Kevin's Watch

dlbpharmd wrote:

Tom Petty.

I like Petty, but I have absolutely no idea why. I mean, the man can't sing for shit, yet he's been around for years. Makes no sense to me.

I am so sick of Tom Petty. The one downfall of living in Gator Town. Even our elected sheriff is his cousin...

Sister Hazel coverage here is almost as bad. Fortunately, I like them.

dlbpharmd wrote:

Tom Petty.

I like Petty, but I have absolutely no idea why. I mean, the man can't sing for shit, yet he's been around for years. Makes no sense to me.

I was a big Petty fan for 5+ years, but then I started listening to The Replacements (and Paul Westerberg) maybe 12 years ago, and they (he) pretty much killed Petty for me. Similar type of guitar-pop, but I like the lyrics (and hooks) of Paul Westerberg much, much more. Tom Petty's records also have a lot of filler in them that is flat out boring. There will be 3-4 great songs (like Even the Losers), and then just a bunch of crap about shopping at the mall, or something like that (I'm thinking about that Century City song, I think that's what it's called). Not that the Replacements don't have filler on their albums (they do), but their hit/miss ratio is a lot better, and a lot of their misses have serious entertainment value.

I never understood why Petty was popular. He's got a 30-year career with an album's worth of decent material.

The Ramones lost it with "End of the Century".

I used to love April Wine, but I can barely listen to them any more.

Yea, i am really not a Ramones fan. Annoy's me no end.

You guys have Petty ALL WRONG. The man is an icon due to the combination of McGuin / Diddley sensibility that characterized his early career musicianship AND the fact that Petty had the balls to fight his record company not once, but twice when they tried to use HIS records to initiate price increases. Dude was a garage rocker that took it to the suits,

Over the years, his growth as a musician (touring w/ Dylan, hangin' with Harrsion, Orbison etc as a Wilbury) and his lyrical prowess had grown and he has created some songs that have resonated with newer generations.

"Free Fallin'" in the late 80's & "You don't know how it Feels" in the mid-to-late nineties are examples of two songs that introcced Petty to new generations of listeners. Just 2 years ago, Petty was one of the top 5 grossing concerts, with audiences that including not only folks my age (and older), but also a lot of people in their 20s. I know, 'cuz I went to one in Milwaukee and was pleasantly suprised at how YOUNG the audience was.

It's not like going to a Kiss or Def Leppard concert where the number of beer bellies is inversely proportional to the the number of bald heads.

Now if you are talking about JUST his radio presence, then you have a point, as is true with many of the greats song as Neil Young, Dylan himself, and others who just don't get the airplay on FM that they used to except on AAA/Adult Alternative stations. The fact is that his body of work is impressive, interesting and has influenced a number of the most popular and relevant acts of today such as:

The Foo Fighters
The Killers
The Plain White T's
Everclear
Goo Goo Dolls
Rob Thomas

...just to name a few. I'll stand on anyone's coffee table in my cowboy boots and defend this point. How many good & truly relevant artists are out there naming (yawn!) REO Speedwagon as a primary influence?

Now...you want to talk about acts/music that have aged poorly? Pop on a General Public or Boomtown Rats and prepare to raise thy eyebrow. The Top 40 Birtish stuff...save for the likes of Roxy music is just plain SILLY.

Guns, I can't argue with a word you said. I'm just tired of "the hometown boy who made it big" idolization of Petty here in Gator Town.

Yeah Guns, like I said for some reason that escapes me I do actually like Tom Petty. Back in the early '80s I was introduced to Petty by the song "You got lucky" and every so often he'll have another song that I'll like ("Last dance with Mary Jane" was a great song and super funny video.) Occaisionally the classic rock station out of Knoxville will play the live version of "Breakdown" where the crowd takes over the song and I just love that.

Having said all that, the man still can't sing for shit, and I have a hard time comprehending how/why he made it in the business.

Boston fought their record company too, doesn't make them any good.

Petty's an acquired taste. I've listened to his stuff (not just the radio stuff either), and by and large, I can't stand it. His voice sucks, I think his music is derivative, and the majority of his songwriting is crap.

Length of career isn't indicative of quality. The number of people who list you as an influence isn't indicative of quality. Petty's got a bizarre niche and has somehow capitalized on it.

Farm Ur-Ted wrote: Pearl Jam
Smashing Pumpkins

Pearl Jam were probably the first band I really got into and yeah, I don't think they've aged all that well. Certainly, their music has gotten really quite blase over their most recent albums but listening to Ten the other day I was struck by how songs I'd assumed would be timeless, like Alive and Jeremy seemed dated and lacking in subtlety. Conversely, the Smashing Pumpkins I never cared for at the time, but they have strated to grow on me recently.

Cail, stop it! I'm agreeing with you more and more!

It's the same with me a Bob Dillen. Nice lyrics, but I think the music and voice really are unappealing...

Dylan at least wrote original songs.

Menolly wrote:Guns, I can't argue with a word you said. I'm just tired of "the hometown boy who made it big" idolization of Petty here in Gator Town.

I imagine that COULD be tiring. Especially if his cousin wa elected Sherriff on his coattails. I can see the ad slogans now..."You Got Lucky" ...when you elected Sherriff Petty. Or, You don't have to vote like a Refugee...vote Petty. Or perhaps the worst: "I Won't Bakc Down"...on CRIME.

Hee!

Cail wrote:Boston fought their record company too, doesn't make them any good.

Petty's an acquired taste. I've listened to his stuff (not just the radio stuff either), and by and large, I can't stand it. His voice sucks, I think his music is derivative, and the majority of his songwriting is crap.

Length of career isn't indicative of quality. The number of people who list you as an influence isn't indicative of quality. Petty's got a bizarre niche and has somehow capitalized on it.

I guess we have different opinions. And while length of career and a list of relevant artists may not influence YOUR opinion of quality...I think that both do suggest that even if you think he sucks, you still have to doff your cap to his longevity. Clearly, many people think he DOESN'T suck. Either his slaes or status have yielded a productive career that has spanned 3 decades. A bizarre niche? Perhaps.

I would also argue that a great voice (what is THAT, btw?) is not a prerequisite in Rock n roll. Dylan, Richard Thompson, Springsteen, Janis Joplin...and Neil Young for cryin' out loud.... none of them are going to wow Simon Cowell anytime soon, but man... they are all great!

Kiss has had a long career too, wouldn't call them great.

Petty's music, to me, is a throwback to the Dylan and Byrds sound. That (again, to me) is not necessarily a good thing since both Dylan and The Byrds did it much, much better. When Petty really became popular in the '80s, his music really was different from just about everything else out there, but it still wasn't very original. Petty played to the stoner college crowd who appreciated stuff like The Dead, The Byrds, and Dylan (Edie Brickell did the same thing with limited success).

Petty was at his best when he wasn't aping someone else. "You Got Lucky" is a decent song. Likewise, when he was surrounded by brilliance like in The Travelling Willburys, he acquitted himself quite well.

Nav wrote: Pearl Jam were probably the first band I really got into and yeah, I don't think they've aged all that well. Certainly, their music has gotten really quite blase over their most recent albums but listening to Ten the other day I was struck by how songs I'd assumed would be timeless, like Alive and Jeremy seemed dated and lacking in subtlety. Conversely, the Smashing Pumpkins I never cared for at the time, but they have strated to grow on me recently.

Of all the bands I used to like (and I loved PJ), Pearl Jam is the one that I regret the most. I really wish I could erase them from my memory bank. I liked Ten a lot, and Vs. even more, but Vitalogy was total crap. I realized what a total puss Eddie Vedder is thanks to that album, and I cannot stand music written by total pusses. Nothing-man? Dear god, that song is awful. Better-man? Seriously, Eddie should've had his man-card revoked right then and there. And that booklet that came with the cd was totally embarassing. Blech, I hate thinking about that band. I agree, many of the early songs are too melodramatic. I never really did like Jeremy. That song is just stupid, especially the line about the stupid punk biting the recess lady's breast. Give me a break, like that would ever happen.

The lyrics are supposed to be a fusion of experiences and stories from Vedder's own high school years and the suicide of Jeremy Delle. I'm not sure if the recess lady thing is real or metaphorical, but it probably doesn't really matter.

I remember PJ made a big hoo-hah about being "sick of their sound" after Vs and Vitalogy was supposed to be their reaction to the commercialisation of grunge at the time. It's a strange, uneven album: too soppy here, hard on the ear there and over there, that's just plain weird. There are a few good tracks on it though; I've always been fond of the opener, Last Exit. PJ's next album. No Code was probably weaker still, but the two that followed it (Yield and Binaural) were very strong before they slid well into Dadrock territory with Riot Act.

Looking back I think that one reason why Pearl Jam lack the timlessness of Nirvana is that a lot of their appeal lied in their technical greatness. In McCready and Gossard you had two of the finest guitarists of that period, an exceptional vocalist and Dave Abbruzzese (although he only appeared on Vs) was a hugely influential drummer. That led to the group sounding fantastic at the time but they never really captured the spirit of the grunge period like some of their peers did.

Grunge in general didn't age well. It served it's purpose as an enema, and then (thankfully) disappeared.

In my pompous, overbearing opinion, the only band worth a damn to come out of grunge was Alice in Chains, and they're really not a grunge band in the same vein as Pearl Jam or Nirvana.

Nine Inch Nails. Pretentious, angst-ridden drivel.

Pearl Jam is definitely at the top of that list.

I like Tom Petty. F you Cail.

As far as grunge, you're right on about Alice In Chains. Jar of Flies is still one of my all time favorites. The rest of them just kind of faded out. Although Badmotorfinger has a few great moments still, but there definitely is a suck-factor.

Everything else I used to like, like Blue Oyster Cult and Led Zeppelin, I still like pretty well.

Maybe I shouldn't have responded to this thread!

Menolly wrote:Guns, I can't argue with a word you said. I'm just tired of "the hometown boy who made it big" idolization of Petty here in Gator Town.

I don't know who you hung around with, but most of the people in circles I frequented absolutely hated Petty. Could be bothered to give one bit back to the Town that made him Big? When was the last time he did a Concert in Gainesville? The Swamp not a big enough venue for him? 'cause it'd be bloody packed.

That was why I liked Whoreculture. 20 years of punk rockin', and I seem to recall that they never charged more than a 5 dollar cover, even when (like at their last show) you'd have people crammed in to see them. They played because they LIKED to play.

On the subject of music that didn't age well.

Tim McGraw. I cannot believe I ever liked country. Although "Don't take the girl" still makes me bawl my eyes out.

Paula Abdul. 'nuff said.

Prince. I used to like Prince, and then one day I just... I dunno. It felt like it was music disconnected from reality.

Bob Marley - Particulary, the album I believe is called 'LEGEND.' If I had a nickel for every time I had one of those same damn songs played on the radio, or sung badly by some pretty white kid, I would still have as many nickles, because I'd flick them at people's eyes.

REM is starting to go down hill for me, too. I think it might just be because I'm playing them out.