Unpopular music opinions

[Bobblehead]

Originally Posted by troutman

ABBA was fabulous. Best pop songs ever written.

if you said that just to trigger an ear worm, well, .... damnit!

[Bindair Dundat]

Originally Posted by troutman

ABBA was fabulous. Best pop songs ever written.

You've got something there as far as this genre is concerned. Spent the first half of the Seventies in Europe and the ABBA explosion was everywhere back then.
It's really all down to the PRODUCTION, using the primitive resources available back in the days of "live off the floor" for the bed tracks. This alone makes acts like ABBA (and Steely Dan-who I prompted on the last page) stand head and shoulders above today's world of "auto tune" bull"stuff".
If you can't sing (and hit/deliver your lines consistently?) then you ought to consider a new line of work.

[troutman]

http://www.allmusic.com/song/mamma-mia-mt0009209472

Although they started off with simple Eurovision-styled ditties like "People Need Love" and "Honey Honey," the songwriting team of Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson rapidly progressed in prowess until they were able to craft pop nuggets that were almost symphonic in their complexity. "Mamma Mia" is a great example of this duo's ability to create densely crafted yet totally accessible tunes. The song draws its strength from a complex yet catchy melody full of serpentine twists that give it an almost Asian flavor. To give the song added variety, Ulvaeus and Anderson add a couple of melodic surprises in the form of a punchy pre-chorus bridge whose dramatic staccato sound revs listeners up for the chorus and a soaring mid-chorus bit designed to tug on the heartstrings. These surprise elements beef up the hook quotient of "Mamma Mia" while also giving it an unpredictable quality guaranteed to keep a listener enthralled. ABBA's recording of the song adds a layer of instrumental hooks, including a naggingly catchy xylophone hook that sets up the song and some sprightly string riffs that interact with the lead vocals in call-and-response fashion during the verses. The end result is a veritable funhouse of a pop song that became a big hit around the world and enduring favorite of ABBA fans.

[troutman]

How good is Steely Dan?

Elvis Costello is in the Hall of Fame, and he is opening for them this summer.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by troutman

How good is Steely Dan?

Elvis Costello is in the Hall of Fame, and he is opening for them this summer.

Elvis Costello is highly overrated.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Elvis Costello is highly overrated.

Saw Costello at Sasquatch a couple years ago, not ever really being into his music all that much.

He killed it. One of the most energetic performances I've seen. He was wailing on guitar and sweat was flying. It was an awesome surprise.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Saw Costello at Sasquatch a couple years ago, not ever really being into his music all that much.

He killed it. One of the most energetic performances I've seen. He was wailing on guitar and sweat was flying. It was an awesome surprise.

I can appreciate that, i had a very similair experience with Bryan Adams on a beach in Barbados, but I stand by my opinion.

[TorqueDog]

Neil Young sucks.

[FlamesAddiction]

Bruce Springsteen was always one of those musicians that while I wouldn't say he sucks, he seems pretty overrated. Some good radio tunes and a lot of filler. Some people think he is amazing though... I just never understood it.

I think he is some people's Neil Young (I find Neil Young amazing, but a lot of people don't get it which I can accept).

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Bruce Springsteen was always one of those musicians that while I wouldn't say he sucks, he seems pretty overrated. Some good radio tunes and a lot of filler. Some people think he is amazing though... I just never understood it.

I think a lot of that has to do with the misconceptions of Springsteen that are built around the radio singles, especially "Born in the USA." You still run into people who think that song is pro-America rah, rah, rah stuff, when it's completely the opposite. That and most of Springsteen's deeper tracks aren't exactly radio-friendly. He's definitely one of those artists that you get more out of listening to whole albums than you do by just listening to one or two songs. Each album is basically a different story.

Now for a probably unpopular Springsteen opinion, I don't think many if any artists/bands have had a better or more consistent consecutive stretch of albums than Springsteen did from 1975 (Born to Run) to 1987 (Tunnel of Love) .