Songs y'like by bands y'don't

[The Mumbler]

I've yet to hear that recent Paul Weller comeback album that many sensible people have described as the best thing he's done in decades, but up to now, the only solo Weller song I can stand to listen to is Wild Wood.

[The Mumbler]

Simply Red (and the name reflects that they were supposed to be a left-wing band originally, fact fans)

Money's Too Tight is so explicitly anti-Reagan (to the point of namechecking both him and Nancy) that I remember being slightly surprised that daytime Radio 1 gave it as much airtime as it did. Given that only a few years before, the BBC had refused to play The Beat's single Stand Down Margaret.

[Backstage With Slowdive]

I don't like Pearl Jam but Do The Evolution's bloody good.

My one Pearl Jam vote goes to Spin The Black Circle which, IIRC, avoids their usual nonsense by being a concept single in praise of lo-fi punk recording and consequently has to sound a bit like Black Flag and that lot to make any artistic sense.

I think all those awful grunge stragglers had about 1 decent song each, the thing that got them their contracts, just like the Britpop second division. Can't think what Soundgarden's one was though, maybe all their stuff was dreadful.

[George Oscar Bluth II]

Easy Lover - Phil Collins

[Backstage With Slowdive]

Easy Lover - Phil Collins

and another bloke. It wasn't a solo Phil credit.

[The Mumbler]

Philip Bailey out of Earth, Wind & Fire.

[confettiinmyhair]

Finley Quaye - Sun is Shining
Adele - Hometown Glory
Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues
Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstickmen
Dolly Parton - Jolene
The Cars - Just What I Needed (it's the best pop song ever written but everything else from the band I detest)

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

Yeah, chalk up another vote here for Holding Back The Years as the one Simply Red song I genuinely do have time for.

Also, these....

Dakota - Stereophonics
Shatter - Feeder
Mystify - INXS
Feels Just Like It Should (and Canned Heat) - Jamiroquai
A Bad Dream - Keane

and going back a bit...

The Wind Cries Mary - Jimi Hendrix
Riders On The Storm - The Doors


That's all I can think of for the moment.

[El Unicornio, mang]

'Omaha' by Counting Crows. It's just a wonderful little song by a band that is otherwise terribly rubbish.

[actwithoutwords]

Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 for me.

Also, that Steve Lamacq tag is spot on. Every time I see the thread title I now hear it in that voice.

[Tom Pynchon's Photo]

Trouble - Coldplay
Bedshaped - Keane
Heaven Help - Lenny Kravitz
Linger - The Cranberries


Really have a bad aversion to everything those four have done, except for said songs - each of which I like a lot.


EDIT - thinking also of a Richard Marx song called Hazard which is brilliant, but I can't compare it to anything else he had done because I can't remember anything else he has done.

But I know he has done stuff other than Hazard, Richard Marx was a well known name and mullet in the early 90s.......


....so Hazard must be his diamond amongst a lot of shit spat from his arse.

[thugler]

Status Quo - Pictures Of Matchstickmen

seconded. sounds much like the kinks.

[non capisco]

Easy Lover - Phil Collins

Seconded. I even like the mock-'Making Of' video they did for it, with the two Phils pissing about pretending to learn a dance routine. I have a vivid memory of my Mum laughing at it when it was on TOTP. Also, strike me down, I quite like Phil Collins' version of 'You Can't Hurry Love', I think it must remind me of a childhood holiday or something equally as nostalgic and undefined. Everything else he's done in his solo career can bore right off though.

Apologies in advance to Spiteface, The Smashing Pumpkins and '1979'. I can appreciate that some of their other songs are 'good' but baldy twat in a dress is always mewling over the top of them like a kicked cat, and I've never been able to stomach his voice. '1979' is a beautiful, dreamlike track though. I love everything about it, even the vocals.

And lastly, 'All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun' by Sheryl Crow. Everything else by her is dreck, this one's fucking groovy. And it's always nice to hear a chart hit that advocates drinking beer in the morning.

Might think of some more later, I'm sure there are tons. Girls Aloud don't count, they've had loads of belters.

[Backstage With Slowdive]

Seconded. I even like the mock-'Making Of' video they did for it, with the two Phils pissing about pretending to learn a dance routine.

Mocked in the book of The Uncyclopedia Of Rock, in a wonderful bit of unnecessarily pinpoint satire.

[The Mumbler]

Trouble - Coldplay
Bedshaped - Keane
Heaven Help - Lenny Kravitz
Linger - The Cranberries


Really have a bad aversion to everything those four have done, except for said songs - each of which I like a lot.

I also only like one Lenny Kravitz song, but it's It Ain't Over Till It's Over for me.

[Vitalstatistix]

Can't think what Soundgarden's one was though, maybe all their stuff was dreadful.

Incorrect!

[Old Thrashbarg]

'Omaha' by Counting Crows. It's just a wonderful little song by a band that is otherwise terribly rubbish.

I'd say that's one of the weaker songs on August and Everything After, although is by no means a poor song: it's just a really good album. I don't really like much else they've done (I haven't really listened properly though, but it didn't hook me like AaEA did immediately despite giving other albums a couple of listens), but that first album is great throughout. Round Here remains one of my favourite songs of all time.

[samadriel]

My one Pearl Jam vote goes to Spin The Black Circle which, IIRC, avoids their usual nonsense by being a concept single in praise of lo-fi punk recording and consequently has to sound a bit like Black Flag and that lot to make any artistic sense.

I think all those awful grunge stragglers had about 1 decent song each, the thing that got them their contracts, just like the Britpop second division. Can't think what Soundgarden's one was though, maybe all their stuff was dreadful.

I have a few Pearl Jam ones for the immense nostalgia of it; 'Jeremy' and 'Even Flow' I genuinely like, the rest is purely there for the 'those were the days' sensation (as is 'Interstate Lovesong' by Stone Temple Pilots.  Scott Weiland?  Do me a favour...)  "Do The Evolution" is nice and lively though.

Soundgarden were fucking excruciating, and Chris Cornell is the human, musical equivalent of The Funniest Joke in the World ("Wenn ist das Nunstück git und Badmotorfinger?" "Ja! ... Beiherhund das Oder die 'Searching With My Good Eye Closed!'")  'Black Hole Sun' I kind of enjoyed though.

I like 'Fucking in the Bushes', and 'Whatever'.  Oasis' other singles range from unexciting-but-fairly-pleasant ('Don't Look Back In Anger') to shit (everything else).  I was given a free copy of 'Be Here Now' once; from memory, I could just about take 'The Girl In The Dirty Shirt', and that's it.

I still like the Ronson 'Just' cover.  And maybe 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' (original included).  Everything else, yick.

This line doesn't count, I just despise everything Outkast have ever touched.

The Fun Lovin' Criminals' cover of 'We Have All The Time In The World' is quite nice, it's just a shame they exist.

[kidsick5000]

Keep your hands off my girl by Good Charlotte. It's pretend punk but the chorus with its aah-ha, aah-ha's is just so damn catchy.

[LC]

I don't like Pearl Jam but Do The Evolution's bloody good.

Aye, in opposite world.

[LC]

Yer all insane btw. The Doors and Jimi Hendrix have one good song!? Wtf. Also, isn't that Finlay Quaye song a cover?

[trotsky assortment]

Regarding Counting Crows:

I'd say that's one of the weaker songs on August and Everything After, although is by no means a poor song: it's just a really good album. I don't really like much else they've done (I haven't really listened properly though, but it didn't hook me like AaEA did immediately despite giving other albums a couple of listens), but that first album is great throughout. Round Here remains one of my favourite songs of all time.

I found the second album ('Recovering The Satellites') to be weaker, mainly due to it having a lot more electric material on it, but it's okay.  The third ('This Desert Life') isn't very good ('Mrs Potter's Lullaby' aside), as it really sounded like it was made up from leftovers and re-hashed ideas.

You could do worse than check out the forth album, 'Hard Candy'.  There are lots of songs on that which are really good, including a couple which really remind me of The Band - and it also includes a decent cover of Dylan & The Band's 'You Ain't Going Nowhere'.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Seconded. I even like the mock-'Making Of' video they did for it, with the two Phils pissing about pretending to learn a dance routine. I have a vivid memory of my Mum laughing at it when it was on TOTP. Also, strike me down, I quite like Phil Collins' version of 'You Can't Hurry Love', I think it must remind me of a childhood holiday or something equally as nostalgic and undefined. Everything else he's done in his solo career can bore right off though.

In The Air Tonight is a fantastic song, even though I will now always acquaint it with that drumming gorilla.

Another vote for Holding Back The Years too. You're wrong, Neville, you're terribly wrong.

Also, Local Boy in the Photograph, by Stereophonics - it really moves me for some reason.

I quite like White Riot by The Clash, but everything else they did was dreadfully dull.

[trotsky assortment]

[Ballad of BB's comments about The Clash nearly cause trotsky to choke on some tea]

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Sorry Trotsky. I've tried with The Clash, I reall have, but I just can't stand them. I hate Strummer's voice, and their songs just sound like grey, tuneless dirges to my ears.

Hope I haven't "finished you off" with that assessment.

[kidsick5000]

I quite like White Riot by The Clash, but everything else they did was dreadfully dull.

I feel the same but its I Fought The Law for me. Yes, I know its a cover but I prefer it to the original

[trotsky assortment]

Sorry Trotsky. I've tried with The Clash, I reall have, but I just can't stand them. I hate Strummer's voice, and their songs just sound like grey, tuneless dirges to my ears.

Hope I haven't "finished you off" with that assessment.

Since Strummer didn't always sing, I guess you hate Mick Jones and Paul Simonen's voices too.

Nah - 'tis fair enough.  There are so many bands mentioned on this board I really don't like.  It's each to their own, innit?  My choking was caused by the oddity of someone only liking 1 Clash song.  Lots of people I know who aren't fussed by them tend to like a handful of their songs.  For the record, I'm far from the biggest Clash fan - I just likes 'em.

[confettiinmyhair]

Mick Jones sang all the Clash's best songs

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Since Strummer didn't always sing, I guess you hate Mick Jones and Paul Simonen's voices too.

I guess I must do, yes!

My choking was caused by the oddity of someone only liking 1 Clash song.  Lots of people I know who aren't fussed by them tend to like a handful of their songs.  For the record, I'm far from the biggest Clash fan - I just likes 'em.

I honestly can't think of another Clash song that I like, the aforementioned I Fought The Law aside.

[Old Thrashbarg]

Regarding Counting Crows:

I found the second album ('Recovering The Satellites') to be weaker, mainly due to it having a lot more electric material on it, but it's okay.  The third ('This Desert Life') isn't very good ('Mrs Potter's Lullaby' aside), as it really sounded like it was made up from leftovers and re-hashed ideas.

You could do worse than check out the forth album, 'Hard Candy'.  There are lots of songs on that which are really good, including a couple which really remind me of The Band - and it also includes a decent cover of Dylan & The Band's 'You Ain't Going Nowhere'.

Thanks for that. I've listened to Hard Candy, but can't really remember it. Recovering The Satellites and This Desert Life I didn't like. Have you heard any of Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings? I haven't, but have read positive things (and some negative as well, admittedly).

On The Clash, I know a few people who like one or two songs (varying between London Calling, White Riot, Complete Control, Rock The Casbah, Should Stay Or Should Go, I Fought The Law and probably a few more I've forgotten) but nothing else. I don't really understand that, with them having a lot of similar sounding stuff, particularly on the first three albums. How can someone like, for example, White Riot, but not like I'm So Bored With The USA, Complete Control, London's Burning, and I Fought The Law? And that's just taking songs off the first album (both the UK and US versions).

I love their first three, but Sandinista! and everything after is almost unlistenable (one or two songs excepted) for me.