Kevin's Watch

StevieG wrote:Heh. Nice rant/explanation Stone Magnet!

OK, so Overrated = Fanatical Tool fans. The band is fine!

Oh, and I beg to differ regarding 10,000 Days, but that's another discussion...

Fanatical Tool fans overrate Tool, therefore Tool is overrated (by fanatical Tool fans). Same diff.

I agree with Shihad, though only for their pre-Pacifier output (Churn and Kiljoy are excellent albums). Head like a Hole is a more underrated Kiwi band though.

As for Aussies, Looking Glass, Pod People and Forte are underrated. Wolfmother (while I dig what they're tryin to do, they're not doin it right) are overrated.

Wolfmother definitely overrated. Oh, and Jet.

Malik23 wrote:Underrated: of course, Rush. 19 studio albums, 6 live albums, 24 of which went gold, 14 platinum, 40 million units sold, a bagillion awards, and they're still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame?!? Jesus, what does it take? Good looks?

Good music.

Under-rated

Muse
Iron Maiden
The Police
Tears for Fears
Satriani
The B-52s
Blondie
New Order
Doves

Over-Rated

Sonic Youth
My Bloody Valentine
The Pixies
Joy Division
Coldplay
Dave Mathews
Metallica

Underrated by virtue of the fact that they cant be rated highly enough
The Beatles
Radiohead
The Flaming Lips
David Bowie
King Crimson
Opeth

Edit:

matrixman wrote:On behalf of all Canadians with good musical taste, I want to apologize for Nickelback. I've written a letter asking for a government task force to investigate the potential health detriments of listening to Nickelback, and to see if second-hand Nickelback is just as hazardous.

Lol. Nickelback might be the shittiest popular band in the history of Rock and Roll. Journey and Poison are close behind, but not as bad IMO.

Honestly... people LIKE Nickelback? Im just not cynical enough to believe it. The people who buy their records must be doing it because of some kind of hypnotic suggestion... and not based off of hearing any of their music. There is no taste bad enough to accommodate this band. I must believe that to remain sane.

I have to agree with Stone Magnet. As much as I like Tool, some of the fans... I even had one guy sit and heckle me once about several songs' meanings while I was eating a cheeseburger for no other reason than that I was wearing a Tool shirt.

It's been a while, but let's see...

Overrated - Rush (I've been hearing their stuff on the radio for 32 years now, and it's never done a damn thing for me), U2, The Beatles (same reason as Tool), Pink Floyd (same again, though most of these are the same Tool fans). Stone, I'd have to say Fu are overrated among the limited subculture that is SR. They're good for what they are, but... I'm also probably the only person that would say so, but Orange Goblin and Yob suffer similarly. I think I'd give Hermano the nod here over Fu Manchu. Kyuss would be overrated too, but in their case, that just isn't possible. Clutch almost seems to be overrated by a lot of their fans, but the truth is that a lot of their fans are just assholes. They're actually pretty realistic about the music.

So, I'm going to say Truckfighters, Pelican, and Hermano. And Failure.

I respond to Rush the same way you do, Syl. I don't actually hate Rush. I'm simply unable to connect emotionally with their music.

On the other hand, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree about the Beatles. But unlike obnoxious fans, I'm not the type to heckle people. I prefer to walk away in peace, plugged into my own little corner of the world.

Underrated: Doves, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The National.

Overrated: Aerosmith, Metallica.

Brinn wrote:Underrated: Doves, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The National.

Overrated: Aerosmith, Metallica.

Right on about Doves. It beats the hell out of me why Coldplay got so huge instead of them. They are clearly the more talented and creative band. This is a band that's released multiple top 10 albums (in the UK), and I have yet to meet more than a handful of Americans who have even heard of them. From the moment I heard the first few notes of Firesuite I was hooked. Seriously, find a copy of Lost Souls and take a listen if you are curious. They even throw a little tease of Yellow towards the end of the album. (It mimics Coldplay's ridiculously simplistic song structure and runs with it)

Their Successive albums have all been at about the same level of quality. (Rising ambition, if maybe not quite the execution of their Debut)

over rated - the Sex Pistols ( i like them, but they did one album)

under rated - Dumptruck

sgt.null wrote: under rated - Dumptruck

Positively.

Syl wrote:Stone, I'd have to say Fu are overrated among the limited subculture that is SR. They're good for what they are, but... I'm also probably the only person that would say so, but Orange Goblin and Yob suffer similarly. I think I'd give Hermano the nod here over Fu Manchu. Kyuss would be overrated too, but in their case, that just isn't possible. Clutch almost seems to be overrated by a lot of their fans, but the truth is that a lot of their fans are just assholes. They're actually pretty realistic about the music.

So, I'm going to say Truckfighters, Pelican, and Hermano. And Failure.

I'm glad someone took my bait! Cheers Syl. Do you post over on SR.com?

I was talking in terms of the general exposure these bands get in the mainstream, not within the (admittedly small, but im loath to say limited!) Stoner scene.

For sure Fu Manchu and Kyuss are the first names you'll hear usually connected with the genre, but in the mainstream these bands had a small period of popularity and then went underground (or in Kyuss' case, just died).

Since I'm from NZ I've never met an asshole Clutch fan, there just aren't enough of them here haha. I agree on Hermano, fully, also the other "Garcia" bands, but mainly Unida, The Great Divide is one of the greatest albums never released (or even mastered). If you've never heard it theres a link to download here www.stonerdoom.co.nz/viewtopic.php?t=213&start=0 . A few tracks from Coping with the Urban Coyote rerecorded with Reeder on bass at the end as well!

While I like Pelican, they seem to be the most hyped band in instrumental post-rock at the moment (again I live in NZ so this is all impressions I get from the web haha). I remember hearing the first EP and thinking it was the heaviest ambient stuff I'd ever heard. Australasia was quality as well, but IMO they have gone more for the frilly post-rock vibe on later albums, which isn't my vibe, personally. Neurosis' Given to the Rising however, is perfection. Most of these post-rock bands are just recycling Neurosis riffs, much as SR bands recycle Sabbath riffs haha. I still dig it.

Underrated: Frustratingly little-known, and consequently underrated, British rock band New Disease. As far as I know, they don't exist anymore, which is a sad, sad thing. I discovered them when this very song appeared on a CD with a magazine. It's one of my favourite songs IN THE WORLD.

Overrated: The Beatles. Oh, the Beatles. Ohhhhhhh the woeful bloody Beatles.

Brinn wrote:Underrated: Doves, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The National.

Overrated: Aerosmith, Metallica.

agree, heard some Siouxsie stuff recently (hadnt heard them for years) and was both suprised by how I'd failed to rate them in the past and by how varied there music was - I always had them pegged as a Cure-for-girls type arrangement, but they were really progressive ...


Stevie G wrote :

Underrated: They Might Be Giants, George (Katie Noonan mainly), You am I, Shihad, Regurgitator, The Tea Party, Dinosaur Jr, Spiderbait, Frenzal Rhomb, Paul Kelly

Overrated: U2, Jeff Buckley, PJ Harvey, Bjork, Powderfinger, Oasis, Beck, Marilyn Manson

heya StevieG ..
TMBG are great but are probably both as big and as small as they should be imo ...

Shihad's 'General Electric' release was awesome (my mind's sedate !!) but I havent had much time for them since - I actually saw them open for You Am I a few years ago at a dingy pub in Melbourne and they were *great* - better than the headlining You Am I ...

which brings me to You Am I - imo I reckon they've only ever had one truly great album, and that's Hi Fi Way (Hourly Daily was ok, their first album wasnt bad either but a lot different to the retro sound they've mined for the past decade or so) .... I've enjoyed some of Tim Rogers solo stuff too, but not all of it ... I reckon they're slightly overrated within Australia; possibly only underrated around the globe because no-one's heard of them haha ...
Paul Kelly is a gem, great Aussie singer-songwriter (liked his dub stuff he did as Professor Ratbaggy too) ...
Spiderbait has the odd killer song which I love, but lots of mid-range quality filler too ... imo

my choices for underrated :

Tom Waits
Gomez
Supergrass

Dammit, I have to say that I agree with you on most counts there SleeplessOne!

... except TMBG they are underrated in my opinion because they have gotten better, IMO, over the years without apparent recognition.

Totally agree re Shihad - I was thinking of the General Electric as I wrote the list. But, once they became Pacifier (I think SM mentioned it above) they went down hill a bit.

Good call on You am I too - Hourly Daily is probably my preferred album and What Rhymes with Cars and Girls solo album. When he's semi-sober, they're great... I like their music, but he can be a bit of a

Spoiler

wanker

live if he's drunk.

StevieG wrote:Dammit, I have to say that I agree with you on most counts there SleeplessOne!

... except TMBG they are underrated in my opinion because they have gotten better, IMO, over the years without apparent recognition.

Totally agree re Shihad - I was thinking of the General Electric as I wrote the list. But, once they became Pacifier (I think SM mentioned it above) they went down hill a bit.

Good call on You am I too - Hourly Daily is probably my preferred album and What Rhymes with Cars and Girls solo album. When he's semi-sober, they're great... I like their music, but he can be a bit of a

Spoiler

wanker

live if he's drunk.

yeah What Rhymes with Cars and Girls is great ... I also once got a bonus disc of Timmy's that came along with one of You Am I's albums (cant remember the album, might have been dress me slowly or something) - it was pretty good too ....

StevieG wrote:Dammit, I have to say that I agree with you on most counts there SleeplessOne!

... except TMBG they are underrated in my opinion because they have gotten better, IMO, over the years without apparent recognition.

Hear, friggin' hear! Their pop sensibilities keep getting smarter and smarter. It's strange because they put out albums more frequently than in the past, and they just keep getting better. It is almost as if they have figured out which of the experimental songs to keep and which to toss, and how to make the experimental songs a bit hookier to make them worth listening to. Out of all of their albums, Flood is the one I've always listened to the least. Side 1 (I'm showing my age) is solid, but there is maybe one song on Side 2 worth anything, in my opinion. While John Henry was the album that they lost a lot of fans on, supposedly, these days I think it is a stronger album overall than Flood. But my favorite of their songs is on Flood, and I can't explain why. And no, it isn't the nightlight song. Or Particle Man, and no Constantinople.
I think they are really at the top of their game right now, and they constantly surprise me.

I found that some of their earlier albums started strongly but faded on Side 2. My guess for your favourite is either Women & Men, or Lucky Ball & Chain.

Women & Men. That song sticks in my head. And plus, I still have in my head a funny changed lyric my ex-wife said so very long ago.

Soon the stream of people gets wider
Then it becomes a river
River becomes an ocean
Carrying ships and bears

that's a good one (there's gotta be a thread about this somewhere...)

There are two excuses for not liking the Beatles.

-You haven't given them a proper chance- They did SO much between Please Me and Abbey Road, In 6 years they showed just how enormously elastic guitar rock could be, and crafted some of the balsiest, catchiest, prettyiest pop songs ever recorded. No matter what kind of music you like, there is SOMETHING to like inside the Beatles discography. Every time I meet one of the Beatles Haters, I find a handful of songs that they forgot were even Beatles songs. Come Together?! How can you dislike Come Together?!)

-You hate popular music, and listen to exclusively Classical music and/or Jazz

If you claim the Beatles are overrated, you fall into one of these categories. Seriously, anyone who can listen to Abbey Road from beginning to end and be completely unimpressed is doing it* wrong.

*by it I mean life