Can We Get Some Love For Dada?

I'm not really given to pop music these days. But that doesn't mean I haven't happily indulged in years gone by. It also doesn't mean there are artists and albums that get me every time.

Ladies and gentlemen, enter Dada.

Dada's songs are so infectious, insidious little ear worms, that you just can't help sing alone and get into the whole vibe. For a few years they pumped out album after album of simply superb pop/rock songs utilizing great harmonies and some fantastic guitar work. They didn't know how to hit a bum note, or write a song that didn't have that special something.

Sadly it just didn't happen for them beyond a "hit" from their debut album - Disneyland. But the song, while good, is only a lid atop some sublime music that exists solely to have a good time. Nothing deep lyrically, no message, no posturing, just some guys getting together and having a blast making infectious songs. This is good time music for good time people.



Let's remember Dada, and give them some love.

 

I really liked "I Get High" a lot when it came out on the radio back in the day. 3 or so minutes of hard-hitting single. Vaguely reminded me of Sloan.

 

You mean Gaga, right?

 

Where's the forum ban button?

 

Yes, I played the debut quite a bit in the early 90s. I've owned the other two but rarely played them. Will have to go get them out.

 

"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" was my favorite from Puzzle, but for me, I don't think they have more than two memorable songs. They sure did seem to sink without a trace.

dada - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992)

 

Massive Dada fan here. Our band had a blast playing 'Dim'. Seen them live several times, and have all the albums. Could never understand why they weren't huge. They're the King's X of pop.

For a 3-piece, they had an amazingly full sound and some gorgeous harmonies.

 

I thought this was about the 1970s group with Elkie Brooks!

 

I was in a Tower Records in Beaverton, Or. There was a display and a handmade sign at the front that said "Managers Pick" and some stuff about the style of music, etc..so I bought the disc.

I thought they had such a fresh sound. Hooks and great vocals galore. Every song sounded like a hit to me as soon as I heard that album.

Soon after I saw that they were playing locally at the Roseland Theatre.....a proper venue for a band that's just about to break out. They had a nice turnout and a lot of what already seemed to be a faithful following. They went nuts with Dizz Knee Land. I thought for sure they'd be huge. It never happened. I still do not get it.

Thanks for reminding me of these guys. I don't even have the disc anymore. I'm going to check and see if they're on Deezer and play that one.

 

Looking at my collection, I have 6 of their discs, including the live Official Bootleg (vol. 1). One of these days, I'll put together a 'Best Of' comp. pm me if interested.

 

No joke - I came here thinking this was a thread about the Alice Cooper album of the same name

 

Absolutely love them, and own just about everything of them I've ever been able to get my hands on - including some promo only CD singles and EPs, as well as related side projects. I also have the album from the pre-Dada band that Michael and Joie were in called Louis And Clark.

I only wish their catalog was on vinyl, or would get reissued in that format.

Their live shows are also epic.

 

Really like the Puzzle album. Great album, but I could do without the pop sound that was applied somewhere along the way. IIRC Ken Scott is credited for engineering, and was wondering if it is THE Ken Scott. I'm guessing it is cause underneath all the pop and circumstance there are some incredibly, amazing, killer sounds going on!

 

They kept a decent fan base here in Denver and used to come here quite regularly, long after the debut album, but I haven't checked in a while.

Lead guitarist Michael (can't remember last name) had bad carpel tunnel from practicing incessantly. I think that slowed them for a while. I thought they'd get traction when Sting tapped them as an opening act in the '90s, but they were sadly unimpressive -- played like they were in a club instead of an arena, didn't project beyond the first few rows. A missed opportunity, I thought.

"Dim" is still my favorite song -- great melody, harmonies, guitar, lyrics, that song is whole package.

 

Flush For Fashion, Special Forces and Dada are my top three Cooper albums.

 

I'm trying to reconcile the name "Dada" and lightweight cookie cutter pop rock. I think they should have gone for "Sturm and Drag" it would have been equally appropriate.

 

I think this is the question many Dada fans will have asked. I too cannot fathom why they didn't make it huge. As has been said, great hooks, great guitar work, great vocals. Beeter yet - they were consistent album to album. They never dipped in quality, each CD is chock-a-block full of great tunes. Yet somehow the market just didn't care enough. So very odd.

 

Sad thing is, though, I could say the same about a number of great bands over the years. I think in Dada's case, it was at least a few things I could think of.

1 - They didn't get a big enough push from the record label. I.R.S. Didn't exactly have the kind of deep enough pockets to truly promote the band.

2 - Coming out of the gate with a tune like "Dizz Knee Land", was a song, as great as it is, that in some respects, was seen as kind of a novelty. The references to both the theme park, and it's catchphrase in the title, as well as "President George" put an instant time stamp on it. They did, however, get a bit of a second life with it when Geroge W. Bush came into office many years later, though.

3- Bad timing in the musical climate. Their debut came out during the height of grunge music, and much like the equally awesome yet ignored band, Jellyfish, they got pretty much overlooked because of it. Had Puzzle come out in say, 1995, maybe it would have been a diffferent story.

 

I've always been partial to Puzzle's lead off track "Dorina".

 

Yeah. I guess it just goes to show that being a great musician isn't enough. Being in a great band isn't good enough. Writing great songs isn't enough. You also need some voodoo.