I'm similar to Ian in that I haven't really latched onto (become obsessed with) a band that has been formed (or should I say created
) in this decade. I guess I don't really try that hard to find new bands even though my brother constantly attempts to get me to listen to one of the thousands of bands that he seems to unearth. The only one that has taken my attention for any period of time has been Death Cab for Cutie (and I had a soft spot for them because they opened for Pearl Jam).
When I told my best mate's girlfriend that I had bought three Radiohead CD's in a week and a half, she said to me that I never just like something, especially in relation to music, I either hate it or am obsessed by it. It's pretty true I suppose, the fact that I went to 6 Pearl Jam concerts in November, spending a couple of grand along the way, is proof. (And the fact that I managed to pass my exams which were sandwiched between multiple plane trips and aforementioned gigs is a miracle!)
Garnee raised the point regarding genre's of music and I agree those terms are for the most part totally ignorant of the music itself. Case in point "grunge" bands were characterised as such by their geographical location (Seattle) and the clothes they wore. The music itself sounds nothing alike in nearly all cases.
Anywayyyy... I would bet that the list (written in non-list form) that I'm about to post would be identical to the one I posted in this thread's ancestor last year (with the addition of Radiohead of course).
Tales of Obsession:
Pearl Jam, hence the username (that any knowledgeable PJ fan can tell is pretty lame), I've seen 9 shows, I own hundreds of boots including a limited edition (1/2000) Benaroya Vinyl, alongside tour posters and other assortments. I had my best ever concert experience on the 22/11 when I was row 2 inbetween Stone and Ed, absolutely magical night and I got some great snaps aswell. Or was it the 26/11 when PJ played an outdoor show at Subiaco and I got to hear In Hiding, or was it...
The Pumpkins and everything else Billy Corgan has done is very special to me. Brilliant records, plus B-sides that are in many cases superior to what was contained in the finalised albums. The fact that they're back together and are playing in Europe this year (so are PJ) has got me tempted to do a big Euro trip.
Jeff Buckley, a story of what could have been.
Grace is the ultimate debut record. It is unbelieveably fantastic, Jeff's voice is simply amazing and
Sketches for my Sweetheart... while rough and incomplete showed that
Grace was only the beginning.
Radiohead, my new love. I bought
The Bends on a whim and now the CD is on a constant rotation for me. I can't find a weak track on the album I absolutely love it to bits. Soon after that purchase I was talking to a massive RH fan who told me that if I loved
The Bends I would go crazy over
OK Computer. I was hesistant to agree, based of the fact that for me
The Bends was a no-skip album, I didn't see how it could get better. But I relented and bought
OK C. I'm glad I did, the album took maybe two listens to really grab me and now its absolutely essential to my day, I'm sure anyone who's heard
Paranoid Android,
Lucky or
Airbag will agree that it is an amazing listen.
Nirvana - the pinnacle of the band, to me, is the MTV Unplugged performance. Fantastic renditions of Nirvana songs (and no
Teen Spirit in sight!) and beautiful covers of such an eclectic selection of artists make this performance something timeless. The transformation of the Meat Puppets’
Lake of Fire, for example, was brilliant.
Guns n' Roses - it's all about Slash! While Axl is a tool, there's no denying that
November Rain is a masterpiece. This is a band where I find I dislike quite a few songs, but the one's I love more than make up for it, especially
Don’t Cry despite the sad connotations it has for me.
Velvet Revolver - I never expect much out of supergroups (except the Travelling Wilbury's) but VR delivered a substantial debut CD and an action packed live show. Having a chat with Slash afterwards was a bonus!
U2 - So many classic songs. I'm sort of angry at them right now because they rescheduled their Adelaide show creating a clash with a PJ gig in Melbourne and I missed out
chose not to go after lining up for tickets for 7 hours a year prior. Songs to me symbolize the moment in time when I first heard them and I have so many events, both happy and sad, attached to U2's songs. For this I thank them, even though it seems as though the music isn't their main focus anymore, not that fighting poverty is a bad focus, but when a band butchers
Rockin’ in the Free World like they did for the Make Poverty History concert in Melbourne it makes me a little queasy.
Alice in Chains - duel vocals from Layne and Jerry created so much variety in their music, for example compare
Sludge Factory and
Down in a Hole. Both lovely tunes, yes, very dark and I must say
Nutshell still has the ability to bring a tear to my eye. The statement of extensive variety applies equally to Mad Season (OK, another quality supergroup - albeit lesser known).
Then there are the bands that I was fortunate enough to get into because my father played them constantly while I was growing up. I remember as a kid I had no appreciation of the albums I would later love and admitting to my dad I like them now involves swallowing a bit of pride. But the music makes it all worth it, I reckon I had a pretty lucky musical upbringing. Paul Simon’s
Graceland, the previously mentioned Travelling Wilbury’s, Creedence Clearwater Revival, everything The Beatles have ever done, Dire Straits, Crowded House, Neil Young’s
After the Gold Rush (which I'm listening to right now) and Roy Orbison are all definite loves.
Phew, all right, all done....
Topic: Music (Read 49308 times)
