Famous songs people have *heard* a million times but never *listened* to, and when you do, you realise they're amazing (or, a thead about Status Quo).
Everyone knows Status Quo. I bloody love them and listen to them regularly, but they're all too often just cast aside as a near-novelty pub band. You will have heard most of their bigger hits, but have you ever actually *listened* to them? They're an incredible band, incredible musicians, and incredible songwriters.
I can't find the best quality versions of these tracks on youtube, but just sit down and actually *listen* to some of this hits:
Down Down: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdjJydm82_8
Whatever You Want: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7-z4Dz5ZU4
Caroline: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFAmbHSTKgM
I could go on and on and on. You will think you know these tracks and can probably sing along to the chorus, but listen to the *music*; not the stereotypes or the crap hair or the image or anything like that, but the music. You'll be surprised by just how good it is. Massively, massively ubder-rated, despite being massive.
What other bands/songs get overlooked for just how good they are because of people's pre-conceived ideas?
Hmmm, interesting...
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can't engage with the Quo right now...
but there is a whole raft of embarrassing, bloated 70's soft rock that when you actually listen to it, is pretty incredible.
Jackson Browne - Late for the sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqYiHkx7ils
Absolutely nothing embarrassing or bloated about this, or any of Jackson Browne's 70s output. His first four albums are flawless and the ones after that aren't too far off it.
I was raised on the Quo
I think the first sound I ever heard was the riff from Caroline
I was probably even conceived to Quo
Always liked this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs_TJC75e4k
Also, lots of people who hyped Oasis as being heirs to the Beatles' legacy ought to have realised that they were actually heirs to the Quo legacy
also also
Down Down is a monster of a tune - relentless
but Whatever You Want is balls
kings of leon - red morning light
eagles of death metal - i only want chu
down down's legacy.
Pictures of Matchstick Men
is a fantastic pop single but I kind of expect we're focusing on 'denim waistcoat' Quo here rather than 'paisley shirt' Quo.
My contribution is 'Night Fever' by the Bee Gees. Never liked the disco era stuff, and then suddenly heard it in the summer and it made amazing sense. I had had some wine though.
Almost anything by The Bee Gees
Genius songwriters. And 'I Started A Joke' is one of the greatest songs ever written.
I'm probably along in this one
But I had a similar thing with Michael Jackson, loved the songs, then one day BOSH -they just started to make sense as total masterpieces.
*alone
Van Halen - Jump
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlq0lYB3iSM
a lot of the time people just go 'oh, it's Jump' and lump it in the same category as Livin' on a Prayer or Pour Some Sugar On Me, when really it's SO much in a different league.
Haha, what an idiot
Worst. Song. Ever.
explain why its in a different league?
yes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COtZZmWKcRI
songs that are WAAAY more moving that I thought at first
I can't make you love me- Bonnie Raitt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Cu6GYqxo
Without You - Nilsson- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvxT7rRA2fI
Winner take it all - Abba - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cwKCU8Z5c
So far away- Carole King - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UM249-WfP4
Without You is fucking heartbreaking
It is mind-boggling just how huge Quo were
Something like a top 5 album every year for a decade. Smashing live band too.
My vote goes to The Pretenders. They have a surprising amount of hits, and when they were good they were utterly brilliant. The vast majority of their stuff is gash, but who cares?
The first Pretenders album is flat out perfect
Rinsed the shit out of it after my mum bought me a vinyl copy from a charity shop, had never heard them before. I must thank her for that.
also: Learning To Crawl
Just pretend that '2000 Miles' isn't on it. The rest: solid gold.
i dont know what this thread is about really,
(reappraising stuff thats so ingrained it's now a bit 'background noise' culturally?) and whilst i like down down A LOT, I'm not much fussed about their other stuff though so cant comment any further on the quo so i'll just rattle some things here;
Harry Nilsson - everybody's talkin' http://youtu.be/2AzEY6ZqkuE
Boney M - Rasputin http://youtu.be/kvDMlk3kSYg and Daddy Cool http://youtu.be/E5gNYVia2rg
The Monkees - Last train to Clarksville http://youtu.be/VUUSdvwEC_Y
and pleasant valley sunday http://youtu.be/7RPQEap-8Vk
Canned Heat - On the Road http://youtu.be/QexOuH8GS-Y
Blind Faith - Can't Find my way home http://youtu.be/mUW1SGF7bR8
Derek and the Dominos - Layla http://youtu.be/Th3ycKQV_4k
Yeah, it's kind of about that.
Michael Jackson (as someone said up ^there) is a good example. You'll hear his stuff on the radio whilst your driving in the car, or drunkenly dance to at weddings or birthdays etc etc, but how often to people actually *Listen* to his music? Not often I reckon. I mean to the point of hearing all the different instruments and the production values and the musicisanship. So much time and effort went into all that stuff but it just gets overlooked or ignored when being played in Yates's at one in the morning on a Saturday night.
So millions of people will have heard Michael Jackson songs hundreds and hundreds of times, but only a very small percentage will have actually listened to it.
i was hoping it was this rather than the idea of guilty pleasures
which is a term i cant really agree with anymore.
i dont see any shame in saying i like Boney M's Rasputin. Its a fucking belter, well written, composed and produced and the instrumentation (particularly the intro) ties in with the lyrical themes. blahblahblah, but basically its great pop, and also educational. :D
Status Quo is good, but Big Star did it better.
no thanks
Watch it and weep, Quo fans
Ad for Coles supermarket chain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BZt6lumdlQ
Was about to mention that
Have hated Status Quo so much for the past six months or so.
Nearly as big a sellout
as performing a Man Utd song when you actually support Spurs. What a bunch of cunts.
Glenn Campbell
Grew up with my mum listening to Rhinestone Cowboy & just thought he was a bit naff, but then I sat & listened to Wichita Lineman a couple of years back and...WOW. Amazing voice.
Grew up in a house full of Quo records
Spent most car journeys for a decade with them in the cassette player, therefore I love them. Even latter era stuff like In the army now, Burning Bridges, etc rocked my world.
Spent about 1/4 of the interview time I had with John Peel prior to his death chatting about how under rated they are. He agreed and nearly always ended a set with some Quo.
from the age of maybe nine to 12
I basically didn't listen to any music... other than Quo. my mum and stepdad didn't exactly endorse my taste at this point but would concede that In The Army Now was a decent song, y'know cos it had a 'message' and wasn't three-chord boogie rock
Is There A Better Way...
...is a great Quo song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PATv0L3WRlI
and you made fun of me for being excited about seeing Neil Young
Bob Seger - We've Got Tonight
Heard it over & over as a kid and enjoyed it without really taking much notice of what the lyrics describe. Found myself reminiscing earlier this year and it hit me anew...brilliant.
In fact, found myself really enjoying Stranger In Town & Night Moves a lot through the summer.