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GregThis actually started out as a guest post for another blog (LizSara) but, on reflection, it’s a tad too sarcastic to inflict on someone else – she’s on holiday and I didn’t want her to come back to an angry mob bearing virtual pitchforks. So instead, you’re getting it. Sorry peeps, but here goes …
This isn’t something I tell many people, so ssh, keep it to yourself. You see, I have a problem, a dreadful problem. So terrible is my problem, I would be a social outcast if everyone knew. No, I don’t eat kittens for breakfast; I’ve never tripped an old lady in the supermarket in an attempt to get the last packet of crumpets. No Dear Reader, my problem is worse than that: I singularly fail to understand the appeal of certain music legends. It’s been a life-long problem, one I’ve tried hard to rectify, but to no avail. No matter how hard I try, I can’t bring myself to listen to, what I consider to be, appalling music. And try I have, but it always ends in failure and social embarrassment when I’m forced to admit I just don’t think whoever it is, is all that good.
In an attempt to find kindred spirits, and/or an explanation for this strange disorder*, here, in alphabetical order, are my top 10 most disliked music legends:
Bob Dylan – How? Why? I know there were a lot of drugs around in the 60s, but even that doesn’t explain how someone with such an appalling voice ever managed to have a career as a singer. And why on earth did he think it was a good idea to sing like that anyway? I admit, he writes great songs, but really Bob, you shouldn’t sing them.
Eric Clapton – He’s an excellent guitarist, but maybe a little too excellent. I can understand why musicians might like him, they can appreciate the technique, skill and what have you. However, I, a mere mortal, would prefer to hear music played by other human beings.
Guns ‘n’ Roses – They are actually a brilliant band! The introduction to Welcome to the Jungle is one of the best rock intros ever. Then, Axl Rose (or Mr Kazoo-Gob as I like to call him), comes in and makes the most horrible noise. If anything, it’s worse than whatever Dylan is doing. Seriously, the question of how they came to get a recording contract should be added to the list of great unsolved mysteries. It’s as baffling as the Marie Celeste and the fate of Amelia Earhart.
Metallica- I’ve mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Not only are they so far up their own bums they can probably see out of their own mouths, they also have a singer, who, for reasons I can’t fathom, insists on thrusting his crotch out like a stripper dancing round an invisible pole. I also suspect he puts socks in his pants for enhancement purposes.
Oasis – I’m tempted to dismiss them as the Status Quo of the 90s, except that would be unfair to Quo, who may be very samey, but don’t take themselves too seriously. Oasis, on the other hand, genuinely seem to believe they are an important musical tour de force, even though their back-catalogue consists of an endless stream of sound-alike tracks, and the singing Gallagher sounds more like a mugger than a vocalist.
Pink Floyd – What is it I dislike about them again? Oh yes, they’re long-winded, ponderous, pretentious and pompous. Like the aforementioned Mr Dylan, I suspect drugs play a large part in their appeal because no sober person would make it through more than a third of album.
The Rolling Stones – Some people see rock gods led by a sex symbol. I see a fairly talented band led by, what appears to be, a 25 stone man who has been dehydrated and freeze dried. To be fair, it shouldn’t be about appearance, but the music isn’t much better. There are two or three good Stones songs, but they were ruined by Mr Jagger’s insistence on singing in a corny south London accent, even though he doesn’t really speak like that. I can appreciate that when they first appeared they were new and different, but the same can be said about lots of things, for example: the Iron Maiden, being eaten by crocodiles and Gordon Brown, but we don’t defend them through a misplaced sense of nostalgia.
The Sex Pistols – For some reason they’ve achieved legendary status, despite being something of a joke to my generation. They weren’t even a real band, they were manufactured, no different to the Spice Girls. Truly, Johnny Rotten was the Ginger Spice of his day, but with more spitting, and less ridiculous clothing.
U2 – I know what you’re thinking – Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name – and you’re right, they are great songs. But they didn’t keep it up did they? They’ve turned into a cabaret band who still play stadiums. Oh, and Bono , buy a dictionary and look up the words irony and hypocrisy – and then ask yourself if a multi, multi-millionaire really should be lecturing the rest of us about helping the poor and needy.
And finally, Celine Dion/Whitney Houston/Mariah Carey/Sound-a-likes – Listening to this kind of singer is akin to a form of aural torture. No, I don’t think they have wonderful voices! I think they cover up an inability to hold a note by using seven when one would suffice. They are the worst thing to happen to music since Stock, Aitken and Waterman, because they’ve encouraged a multitude of people with dreadful voices to pursue singing careers. As a punishment for that they should be forced to listen to their own yodellings every day, for life.
Before I go, thank you to Michael, whose horror at my dislike of Floyd inspired this post, and a shout-out for Jay Strut, because I promised him one for being a cheeky monkey.
*Yes, the idea that I have terrible taste has occurred to me, but it seems unlikely.
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Anna
/ July 19, 2009I'm so with you on the warblers.
Jack Yan
/ July 20, 2009I am not sure if Johnny Rotten spits more than Geraldine Halliwell.
Chairman Bill
/ July 20, 2009You are hereby anathematised for your hatred of Floyd.
miss-smidge
/ July 20, 2009Hello, found my way over from LizSara's blog, nice post. I hated most of the above list for a long time, but since going out with a boy obsessed with dylan/stones/oasis i have had to admit defeat. Instead i am educating him on the way of van morrison/nick drake. Its pay back i think…
Jane Rainford
/ July 21, 2009The Warblers: “I think they cover up an inability to hold a note by using seven when one would suffice. ” TOTALLY with you on this!
liamalexander
/ July 23, 2009“There are two or three good Stones songs”??? Pink Floyd are pompous? How can you dismiss so lightly the icons that defined a generation? You may bad mouth Celine Dion and Whitney Houston as much as you like (in fact, the more the better), but when you discuss icons like Dylan, Clapton, Pink Floyd and the Stones, a little humility is called for.
Which two or three Stones songs did you listen to?
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009They may have defined a generation, but it wasn't my mine.
I listened to all the Stones' songs, my mother likes them. It was very traumatic. Took me years to recover. But Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil and that one about a train are good.
“a little humility is called for.”
I find that somewhat ironic, coming from you :-p
liamalexander
/ July 23, 2009Moi? Whatever do you mean by that? But seriously, I think it would be difficult to find two or three bad Stones songs.
As far as I'm concerned, everyone has their own tastes, each to her/his own etc. etc. HOWEVER certain artists are undeniably important because they had such far reaching impact on huge numbers of people in their time. They accordingly deserve a little deference.
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009I mean you are … umm … not exactly humble. In fact, speaking of Mick Jagger – there's a song that reminds of you which I think was written for him.
You are also mistaken, it would be difficult to find more than 2 or 3 good Stones' songs.
Unfortunately, I don't do deference well. “A disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others” Hmm, no, that's not me.
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009Aren't they appalling! It's really not necessary to be so elaborate.
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009lol
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009I like the way you call her Geraldine
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009It worked Bill – I had a crap day after I posted this.
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009lol Yes, it sounds like payback. Wonder if that would work with Marilyn Manson …
kateblogs
/ July 23, 2009Thank you, nice to know I'm not alone on that one
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009If ppl like Eric Clapton are “too excellent” and you'd rather hear “music played by other humans”, what would you say to Mozart? Sorry Wolfgang, you're just too good. I'd rather hear that sonata played by Mrs Brown from the co op.
That is not the only definition of 'deference'; what about: “respectful or courteous regard”
I'd be interested to know which Stones song was written for me; probably not one of the 2 or 3 good ones I imagine
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009No, I'd say: Wow! I'm talking to a 253 year old man, how can that be?! tee hee Being serious, I don't think you can really compare the two. Mozart's music is technically perfect, but the musicians who play it aren't necessarily so, therefore it still has a human element. On the other hand, Clapton plays perfectly and as a result, I find his music hard to relate to on an emotional level. I have the same problem with Stanley Kubrick's films, technically they're well made, but they're also sterile, and his characters don't come across as real people.
I'll let you have deference, but I still think the word you were looking for was reverence.
It's not a Stones song – it's by Carly Simon. The lyrics aren't relevant, but I have a feeling the title is
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009One more thing – isn't it rather elitist to assume Mrs Brown from the co-op would be inferior? She might be an undiscovered genius, whose talented has been subjugated by the demands of a menial job and a life of drudgery with Mr Brown.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009Mrs Brown from the co-op and her Hammond organ might well be more than a match for stuffy old Amadeus. While you're at it, tell Shakespeare that he can keep his iambic pentameter. There's a block down at the local who tells a really good limerick…
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009Furthermore: Mozart was a genius, and although Clapton is undeniable brilliant I'd hardly put him in the same league (noone is). However; the distinction you draw here doesn't quite hold water. Both Mozart and Clapton were/are incredibly talented musicians and composers of music. There was also (according to recent research) a good deal of improvisation in the music of Mozart's time than modern interpretations would lead us to believe. Also, Clapton plays the blues as very few whites can, like no one else really. The blues is an intensely emotional form and you really have to feel it to understand it. When Clapton plays, he's actually composing his melody as he plays at, as did Mozart at least some of the time.
*Reverence smeverence; my meaning was clear enough.
I know the Carly Simon song; I do see clouds in my coffee. Didn't the Stones write a song about a guy who was incredible clever, talented and handsome? I'm sure they wrote that one with me in mind.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009You haven't answered my question! Too busy being elitist
And you may think that about Shakespeare, I beg to differ. Although, if the bloke down the pub can write beautifully crafted limericks which perfectly capture the human condition, then you might be on to something.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009I never actually impuned the good name of poor, much maligned Mrs Brown. I merely suggested that you might extend your lack of reverence for Clapton to Mozart.
A beautifully crafted limerick which can perfectly capture the human condition would of course be a great improvement on all those Shakepearean epics, and you could fit it into a 30 second beer commercial.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009It's Clapton playing the blues that I have a problem with. I don't think he demonstrates a great deal of emotion. Maybe you can hear that, but I can't. If you compare him to John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters, the difference is quite marked; when they sing about heartbreak, you can feel it. I don't get that with Clapton at all.
Saying all that though, you are just proving my point. “I can understand why musicians might like him, they can appreciate the technique, skill and what have you.” You mentioned Shakespeare in your previous comment – a lot of people who love to read don't like his works because they aren't accessible. Writers, actors and other people who use words as a tool, tend to think differently because they can understand just how remarkable his writing was.
You see clouds in your coffee? Ah, don't we all
Not sure which Stones song you mean, but if they ever wrote one about a girl who was beautiful, talented and witty, it must have been about me.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009I think you did! You implied she was no better than some man telling jokes in a pub. Poor Mrs Brown, she doesn't deserve this derision, she has a terrible life.
And I'm not going to respond to your second point because I know you don't really believe that :-p However, there have been some outstanding beer commercials – have you seen the Guinness ad with the surfer?
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009I invented Mrs Brown in a completely different message to the guy telling limericks in the pub, so how could I have been comparing the two?
I don't think I have seen that Guinness commercial; Australia is always culturally at least 5 years behind the rest of the world, even when it concerns beer.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009I know for a fact that Clapton and his contemporaries listened to ppl like Muddy Waters, J L Hooker, Robert Johnson etc. a great deal and were profoundly influenced by them. Clapton's phrasing and sense of melody has always had an effect on me, but it's hard to argue about how something does or doesn't make you feel.
I think it's very interesting that the 60s British rock movement; the Beatles, the Stones, Clapton, Jimmy Page etc. etc. reinterpreted earlier American black music and turned it into something new and resurgent; then successfully sold it back to the Americans. I think all the artists who were part of that movement have a place in history, perhaps with the exception of Gerry and the Pacemakers.
Clouds have been in my coffee for sometime; I think I might be getting cataracts
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009You may have invented her earlier, but you referenced her and her Hammond organ in the same comment as Shakespeare and the limerick guy.
The ad is quite old – hang on, I think I have used the video in another post, I'll just see if I can find it.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009It's here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zff9hVH3ptY
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009As I invented those characters I reserve the right to use them in whatever context I please. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009It is a spectacular video, and plenty of 'male bonding' going on there; hmmm. Still, would take a lot more than that to make me want to drink Guinness.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009Did I ever tell you how I started listening to Muddy Waters?
That's true, music is such a subjective thing, we're probably 'hearing' it very differently. To give another example of that: I think Madame Butterfly is absolutely heartbreaking, you can feel the pain, but I know other people just hear a large woman wailing. Of course, those people are philistines.
I can hear the blues influence more strongly with Jimmy Page, and that other 60s band … is it the Animals? Eric Burden was the singer, I think. Don't laugh, I was a baby, I can't be expected to remember everything.
Agree with you about Gerry and the Pacemakers – they're still around you know, how? Why?
RE Your cloud problem – what you need is a nice, soft breeze to blow them away
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009I bought a Muddy Waters CD in Woolworths 20 years ago for $2.00 I also got Howling Wolf, Elmore James and several others for the same price. The recordings are kind of scratchy but it just adds to the feeling of authenticity. I like them all but Muddy Waters resonated with me more than the others.
Jimmy Page features as a session guitarist on over 60% of British 60s recordings. I watched that movie 'The Song Remains the Same' for a while not so long ago. It made me understand why people call him 'old fumble fingers'. He may have been great in the studio but on stage he was awful.
Gerry and the Pacemakers are still around? I guess you have to admire their persistance. then again…
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009Ah yes, but this is the internet, we have mashups. I take your characters, and use them in a different way, embellishing them and adding new dimensions as I do.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009lol You noticed the male bonding? Strangely, few men do, not sure why …
I quite like Guinness, but I can see why some people might not, it does have an unusual taste. Have you tried Murphys or Caffreys? They're sweeter and smoother.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009I was introduced to Muddy Waters by a one-eyed, dope-dealing, Dutch barman. Really, that's not the start of a joke. It was at a party, I heard Mannish Boy and liked it so much I made him play twice more. After that he refused 'cause everyone else was bored.
I didn't know that about Jimmy Page – the session musician thing – who did he play for? Of course he was terrible live, he was so full of illicit substances he probably didn't realise where he was was and thought he was sunbathing on the beach at Bognor. Or prancing around the Scottish Highlands being a real wizard, just like Crowley.
Yes, they were on an afternoon chat show a couple of months ago talking about their latest tour. It was quite mind-boggling.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009Oh yeah, totally agree about scratchy recordings! CDs are great, but they don't have the same atmosphere – for want of a better word.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009The male bonding was hard not to notice; what does that say about most men?
Guinness to me tastes like liquid vegemite. I like dark beer but that is a bit too dark. We have plenty of Irish pubs here and I have tried other Irish beers which are very nice. Problem is, beer is so expensive now. Even the local stuff is getting kind of steep.
liamalexander
/ July 24, 2009I'm not sure exactly who Jimmy Page played for; I just read an article stating that he was the most used session musician in the 60s.
Those guys all seem to end up on late night TV infomercials flogging the golden oldies collection. I'm not quite sure what Gerry and the Pacemakers claim to fame ever was, apart from coming from Liverpool around the time the Beatles got big.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009I'm guessing it hints at denial …but what do I know?! I think the same when I see men playing rugby but they insist it's just good, clean blokey fun. Hmm.
I thought you liked vegemite. Beer prices are the opposite here, it's cheaper than bottled water. Probably not a good thing.
kateblogs
/ July 24, 2009As far as I know, Gerry and the Pacemakers are famous because of their version of You'll Never Walk Alone. Periodically, they get wheeled out to sing it at Liverpool matches, even though the Kop End do a much better version.
I think I told you I saw Mick Fleetwood on one of those golden oldie ads. Poor Mick, what was he thinking.
liamalexander
/ July 25, 2009I thought their fame rested on 'Ferry Across the Mersey', which must be one of the most remarkable songs of all time.
The guy from REO Speedwagon has been getting a good run on the golden oldie ads here. He actually looks less of a dork after having aged a few decades. The music remains dorky as ever of course.
liamalexander
/ July 25, 2009I've always had the same misgivings about rugby myself; very close physical contact combined with a level of violence always seemed a bit kinky to me. They could always make the outfits sexier, but AFL has that base covered.
I do like vegemite, but on toast, not in my beer. Beer cheaper than bottled water? I don't think I'd be complaining about that.
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009I misread that and at first glance thought you said it was remarkable, which was worrying. But yes, it is unremarkable, and dreadfully mawkish too. Also, odd that they claim to love Liverpool so much but don't actually live there.
REO Speedwagon are one of the limpest sounding bands ever. However, I don't think you can deny their influence. After all, they were massively popular, ergo, they must deserve some deference, and should not be mocked by cheeky young whipper-snappers like yourself.
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009Yes, kinky, that is an apt word for it. I just can't understand why more people don't see this.
AFL – that's the guys in the skimpy shorts isn't it?
Vegemite beer – I wonder why nobody ever thought of that idea … oh yeah, it would be revolting lol
Lots of people complain about how cheap beer is here, apparently it is a Very Bad Thing. Although, the same people don't seem to have a problem with cheap wine.
Dave Bartlett
/ July 25, 2009Kate,
We agree on most of the artistes you've listed there, though not all:
Dylan – You're right – some good songs, (but some crap as well) but his voice just grates on the nerves. But his songs aren't quite as good as Leonard Cohens, thought his voice isn't quite so depressing either. I suggest they lock both of them in a room together, and let them sing each other to death.
Clapton – Agreed again. Back in his Yardbird days, when nobody actually knew how technincally good he was, he maybe had some kind of a personality. But these days he can be summed up with a four-letter word: DULL. It's a real shame the sheriff didn't bloody shoot back!
Guns 'n' Roses – I'm with you there. Technically a talented band, though their particular brand of rock doesn't really appeal to me, but who can take seriously a lead vocallist who renames himself by making an anagram out of 'oral sex'?
Metallica – What happened – how did they change so much so soon – from a heavy metal standard of the 80s to the rock ballad combo they've become today. Haven't seen anything so disturbing since Jefferson Airplane became Starship!
Oasis – mixed feelings there. The first album was quite entertaining with a couple of songs that have become classic, but the second was much of the same. and the production on the third album was awful, causing me to listen to it with the volume so low, that I could hardly hear the lyrics. But for a band who think it's valid to have a second verse that's exactly the same as the first, with just the pronouns changed, I probably wasn't missing much – They didn't deliver on what they promised – I for one do look back in anger, where they're concerned.
Floyd – I'm afraid I'm of an age that thinks they started to go downhill ever since Syd left the band. I know what you mean about overly long & overly pretentious, but these guys are a part of my teen years, so I can't be too hard on them. I think in the early days, the long tracks covering a whole side of an album (when they had two sides!) were justified in that they were somewhat experimental, which I could argue could have been misinterprated as pretention as well.
The Stones – Never really got into the stones. But they originated from the one of those rivalry things that happen every few years: Oasis/Blur, T-Rex/Slade Beatles/Stones – and given the hype that the Beatles have had, (because if we're realistic, the Fab Four weren't THAT fab at all) Mick & Co weren't a half-bad rock/blues band to begin with. Problem is, they should have packed it in years ago, (probably when Cliff brought out a rocking song, at the same time as they released a love song, back in the 70s – Remember Devil Woman & Angie being in the charts simultaneously?)
I can safely say that in my opinion, The Sex Pistols are the biggest pile of over publicised crap that have ever been recorded. The sheer hypocrisy of them makes me shudder – Punk was supposed to be all about breaking the mould and taking music out of the hands of the big execs, and giving it back to the people. The Pistols were just representative of the fact that the whole movement was just another way of taking money from the pockets of youth and putting it into the wallets of big music companies – and unfortunately we all fell for it. If it was ever the re-birth of popular music that it was meant to be, what the hell happened – Look at the business today!
U2 – The Biggest Band in the World? WHY? boring songs, crappy lyrics, the occasional decent tune. But the quality of music should never be measured by the size of the stadium you can fill. And to Bono – Either shut up about the state of the world or do something about it – and that doesn't mean chatting up the Pope – put your money were your mouth is.
Celine, Whitney, Mariah, and their contemporaries – Like Macbeth's three witches, they're best avoided if you want to avoid future regret.
Yes, Mariah – I appreciate your voice is capable of spanning several octaves, but so what? I have several pairs of underpants, but I don't insist on wearing them all at once in public.
Whitney – Likewise, try delivering a song just for the sake performing a good tune and good lyrics, not as a demonstration to Ms Carey that 'anything she can do, you can do better' because frankly, we don't care.
Celine – I know Engish is only your second language, but surely since there are enough people who speak it to justify you singing in it, surely that should merit that you take care to get the words right in the first place – Surely you could have told the music listening, and film going public that your heart will go 'on and on' rather than 'ond and on' – on second thoughts, don't bother about it love. Your voice is crap anyway.
Sorry if I've waffled on a bit here Kate, but I think that generally, you and I are pretty much in agreement (but I still insist that early Floyd was ok.)
liamalexander
/ July 25, 2009That fab four weren't that fab? It's truly depressing to think people can actually come out with utter drivel such as this. The inanity of this statement is very characteristic of this post and most of the comments it has attracted. I give up!
Next you'll be saying Elvis was on drugs!
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009“Love, love me do. You know I love you.” Yeah, that's really profound.
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009No problem, waffle as much as you like
lol @ I have several pairs of underpants, but I don't insist on wearing them all at once in public
lizsara
/ July 25, 2009You totally could have posted this on my blog…especially given i almost totally agree with you…i do have a soft spot for Metallica mind you, i don't look at them much!
liamalexander
/ July 25, 2009Seriously? When you consider what came before them it is very profound. If it isn't, why did almost everyone on earth go completely bersek over them? The lyrics weren't really the profound element. Yeah, yeah yeah.
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009And you want to hear my opinion because … ? Surely it would just be more inanity.
kateblogs
/ July 25, 2009I really wasn't sure if it would be ok, so thought it best to play safe and let you have the non-controversial one.
Nice to see you back
Did you have a good holiday?
Chairman Bill
/ July 25, 2009How the hell do you unsubscribe from this thread? I've tried setting the “subscribe to all comments” flag to “do not subscribe”, but nothing happens and I'm getting spammed beyond belief.
Kate
/ July 25, 2009Sorry about that Bill! I'm not sure how you change it, but I think you go to this page http://disqus.com/account/notifications/#notifi... Let me know if that doesn't work and I'll close the thread, I think it's been pretty much exhausted anyway.
Chairman Bill
/ July 25, 2009Nah – doesn't work as I'm not a member.
Chairman Bill
/ July 25, 2009Figured it out – you have to post a message with the “do not subscribe” flag set for it to take effect.
Kate
/ July 25, 2009Glad you got it sorted! It's not very intuitive though is it. I'll add something to the end of the posts to let people know how to unsub if they need to.
Dave Bartlett
/ July 25, 2009I'm not sure where you get your facts from, but if Jimmy Page had “featured as a session guitarist on over 60% of British 60s recordings” He'd not only have been totally knackered, he'd have had to be in numerous places at the same time, since despite the blinkered american viewpoint, not everything in Britain happens or did happen just in London, but he'd have also had to appear on lots of recordings that didn't even feature electric guitars.
Dave Bartlett
/ July 25, 2009Jimmy Page was the lead guitarist for the last few months of the Yardbirds, following in the footsteps of other notable guys like Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton. Then he continued as Lead for the last line-up of the Yardbirds, when they metomorphosed into a band you might have heard of: Led Zeppelin.
Dave Bartlett
/ July 25, 2009So your opinion of the Beatles is so important and unchallengable, that everyone else's is 'utter drivel' then is it?
The Beatles were a decent band of the sixties, who had incredible success for about 8 or 9 years. Thanks to the media, they totally eclipsed loads of other arguably superior bands of the decade; The Animals, The Small Faces, The Kinks all spring to mind. What these bands didn't have was the management backing and the hype that the Beatles did.
The Beatles were a rock band SECOND and a media vehicle FIRST. their nearest modern day equivalents are the manufactured boybands of the '90s.
Also, why would my valid opinion about the musical quality of the Beatles, cause me to spread rumours about the recreational or medical activities of Elvis Presley?
Next you'll be saying that you actually know how to make an argument!
Kate
/ July 25, 2009If you check out my LastFM profile (sidebar) you'll see I've definitely heard of Led Zep
Kate
/ July 25, 2009And that was Dave batting for Yorkshire – Liam would you like to respond for the Aussies?
lizsara
/ July 25, 2009I luff me the controversy!
Brilliant thanks, will be photoblogging as soon as i get my ass in gear
Kate
/ July 25, 2009You're not the one with commenters with indulging in a virtual version of the Ashes on their blog! Talk about be careful what you wish for. I wanted debate, not people yelling rude things other.
On a brighter note, looking forward to the pics, Rome looks like such a beautiful city.
Dave Bartlett
/ July 25, 2009The best thing about draught Guinness is watching the dark part and the head slowly separate. It's just like pub cabaret!
Mind you, the occasional pint on a summer's day does slip down well.
Along with Murphy's and Caffrey's – Have you tried Beamish – it proves the English can brew dry 'Irish' stout.
If it's a 'dark beer' you're after and you're not too fussy about it being a dry stout, try either Marsden's Owd Roger. or my favourite: Adnam's Broadside
Kate
/ July 25, 2009Purely in the spirit of neutrality: could it be possible the 60% applied to the output of a particular record label or recording studio?
Kate
/ July 25, 2009I have tried Beamish, very nice. Been there too! It's a great day out, but only between May and September, other times it's like the Arctic.
“Marsden's Owd Roger. or my favourite: Adnam's Broadside”
Love those names! I haven't tried either – if I drink beer it tends to be Stella or Kronenbourg, yes, I know, southern softie stuff – but every so often it's nice to have something with a bit more flavour.
liamalexander
/ July 26, 2009No, not everyone else's opinion; just yours.
Kate
/ July 26, 2009Liam, that comment is beneath you.
Kate
/ July 26, 2009Closing this thread. It's taken on quite a nasty tone and I've got far too much to do today to sit here moderating comments.
Scorpion
/ July 18, 2010I guess it’s most strange knowing that Paul never, at least late in his career, aged as a “cool” guy. He always held his artistic credibility, but did many things that are quite cringe-worthy. That cool factor kind of dropped a bit. In recent times, though Paul’s cool temperature is red hot. He’s got several artistic and adventurous solo albums, and has also produced a remix album, and avant-garde album under a different moniker that would make the coolest hipster nod in approval. Maybe a Fireman tune or two will make a Coachella appearance as well, it’s nothing too much just out of sight.