I got to thinkin'... we've posted a LOT of music over the last four and a half years that floats our boat, makes our heart sing, brings back memories of Former Happy Days, or otherwise tickles our fancy. And in so doin' we have studiously avoided the dregs of our musical experience, which is to say... Music We Love to Hate. We'll change that with this post... and you KNOW there may be more. Lots more.
First up... the supremely over-rated and sickeningly sweet Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. This dude is Number-Frickin'-ONE on my list of artists that make me dive for the remote or the radio button or whatever that will JUST MAKE IT STOP. All of his songs... any of his songs... but this one in particular:
Aiiieee. Saved at age 27 by camping out in the frickin' mountains? Spare me. PLEASE. You can get diabetes thru repeated exposure to this shit. That goes for all the rest of his dreck, as well.
And then there's the "If I NEVER hear this again it will be too damned soon" category. The all-time winner:
The one exception: Tina Turner's version. All others please leave NOW. CCR, in particular. And every damned one of those Filipino cover bands that played this song ad nauseam in every single Angeles City bar I ever set foot in. This is the tune I'd choose in the "if I had a nickel for every time I've heard this" category. Coz I'd be blogging from an upscale condo in Miami Beach or in the south of France if that had ever came to pass. Unfortunately...
We'll not flog this dead horse too much in this first-ever installment of Music We Love To Hate. Let's close with this:
Aiiieee. Yet AGAIN. Get on back to your Sit-TAY and frickin' STAY there. Don't abuse my earholes with this shit, ever again. I'll admit that the screen-cap above... reminiscent as it is of electric vomit... is MOST appropriate.
OK we're done. For now. You cannot BELIEVE how painful it was selecting these tunes, Gentle Reader. Please accept my apologies if the songs are truncated or otherwise incomplete. I'll freely admit I only listened to the first three bars... if that... of each tune. It IS Music I Love To Hate, after all.
You know there will be more. I'm gonna have fun with this.
Mwa, Mwa, Mwa, Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteOh man...laughing' my guts up! Seriously!
Never cared for Rocky Mountain High myself. But, we've all got our memories of what was "going on" when we heard a particular song, and "who" it was going on with, and (oh, never mind!).
Thanks for the belly-laugh, Buck! I REALLY needed one today.
btw...you know Dufusdork carried one of those "weird slide dobro guitar" players with him on tour. Bitchin'!
OK, here's the secret to John Denver music: anyone (including 8 year old kids) can play the 4 chords! Yee-Hah!
ReplyDeleteOK, word of warning, if you drift from country bumpkin to schmalz and select any Mireille Mathieu songs, and I'm sure you won't - because Americans don't listen to French "stuff" - I'll let the air out of your tires :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4GLv5ColhM
Gosh, gee-willikers, she's almost 65 now...
Alas, I'm into lyrics more than guitar riffs, and Gadda da vidda drum rolls...
Oh, and I like schmalz for some damned reason. Must be my romantic thoughts my wife beat out of me...
Haha, nothing beats calling attention to stuff we hate, eh? Man after my own heart.
ReplyDeleteThe ridiculous "beautiful Balloon song belongs up there. It's atrocious, and gets EASILY stuck in your head... Ah crap...
"...up, up and awayayy in my beautiful, my beautiful, bah-LOOOOOON!"
As for the Deutschendorf Monster; Learn how to use a checklist before you fly. We all learned that in the military when flying. Ya know, turn on the fuel...
ReplyDeleteOh, wait... You were feeling superior back in '68. Never mind.
As for the Journey thing; That big album, "Infinity", had a couple great songs sung by that Santana Alumnus, Greg Rolie (Black Magic Woman). Steve Perry is talented, but effeminate.
I must be much younger than all you hard rockers 'cause I like John Denver. As to being "saved," give me a break.
ReplyDeleteBut, we've all got our memories of what was "going on" when we heard a particular song, and "who" it was going on with, and (oh, never mind!).
ReplyDeleteWell, we all have our weak spots. One of mine is Wild Cherry's "Play That Funky Music, White Boy." And some Barry White.
Henri: Thanks for the link. Mireille ain't my cuppa but she does have a pleasant voice. I REALLY liked the vintage vid... it had a good feel. Schmaltz has its place and is usually best when shared, eh?
Matt: The Fifth Dimension. I know them well. I even bought one of their albums in the WAAY-back. But only one.
Darryl: Yeah, Denver's death was pretty dumb. You're right: observing the checklist would have saved him, methinks.
I got nothing against Rolle. It's the collective Journey I don't like.
Lou: You're most definitely younger than the late Mr. Deutschendorf. He'd be 67 this year, had he lived, making him a little over a year older than ME, even. Your "saved" line went over my head, btw.
Buck, I can see that this is going to be fun.
ReplyDeleteDenver's "Rocky Mt. High, I agree. Sucks.
CCR's "Proud Mary," I agree. Sucks. I do like "Bad Moon Rising," however.
Journey: I am an old fart. I heard of them but it's kinda foggy. (Obviously, not a trip or "journey" I took too many times.) I do vaguely remember hearing the song before and as I watched the video I had the sickening feeling that this had to be a San Francisco group. It's got that new age choral crap going on. You're definitely right about this one. I'd say Shit-ay instead of Sit-ay.
As you would say Buck....AIIIEEEE!
ReplyDeleteOK so I'm not a huge Denver fan but...I do like some of his stuff. Like Lou I think it may be a generational thing. And his stuff isn't that easy to play on the piano - I know, I have a songbook and there are a coupla tunes I've mastered over the past few years. Just a coupla.
Schmaltz has its place...yes it does.
Journey is also a fave - generational thing again. Although The Oracle hates them, loathes them...really he gets visibly agitated if they come on the radio. Me - I love em.
Lou's "saved" comment I think goes back to what you said about Rocky Mountain High and being saved at age 27. And if I get what Lou was saying - I don't think Denver said he was saved as much as he found a place that felt like home to him - "he was born in the summer of his 27th year" goes the line in the song.
You said, "Saved at age 27 by camping out in the frickin' mountains?" "Saved" imples freed from sin or walking with God as in a church term. John Denver was not those things. Maybe he was a tree-hugger, but not even good at that.
ReplyDeleteCheck my blog post today for a youngin' that hopefully you won't hate. ;)
ReplyDeleteDan: It's good to know we're on the same page. I've had friends who were rabid Journey fans and had them try to convince with me with the typical "but! But! But listen to THIS!" Nope. Wrong. Tripe, all of it. (Sorry, Kris)
ReplyDeleteOh... and Kris? The Oracle does indeed have good taste. Just sayin'. I also interpreted the "born in his 27th year" pap as a re-birth... right?
Lou: Denver was a RABID liberal, as nutty as they get. I try and keep music and politics separate as a rule (e.g., I still listen to Ronstadt), but Denver's politics, on top of his schmaltz, was just TOO much. I've had a life-long loathing of his music.
Laurie: Young Aviella DO have some pipes!
Buck - I'd never try to convince anyone to like music that they don't. I love that there is SO much music out there that a person doesn't have to do that.
ReplyDeleteI see the "born in his 27th year" as an awakening, a realization of what was truly important to Denver at that time.
I never agreed with his politics either. Like you I can mostly sort them out from the music.
I love that there is SO much music out there that a person doesn't have to do that.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. All I ask is people refrain from irritating me by playing certain genres... like hip-hop... while I'm a prisoner in their car, or in other places like that. Surely there's SOMETHING we can both agree on is my usual approach. But that fails with the younger generation at times... those types who only listen to ONE kind of music. At those times we opt for silence, under the threat of me breaking something.