers, the sequel should de facto have some good laughs.

https://deadline.com/2021/09/twins-s...ge-1234830766/

**Frownland** · 09-23-2021, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

Nah, it's not just that. Take a band like Bad Brains or Kamelot or Eagles of Death Metal. They fit into genres that are much more defined so that even before hearing or seeing them, you could have a pretty good idea of what they're gonna sound like or look like.

Appealing to aesthetic cliches like how Eagles of Death Metal are clearly a forgettable hard rawk band on sight strikes me more as lacking an identity.

Quote:

The psychedelic rock and especially early prog wasn't really defined like that.

Nah if you saw people in hippie getups and a liquid light show behind them you could safely guess they were playing psychedelic music. If they looked like a bunch of dorks (thinking Genesis here but also the art school types that made up Floyd and Crimson) then you could expect them to be prog.

Quote:

You couldn't look at Pink Floyd and know what they were gonna sound like. They could've sounded like the kinks or maybe mothers of Invention. And I'm pretty sure any contrived attempt at promoting some image is something they would find vulgar if they thought it would distract from the music.

Even today if Gilmour plays to thousands and have the backing of choirs or symphony orchestras, he still goes on stage with whatever black t-shirt he could find on the floor.

The only way to know PF is to listen and when their music often is kinda slow and ponderous, people don't have time for that and perhaps dismiss it as pretentious (which is fine if that's how they feel).

There's more to identity than costumery. I'd say that Floyd is one of those artists who are so well-known that their sound precedes them in terms of public opinion. The bolded was what I was getting at since that criticism dates back to their heyday and has been carried into modern criticism of the band, and I doubt that's because people are unable to associate cliches with them (though I think that people can and do pin such things on Floyd).

Lisnaholic · 09-23-2021, 10:51 AM

I didn't like Wish You Were Here for some of the reasons mentioned: so many parts to Shine On You Crazy Diamond that you end up thinking, "What, again?": the sax that is a bit too smooth: the "slow and ponderous" perfection that they aimed at.
Also the lyrics are weak (You bought a guitar to punish your ma), the spite directed at music managers is both hackneyed and doesn't ring true (By the way, which one's pink?), and boy do they milk the only averagely-decent metaphor of Syd Barratt = Crazy Diamond.
Syd could fire off a dozen metaphors a minute, and here he is being memorialised with just one feeble image sung over and over again. Of course, unlike me, they all knew Syd, and in their more humane moments they all begged for the media and the fans to leave him alone. Which is another reason to dislike WYWH: who's trying to put Syd up on some unhelpful mad-genius pedastal now?

Plankton · 09-23-2021, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoundgardenRocks

I think you mean Twins, right (not Brothers)?

Don't know if you've heard, but there's a sequel to that in the works. Hilarious movie and as old geezers, the sequel should de facto have some good laughs.

https://deadline.com/2021/09/twins-s...ge-1234830766/

D'oh! Yeah, that one.

Thanks for the heads up. I'll probably get around to watching it. I was more impressed with Jeff Beck in the first one though.

Guybrush · 09-23-2021, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

Nah if you saw people in hippie getups and a liquid light show behind them you could safely guess they were playing psychedelic music. If they looked like a bunch of dorks (thinking Genesis here but also the art school types that made up Floyd and Crimson) then you could expect them to be prog.

Disagree. They could've been a blues rock band. How would you know? Look for the LSD tabs?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

There's more to identity than costumery. I'd say that Floyd is one of those artists who are so well-known that their sound precedes them in terms of public opinion. The bolded was what I was getting at since that criticism dates back to their heyday and has been carried into modern criticism of the band, and I doubt that's because people are unable to associate cliches with them (though I think that people can and do pin such things on Floyd).

I definitely think many of us have short attention spans today and want things that are more obviously appealing. There's such an enormous amount of content and I think in that environment, having some obvious stand-out feature(s) or larger identity becomes more important.

It's not just their music which often lacks the instant gratification we increasingly want. It's most things about them. Without a stronger identity, they just more become what they actually are - old, white men. I think that affects how they're viewed today. Dad rock isn't cool.

But we don't have to agree. That's fine.

DianneW · 09-23-2021, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

I like Pink Floyd and have been a fan since childhood. Something I think they and many other dad rock groups lack, which I think makes them seem blander, is that they're from a time when people and bands were generally less concerned with some simple identity shtick. There's no simple concept or cool image to them, especially not into the late Gilmour era. They're about the music and so occasionally wander into becoming complete bores.

Still, I find them great when they're great.

Interesting discussion although I never can understand Dad ..whatever Bands..I can see it is because they are older than 21.. but that would make them Grand dad bands surely..

.
better still Great Grand Dad Bands...................

The Batlord · 09-23-2021, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Guybrush

I definitely think many of us have short attention spans today and want things that are more obviously appealing. There's such an enormous amount of content and I think in that environment, having some obvious stand-out feature(s) or larger identity becomes more important.

It's not just their music which often lacks instant gratification. It's most things about them. Without a stronger identity, they just more become what they actually are - old, white men. I think that affects how they're viewed today. Dad rock isn't cool.

But we don't have to agree. That's fine.

I like Yes and King Crimson but Pink Floyd are still boring as ****.

Guybrush · 09-23-2021, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

I like Yes and King Crimson but Pink Floyd are still boring as ****.

To me, Yes are the least boring of the three

09-23-2021, 10:20 AM	#182 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	Slide guitar, particularly distorted slide, lends itself to replacing or emulating a saxophone more efficiently than it does for violin/fiddle. I absolutely get what you're saying. That seems like it's just a quick fix. There's a part in the movie Brothers (Arnold, Danny Devito) where Jeff Becks playing in the bg and using distorted slide. It sounds like a sax. __________________ See location...

09-23-2021, 10:51 AM	#185 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	I didn't like Wish You Were Here for some of the reasons mentioned: so many parts to Shine On You Crazy Diamond that you end up thinking, "What, again?": the sax that is a bit too smooth: the "slow and ponderous" perfection that they aimed at. Also the lyrics are weak (You bought a guitar to punish your ma), the spite directed at music managers is both hackneyed and doesn't ring true (By the way, which one's pink?), and boy do they milk the only averagely-decent metaphor of Syd Barratt = Crazy Diamond. Syd could fire off a dozen metaphors a minute, and here he is being memorialised with just one feeble image sung over and over again. Of course, unlike me, they all knew Syd, and in their more humane moments they all begged for the media and the fans to leave him alone. Which is another reason to dislike WYWH: who's trying to put Syd up on some unhelpful mad-genius pedastal now? __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953