Universally critically-lauded artists that you just can’t stand

He never claimed (or wanted) to be

if you handily skip over the Evangelical Christian phase, when he absolutely did, but hey, who hasn’t declared themselves a Prophet of the Lord every now and again. I guess that’ll be the “mental” bit, right?

I’ll give you this, Bob Dylan absolutely pioneered the faux intellectual arrogant “misunderstood artist” trope that so many have followed. If anything; that’s his legacy

I’m really struggling to see the point of people trying to tell others they are wrong about the artists they don’t like, but hey, this is STW.

Chakaping I know some folk in their early 20s who love stuff like Hardfloor and Slam.

Are there any 20-year-olds in who could comment on whether Slam’s Positive Energy or Hardfloor – Acperience sound really dated to them now?

I think not nearly so much. There hasn’t been a ‘musical revolution’ in the way that Acid/House/Techno/Jungle were in the years since.

Releases from artists like Bicep, Four Tet wouldn’t have sounded out of place back then and are big now. We’ve got an 19 year old godson and we share a surprising amount of music in common.

I’m really struggling to see the point of people trying to tell others they are wrong about the artists they don’t like

As I said at the top of page 3: It’s pointless. Seems to have become the theme of this thread though.

I’m enjoying myself though, so that counts for something, right?

I’m enjoying myself though,

I’d rather people didn’t.

“I was born like this I had no choice, I was born with the gift of a golden voice” – The Late, great Leonard Cohen, not taking himself so seriously ….

if you handily skip over the Evangelical Christian phase, when he absolutely did, but hey, who hasn’t declared themselves a Prophet of the Lord every now and again.

I’m happy to to be honest. Especially as you’re conveniently moving the goal post as there is nothing particularly ‘revolutionary’ about a Jew declaring themselves a prophet (there’s a 6,000 year tradition, in fact there’s a whole book about it if you care for some research…).

I really find your obvious intense hatred of the man weird and wonder at just what flames this.

You keep forgetting to acknowledge his nobel prize for some reason, surely that’s a legacy less bitter people are going to go with?

Can’t believe Genensis haven’t been mentioned yet and only a meagre votes for Phil Collins.

Also on my ‘can’t stand list’ are Blur, KISS, Smiths / Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, The Who

There hasn’t been a ‘musical revolution’ in the way that Acid/House/Techno/Jungle were in the years since.

I suppose that’s true if you ignore grunge, R&B, brit pop and the rest of it. My dad said something similar about the music I liked 🙂

I can’t think of any critically-lauded artists I really can’t stand. Apart from Pink Floyd, they’re shite.

I really find your obvious intense hatred of the man weird and wonder at just what flames this.

Story: He once refused to go into a restaurant as the maitre’D didn’t instantly recognise him….

You keep forgetting to acknowledge his nobel prize for some reason, surely that’s a legacy less bitter people are going to go with?

Ah the Nobel, sorry, yes, Refused to go as there would be a live audience…(that weren’t there just to see him),  so went in private, Wouldn’t give a speech, (which you have to do to get the prize money) but did write an essay just before the deadline, so that they had to give him the money in the end. Speaks volumes about the man dontcha’ think?…what did Irvine Walsh say…[checks notes] ah yes; “this is an ill conceived nostalgia award wrenched from the rancid prostates of senile, gibbering hippies” although he does declare himself a fan, so y’know, praise indeed….

For the record I don’t have an intense hatred of the man, but honestly never has there been an artist who believes his own hype quite as much as Bob… but you seem to be intent on trying (as others have have said) to persuade me that I’m wrong…so you know, I’m just throwing brick bats…You’re the one trying to head them into your own net.

Nickc none of your criticisms seem to be based on his song writing ability which is what he is “critically lauded” for, certainly aint his singing ability. You seem keen to play the man not the music.

Thanks A_A i was literally just about to type pretty much exactly your post… play the ball, not the man.

For someone who professes indifference you know more about the **** than I do, you seem obsessed with him.

And, yes, he’s a dick. I believe there’s phrases such as feet of clay and never meet your heroes would cover most of it. And?

Irrespective of his reaction to it, he’s the only songwriter to be given one, maybes try addressing that (after all it was you who was after some ‘proof’).

I used to have a live version of Blowin’ in the wind that was the best comedy record I’ve ever owned. He sounded like somebody doing an impression of Kermit the Frog doing an intentionally bad impression of Bob Dylan. It was amazing in its terribleness.

Blood on the tracks is a phenomenal album though. The man was a great lyricist then the 80’s happened. Not just to him, to nearly everyone.

Not sure it merits the levels of debate in here considering the thread title. New thread anyone? To be fair a lot of critics are full of shit (film industry is the same).I like reading reviews on Pitchfork purely for laughs. The best by far is either when somebody dies and suddenly receives acclaim that they never had in life, or when an album is reappraised years later (most likely after someone dies).

never has there been an artist who believes his own hype quite as much as Bob…

His book Chronicles is a good read and doesn’t convey that to me, more someone trying to stay sane as the world goes mad around him.

I used to have a live version of Blowin’ in the wind that was the best comedy record I’ve ever owned.

There’s somethin’ happening here and you don’t know what it is,
Do you, Mr Funkmasterp? 🙂

(Sorry – line used in 50% of fan responses to critical critics each time Dylan releases another album of honking dirges. Always wanted an excuse and thought I’d get in before someone else. Also, the Nobel committee obviously never saw Hearts of Fire. Or any of his film oevre…)

I suppose that’s true if you ignore grunge, R&B, brit pop and the rest of it. My dad said something similar about the music I liked

Well, Grunge predated rave so ignored that and R&B/Britpop felt less of a change than a addition/continuation. I think genre’s stopped fading out at that point in the way they maybe had before.

Bill Drummond’s words not mine. He relapsed and bought Dylan’s greatest hits (found it in his hand getting back in the car at a motorway services) and had to chuck it out of the car window. My reading is he did this because he liked it too much, it’s now comfort zone stuff and no longer challenging, and he likes a challenge.

No, I understood that. It seems odd that he couldn’t find room for the challenge and the familiar.

Here’s a good one for another thread: great bands where the lead singer can’t actually sing. I’ll start with
Flaming Lips
Stone Roses
The Fall
Idles
Stiff Little Fingers
Ramones

I think not nearly so much. There hasn’t been a ‘musical revolution’ in the way that Acid/House/Techno/Jungle were in the years since.

Releases from artists like Bicep, Four Tet wouldn’t have sounded out of place back then and are big now.

Yeah, I kind-of thought the same.

Interestingly I remember seeing Mr Four Tet play a small Krautrock club in London 20 years ago, in one of his previous incarnations.

He’s probably a similar age to me, which I mention because artists can clearly do some of their best work much later in their careers than in the past, when bands peaked in their 20s and broke up or went rubbish. Especially in the arena of faceless electronic noise.

PS. Britpop was just indie guitar music, but more blatantly derivative of the 1960s. Grunge was just indie guitar music, but less subtle and with more flannel shirts.

Well, Grunge predated rave so ignored that and R&B/Britpop felt less of a change than a addition/continuation. I think genre’s stopped fading out at that point in the way they maybe had before.

Nirvana broke through in 1991, the Second Summer of Love was 1988. And if you think “genre” died out around then you really need to open your eyes, grandad. With Spotify and Youtube and the rest the whole thing’s fractured in a way you dad never imagined: http://everynoise.com/

Here’s a good one for another thread: great bands where the lead singer can’t actually sing. I’ll start with
Flaming Lips
Stone Roses
The Fall
Idles
Stiff Little Fingers
Ramones

Pogues

I just wonder how many times IHN has said to himself, “ah lads, I said universally lauded…” 😀

Nickc none of your criticisms seem to be based on his song writing ability

Metalheart’s the one who keeps bringing up the Nobel…Songwriting…what d’you want me to say? Copied Guthrie, stumbled into electrified music 20 years too late, wrote songs that were too long, can’t sing, plays rudimentary guitar, hasn’t developed musically since, well ever really…probably can’t now. Somewhere in the 80’s became a Bob Dylan tribute act with added “baby Jesus”…

As I said, for a certain age demographic this stuff is groundbreaking (white middle class baby boomers, like y’know…Bob himself) , for the next generation it becomes the MOR mum/dad crap that you push against. give me a choice between Bob or…well just about anyone else…it’s never going to be Bob. It just doesn’t float my boat. There’s a genre of male musicians for whom songs appear only in the Key of D minor, and are very serious…Bob is the genesis of that,. Same as Van Morrison, boring middle aged men singing about how hard their lives are while they roll about in millions… mleh, give me a break

Here’s a good one for another thread: great bands where the lead singer can’t actually sing. I’ll start with
Flaming Lips
Stone Roses
The Fall
Idles
Stiff Little Fingers
Ramones

Pogues

The Dead Kennedies

There’s somethin’ happening here

But what it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware…

Jello Biafra was a brilliant singer to my mind. Nothing else quite like him. His tone suited the **** up surf punk sound. Then again it was probably the front man aspect similar to Idles. Don’t need a technically good voice if you’ve got the swagger. Best punk band by far for me with songs that still resonate today. Police Truck could’ve been the soundtrack to the American summer of 2020.

great bands where the lead singer can’t actually sing

Thing is with these “non singer” singers, mostly they are better at conveying emotion than the technically proficient types… which is why their bands are great.
Sean Ryder, perfect example. I’d listen to him over Celine Dion any day (stating the obvious there 🙂 )
(Here, you’ll never guess what I’ve got on the headphone right now! 😛 )

great bands where the lead singer can’t actually sing

Don’t forget Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Here, you’ll never guess what I’ve got on the headphone right now!

I’m guessing from your music related posts over the years that it’s Bryan Adams or Wet Wet Wet?

Not today.. it was related to the subject I was gabblin on about. It was PiL, see.

I just wonder how many times IHN has said to himself, “ah lads, I said universally lauded…”

I’ve given up.

Although, Nickc does remind me of one of those militant aethists who won’t stop banging on about God.

Same as Van Morrison, boring middle aged men singing about how hard their lives are while they roll about in millions… mleh, give me a break

I’ve got a reasonable amount of VM and don’t really recognise the woe is me accusation.

I could actually kill Mark Ronson.

I think you’ll find there’s a queue, take a ticket and wait to be called.

Copied Guthrie, stumbled into electrified music 20 years too late, wrote songs that were too long, can’t sing, plays rudimentary guitar, hasn’t developed musically since, well ever really…probably can’t now.

Drugs are bad, mmmkay!

Jello Biafra was a brilliant singer to my mind. Nothing else quite like him. His tone suited the **** up surf punk sound. Then again it was probably the front man aspect similar to Idles. Don’t need a technically good voice if you’ve got the swagger. Best punk band by far for me with songs that still resonate today. Police Truck could’ve been the soundtrack to the American summer of 2020.

I think DezB actually nailed this one. Jello isn’t really so much a musician as, well I dunno. But whatever he is I agree he pulls it off well.

Great time to admit to being a Van Morrison fan
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/van-morrison-eric-clapton-covid-19-1234843728/

lolz

Wayne Coyne has never pretended to be able to sing, in fact he’s often mentioned how terrible a singer he is. Flaming Lips live was still I’d say in my top 5 best ever gigs – just a great show full of theatre, fun and good vibes. Latest stuff has gone downhill though…
Pogues can’t say the same, S McG could barely stand up when I saw them, it was like going to a really bad stand up comedy gig where you feel like going up on stage and ushering them off to avoid further shame…

don’t really recognise the woe is me accusation.

Have you never listened, I mean really listened, to Bright Side of the Road? Bleak stuff.

You can actually hear his soul in torment in Jackie Wilson Said..

Steps. It’s Steps I hate. And Alright Said Fred. So effing over-rated – Tight Fit were never the same afterwards.

Alright Said Fred

Are they a Right Said Fred tribute band?

I just wonder how many times IHN has said to himself, “ah lads, I said universally lauded…”