Albums you do not get...a plea for help and understanding


So like most of you (I bet), I listen to tons of music.  But there are just some albums I never learned to appreciate.  I hope this thread can serve as a teaching tool.  I did not get Mingus at first but now he is one of my favorites.

Perhaps ending each post with, "What am I missing?" would be a good idea.

I will start with Graceland by Paul Simon.  Most of my friends call me crazy (still after all these years...OUCH that was bad) but I never desire to listen to this record.  I get the African influence and rhythm but it just does not impress me.  Alternatively when Peter Gabriel did the African influence thing I found it stunningly good. Paul Simon as a musician impresses me in his other works.  What am I missing?

bancsee

Showing 7 responses by larsman

@jasonbourne52 + 1 , though 'Days of 49' on 'Self-Portrait' was pretty good. Still, not a very good percentage! Loved 'We're Only In It For the Money', but tried and failed with 'Lumpy Gravy'. 

There are entire genres, like jazz, blues, and country, that do nothing for me; nothing wrong with them, of course - there are great artists in all these genres - or the people who love them, but not for me, and I'm not pleading for help or understanding! 😁

 

I'm a Deadhead (among other fave genres) and have every one of their live box sets, but I can't understand why anybody would want to hear the studio versions of Grateful Dead songs.

I once did, until I found out that that is not what that band is about, and how much more I enjoyed the live versions. 

@curtdr - If you can find it, see if you can hear a live version of 'Dark Side Of the Moon'  from the 'Meddle' tour, well before the album came out, and it was called 'Eclipse: A Piece For Assorted Lunatics' - quite different from what was eventually released! 

@bancsee - Yuppers!! That's the tour I saw them on, in Philadelphia, when they did that.... 

@dayglow  - and on those early albums on Verve, FZ's 'attempts' at being 'clever and unique' were 100% successful and then some, in my view.

I enjoyed the few after that as well, including the instrumental albums 'Hot Rats' and 'Waka Jawaka'. But I agree that after awhile, his humor started becoming a bit more 'frat-boy'-ish and I lost interest. But from 'Freak Out' through 'Uncle Meat', that's some seriously great stuff (though 'Lumpy Gravy' just confuses me).... 

@dayglow - indeed, the Doors had a unique signature style that I was totally in love with. Plus those were great records to sing along with 'cause Jim sang in my key!