Most of the rock-n-roll that I listen to is of the classic/established/singer-songwriter variety (Dylan, Springsteen, Kinks, Elvis Costello, REM, Richard Thompson, and a bunch of people I mentioned in an earlier posting connected to this thread) because what is marketed as "rock" these days on commercial radio stations all has the same pro-tooled/click-tracked/Scott Weiland-singing-into-a-can sound that grates on my nerves. But I must admit that some Radiohead is very very good as is some Beck. I also enjoy some so-called jam bands like moe and Sting Cheese Incident, but their grooves get old for me very very quickly. The other day I was dial surfing and happened across a song that sounded like no other that I'd heard on commercial rock radio in a long time. The song, it turned out, was by the White Stripes, a band whose first album I bought in reaction to the avalanche of critical praise it received, and sold within a week because it didn't grab me (I had the same experience with the Strokes). I h ave no idea what the name of the song I heard was, but I know it's off their new album. It was so refreshing to hear something that sounded different (at least different for my local rock radio station) that I nearly went out and bought it. As for Metallica's latest, I've only heard the title track, and while it may be a return to their pre-"Black Album" speeds and time changes, it doesn't hit me like those early albums. My 2 cents, Tom In a message dated 6/25/03 10:00:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time, andy.marks@wise.com writes:
Occasional poster, long-time lurker. I'm going to de-lurk for a minute to put my 2 cents worth in on this "Rock" thread.
The last 3 Radiohead albums get heavy play from me, but I think they are a little bit to far on the weird side of rock for most people.
I'll probably get flamed to hell and back, as well as perma-banned from the zorn-list, but here goes... :-)
As far as straight-up, fun, silly, rock-n-roll goes the one album that I keep coming back to is Andrew WK's "I Get Wet". It's just beautiful in in it's simplicity. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Out of 12 songs, there is only one that I don't like. As far as I'm concerned, it's pretty darn close to pop rock perfection.
Also, at 35 minutes long, I like the fact that it bucks the trend where artists feel like they have to fill all 70 minutes of a CD.
______________________________________________________ Discs I'm listening to at work: Curtis Fuller -- The Complete Blue Note/UA Sessions John Zorn -- Godard/Spillane Jimi Hendrix -- The Complete BBC Sessions