Carnegie Hall is an odd one to have bought: that Bootleg series is really aimed at the hardcore fan, so that release is for the sort of person who wants to hear "Self Evident" sung in NYC, and that's enough to get them to buy it. I wouldn't recommend anyone coming fresh to Ani to buy it. If you like that one, there's much, much better. Evolve is my favourite Ani album but it's the jazziest thing she's ever done. You couldn't have picked a better album there really unless it's the jazz that's holding you back, in which case again, there are better. As you probably know, the earlier albums are folkier & more acoustic. I'd recommend Living In Clip or So Much Shouting So Much Laughter on the live side: both are doubles and have generous samplings of her catalogue but Living In Clip is the better from the perspective of her earlier style. On the studio side, Not A Pretty Girl has a very "urban folk" side and Little Plastic Castle is arguably her most mainstream effort: both have a lot to offer the new listener.
The reason I wouldn't wait for a boxed set with Nick is that the individual reissues (remastered CD with surround mix on DVD) are so good that - if you come to like him - that boxed set is going to end up as a wasted purchase. (Or the boxed set itself will be a wasted purchase!) I honestly don't know how to get someone into Nick's work because he's someone that I personally felt I should like more and then suddenly it fell into place for me. All I can say is that when it happens it repays the effort, with interest.
Tori Amos Vampire Weekend Muse Roxy Music Elvis Costello Steely Dan Animal Collective Super Furry Animals
My Bloody Valentine I'm interested, I like them, I have the records, (and incidentally I love MBV's artwork). Theoretically I should be a fan...but....I still prefer Moose. Ditto Jesus & The Mary Chain
Another ones is Jerry Lee Lewis. Love Carl Perkins but just can't get into JLL. Maybe I'm trying too hard? Darryl
I found that when I don't try to hard to get into a paticular artist's music, it will happen naturally & be more enjoyable. I am currently listening to Chuck Berry. Darryl
Couldn't agree more. I have a hard time getting past Nick Cave the person. He seems like such a pretentious douche that I'm not inspired to even give his music a chance beyond the few things I've heard, which also didn't inspire me to hear more. Sorry, he just bugs me.
I just talked about this on another thread, but for me it's Love. It's right in my wheelhouse in terms of era and style, but Forever Changes is just okay to me. Nothing special.
He's just got the driest sense of humor in the world. We have a mutual friend (I've only met him in passing,) and he seems to have mellowed a bit. Didn't come off as a douche at all, but it was after a show and he was covered in sweat. Maybe he didn't have the energy
On paper Sparks seems like it should be my favorite band. Piano based rock with creative melodies and wacky inventive lyrics. But I've listened to like 15 songs and so far the only one I like is "Dick Around". I'm not convinced that they didn't write the Oompa Loompa song either. I want to like them but nothing is working for me. Open to suggestions of their more accessible stuff.
After reading Greil Marcus's Mystery Train, I felt I should like Randy Newman more, I liked everyone else in the book.
For me... everything points to the fact that I should be a rabid Morrissey-ite, but I never really could get into it. I think the tinny, eighties production puts me off The Smiths, and I'm kept away from his solo work because nobody seems interested in it other than Smiths obsessives. Yet I've always assumed that, one day, it'll click into place. Another is Tame Impala - on paper I like everything about them, but apart from the odd tune ("Elephant," "I Don't Really Mind" and a few others), it's just too self-indulgent and I can't stand Kevin Parker's weedy voice.
First thing that came to mind, although as a rabid Sparks geek, I could do this all night. One of the lightest, sweetest songs about blackmail ever written.
Squeeze. The second coming of the Beatles and all that. Clever, inventive lyrics. Always felt I should like them more, but can't quite seem to make the leap, though not for lack of trying. Humble Pie. Love the Small Faces, can't stand HP. Up until very recently (like several days ago), I'd have said Bowie, but the Ziggy Stardust album just jolted me awake the other day like a thunderclap, and I am slowly figuring out what I've been missing all this time. For those who said The Band, there's a moment in the recent Levon Helm documentary where Levon is talking to Billy Bob Thornton (of all people). He says something to the effect that all of the Band's mojo was spent after the second (brown) album. To me that's the key to grokking them - part "they were there when ...", part sheer brilliance in those first two albums, and a whole lot of other stuff. The late flash in the pan of 'The Last Waltz' just highlighted the vast ups and downs of five guys with barnloads of talent (pardon the pun) and an act at had run its course.
I may be coming around, not going to stop trying, but it's still a bit too much. I do love the visual aspect of this band, though - Marc Bolan dancing and Hitler staring me down is a very creative way to go about it I remember really liking the melody but not the instrumentation of "Number 1 Song In Heaven". That was one of the best melodies I've ever heard set to one of the most... '80s-est arrangements. Do they have any other songs with that level of melodicity but moee of an emphasis on rock instead of dance pop? Like a more melodic "Dick Around"?
This same thing happened to me a few months back. I never paid any mind to Bowie until I heard "Five Years". I still haven't listened to everything, but Hunky Dory is quite good. "Life On Mars" is incredible. His hits are usually all gold - "Space Oddity", "Heroes", "Ashes To Ashes", "Changes", the works.
I used to wonder why I don't like certain bands until I figured out my personal levels of music: -All the stuff that I have no interest in listening to knowing at least someone out there likes it and that's cool with me. -Music I appreciate for it's creative/artistic merit that I listen to in order to familiar myself with it, experience it and appreciate it for what it is. (This is as close to what the OP is mentioning. There's a lot that resides here for me but I just accept that it's all good but just doesn't hit that sonic "spot" for me.) -The kind of music that I enjoy from time to time and basic like at least somewhat to very much. -The bands and artists whose work either grabs, cements it self to, soak into or takes over my brain and becomes a part of my aural body background.
Vampire Weekend-I bought their debut album(CD) based on mostly great reviews and comparisons to Talking Heads(one of my favorite groups). The album never clicked with me. Maybe, I should listen to their 2nd album on YouTube a few times, and go back to listen to their debut CD that I own. I just was more irritated though when I first listened to it, and was trying to figure out why all of the high praise was given to it.