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Author Topic: Horrible Songs By Great Artists  (Read 19490 times)
The Heartical Don
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« on: August 08, 2008, 02:50:42 AM »

Perhaps this isn't entirely new... but I'll give it a try.
Name a terrifyingly bad song by an acknowledged great musician (or band).

I'll start with two:

Paul McCartney: 'Mull Of Kintyre'
Stevie Wonder: 'I Just Called To Say I Love You'

(is it any wonder that we're talking karaoke standards here?).

Your turn...
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lance
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« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2008, 05:51:35 AM »

Jeez, figures: Mull of Kintyre is one of my favorite McCartney ditties.
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The Heartical Don
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« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2008, 06:01:21 AM »

Jeez, figures: Mull of Kintyre is one of my favorite McCartney ditties.

I recommend Thorazine, with a dash of amphetamines when you're going to be interviewed.
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1-1-wonderful
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« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2008, 11:42:47 AM »

"Hey Negrita" by the Rolling Stones
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the captain
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« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2008, 02:01:36 PM »

A full quarter of the Beach Boys output.
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« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2008, 02:48:38 PM »

If you think a quarter of their output sucks, how do you consider them to be great?
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the captain
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« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2008, 02:49:49 PM »

Because another quarter or more is sublime.
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« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2008, 04:17:48 PM »

"I Only Want to Dance with You" by the Beatles. Terrible song. Like the guitar and the drums, though. Also "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

I think Rainy Day Women by Bob Dylan is kind of annoying. That may be sacriligious.
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the captain
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« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2008, 04:29:42 PM »

I think Rainy Day Women by Bob Dylan is kind of annoying. That may be sacriligious.
I agree with you. And there are several dozen other Dylan songs that fit the bill, too. Just because someone is capable of great music doesn't make him or them immune to making awful music. Nothing wrong with keeping some perspective on things and honesty with yourself. It doesn't take away from the great stuff one bit.
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« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2008, 04:48:04 PM »

Fortunately I've only heard the good Dylan. There are whole decades missing from my collection.

 Actually, come to think of it, I don't like Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands either. Too long, too pretentious.

And in fact, though it has mostly great songs on it, I haven't really liked Blonde on Blonde for for a long, long time.
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the captain
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« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2008, 04:48:59 PM »


And in fact, though it has mostly great songs on it, I haven't really liked Blonde on Blonde for for a long, long time.
Reasonable minds must disagree here. I love pretty much the whole album: i just start on track 2 almost every time.
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« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2008, 04:55:31 PM »

I loved it and I would not call it "terrible." I fully understand why many critics put it on their top ten list.
 But there's something that worked for me personally in the beginning that doesn't anymore. It is great sounding, the songs are great. The singing is cool, but I just don't get into it anymore.
Nowadays when I hear it, I tend to just zero in on the guitars and drums (the band is GREAT on that record)and ignore the voice. I think my favorite period for ole Bob is actually the late sixties. I think that's when he perfectly balanced craft and inspiration, and I think that country-ish stuff suits his voice well. Also, I think he'd hit an age where he could shake off his pretension--I t hink Blonde on Blonde is pretensious. I mean, that's an element that actually makes it great, I suppose--it's so arrogant, yet he does pull it off. But I just can't relate to 66 Bob Dylan. His heartache doesn't seem real, it doesn't move me--it can only impress me and I don't know if I need to be impressed.

 Bringing It All Back Home, by contrast never gets old for me. Maybe it's just a matter of not having the time to listen to double albums like I did when I was younger.

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« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2008, 08:04:52 PM »

"Hey Negrita" by the Rolling Stones
I like that one, try Pretty Beat Up for a bad Stones song.
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« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2008, 02:12:01 PM »

I wanna hold your hand - The Beatles

Can't stand that song. It's terrible. I wonder how in the world that song could sell so much....
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« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2008, 02:13:16 PM »

It selling so much would be an indicator of sh*t, as far as my observations show. Generally speaking, I'd say commercial success is not directly related, unless it is inversely proportionate to, quality.
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« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2008, 10:10:25 AM »

The Beatles -- "Long, Long, Long" and their cover of "Mr. Moonlight"
The Beach Boys -- too many to pick from
The Monkees -- tie among "On The Day We Fall In Love," "The Poster," and "She's Moving In With Rico"
Wings -- "Mrs. Vanderbilt"
The Who -- anything with Kenny Jones on drums
The Doors -- "Get Up And Dance" (too happy for them, even though Jim wasn't involved)
Chuck Berry -- "My Ding-A-Ling"
James Cotton -- his performance of "Juke" at Little Walter Jacobs' induction into the RnRHoF
Led Zeppelin -- anything after the third album
Brian Wilson (solo) -- "The Waltz"
Grateful Dead -- "Touch of Gray"
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« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2008, 12:52:42 PM »

You only don't like Touch of Grey because it's the Grateful Dead's Kokomo. And Mr. Moonlight is GREAT!

I really don't like Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney. The backing keyboard is so annoyingly lame.
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« Reply #17 on: August 12, 2008, 08:16:10 AM »

You only don't like Touch of Grey because it's the Grateful Dead's Kokomo.

No, I actually don't like it because it's the Grateful Dead's "Walk of Life." And it's too commercial for them.

Quote
And Mr. Moonlight is GREAT!

I do love the opening, though -- can you beat that vocal?? I always thought of taking the opening, but tacking it on to "Leave My Kitten Alone." I know, "Leave My Kitten Alone" wasn't left off BECAUSE of "Mr. Moonlight," but the thing is....why put that song on there while they have an awesome rocker sitting in the can?
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No. Fourteen
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« Reply #18 on: August 12, 2008, 10:35:55 AM »

I loved it and I would not call it "terrible." I fully understand why many critics put it on their top ten list.
 But there's something that worked for me personally in the beginning that doesn't anymore. It is great sounding, the songs are great. The singing is cool, but I just don't get into it anymore.
Nowadays when I hear it, I tend to just zero in on the guitars and drums (the band is GREAT on that record)and ignore the voice. I think my favorite period for ole Bob is actually the late sixties. I think that's when he perfectly balanced craft and inspiration, and I think that country-ish stuff suits his voice well. Also, I think he'd hit an age where he could shake off his pretension--I t hink Blonde on Blonde is pretensious. I mean, that's an element that actually makes it great, I suppose--it's so arrogant, yet he does pull it off. But I just can't relate to 66 Bob Dylan. His heartache doesn't seem real, it doesn't move me--it can only impress me and I don't know if I need to be impressed.

This is very similar to my feelings about Blonde On Blonde.  Never come across another Dylan fan who felt that way!  For all the genius on this album, there's something about it that feels so.....disengaged.  And cold.

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« Reply #19 on: August 12, 2008, 10:42:45 AM »

Macca's Wonderful Christmas Time sounded like a LOVE YOU track to me when I first heard it.
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« Reply #20 on: August 13, 2008, 09:39:32 AM »

Chuck Berry -- "My Ding-A-Ling"
I love My Ding-a-Ling. The only 45 in my record collection is My-Ding-a-Ling, with a live version of Johnny B. Good as the B-side.


Now if you want to talk about bad songs by good bands, I would say half of every single album Radiohead has put out since OK Computer is pretty bad...or at leat pretty boring.

Everything the Stones did after Brian Jones died does nothing but "follow the formula".

And for atrocities commited by the Beach Boys, just check out most of Summer in Paradise and KTSA, most of Sweet Insanity, all of Mike Love's solo albums, all of Carl's early 80s solo material except for the song Heaven, all of Still Cruisin', half of BB85, half of MIU, half of 15BO, half of Little Deuce Coupe, Sumahama, disco version of Here Comes the Night, I Wanna Pick You Up, Brian's Back, Problem Child, Crocodile Rock, and too many other BB songs to mention.
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« Reply #21 on: August 13, 2008, 11:31:58 PM »

Listening to the Rhino remaster of Yes' Tormato I'm left wondering how the hell the bonus tracks Countryside and You Can Be Saved got shelved from the original album yet Circus of Heaven and Arriving UFO made it on.
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The Heartical Don
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« Reply #22 on: August 18, 2008, 03:18:25 AM »

Hey, thanks for writing in you all -
great choices. 'My Ding-A-Ling' truly is dreck, as are many of the other choices. Plus: I always thought this one did harm to racial relations, because it suggests that black men are only out for one thing and that in a very limited vocabulary (just my two cents). That may ring true for mr. Berry (e.g. the infamous toilet VHS stories); but others may feel insulted by it.

My choice for the day: Bruce Springsteen's 'Drive All Night', which has his cliché about cars and girls to the max; and since it pretends to be a 'grand statement', it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on... and in the end you still don't know if he bought her those shoes.
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« Reply #23 on: August 24, 2008, 11:19:08 AM »

'My Ding-A-Ling' truly is dreck

Is it a crime if I think "My Ding A Ling" is a funny song? I've never even thought about it in racial terms before. I always thought it was just an innocent but dirty joke song.
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« Reply #24 on: October 13, 2008, 01:22:33 PM »

Bee Bop Baby by Perry Como.

You're Havin My Baby by Little Richard

The Dog Gone Girl Is Mine! by McCartney and Jackson

Gray is the Colour of My Tru Luvs Haire by the Olde Farts

Hint: Two of these are actual songs!!!!
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