Overrated.

[Alec]

Clare Newsome:
Certainly in recent overhyped rating (all of these are Grammy nominees, for gawdsakes!!!!!)

Duffy

Adele

Arcade Fire

Will anyone be playing any of these three in 20 (or even 10) years time?

Aye, yer not kiddin'!

 

[John Duncan]

Craig M.:i expect no.3 could get me sent to bed early by big chris!

indeed. You'd go though, wouldn't you?

 

[Craig M.]

i don't think he reads in here but i'm typing this from bed just in case.

 

[Anonymous]

 

[manicm]

Duffy - probably

Adele - generally but some chunks are rather nice

Arcade Fire - Oooooh Clare, I have their first album and it's very very good.

 

[DistortedVision]

Yeah I've never understood what is so great about Duffy. I don't like her voice and I'm also wondering why she goes by her surname even in her personal life.

Never even heard of Arcade Fire - should I have?

Clare Newsome:
Certainly in recent overhyped rating (all of these are Grammy nominees, for gawdsakes!!!!!)

Duffy

Adele

Arcade Fire

Will anyone be playing any of these three in 20 (or even 10) years time?

 

[matthewpiano]

Interesting thread. I can't agree about the Beatles - I think they are wonderful and own every album. I also can't agree about Dylan, despite the fact that seeing him live last year was one of the worst gigs I've ever been to. His early songwriting was brilliant.

Regarding Opeth, I wouldn't say they were over-rated. Very talented songwriters and instrumentalists, but I just cannot stand that shouting/roaring type of death metal vocal.

My own choices?

Frank Sinatra. Over glossy and not a particularly great voice if you ask me. Not fit to lick Nat King Cole's boots.

Nirvana. Absolutely nothing special. Dave Grohl's later venture, Foo Fighters, are a far superior band.

Robbie Williams. It particularly made me laugh when he did the swing stuff and everyone went totally OTT about it. A second rate talent at best. Gary Barlow was the talent in Take That, and this is being proven by his success as a decent songwriter, albeit a very commercial one.

 

[Alec]

matthewpiano:Nirvana. Absolutely nothing special. Dave Grohl's later venture, Foo Fighters, are a far superior band.

Theres a lot of wisdom in this thread. Not sure i can agree about gary barlow tho.

 

[Clare Newsome]

matthewpiano:

Frank Sinatra. Over glossy and not a particularly great voice if you ask me. Not fit to lick Nat King Cole's boots. .

Totally agree Nat was technically by far a better singer - as were many (including Dean Martin, Tony Bennett etc). However, none of the aforementioned could put as much feeling, emotion and heart-wrenching pathos into a song as 'Ole Blue Eyes.

Ignore the by-numbers early stuff and the late-era dinner-club renditions and listen to the Ava-Gardner-mourning Frank albums - Only The Lonely; In the Wee Small Hours; The September of My Years. Certainly no 'gloss' there: just the cracking-with-emotion voice of a broken, bitter lover.

Nat, with all his smoothness (which, incidentally, I love too) could never put that level of personality into a tune.

 

[matthewpiano]

Clare Newsome:
matthewpiano:

Frank Sinatra. Over glossy and not a particularly great voice if you ask me. Not fit to lick Nat King Cole's boots. .

Totally agree Nat was technically by far a better singer - as were many (including Dean Martin, Tony Bennett etc). However, none of the aforementioned could put as much feeling, emotion and heart-wrenching pathos into a song as 'Ole Blue Eyes.

Ignore the by-numbers early stuff and the late-era dinner-club renditions and listen to the Ava-Gardner-mourning Frank - Only The Lonely; In the Wee Small Hours; The September of My Years. Certainly no 'gloss' there: just the cracking-with-emotion voice of a broken, bitter lover.

Nat, with all his smoothness (which, incidentally, I love too) could never put that level of personality into a tune.

Its the communicative nature of Nat's singing which gets me every time.

However, you have set me a challenge now. I'll try your suggested Sinatra listening with an open mind, just to make sure I'm not missing out on anything I've not heard before. Watch this space...

 

[Clare Newsome]

Try the title track of "In the wee small hours", plus "One for my baby" from "Only the Lonely". And try and hear them on the original albums, not compressed compilations. These tracks - just like Nats - were mostly recorded in incredibly high quality on the Capitol soundstage. Get a good recording/mastering and a great system and it's spine-tingling....

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

It's customary at this point for someone "with a big nose who knows", to refer to The Pixies as the higher calling of "grunge". And,well, I agree. Always preferred them to Nirvana. More variations on a theme, more twists into the lyrical plot and it all sounded so much thicker and weirder too.

Didn't I read somewhere that Kurt Cobain said they/he owed it all to Frank Black & co anyway?

My "overrated" offerings/just "don't get it" artists:

1) Jeff Buckley - notwithstanding the (lets's fade it) sacrosanct Hallelujah

2) Coldplay - too obvious really. And too obvious why they're massive. Fundamentally boring and bland music for like-minded people. Disingenuous.

Was going to list The Verve, Keane, Kasabian, Primal Scream but does anyone seriously rate them anyway? Yes, they sell records but they're hardly revered by anyone are they?

(Can't believe The Beatles, Dylan & Morrissey/The Smiths have made it onto this thread).

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

I can't seem to create a new thread form this home Mac, only the work one, but what about the most underrated bands?

Cue everyone revving up to unleash a litany of the most obscure things they can think of!

Mine, for starters:

1) My Morning Jacket
2) The Baptist Generals
3) Frazier Chorus

 

[Clare Newsome]

Charlie Jefferson:
1) Jeff Buckley - notwithstanding the (lets's fade it) sacrosanct Hallelujah

Soon to be massacred by The X-Factor contestants - coming to a Christmas No1 near you soon....

Anyhow, this has given me an idea for a new thread!

 

[John Duncan]

Charlie Jefferson:I can't seem to create a new thread form this home Mac, only the work one, but what about the most underrated bands?

Cue everyone revving up to unleash a litany of the most obscure things they can think of!

Mine, for starters:

1) My Morning Jacket
2) The Baptist Generals
3) Frazier Chorus

Most under-heard-of, shirley?

 

[Anonymous]

1. Oasis

2. Coldplay

3. U2

 

[manicm]

Ok, I'm gonna get shot for this, but for me a very overrated album is The Clash's London Calling.

The title track is great though, the rest of it oh well...

 

[survivor]

Clare Newsome:Try the title track of "In the wee small hours", plus "One for my baby" from "Only the Lonely". And try and hear them on the original albums, not compressed compilations. These tracks - just like Nats - were mostly recorded in incredibly high quality on the Capitol soundstage. Get a good recording/mastering and a great system and it's spine-tingling....

Yeah, there`s something about Franks style and delivery. `In The Wee Small Hours`, `Only The Lonely`, `Where Are You` and `No One Cares` are all great albums. Listen to them late at night by yourself with a glass of something. Don`t listen to `Only The Lonely` under these conditions if you are feeling depressed. Seriously.

Another album of Sinatra`s I like is `Point Of No Return` which was his last album on the Capitol label. Most of the songs were recorded in one take. Brilliant!