I couldn't agree more! I mean, I like a lot of modern "rock" and "alterna-gobble", but these "boy groups" have got to go! And I like to look at Britney Spears (she's 18 now, so she needs a jolly good Rogering, from me eevery night...), but gee whiz, I HATE HER MUSIC! Hate Christina Aguelara too. AND I HAAAATTTEEE country music, except for some of Alison Krauss (she's not really "country and western", though). I loved it when Shania Twain and Faith Hill became modern day Madonnas, and helped to kill the 1990's idea of "country music". Maybe "pop" music is cleansed now, but I don't know. And, what the hell is that midget doing with Kid Rock? Just looked weird when I saw 'em on SNL (I don't have MTV...). I like a couple of his songs, but the rest of 'em just seem stupid to me. |
As always, you opinion is much appreciated. Thanks Carl. Although the above mentioned artists(?) do take the cake, I'd also have to say that bands like KISS and Aerosmith need to throw in the towel. For good this time. They had their day in the sun but when it's time to go , it's time to go. And that comment on Britney Spears.......she is serious eye candy a one good Rogering may not do her justice. Now repeated nightly Rogerings might do the trick, and I'll bet she can hit those high notes real well......DOWN BOY!!!!! |
Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods - Big "hit" being Billy Don't Be A Hero -- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! |
I would have to say Wendy Carlos - Switched on Bach. YUCK! This was the worst most fake sounding rendition of Bach I have ever heard! I could not belive it ever made its way into production. |
There was some pretty bad S#!t to come out of the eighties...like Ratt...or Dead or Alive...round round baby right round, like a record baby right right round round...immortal classic. |
Lance12000 - I respectfully disagree with you re: SOB. Listening to it now, in 2000, it admittedly sounds a little dated and cheesy. But you have to remember it in its historical context (this is meaningful to me as a classically trained studio musician who's spent all his money on keyboards and have nothing for audiophile gear). In its time, nothing like this had ever been done before, taking the majesty and spirit of Bach and using these new sounds that were (up til then) only used as "blip & beep" novelties on pop records (Good Vibrations? Here comes the Sun?) It demonstrated something musical could be done with the synth, if approached with discretion with regard to timbre and dynamics. It was voted one of the most influential keyboard records of the last 25 years by Keyboard Magazine, and I heartily concur. Also, Wendy Carlos is one of the 2 most articulate, intelligent artists ever to express their thoughts on art and music (Brian Eno is the other). I have mixed opinions re: Carlos' current foray into equal-tempered music, but SOB was one of those few albums that really effected me in my development as a musician. Of course, all of this is simply MHO, and your mileage may vary. |
timwat, lancel2000, issabre, trturtle.....thanks for joining in. if you guys think of anymore, please share them (or bash them). |
Timwat I didnt mean to offend you or other musicians. I can apreciate the need to have freedom in experimentation. For me I was very disapointed in SOB. About a month ago I found it in my collection, listend to it, hated it again. I promptly pulled it from my CD player cracked it in two and threw it away. When I saw this posting I couldnt help but list it, as I dont recall ever cracking a CD apart before. |
Cracking one in two is not easy to do, I've done it once with AOL's CD ROMS... |
Don't you mean WALTER Carlos ??? Something more than Back got "switched" in that deal. Much like "it's" gender, some people never know when to leave well enough alone. Sean > |
one more for the list is that one canadian beeeatch. for the love of god I can't think of her name. she sings all those mushy, lovey dovey movie themes. married a fat, bald, RICH (hmmmm....you tell me), music exec.....I think she sings songs with elton john sometimes. anyway she suckie suckie ALL THE TIME. what is her name???????? |
BINGO.....Celine Deion....I probably spelled her name wrong but oh well. She be the canadian beeeatch I was speaking of. anyway she's foul. too much happy horse SH*T in her music for me. |
Michael bloody Bolton. 'Nuff said! |
MIKE B is a good one!! Bravo Mr-gridlock |
KGB, I like Kiss and Aerosmith! I like Ratt too! And Kiss IS throwing in the towel, so there! They were very good, I saw them last month in concert (the sound sucked, of course). I did hate the hell outta that song Aerosmith did for Armageddon, though. Gee whiz, I hate Liv Tyler and the whiner Affleck too! |
Carl....I'll be the first (or maybe the second) to give KISS and Aerosmith credit for being some of the best all-time rock bands, but Aerosmith lost it with the song you mentioned for the movie and that god-awful song "PINK". What a musical abortion. Steven Tyler painting his toenails and doing gay gap commercials didn't help either. BUT, when Aerosmith was hot, they were friggin' smokin. KISS has taken sort of gener-rock path lately. I really do like older KISS music and what they did for their part of the musical world IS incredible. Very few bands can successfully go for over a quarter of a century like they both have, but IMHO it's time to go. At least I can always listen to their "classic" stuff, right? Did you see MI2?? Later |
Like I said, they did all their classic stuff live on their "farewell tour" when I saw them here in April, and they were great! (Live CD "Alive 4" is supposed to be out in a few weeks..."Alive 3" was great.) Sound was terrible, and the loudest I've heard, especailly in the 2kHz range...and I've heard a few. I especially liked "Cold Gin" (my favorite), "100,000 Years", "Heaven's On Fire" (from "my" generation), "Let Me Go, Rock n' Roll", and "God of Thunder". My earplugs were in for all but 3 songs, and those weren't 3 in a row, either. I mean, it was REALLY loud, dude! At least 4 dB louder than the next loudest one I've ever been to, and that was Motley Crue in '89 (now THAT was/is a silly dumbassed band!)......................Saw MI2, thought it was all style, no substance. Worse than a cornball music video, or a "gap" commercial! I've hated every film John Woo has ever done, and think the reason he uses slow motion so annoyingly overmuch is because HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO SHOOT AN ACTION SEQEUNCE in the first place!!!! So, he fools the females and others in the audience, who lack a basic understanding of the physical world (and how vehicles react with it), into thinking that his shots are valid, by making them "different" with slow motion. They still SUCK, and the slo mo takes like an hour of the movie's time, so as to fill in where the comic book dialog leaves off. Ebert thought the car chase scene early on "worked"...boy, is he full of monkey dung on that one! He hasn't called an action movie correctly this year, and I think he's just gotten old and senile (oddly, he was mostly right about last year's lineup)! I, AND ALL NORMAL MALE MOVIE GOERS, like action sequences that are physically plausible and skillfully shot (like all the car chases in "Ronin"). I hope "Gone in 60 seconds" is worth seeing, cause I certainly don't trust movie reviewers on action movies anymore (did I ever?)! (I hate Nick Cage and Angelina Jolie, but I want to see sports cars driven the way they're supposed to be driven...by the stunt people, of course)..........................I hated "Face Off", the other John Woo movie that all the critics liked. It sucked! Basically, any movie where one actor is used to portay another, and then pulls off a mask that disguised him as the other guy, SUCKS!!! I mean, it's the oldest "trick" in the effects book, and it doesn't work at all. IT'S HOAKY!!!!! (And anybody that says, "Gee Carl, tell us what you really think," should take that up with KGB, because he asked.....).........Gotta go watch McLaughlin Group.... |
No accounting for what one person's taste in music are, but the worst I have ever heard is "Electric Love" on Mercury Limelight LS-86072. Electronic mesh-mash by a group that never did anything. Picture this, blend 1950 instrmental easy listening with very bland flower child music, played by musicians that have no clue and then it is all electronically synthesized. It turned up while I was going through some used LPs in a used book store. I bought it just because I remembered it was on Harry Pearson's (TAS)LP list. At $ 1.00, how bad could it be? It has to be a sly HP joke. I certainly hope, he wasn't serious about this being a good recording, performance or good music. There are several other clunkers (jokes)on his list so watch out. To be fair, he does also lists recordings that are top notch. |
It's probably a joke, but Pearson's not always right (nobody is), and there is no accounting for taste, for sure. |
Hey Carl....I am putting togeter a semi-budget 2 channel system and I am in need of a preamp. I am looking to spend in the $400-600 range and would like one with a remote. I fully realize I need to check stuff out for myself to see what MY personal tastes favor, but I do have respect for your opinion. You seem to see through the B.S. of most of the equipment and give accurate assesment of equipments high points as well as its short comings. The equipment in the system so far includes a NAD 216thx amp, Paradigm Esprit Monitors, a Yamaha CDC-845 player, HSU HRS10v sub. Interconects are audioquest RUBY and the speaker cables are Alpha-core MI1. So far the equipment is leaning towards being a bit too much on the bright side, so if you have a suggetion for a pre with a warmer sound, that'd be cool. Thanks.KGB |
Thank you for the compliment, but it's not totally deserved. I'm no expert on preamps, haven't tried very many...mostly tried lots o' cable. Seems like you'd need an affordable tube preamp. I have a friend who swears by Conrad Johnson's affordable ones (not sure if they're remote controlled...they're quite noisy, too). I have the Audio Alchemy DLC (solid state), but it'd likely be on the cool side in this context. I looked for an Audio Research LS-8 for a while (saw one on here for $900 recently BTW), decided I didn't need one bad enough right now. That model has a captive AC cord, but could perhaps be modified by someone to use an IEC connector, so you could use better power cords............................In any case, I'm no fan of Goertz cables, and feel you could have something cheaper, that would be a better speaker cable. I hope to try some Wireworld Atlantis 2 speaker, if I can find some (don't know what it sounds like, but it might be good for an affordable tube amp, if I ever find one I want). I just love the MIT Terminator 3, close-out priced from Audio Advisor ($90 including termination for a 10 ft pair). They need to pay me a commission! I like it mostly better than my AT Dragon Plus in my Krell system (says a lot for the MIT); this is a phenomenal speaker cable! The T-2 is great, also, for a little more. |
Anything on Mapleshade label.Besides,the quality of their recordings is bad beyond words. |
Anything by Crissey Hind. She made dogs howl. I believe she once said she hated rock music. She sang it that way... |
Barbra Streisand singing "Jingle Bells". And I normally LIKE her singing. |
I don't like anything about BS. |
Most rap music sucks, too many to mention, M&M "Slim Shady" comes to mind as especially sucky.......Sam Hi my name is, Hi my name is, Hi my name is Slim Shady |
Maybe I just don't have enough years in the rearview mirror, but why is BS so famous??? She just PLAIN sucks. An interesting duo would be her and Gonzo "The Great" from the Muppets. Similar look and similar sound, match made in HELL. |
BS is so famous because she's the antichrist, and all her fans will soon begin eating the brains of all righteous and true music lovers...so buy a helmet, and pray! |
I must have missed the press release that "The Barbra" was in league with the devil. I thought she had gained the noteriety she had because in her historical context, she was one of the few doing what she was doing, that being making a name for herself as a popular singer, then jumping into movies (funny girl, et al, ad naseum). I think part of the same phenomena contributed to Sinatra's fame as well, not necessarily his pure musical talent (although I enjoy his music). While rap in a few isolated instances has made timely cultural statements, its 15 minutes is well over and should slink back into its grimy hole and go the way of the hula hoop. Unfortunately, the decline of American culture and society in general probably means its here to stay. Eminem is simply the most outrageous example de jour. But that's another thread entirely. Returning to topic, IMHO Christina Ag, nsync, et al are just the latest version of bubblegum that has always floated atop American music like film on teeth. This too will pass. OTOH, I find some of the "contemporary" classical forays into atonal experimentation some of the worst "pots and pans clanging, cat in heat, fingernail scratching" published. Stuff like Schoenberg, John Cage, some Bartok. But some folks eat that stuff up. Your mileage may vary. |
Actually, I have not heard much music I've liked since about 1985. today's music is thoughtless, or boring re-makes of the stuff I grew up on. I tuned in to a local "today's rock" station and every song I heard, I forgot within minutes, un-memorable, well............ |
Spoken like a true old timer...no offense. |
Too many to mention and life is short enough trying to find the really good music and recordings. I can think of one though on Chesky that really pissed me off because one of Stereophile's yahoo music reviewers, can't remember who and don't want to, recommended it (early 90's), I stopped buying recommended Chesky recordings after this one. They have some real dogs. The dude's name is Kenny Rankin and the album is "Because of You" his phrasing sucks, his interpretations suck, and last but far from least his voice really sucks. I have truly heard much better singing in a Karioke bar by guys three sheet's to the wind, myself included. I play it on occasion to demonstrate "image focus, depth and soundstaging" of the system but no one cares "TURN IT OFF G DAMM IT! . I better stop now, I'm starting to get peed all over again. |
Chesky also has some very good music, want to make it clear that not all of them are bad. Watch out for their original artists, the ones that no other label will take. I suspect Rankin is a rich kid that probably PAID Chesky to make the recording, its gotta be the only explanation. |
Worst individual track ever: "Mommy, Can I Still Call Him Daddy?" by Dottie West. It's available on CD, although I have the equally shameful LP (higher fidelity lousiness). This song is spectacularly, staggeringly bad. Worth buying as a torture track for those guests that just won't leave. Even my dog hates it. Close runner-up: Ewok Celebration, by Meco. |
Saw a Rock-u-mentary on Styx last night. Geeez did they do some awful stuff. Lady. Babe. Mr. Roboto. Someone on the film described it as a "parking lot full of whale vomit". I'd be inclined to agree. |
Disco. Anything coming from my 12 year old daughter's cd collection. (Damn those hollow doors.) Also see post "Best Heavy Metal Band" for a list. (Music to kill by. We heard lots of that when I was a paratrooper at Ft. Bragg...gets you in the mood for that line of work.) Oh, and I'd like to choke that Immenem SOB, myself. |
Well, this could be a VERY long list, since I think almost all of the pop music of the last 15 years is execrably BAD (particularly the hip-hop, rap, techno-funk, mechanical flatulence). However, for the sake of humor, probably the worst and stupidest piece of music ever to make the top 40 was in around 1950 - a little ditty called "Cincinatti Dancing Pig". The name says it all............ |
I would just like to say the rap situation on mtv has really gone out of control. The thong song?????? What is going on here. Seriously! |
right on with the rap comments. this IS one of the biggest social burdens we have ever seem in America. the message this kind of music sends out, as well as the sexually explicit videos corrupts the minds of the youth today. DAMN MTV!! they are so concerned about their profits that they are willing to heavily target the youth of America and exploit their impressionable minds to the point that the youth has lost respect for most adult authority (especially mom and dad), dress like they are borderline pornstars, and have a gerneral all around lack of moral value that this country was built on. Once again DAMN MTV!!! Anyone agree? |
I guess I agree with you. The truth is, I find MTV so offensive that I have not actually watched it long enough to pass judgement on their program content. Every time I select past it with my DSS remote control, I just keep on going. The same thing I do when I see a snippet of one of those horrid infomercials or soap operas. |
I got rid of cable when my kids started getting old enough to watch TV. Not only did it save me $40.00/mo. but now I have control over what comes in to my house. No more MTV or the sleaze of the "reality" shows - playing puppetmaster with cameras in the Bathroom for God sakes! I just read today where Court TV is going to air a show called "Confessions" every Sunday, starting in a couple of weeks. The show is actual, uncensored, confessions of prison inmates explaining what it was like to murder and rape - in graphic detail! They expect it to be a ratings hit! You can read about this in the entertainment section of cnn.com. As for the rap....went to Home Depot the other day with my (almost) 3 year old. Got out of the car to hear yet another car stereo blaring out 4 letter words set to a droning bass. It's all gone a little too far. |
Kiss, pepsi commercial, that was the final straw |
William Shatner sings Mr. Bo-jangles; nuf said. Although his recent Priceline commercials are good--from a comedic standpoint. |
TIE: Golden Earing & Bachman Turner Overdrive, both were one-hit wonders (marginal hits) at one of the truest low points in rock music ( mid 70's ) lots of bands came and went in a short time. THANK GOD FOR PUNK AND NEW WAVE to come along and jump start the music. John Lydon & Mike Ness / Elvis Costello & David Byrne are all going strong after 20 yrs. of good solid music making. Who the hell was even in Golden Earing ? P.S. I almost forgot to add Peter Frampton to the worst list. I wanted to smash the radio every time I heard that stupid guitar/blow hole deal |
Gee Oldpro, I kinda like "Radar Love" and "Bullit Hits the Bone". Can't say I have heard anything else they have done. But then again I can't think of any more than 1 Talking Heads song I like. Oh well, to each their own. |
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Thecommodore Do you mean "Afternoon Delight" by ? can't remember who but they also did "Hitchin a Ride" I loved those tunes with a "hook"! |
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Tubegroover, I did not like the song, nor did I know the answer or the history. What follows is copied and pasted from our friends at AMG. Hope this clears it all up. Starland Vocal Band dominated American airwaves during the Bicentennial summer of 1976 with their quintessential soft rock chart-topper "Afternoon Delight." The group emerged from the Washington, D.C. folk scene of the late 1960s, its roots dating back to the formation of the acoustic duo Fat City, which comprised future husband and wife Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. Together the couple wrote a song titled "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" which was recorded by John Denver and Mary Travers; with Denver, they also penned the smash "Take Me Home, Country Roads." In 1969 Fat City recorded their debut LP, Reincarnation; after 1971's Welcome to Fat City the duo began working as simply Bill and Taffy, regularly opening for Denver on tour. |
Well Albert thanks for all the details I'll certainly remember next time I'm playing music trivia. I'm sure all the "Fat City" and Bill & Taffy fans out there in Audiogon land will welcome it, just kidding but I couldn't resist. I always did get Starland Vocal Band mixed up with Vanity Fair they both had that same breezy soft summer pop sound. When you said the year I then remembered Vanity Fair was late 60's & early 70's with "Hitchin a Ride" and a few others long forgotten except to those still clamoring for the stations that still play it. |
