Random Music Talk CVII - At Home with Cobbler

[lazarus]

Thats a bit of an exagerration, Diane Warren wrote 2 songs that Aerosmith recorded (one of which nobody knows)and collaborated on a 3rd. Just happens their first #1 single was written by her.
Now if you used Desmond Child in your criticism you'd have more of a case.

Forgot about Child's contributions, but naming another one of their "hitmaker" collaborators only serves to prove my point.

 

[lazarus]

I'd say it's a tight three-way race between Aerosmith, Kiss, and Def Leppard.

Bon Jovi will always be number 1 for me.

Zoots didn't make it better.

No. If you want to point to a singular band for spawning the so called "hair metal" bands its definitely Van Halen, not Aerosmith.
Look at how many of the 80's LA scene bands had blond lead singers trying to be David Lee Roth and how many guitarists tried their own interprtatino of Eruption and the like.

Had Aerosmith never reformed in the 80's and the body of work ended at say Night in the Ruts, they'd be remembered fondly as a classic hard rock band that faded on its last 2 albums (especially Night in the Ruts, Draw the Line had some great moments still) and we'd never be having this discussion. Even if they called it quits after Pump (Permanent Vacation and Pump are decent efforts),the narrative would remain largely positive. Its beyond that where it goes south fast, spearheaded by "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing".

I was referring to classic rock bands, so I'm not sure why 80s acts like Bon Jovi and Def Leppard are in this conversation. They're not regarded as important anyway. Kiss is an example of a "classic" band, but no one outside their hesher fan base ever considered them important. Van Halen is a party band (a damn good one), but they're not spoken of in the way that Aerosmith is.

Bottom line with Aerosmith is that they're a bit redundant in a world that has the Stones, Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, just to name a few. And as mentioned above, their main achievement seems to be inspiring a plethora of subpar bands. And I'll say this (as I have many times before): Guns 'n' Roses accomplished more with their first 3.5 albums than Aerosmith did in their entire 40+ year career.

 

[djerdap]

They're in this conversation because they all belong to this obnoxious macho cockrock clique. Kiss are terrible, but there are many great bands who considered them an influence.

 

[Hewson]

If Kiss had called it quits in 1979, they would also be held in much higher regard. The original run in the 70's while not groundbreaking was fairly solid rock and they revolutionized the concert experience. Once they started changing members and $immon$ and $tanley went too far with the merchandising they became a joke to all but their biggest die hard fans, but as you mention, they influenced a lot of respected musicians. (I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Morello's speech inducting them into the RnR HOF)

A running theme here seems to be bands overstaying their welcome well past their creative primes and trying to remain relevant, sound familiar?

 

[DaveC]

Any time I see a festival poster I am amazed again and again at how utterly stupid and horrendous band names can be.

I also absolutely despise obvious attempts to cash in and piggyback on someone else's fame by naming your band something as similar as you can possibly get away with. Godspeed, "SZA".

Surprised Action Bronson is on there, I was under the impression that NXNE artists had contract stipulations specifically preventing them from playing festivals anywhere in Canada east of Winnipeg for three months after NXNE. At least that's what I was told last year by someone who works in/with Joel Plaskett's touring group.

And I mentioned Def Leppard in the "classic rock" discussion because every single classic rock radio station I've ever heard plays them 1000 times a day. I find them to be roughly analogous to Nickelback in terms of the ball-swinging, infinite-shitty-sex-metaphors, fake-machismo wrapped in mediocre power-chord bullshit. When the best musician in your band is a drummer with one arm, that says a lot.

 

[Hewson]

Comparing Def Leppard to Nickelback is stretching it, the proper analogy is Poison to Nickelback.

 

[LemonMelon]

I also absolutely despise obvious attempts to cash in and piggyback on someone else's fame by naming your band something as similar as you can possibly get away with. Godspeed, "SZA".

A Tribe Called Red is a terrible band name.

When I saw the Osheaga poster, my immediate thought was "yep, that's a music festival in 2015."

Comparing Def Leppard to Nickelback is stretching it, the proper analogy is Poison to Nickelback.

Laz is gonna love this post.

 

[corianderstem]

I enjoy the hits of Def Leppard.

 

[Danny Boy]

A Tribe Called Red is a terrible band name

They are Native American and they make dance music influenced by traditional tribal music, so it makes sense in context.

 

[DaveC]

They are Native American and they make dance music influenced by traditional tribal music, so it makes sense in context.

I was going to mention this, it's derivative for sure but it at least has some outside meaning. SZA on the other hand is just ridiculous. I wonder if Wu Tang's management knows about it. If not, he/she/they had better start thinking up some alternatives.

 

[LemonMelon]

They are Native American and they make dance music influenced by traditional tribal music, so it makes sense in context.

So it's OK if Native American bands call themselves Redskins, but if anyone else does it...

Speaking of, does anyone else find the furor over Viet Cong's band name fucking stupid? They're being protested at their concerts.

 

[Hewson]

So it's OK if Native American bands call themselves Redskins, but if anyone else does it...

.

Perhaps they really like redskin potatoes.

 

[DaveC]

So it's OK if Native American bands call themselves Redskins, but if anyone else does it...

Didn't we have this discussion 25 years ago when NWA first became popular? I assume you're probably being sarcastic, though.

Speaking of, does anyone else find the furor over Viet Cong's band name fucking stupid? They're being protested at their concerts.

I feel like (hi Gabe ) that was probably intended. No such thing as bad press and all that.

Also an absolutely batshit stupid band name. They should be protesting over that. I feel like this is probably the same bunch of knuckle-draggers who managed to crowbar an official apology out of CBS when The Amazing Race dared to visit Hanoi and obviously deliberately shit on the memory of American soldiers because Les Moonves is clearly a Marxist-Leninist.

 

[cobl04]

Still not as stupid as Morning Benders changing their name to POP ETC

 

[liamcool]

Hasn't he been doing this for a while now?

Peter Hook's been playing Joy Division songs for a while, yeah, but he hasn't done a gig where he's played the entirety of Joy Division's catalogue (all ~40 songs of it)

I think this is pretty fucking scummy! Yes, he's giving profits to epilepsy charities, that's good. It does strike me as a shot against New Order, because he's commemorating Ian Curtis' suicide by playing Joy Division songs in Macclesfield and they aren't, so they're obviously bad dudes who don't care about their old friend. Etc etc.

 

[liamcool]

Also, Aerosmith seriously fucking suck.

 

[gvox]

I enjoy the hits of Def Leppard.

Qfsant


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Axver]

Speaking of, does anyone else find the furor over Viet Cong's band name fucking stupid? They're being protested at their concerts.

Protests, are you serious?!

 

[LemonMelon]

Protests, are you serious?!

http://www.stereogum.com/1784663/viet-cong-show-cancelled-because-of-offensive-band-name/news/

http://flavorwire.com/510243/when-white-dudes-name-their-bands-black-pussy-and-viet-cong

 

[DaveC]

Protests, are you serious?!

I feel like this is probably the same bunch of knuckle-draggers who managed to crowbar an official apology out of CBS when The Amazing Race dared to visit Hanoi and obviously deliberately shit on the memory of American soldiers because Les Moonves is clearly a Marxist-Leninist.

I wasn't joking about this, it really happened in the US. Vietnam veterans' groups went apeshit over the Amazing Race episode in Hanoi because they went to a park that's built around the shot down remains of an American bomber sticking out of the ground (I thought it was actually quite peaceful and lovely, seemed like a unique war memorial), and "protested" outside the CBS building, they actually apologized for airing the episode the following week. By "protest" I mean like a dozen people with signs standing on the sidewalk, not riots through the streets.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if its the same groups that caught wind of this and took enormous offense. But again, here we are talking about them because of their band name, so from a marketing standpoint Viet Cong is a $tellar band name.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

And it's these types of people who tell oppressed minorities to 'get over it' when they try to bring to light their grievances, isn't it?

 

[corianderstem]

Qfsant

 

[DaveC]

And it's these types of people who tell oppressed minorities to 'get over it' when they try to bring to light their grievances, isn't it?

Why should they be made to feel bad for something their great grandfathers did? They didn't kill any Native Americans or own any slaves.

They don’t see this “rampant racism” in their lives: co-workers, students, friends, people they come in contact with every day. They don't see it. They don't hear it.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm glad Viet Cong are getting attention, but I wish it were for their terrific new album instead of their band name.

 

[djerdap]

And it's these types of people who tell oppressed minorities to 'get over it' when they try to bring to light their grievances, isn't it?

Do you really see this shit everywhere, like in the most banal of situations such as this one?

 

[Axver]

Viet Cong Show Cancelled Because Of Offensive Band Name - Stereogum

Viet Cong, Black Pussy: Offensive Band Names Draw Protest – Flavorwire

This is moronic. There are far more offensive band names out there than Viet Cong.

(The Black Pussy guys seem like total idiots though.)

I wasn't joking about this, it really happened in the US. Vietnam veterans' groups went apeshit over the Amazing Race episode in Hanoi because they went to a park that's built around the shot down remains of an American bomber sticking out of the ground (I thought it was actually quite peaceful and lovely, seemed like a unique war memorial), and "protested" outside the CBS building, they actually apologized for airing the episode the following week. By "protest" I mean like a dozen people with signs standing on the sidewalk, not riots through the streets.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if its the same groups that caught wind of this and took enormous offense. But again, here we are talking about them because of their band name, so from a marketing standpoint Viet Cong is a $tellar band name.

And this is even more moronic. Wow.

 

[IWasBored]

I don't get how we haven't moved past the getting offended by band names phase into the eye rolling at their weak attempts to gain attention phase.

 

[iron yuppie]

That's quite a stretch to say they chose that name primarily out of attention-mongering or greed.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Axver]

Yeah when I first heard of Viet Cong I never thought "well there's a controversial band name". This is in fact the first I've heard about people making a fuss.

(Black Pussy, on the other hand, was obviously going to annoy people.)

 

[u2popmofo]

Woohoo, Amazon delivered a deluxe "Bjork's Vagina" edition album to my mailbox!