What group or solo artists have you ever been a hopeless devotee to? Are you still? Have you ever been called a groupie? Well folks, it's time to talk about music and artists we have an obsession for. For me, it's Depeche Mode, a band well-known for its groupies and other devoted fans. If I had to describe what attracts me to their music, I'd have to say they were just 'playing my song.' There are many experiences I have had which I have associated with their work-- psychologists call them 'tonal anchors.' It's more than just relating-- it's like I've lived some of the music. Had you asked me this question five years ago, I would have said Mannheim Steamroller. By the way, when responding, don't just tell us that you relate to it; that's how too many hip kids talk. How did it move you? Did it change your life? How did it speak to you? If you don't want to narrow it down to a specific group, a genre would be fine.52 responses total.
Although I spend a great deal of time listening to music and am very enthusiastic about many performers and/or groups I'm not sure that I'd describe myself as a "hopeless devotee" of any musical act, having known people who took their fan involvement several orders of magnitude more seriously than I ever have. To cite a few examples, I've known people who have initiated and sustained private correspondence with band members over a term of years, people who often drive hundreds of miles and take vacations from work to catch successive shows on the same tour for favored acts, some who obsessively collect and trade concert bootlegs, etc -- all of those go well beyond the level of devotion I've ever had for a single musical act. I realize that to these acquaintances musical fandom is as much a hobby as web-browsing or computer conferencing might me to me and that they may well think I'm weird for spending half of every night with a modem but I've just never understood the lengths to which some of the more devoted fans will go..
For me it's "The Throwing Muses"/Kristen Hersh (lead singer of the muses). Kristen Hersh's song writing is complex ryhthmicaly, and emotionaly intense. She has a wide range of modes from feedbacked drenched punkish rock to reflective acoustic and cello based pices in her solo work. Her lyrics seem somehow to relate to my life in her song "saving grace" she sings "So I've driven 10,00 miles in my hometown...," I know the feeling. :-) She also avoids that annoying breathysinger sound that is so popular ala heryl Crow, Jewel, et al. The Muses go back to the mid 80s and they feature a strong woman singer long before Jane come latelies like Alanis Morisette <blech>.
Yanni.
It really depends. There are some groups whose recordings I will buy sight unheard, just because I must have them, and there are some people who I will go see if they come to town, no matter what. But I draw the line at bootlegs, obsessive following of them from town to town, and all that kind of stuff. If I can say hi after a concert and get my latest recording signed, I'm a happy camper. But who are my obsessions? Well, I'd have to say that the two biggest (that I've actually SEEN) are probably James Keelaghan and Dougie MacLean. James Keelaghan writes the most wonderful songs -- usually based on history, usually in the form of a ballad (folk definition) from one of the participant's point of view. It doesn't hurt that he has a lovely voice and that he's genuinely a very nice person who tells wonderful stories. Dougie MacLean is Scottish, and he writes much of his non-traditional music, although I can't decide if I like his own songs better or his covers of very traditional songs better. He is a multi-instrumentalist, although every time I've seen him, he has only played guitar. I would like to hear him play violin in person sometime, but I am not sure he will ever go back to it in concert. He has a very gorgeous voice, and he's passionate about Scottish history and British politics. If you're talking bands I haven't seen, well, there are several. Hedningarna is one of my obsessions simply because their music is so tribal sounding and so stirring -- every time I listen, no matter how often I've had it in the player, the collective unconsious part of my brain crawls up and goes, "oh yeah!". PArt of their appeal is probably because they're Scandinavian, and use the ancient tunes, songs, and instruments -- albeit in a very nontraditional style. The Oysterband just hits my personal mmmmm buttons -- it's gotta be the fiddle and the mellodion and the voices and the song-writing, all put together. I know that they've gotten a lot harder lately, but I still find myself putting them in the player again and again and again. And, finally, and surprisingly, Blue Oyster Cult -- I have been looking for that one last album from the Eighties that I didn't have, and finally got it, and it just feels sooo good to hear. Evne the songs that I never really liked then just make me feel happy to hear them.
The only band I am a devoted fan of in the traditional sense of having heaps of their albums, seeing them whenever I have a chance, blithering senselessly about them, etcetera, would be King Crimson. Ironically, I don't listen to their music as much as I used to, but when asked what my Favorite Band is they're still the automatic answer. Another favorite of mine is Blind Melon. I have both of their "real" albums, and will get Nico as soon as I have money. My big regret is that I had a chance to see them live back when Shannon Hoon was still alive, and at the time I wasn't a big fan and so I missed it. <sound of head being banged against a wall) As for the 'tonal anchors' thing, if it means what I think it means, the thing where a song can bring back a whole chunk of your life, yeah I've got lots of those. "Spoonman" by Soundgarden, "Do You Sleep" by Lisa Loeb, "Red Hill Mining Town" by U2, "Circle of Rememberance" by Rusted Root, and many more. Ironically, none are really songs I listen to much anymore. There's just too much emotion attatched to them, and for casual listening they're just not something I can deal with.
Spoonman brings emotion? Wow, I just thought it was an ultra cool song. A slighlty smaller example of devotion is how a well established band's single can build *heavy* airplay based solely on reputation. "Swallowed" by Bush was a fair song that would have been close to the bottom of the pile on Sixteen Stone, yet it was as successful as any of Bush's first five singles. "Staring at the Sun" by U2 seems to share that philosophy... the radio is playing it because its U2, not because its good. It annoys me to no end... good songs from nonestablished bands get slighted all the time. Other recent pertinent examples of this phenomenon include "Whatever" by Oasis, "Freaks" by Live, "Who You Are" by Pearl Jam (there were plenty of better songs on that album) and both BitterSweet Me and E-Bow the Letter by R.E.M.
Well, in terms of genre, my clear obsession is (big breath) British Isles and European folk, folk-rock and electro-trad. I have pursued this since 1975, when I bought my first Steeleye Span album on a blind recommendation, and then went back the next day to buy all the other Steeleye LPs the store had. If pressed for an explanation, I would probably mumble that for melodies and song lyrics, time is a great filter. Or else there's something in the modal character of the melodies which I'm just wired for. Individual band and artist obsessions, leaving out my childhood fascination with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: Jethro Tull: 1971-1976 Steeleye Span: 1975- today Talking Heads: 1977-1984 Clannad: 1977-1981 Richard Thompson: 1977- today REM: 1983-through AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE The Oyster Band: 1986- today (but they are on the bubble) Hedningarna: 1992- today The principal manifestation of my obsession is generally chasing after really obscure recordings, or going to great lengths to get albums from overseas via mail order or trading. This, of course, leaves me with small piles of useless singles and anthologies after the obsession is over. I have a stack of old REM vinyl singles which I keep thinking about liquidating. I have three or four REM 3" CD singles, for heaven's sake. For the Oyster Band, I've had about four different friends send me exotic items from Germany and Spain -- a live EP assembled from Spanish radio broadcasts, for example.
I will add that I never really knew how obsessive some people can be until I joined the Richard Thompson mailing list. The list generates 20 messages or more every day, most going on about incredible trivia. I dropped off it for a year; now I am subscribed to it on an account where I can quickly scan the mail for useful bits of info -- tour news, release news, news of various of Thompson's old associates -- and skip over the endless rehashings of favorite songs, favorite albums, queries about obscure old releases, and general chitchat. Thompson has said about his internet fans: "They're worse than real critics -- they're *amateur* critics!" The mailing list cabal gleefully had a T-shirt made up. TOne interesting thing about the mailing list is that it conducts regular auctions of Thompson memorabilia and associational items -- some donated by RT or his management, some donated by the list members -- with proceeds going to Amnesty International, Thompson's designated charity. So far the list auctions have raised over $5000.
I'm an unabashed Rush fan...There the only band that I'd see more than once on a tour for. (oops, that should be "they're") Fanatic? I've been accused of it. Such fanaticism got me on Rockline. Likewise, such fanaticism drove me to infiltrate a Rush soundcheck (where I pulled off the greatest acting job of my life by pretending I knew nothing about Rush....god I love being a female). Fantic? Sure I am. But I wouldn't have it any other way.:)
I'm a big King Crimson fan, also a big Tom Waits fan. I'd drive a couple hours to see Waits, mainly because a Tom Waits concert is about as common as a dodo bird.
Given that it sounds like his throat as about a 50% chance of disintegrating on any given song I can imagine why he doesn't do live gigs that often..
I think I got more Stray Cats LPs than most. Bought the
import British albums for the material not yet released in America
and because the British vinal was sonicaly better. Even got a
couple of 12inch Stray Cat 45s.
A freind is fanatic about Al Stewart. Runs the on-line
newsletter. Has taken vacation time to see multiple stops on his
tour. Yes, the 'Year of the Cat' Al Stewart. Has put out a number
of good albums. I could recommend his "Between the Wars" CD.
Maybe with the new 400 or so seat Ark in Ann Arbor, we may be able
to see him here.
I would have to say I am a fanatic of the music of science
fiction and fantasy...filk. I could easily have the largest non-
commercial archive of live filk performances in America. It helped
Tom Smith hear about 6 songs of his that he could not remember
writting until I put them on tape for him. The results are now
in his parody song book (see www.izzy.net/~tomsmith for details).
I realized how much I listen to Pearl Jam when I heard a song by them i didnt' recognize.. it's chocked me, because I own all their lp reodcrdings.
Ah, I think I work in the same building as tpryan's Al Stewart fanatic.
re #14: Funny, I was just thinking there was an outside chance that *I* worked in the same building as the fan in question..
Hmmm, people I hold in holy fandom. . .Miles davis, for sure, even though he was an evil dude. . . Can't think of anyone else off the top of my head. . .
Re: Ken's comment on obsession and the richard Thompson mailing list-- well, there are plently of other mailing lists EXACTLY like the one you described. I joined the Depeche Mode mailing list a year ago, and even bought the T-shirt one of the hosts designed. Mind you now, I bought the shirt because DM tees are much harder to find these days; and I quit the list because of the endless fluff, much less that I know I am not a Grex member. I learned boundless information about trivial details of each member of the band, though, and I fed my hunger long enough until _Ultra_, their latest album, was released and I bought it.
Yeah, I knew a few people who were total depeche mode fans; I used to help a friend put out a zine, and I met alot of people who put out depeche mode publications.
Depeche Mode followers slept overnight to get into the Tonight Show that Depeche Mode was on (and every time their name was so much as mentioned, everybody screamed)
oh BROTHER, has no one learned their lesson from the beatles? I dunno, fandom can be annoying; dedicated followings are one thing, but being so enthralled that your actions just become irrelevant to everything is quite another(aka the folks on the Tonite show mentioned above. . .)
Heh. I wasn't even impressed by the performance that much. I've heard better from Depeche Mode. At least they're not touring again (not because I odn't like them... but drug addiction is never pleasant.)
hmmm... I don't think i am obsessive about any major bands anymore. I have my genres mainly. The rare and kewl ska/punk (my childhood), i was a big fan of Depeche Mode before they started to suck. Sting I will always love... i forgive him sucky songs on most of his albums since he usually has a few good ones on them as well. I like celtic and celtic music (that is pronounces seltic and keltic - meaning the keltic is the older irish traditional music and the seltic sort is the more modern type) I sometimes think I am Beethoven s biggest fan, but realise i am not, wouldn't it be kewl if he was adored like the beetles?
Yeah, but screaming mobs in suits at a concert hall are a bit of a rarity :)
yeah, but can't ya see it! the whooping and hollering for classical music would be rather neato
throwing underwear into the orchestra pit, perhaps?
Hehehe! That would be scarey! I think it would mess up the string instruments royally!
Makes stage diving an interesting proposition, though
Would you care to mosh? ;)
Of course, burning a harpsichord and throwing the pieces to the audience could be a fairly expensive proposition...
I missed the Mode performance on the Tonight Show. Jen, have you even heard Ultra? It's really well done; Tim Simmeon has done good work for them before (from what I've heard). Of course, I know you can't stand _Violator_, although I will defend it as one of their better albums. At least their latest offering is light-years better than that sorry _Songs Of Faith And Devotion_ crap. I like it some, and I bought it to have it in my collection, but I don't particularly adore it. Steve-- I think I know what you mean. David Gahan is wasting away (so sickly emaciated these days), and Martin Gore doesn't seem that much behind him, really. Ironically, Andrew Fletcher seems to have remained the most normal-looking member of the group, and the most healthy, too. But then again, he hasfunctioned within the group from such a detached position. Hrm, a groupie response to classical/baroque/romantic artists seem too much of a departure from the culture these genres were developed in. We wouldn't be laughing if it was a totally plausible andfitting idea. But don't you remember how Liberace used to smash his pianos to bits?
hmm...Peter Gabriel is undoubtedly my favourite artist..although Ican't exactly put my finger on it...a musician friend suggested it is the key he writes/sings in..dunno...What I can say is when I hear him sing..somehow I hear my own soul...I've seen him on stage twice..both phenomenol performances..but I can't say I'm fanatical or anything...I will buy his records (every 6 or 7 years!) without a hearing..but I don't seek out all his obscure stuff...hmm...on a side note...the cure for the longest time seemed to come out with songs that seemed to be written about my life...laughing at the christmas lights do you remember from december..boy do I ever! (you wouldn't want to know about the era previous to the wild mood swings album
Peter Gabriel tends to sing in the same key-- or at least, his hits sound really similar. The Cure was singing your song? Hmm..it seems I was that way with Depeche Mode. Which song are you referring to? What was so bad about the material before _Wild Mood Swings_ and the analogy to your life?
I don't like the "hits" as well as other stuff on his albums (sledgehammer, steam...blah) This is the picture with laurie anderson on the so album is cool...as well as mercy street (a song about anne sexton) and 13 black paintings from the us album...I also like passion the soundtrack from the last temptation of christ (he doesn't really sing on that album) Hmmm...the cure...the above quote was from "let's go to bed".....the period preceding the release of wild mood swings is what I call my "induced bipolar period" (long story) ...ask me some time lumen... I've always *wished* my life was a DM song...so far no such luck :P
E-mail me, Charity. I'd have to explain why DM was singing my song..that's a long story, too.
For me the group would have to Dead Can Dance....one day about oh...10 years ago I saw it sitting in Tower Records, had NO idea who or what they were about...but bought it because I thought the name and cover was pretty kewl...and have been drooling every since. I'm a maniac. =)
Alright, I don't know why I haven't bothered replying yet, but, as is well
known, I am latter-day devotee of progressive rock, particularly Marillion
and Fish, who aren't doing as much prog stuff, but who are still really cool.
I first fell in love with the genre a few years ago, upon re-listening
to a Marillion album (Script for a Jester's Tear) a few years ago. I had been
given the album when I was a tasteless middle-schooler by my brother and had
thought "oh, well, this is odd..." but when I listened to it a again, now as
a sauve and cultured high-schooler, I loved it. I've now devoted myself to
getting my hands on all their albums, both Fish and H era's. I love Fish's
solo work too.
I started collecting albums by other prog rock artists a couple years
ago, and my collection now includes work by Gentle Giant, Genesis (Back when
Peter Gabriel was with them... I'm listening to _Lamb Lies Down on Broadway_
right now, in fact), and Pink Floyd. I'm on the look out for new prog. rock
bands, and am also looking into purchacing an album or two by Yes or Jethro
Tull (did I spell that right?).
Now for the difficult part... Why do I like such weird stuff? Well,
I'd have to say that it's probably connected to a largly classical
up-bringing. I grew up on Bach, Mozart, etc, because that's what my parents
always listened to. Thus I probably connect more readly to music that's more
intricate in chord structure and rythem. I also have always been very
literate, and prog rock lyrics are very poetic, involved. This is probably
what attracted me to Marillion in the first place. Fish writes lyrics that
could stand alone as poetry, so the poetry/music combo really grabbed me.
I notice you don't mention King Crimson.. I think they made some of the best music in the progressive rock genre. If you're not familiar with their work I'd advise you to check it out..
and they spewed forth many fine guitarists.
Yeah, I've inflicted a good bit of King Crimson on him, Mike, don't you worry
Oh sure, I do like King Crimson, but I don't (yet) own any of their work besides a mix tape that Dan made for me.
I guess the only singer I follow devotedly with a grat passion is Kate Bush. I bought Hounds of Love in '90. After that, I bought every CD I could afford and copied every one I couldn't. By now, I have every album on CD and a pile of singles. I still hunt for import CDs and bootlegs of her music. I buy the fanzines when I can find them. I also own 3 of her videos. I even bought Peter Gabriel's So (both CD and video) because she was in it. I fell in love with her etherial voice. I still love her music. The only hard part is that she hasn't put out a new album in 6 years.
Hmmm. Too many singers, too little time. But, let's see -- James Keelaghan, Archie Fisher, Dougie MacLean, everything after the really early Steeleye Span, most of Maddy Prior's solo stuff, Garnet Rogers... Most of them tend to be singer-songwriters of the male persuasion and either Scottish or Canadian, also mostly with baritone voices. (Though of course Maddy Prior is a big exception.)
Well, I have the new Hedningarna CD sitting on the table at home, and I'm afraid to play it. Hedningarna is about the only band left who I really love; this is probably the only album for two years. What if it doesn't live up to my expectations?
Re #43: Where can you find Hedningarna CDs?
Hedningarna, and much of the best of the rest of the Scandinavian bands, are now licensed to the US label Northside. They get pretty good distribution; in Ann Arbor, Northside releases should be available at Borders, SKR, and maybe even Tower. Northside has a web site : http://www.noside.com This page should lead to other pages with sound clips. Northside also has a cheap sampler CD, "Nordic Roots," which should be priced around $3. See item:113 for more about Hedningarna...
Thanks Ken. I'll check out the web site and item 113. I'll keep an eye out for the sampler CD too.
By the way, VH1 has been rerunning their Behind The Music documentaries several times these past few weeks. Quite a few big artists are covered. The documentaries on Depeche Mode, Fleetwood Mac, and Queen were especially good, and if you can manage to catch some of these for a little rock history, you may find it quite worth your while.
While I'd never actually consider myself as a "groupie" per se, among my fave artists/groups are Bare Naked Ladies (Their music is funny and also thought provoking), "Weird Al" Yankovik (he makes me laugh, pure and simple), Billy Joel (his music frequently calms me. Besides, I love to listen to good music that's easy to sing. That's the Piano Man all the way), and Phil Collins (both with and without Genesis, my brothers and I used to refer to him as Uncle Phil. I like his music because...well...because I do).
I've been a ludicrously devoted fan of XTC ever since I was 16. I think I own pretty much everything they've ever done, with the exception of a few outtakes and the demos for their forthcoming album. I even ran a website devoted to their head honcho, Andy Partridge, for a while. I've gotten a little burned out on them in the past few years, but they're still one of my favorites. In fact, I still like them well enough to take the train to Chicago in February to meet Andy Partridge in person at an in-store appearance at Borders. (The band doesn't play live, so this was my only chance to see him.) He was very funny and charming, and let me kiss him. :) Why do I like XTC so much? Uh... I dunno. I think it's a mixture of great tunes, intelligent lyrics, and idiosyncratic music, along with a hell of a lot of passion and devotion that goes into every note. I admire that. I'm also a fairly devoted fan of Robyn Hitchcock, another hilarious guy (c'mon! You gotta admire someone who writes songs like "Have a Heart, Betty (I'm Not Fireproof)" and "Where Are the Prawns?"). He has a particular knack for juxtaposing very beautiful, serious songs with utterly absurd gibberish. This bugs some people, but I like it. His fans, known as "fegs," are the nicest people around. If you meet a feg, take him or her out for a seafood dinner.
Did they ever release the film director Jonathan Demme was making
about one of Hitchcock's tours (I think it was slated to be called
"Store-front Hitchcock" or something like that..)?
Demme's earlier film about a band ("Stop Making Sense", about the
Talking Heads) was probably one of the best concert films ever..
I like both XTC and Hitchcock in limited doses, but can't take them
for extended periods. Ever listen to Yo La Tengo?
"Storefront Hitchcock" got caught up in movie studio bullshit (I think MGM got stuck with it when Orion went bankrupt) and has only been shown a few times in various parts of the country. The soundtrack is available, though. (The LP and the CD are two different performances - the LP is better.) What little I've heard of Yo La Tengo just sounds like substandard Velvet Underground and/or Sonic Youth. Not sure why everyone seems to like them so much...
The VU influence is pronounced, but I think YLT are one of the best acts going at the moment.. Guess it's just a matter of personal taste..
You have several choices: