Notice: this is not limited to just cheesy music. Do you have music that you just *love* despite what a lot of the general public, or your peer group thinks? Music that is cheesy, skanky, weird, odd, risque, not intended for your age group, and so on..? I think of music played on the Dr. Demento show quite a bit when I think of this, if that helps. But I also think of music that I just love to listen to even though it's considered outdated or too um.. juvenile by people in my age group. I can think of a few: 2NU's "Ponderous," which was a weird product of WA state, I think-- the last album they did had a credit to my hometown radio station and he reworked another song for a radio ad. I think the lead 'singer', Jock Blainey, was some guy that did voice work for radio a lot. Eiffel 65's "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," which is a big hit in dance clubs but has rather silly lyrics, unless you have some deeper interpretation. The group is an Italian trio comprised of a singer, a keyboarder/programmer, and a DJ. Krypton's "Let's Blow Up the Tow Truck," which I don't think has grown beyond a Dr. Demento staple. Great tune to listen to in the winter.48 responses total.
10 bonus points for the word "Skanky." I regularly shock people by telling them I listen to country music (The Blood Oranges mostly; also Lyle Lovett and Bonnie Raitt, but they're both kinda' borderline).
I don't listen to them frequently, but I still occasionally enjoy some of the early-80s haircut bands of my adolescence -- A Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran, and other bands more notable for coiffure than composition..
I would kill for an mp3 of "Ponderous". I can't find the damn album by 2nu anywhere, much less that single. I adored that song when it came out (1990-91).
I like those 80's "hair bands". There, I said it. Winger is cool, okay? I am known to listen to Def Leppard, *and* enjoy it. I've always been more a Judas Pries kind of guy as opposed to an Iron Maiden kind of guy.
oh boy.... I could put a large portion of what I listen to here.. let's start with Deborah (Debbie) Gibson, my #1 guilty pleasure. I've loved her since her first single, Only in my Dreams. I also like Selena, and some country.. Faith Hill and Trisha Yearwood for instance.. and harmony groups like Point of Grace and Avalon. Which is all pretty weird, as I was always an Iron Maiden AND Judas Priest kinda guy.
I like the Band of '59: Big Daddy. I listen to their CD of Sgt. Pepper offten enough, that it was strange to hear The Beatles due their version of it.
Anime soundtracks. Usually they are pretty cool, but there's almost always some bad bubblegum pop or other embarrassing bits.
Oh. God. Def Leppard rocks. I love them. I also like Blood Oranges. And anime soundtracks. And Rick Springfield. Lots and lots of Rick Springfield.
Sarcasm does not become you. ;-)
(yay for 2nu; they had a new album out late last year, but damned if I could find a copy of it. my guiltiest pleasure is also Debbie Gibson... although I'm having trouble following her transition into Deborah.)
I was listening to the "El Hazard" anime soundtrack earlier today. The last track, the show closing theme, is one of those really annoying high-pitched vocalist Japanese pop things. It's also one of the best pop productions I've ever heard.
Why, Goose, I was being honest! I love Rick Springfield.
Barry Manilow...
I haven't heard Motorhead for years, but would probably crank up the stereo if I heard them again. I like to listen to the Breeders sometimes although Ican hear that they have almost zero talent.
Did anyone catch VH1's episode of "The List" that covered this topic? (Yes, watching it inspired me to put this item down) The top three picks were: Tied at #1: I'm Too Sexy and Me So Horny (if you can believe it, it was the lady rocker guest who put it up there) #2: Can't Fight This Feeling #3: The Greatest Love of All resp:3 I guess the album wasn't a big seller. Actually, the 'tune' (if you can call it that) was on two different compilations of the same name. The second compilation did not include "She," (which was an odd sci-fi/fantasy monologue), but included all the other tracks plus some additional material. I picked up the second in a bargain bin on cassette and duped my sisters into their copy on CD. resp:10 2nu has a new album?!? Imagine that.. I thought that they would die in the passing fad of monologue music.. reminds me of another female artist I can't remember who did one called "The Sweater" that was really popular for a little while. Back to the VH1 thread-- interestingly enough, Def Leppard and Barry Manilow were mentioned. Def Leppard, I think, was lumped with glam rock that fell out of fashion for good when the Seattle (Tacoma, actually) sound came out. My wife still loves them, but a close friend of hers denies ever really liking them, which is funny as hell since she introduced Julie to their music. Barry Manilow was big during the disco years, and we all know few artists from that period survive. Which reminds me-- Barry White is another guilty pleasure of mine-- though I own none of his albums, there's no denying that velvety bass puts me in the mood whenever I do hear it. I wonder if he really will survive disco as well.
Meryn cadell is the "sweater Song" woman...she's a Canadian artist, and that album is a riot... Def Leppard rocks, and I will stand by that statement. :-)
Ooh!!! Carson introduced me to Meryn Cadell. I love that album. Thanks to Matt, I now like Def Leppard again. *sigh* Also, THANKS TO GOOSE (jerk), I am now catching myself dancing around singing hair band songs. ;-)
I really wonder what the rest of that album sounds like. I don't remember it being around for very long. Meryn Cadell. Hrm. Might have to look her up in a discography catalog. Not to partially digress to something that is more of an Internet guilty pleasure, but has the CD connected to http://www.hampsterdance.com come out yet? It's supposed to be a dance album. If enough people actually get it, I wonder if that could be counted.
Is it "hampster" or "hamster"? Hamster is the correct spelling of the animal...
One of my computer geek friends tells the story of a convention where someone in the room started whistling the hamsterdance music under his breath, and within about 5 minutes the whole room was singing along. I have no idea if this is true or not, but it's a wonderful image.
"rock operas". Some people think these are the dumbest type of rock album ever done. Done well, I like them a lot. Right at the moment I'm listening to Queenryche's "Operation Mindcrime". Hey, "Quadrophenia" is a rock opera, if you get right down to it.
"Quadrophenia" is a great album... not a guilty pleasure at all. What's the difference between a "rock opera" and a mere "concept album"?
"The Crazy World of Arthur Brown" can be considered a concept
album. He's the one-shot artist who did "Fire". The first side of the
LP expands the song and fills in more. It did make it to CD.
That recent Garth Brooks albums where he presents himself as
someone other than Garth Brooks might also be considered a concept.
In general, "concept album" is a broader category than "rock opera." The theme of a concept album doesn't need to be a plot.
As "Sgt Pepper" was a concept album. Mostly The Beatles as seeing this band as one who would play all those tunes.
I never thought of Sgt. Pepper as being much of a concept album... I'm not even sure if it was intended as such. It's got that frame of the Sgt. Pepper theme, but the individual songs have nothing to do with each other.
That was my impression, too-- at best, the idea would be like a 'live' album, I suppose.
(damn it, Meryn Cadell's _Angel Food For Thought_ is one of my favorite albums ever. I *hate* to hear her remembered as a one-hit wonder... even if she was. ;) FWIW, those who were first exposed to her music by CIMX-Windsor may also remember "Flight Attendant." I still think it's a crime that Tom Third's remix of her "Barbie" never received the airplay it deserved, but I digress.)
I love "Flight Attendant". I also like the bumblebee song...I'd have to dig for my taped copy (from you!) to find the name of it.
A lot of the arias in _real_ operas don't have much to do with each other, either. I always figured a rock opera was an album which made a stab at having a plot and some musical continuity (recurring themes and suchlike). A concept album is anything that claims to be more than a bunch of songs in a pleasing order. The title song, its reprise, and "With a little help from my friends" (which the title song leads into) are enough to make _Sgt. Pepper_ a concept album. If you want to think of the rest of the songs as being played by the Lonely Hearts Club Band, then do so. If not, don't.
Styx's rock opera is a guilty pleasure of mine. Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto. A lot of my friends can't understand why I like listening to Trisha Yearwood and Patty Loveless. Dr. Dre and Cypress Hill are also guilty pleasures for me.
Hair rock. I'm currently listening to a compilation with Cinderella, Black Sabbath, Night Ranger, Dokken, White Lion, Kix, Kiss, Triumph, Mr. Big and Winger. Man, is it great stuff!!!! hmmmm....other stuff....I adore Neil Diamond. And I own a *LOT* of Disney.
gack!
Which one are you gacking over? Or all of them. :)
The most demographic-inappropriate music I enjoy is Peggy Lee. After all, I'm too young to remember where I was when JFK was shot.
def leppard
I admit it: I like Dream Theater. <hangs her head in shame> But at least I'm not into Rush. *wink*
Hey! There's nothing wrong with Rush! TAKE IT BACK! :)
I did take it back, and I got every last penny I spent on it back, too. d=
Which album did you get? ('cause there are a couple bombs....)
Actually, Meg, I wonder if you could reccomend an album or two. There's a certain bassist I know who is needling me to listen to Rush, but he loves them madly and deeply and thinks they can do no wrong, so I need my reccomendations from a more discerning ear.
Well I used to listen to Rush in High School, I thought their best album then was moving pictures. BUT I don't really listen to them anymore as they strike me now as a bad mish mash of Yes and heavy metal. <shrug>
See, but I *ADORE* Yes and heavy metal. :) Good places to start with Rush. hmmm... Avoid "Counterparts". There are two good songs, period. Uhhh...warning: I'm biased a bit, because I deffinately prefer their later stuff, verses earlier. But there is some good earlier stuff. The albums that hooked me completely are "Moving Pictures", and "Permanent Waves". Both have songs that you will already know, which should help. Rush was really into conceptual albums when they were younger, and "PW" was their last conceptual album. Other good places to start are "Roll the Bones", and "Test for Echo", which is their most recent new album. Another good route of going is "Retrospective", of which there are two albums. The first is 1974-1980, the second is 1981-1987. It does completely miss out on their 90's stuff, but it should give you a good background. One of the fun things about Rush is their music topics keep up with the changing times. "Echo" has a song called "Virtuality", which is about the internet. "Bones" has a song called "Heresy", which is about the downfall of The Wall and Communism. (The album came out a couple of months after The Wall came down) Have I frightened you yet? :)
Not at all. Sounds like you should listen to Marillion, if you don't already. I'll keep an eye out for the albums you mention.
Actually, I know somebody who used to adore Marillion. It became a matter of pride to avoid them, just because he kept shoving them at his friends all the time.
Yeah, Marillion fans are like that. (Like, uh, me, for instance.... )
I know I've been listening to too much lite-rock at work when I start to think Britney Spears sounds good. At least it's not YET ANOTHER DAMN CELINE DION SONG! (I have no control over the radio at work. I frickin hate that Titanic song.)
the only reason celine dion is still around is because of that titanic movie. but never fear: in a few years, she'll have to find a new career when the abuse she's putting on her cords starts to show and the nodes set in. (have you seenher in that video for the titanic song?? all the muscles in her neck stand out, like when a horse is straining to pull a mud-mired cart or a tree stump. makes me hurt just watching her.)
You have several choices: