You know when the friendly recommendations, the critical consensus, and the historic importance of a group or album just screams that it should be your thing..... and then you ashamedly don't click with it. I have a few of these:

Roxy Music
Large swaths of the Kate Bush catalog
Sparks
Birthday Party

What are yours?

jason from volo wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:00 pm Awesome. Thanks for posting this.


Captain Beefheart - I have read about his albums and the circumstances in which they were recorded. I have listened to Trout Mask Replica countless times, or at least started it. And a bunch of bands that I love cite him as an influence. And I feel stupid for admitting that I do not get what's so fucking great about his music. Maybe if I try another 500 times, I'll get it.

A pleasure.

I think the heft of critical praise for Troutmask has done a lot of listeners a disservice. At least it did for me. I'd say Troutmask and Ice Cream for Crow should be the last albums people check out by him, but they're often the first.

I'd say more fun starting places could be Safe As Milk, Clear Spot, or The Spotlight Kid.

I think the Rolling Stones should change their name to The Original Shitty Beatles.

jason from volo wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:37 pm

losthighway wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 9:14 pm I think the heft of critical praise for Troutmask has done a lot of listeners a disservice. At least it did for me. I'd say Troutmask and Ice Cream for Crow should be the last albums people check out by him, but they're often the first.

I'd say more fun starting places could be Safe As Milk, Clear Spot, or The Spotlight Kid.

Thanks for the advice. I'll try them.

The farthest I've gotten through Trout Mask Replica without skipping or giving up is about a song or two after "Ella Guru". I find that I can get farther through the album if I am absolutely hammered and reading the YouTube comments while listening.

I will make it through. One day.

It's funny how that's the ACCLAIMED one. It's my least favourite. I 'd add to the recomendations "Doc at The Radar Station"

If you don't like the Stones, well, I know of nothing to convince you.


For me, probably The Melvins and The Velvet Underground. I only ACTIVEL HATE V.U. the Melvins just bore me to tears.

Björk. I like the idea of what she does. and I actually liked her 90s hit Human Behavior. The rest of the album of the same name never clicked with me, nor any of the other stuff I heard later. People whose opinions I otherwise trust love her work. What am I missing?

I'm supposed to like The Clash, right? Well they're shit. End of.

Nick Cave too.

biscuitdough wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:23 pm Björk. I like the idea of what she does. and I actually liked her 90s hit Human Behavior. The rest of the album of the same name never clicked with me, nor any of the other stuff I heard later. People whose opinions I otherwise trust love her work. What am I missing?

There's a lot to love, but I think Vespertine is the most intriguing.

Her Unplugged set might also be a decent introduction into the early songs. I still enjoy it.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote:

biscuitdough wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 10:23 pm Björk. I like the idea of what she does. and I actually liked her 90s hit Human Behavior. The rest of the album of the same name never clicked with me, nor any of the other stuff I heard later. People whose opinions I otherwise trust love her work. What am I missing?

There's a lot to love, but I think Vespertine is the most intriguing.

Her Unplugged set might also be a decent introduction into the early songs. I still enjoy it.

Hyperballad, It's Oh So quiet and Army Of Me are excellent songs.

I'm a big Björk fan but It's Oh So Quiet is boooring. I second Vespertine. As for what you're missing, biscuitdough, I can't say. I love her voice, love the creativity, love the vibe. An instant like thing. That goes for basically any record, although Medúlla is not as memorable as that before, and I'm not really updated on the stuff that came after.

Captain Beefheart is one of mine too. As is the Birthday Party. And PiL.

Mogwai

My band of 15-20 years ago used to constantly draw Mogwai comparisons, and aside from the whole no vocals things we had going, it used to bug me. I've really not enjoyed anything much of theirs since the Ten Rapid compilation, and not for want of trying. Minor appreciation of their soundtrack stuff (Atomic is OK) aside, it's just never got me.