This old post never got as much play as I’d hoped. Perhaps people were simply turned off by my use of Jethro Tull as an example. As we revisit this topic, perhaps it will be helpful to think of what I’m getting at as a form of trash picking. There can be beauty in understandably discarded bands. There may be something to learn. See if this makes any sense a second time around. See if you haven’t identified the promise of greatness in a band or artist you don’t really like.
This post initially appeared 11/3/07.
The title of this entry about says it all. Here’s my example: I’ve always dug enough elements in Jethro Tull to think that they could be great…if only they didn’t go so wrong in a few key areas. If you could salvage all the good parts of Jethro Tull, I think, and start fresh, leaving out the bad bits, you’d have a very cool band. Do you have a band or artist you feel that way about?
Before I answer this, I got to say, Jim, that you are scaring me. Last week it was talk of your love of Journey. Now it’s Tull. I won’t even go into the talk we had during the overdub session Thursday night. Before we start playing gigs again, Chickenfrank, Sethro, and I need to meet to see what we can do about you!
To answer your question – Depech Mode. There are a lot of things I like about their sound – if only I digged the singer more.
I can think of two right off the top of my head. Oasis and The Black Crowes. Both could be something else but both already seem to think they are something else. I think the Crowes made one really great album in Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, but then they seemed to think we should anoin them the next Stones and start selling out arenas and stadiums for them. I’m glad they seem to be relatively forgotten nowadays.
Oasis is just a joke. Plenty of bands have used the Beatles as their main influence, so that’s a tough line to walk. I think the Gallagher’s are major dingbats, and I like Ryan Adams, and he’s a gigantic dingbat. If you’re gonna be a jerk, you gotta really deliver the goods. Oasis just never does.
Depeche Mode? Dude, have you been hanging with Garrett Reid?
Radiohead: I like the vocals, guitars, and song ideas, but the songs themselves too often fail to hold my interest.
Well, there’s something off in the language about this question. Because bands like Pearl Jam, U2, REM, Tull etc, PROMISE greatness every time they put down a track, but it doesn’t happen. So we’re really talking about bands that could be great, for all sorts of reasons, but aren’t, for mysterious reasons. Not what they promise they are, or say they are, but for the difference between what we as listeners are hoping for and what we get.
Dinosaur Jr., Meat Puppets, Flaming Lips, Pixies would be some of the bands that would fit that list for me. I really like all these bands, but there ain’t no greatness in them.
I agree with mwall about the Pixies. It just seems like they ought to be better than they actually end up being, especially given their rep among aficionados of a certain age. Maybe the Replacements fit into this category for me too, though more of their songs hit the spot.
I don t think this quite fits the bill, as I like this band enough to own all their albums, but The Delgados always seemed to be destined for a greatness they never achieved.
Beta Band is another band that I would put in this category.
I think Gomez would actually fits perfectly with this thread especially with their really atrocious last album. I find there are songs I really like on most of their albums, but none of the albums achieve greatness. Partly I think it has to do with the fact I don’t care for the voice of the guy who sounds like Eddie Vedder.
To be clear, Mac, and I think your last set of suggestions indicates you’re getting what I meant, the sense of promise must come from you, the listener. For me, when a Jethro Tull song gets underway and I hear that cool mix of acoustic and distorted guitars and the delberate riffage, I quickly get a sense that there’s something great about to blast through the speakers. Then the promise slowly dissapates, and I merely giggle through the cool guitar sounds, riffs, and commanding vocals. Nevertheless, the song started out promising. The publicity-generated promises from the likes of Pearl Jam and Guns and Roses are another matter.
I have been revisiting my XTC collection lately. These guys have tons of respect from the music corners, but they have yet to “take” with me. I’m not sure why. Maybe one day I will get them and be as bowled over as everyone else.
I recently spun English Settlement in my car. As the record progressed, I was thinking how good it sounded to me. Then I promptly forgot everything I had just heard.
TB
You know, there’s an offshoot here of songs that seem about to be great but aren’t. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?” begins like it’s going to be the best song you’ve ever heard. Then it comes in about 6th or 7th in a field of ten on just one album.
EXCELLENT POINT, Mwall! Didn’t the Kansas City Royals jump out to first place as far into the season as early May either this or last year only to fall back to their usual spot at the bottom of the heap? I’d add The Who’s “Join Together” – despite that excellent “live” clip that Hrrundi once raved about – to this offshoot discussion. That song starts out like a world beater and then quickly goes down the toilet.
Negativity about my home team is not appreciated, Mr. Mod, especially when they’re fighting to stay ahead of Detroit and not finish last while concluding the season against the Twins who are fighting to stay in first. I will resist throwing it back at you with a comment about the Phillies’ “usual spot” in second place, at least until after this weekend. No really I said I was going to resist doing that.
Hey man, don’t you forget that I’m the baseball fan who has called for legislation to restore the Royals and Pirates to their once-great glory. That bail-out plan for the investment companies can get in line behind the glory of George Brett, Frank White, and Amos Otis!
I’m not sure I can identify their Rock-Achilles Heel, but Tool is the first band I thought of here. Pearl Jam would have once been on the tip of my brane, but ever since the jamband community adopted them their weakness has been obvious: undemanding fans.
I’ve heard on the radio now several times a new song by The Counting Crows from their new album. I’m not remembering the name of the song, but, when it first starts, for a moment based on the opening riff I feel like I’m about to hear something really good, it not exactly astonishingly original. But the positive feeling only lasts for about 10-15 seconds before the song becomes more dull, second-rate Americana Rock. I don’t know: I almost dislike those first seconds more than the rest of the song, because I feel like they’re trying to cheat me. I’d love to know about more songs whose strong opening riffs lead to a similarly large letdown. I’m telling you, hearing that song bums me out more than a genuinely bad song might.
For me, George Harrison’s “Wah-Wah” is an all-time instance of a song failing to deliver on its opening promise. That opening riff and the opening couplet are apocalyptic, then the muck keeps piling up and George’s tiny voice and increasingly meager lyrics are drowned out. If only rock scientists could extract the Power and Glory of those opening measures and graft them onto a new, improved song…
For another band that fails to deliver on its promised greatness for me see The Minutemen. They have a couple of components I really like, but rarely can I dig even an entire 80-second song by them.
Post-“Back In Black” AC/DC is a treasure trove/steaming cesspool of fantastic opening riffs that turn into absolutely shitty songs. I shudder when I think of all the squandered rock opportunities that band has presented over the last 20 years.
For me AC/DC is, as some of you know, an entire band that usually promises more greatness than I find at my doorstep once those retarded lyrics come my way.
Led Zeppelin, “Nobody’s Fault But Mine.” Great opening, with Plant singing over Page’s guitar. But the song goes nowhere after that.