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you think Love like a rocket is bad! well...hope I´m not the only one who likes it..:) the worst solo-bob songs has to be voyager type 2 things, walking back to happiness and on the roads of germany.. they are the kinds of songs I wish bob hadn´t recorded...
oh my lol...unfortunately for me this list could be quite long!...
let's see...this list is incomplete as I have not heard DITHON yet...I really do NOT like these...
Room 19 The House at the top of the World A Rose at Night Walking back to happiness The End of the World The Original Miss Jesus Cool Blue Easy
and I'm being nice only listing these.
I really can't stand when his songs start sounding like country music (in the American sense) because I can't stand country.
for me, it would be easier to pick out the solo songs I do like, and you all can safely assume I don't care too much for the rest.
so, what I DO like:
Attitude Chicken The Song of the Emergent Nationalist My Hippy Angel A Sex Thing Love or Something Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things The Chains of Pain and all of SA&D except the two US bonus tracks.
quote: Originally posted by: MMbullybuddyGP "oh my lol...unfortunately for me this list could be quite long!... let's see...this list is incomplete as I have not heard DITHON yet...I really do NOT like these... Room 19 The House at the top of the World A Rose at Night Walking back to happiness The End of the World The Original Miss Jesus Cool Blue Easy and I'm being nice only listing these. I really can't stand when his songs start sounding like country music (in the American sense) because I can't stand country. for me, it would be easier to pick out the solo songs I do like, and you all can safely assume I don't care too much for the rest. so, what I DO like: Attitude Chicken The Song of the Emergent Nationalist My Hippy Angel A Sex Thing Love or Something Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things The Chains of Pain and all of SA&D except the two US bonus tracks. "
Crikey, that's more than I like! Sunny Afternoon and The Great Song of Indifference are the only two I really like. Heaven help you when you hear DITHON!!
I must admit, there are none I truly dislike, but that's possibly because I don't listen to the solo albums. It's quite strange that I could probably sing/play every Rats song and not get a word/note wrong, but not know how most of the solo stuff sounds. I see these song titles, but couldn't tell you anything about the songs. I must listen to them all again one day.
oh my gosh, how could I forget Crazy? I actually like that one very much, one of the first solo Bob songs I'd been exposed to (from Loudmouth, my first BG/BTR CD). duh, I always have listed that one as a favorite. guess I forgot about it b/c it wasn't from any of his solo albums. I like Sting too so that combined with a decent tune and being well-mixed, it's definitely up there. I think the only solo song I like better than Crazy is My Birthday Suit.
yes I challenge you to a solo-Bob-listening-fest night, ArrGee to refresh your appreciation for the songs that just didn't make much of an impression on you
C'mon ArrGee. If I'm listening to the Rats catalog, you should be willing to listen to the solo stuff!
My least favorite solo track....I'l have to think about that, but off the top of my head - DITHON in its entirety. What else do I think is crap? Hmmmm....I'll get back to you.
quote: Originally posted by: franna "C'mon ArrGee. If I'm listening to the Rats catalog, you should be willing to listen to the solo stuff! "
I do intend to do a Geldof solo marathon, but right now I have a backlog of stuff to listen to (20 Elvis Costello CDs, not to mention umpteen others). Did a quick listen to the DITHON MP3s last night, and it is as bad as I remember! I did like Vegetarians a bit, but just can't remember most of it. And I still have to listen to Sex, Age & Death properly.
If you can smile in the midst of pain
And laugh at the cares of mankind
You're out of the mire
You're out of the rain
And you're probably out of your mind
quote: Originally posted by: Mark Boyle ""Crazy" That song sucks more than a Dyson vacuum cleaner"
lol!
I absolutely agree, I don't like "Crazy" much either. And also I don't care much for "Song of the emergent nationalist", and I find "Hole to fill" quite boring.
I used to find "Walking back to happiness" boring as well but that song seems to have grown somehow, I like it a lot now!
Crazy, huh? I wonder if I have that anywhere. I just keep thinking of the Patsy Cline song (my guess is that it's a completely different song that happens to have the same title). Patsy does NOT suck. Don't know about Bob. Bob's might suck. I'll have to check.
If you like "Emergent Nationalist" the way I dislike it, there's a good chance you might like "Crazy" as well... Sting sings backing vocals, which are quite ok I think. The rest is quite boring.
Found the Geldof "Crazy". It's not exactly a favorite, but it DOESN'T suck.
1) Musically, it's not that bad - even though it is a style I don't love. 2) Yes, the lyrics are tortured in places, but not all of it is awful. 3) It's basically a straight ahead ballad, and it does make me wish BG were a better singer. 4) Sting's backing vocals!! HELLO PEOPLE - HOW can you think a song with Sting doing what he's doing SUCKS??? I wouldn't think it sucked even without Sting, but WITH him??? SUCK??? NO F***ING WAY!! I'll just wait for Sting's voice to come around again.....
I swear, sometimes I think the musical taste of all you people on the other side of the ocean is just bizarre.
EDITED TO ADD: OK - now listening to the solo stuff (except DITHON, which I will not listen to unless someone pays me).
Vegetarians: Least favorite track would be Thinking Voyager II Type Things.
Happy Club: Least favorite track: Attitude Chicken.
S/A/D: Least favorite track(s): Pale White Girls (and The Original Miss Jesus - bonus track).
In each case, my problem is essentially with the lyrics - which for whatever reason, just don't work for me. I don't have a major problem with any of these musically. And I wouldn't say any of them SUCK. I'd take any of 'em on endless repeat over pretty much anything the BTR ever did.
at least BG knows his voice is not that great lol. I think I've read that he's jealous of Sting's great voice, and there are other musicians that he's complimented their voices on, always humbling himself first ('now I'm in no way comparing myself to the musical genius of [so-n-so]), and he never had the initial intent to be the lead vocalist when the BTR started! he knows he kinda sucks lol.
I like Sting's music a lot, more so during his Police days. He did do a nice job in "Crazy," I agree!
you and I differ in that I take the tune/sound/music of a song into greater account than the lyrics. If the sound stands out in a positive way for me, that'll usually win me over, no matter how bad the lyrics are. now if there's a tune I like, and then the lyrics are additionally good? even better. everyone likes different music/songs for different reasons, and they're all unique
'Voyager 2,' I couldn't tell you hardly anything he said in the song (other than 'sail on' lol). ..I never really tried to analyze the lyrics. they may be bad, I wouldn't doubt it ! again, I like the tune to it so that's why it's a favorite of mine.
'chicken' - now I do know what he's talking about there, and I did like what he was saying hehe. the main reason why I like this one is b/c of how BG sings it, and I like its upbeat tempo, and the tune is kinda weird kinda interesting. It's not my favorite of my solo BG song favorites (if that makes sense) but it's just amusing overall.
PWG is just average for me, and I really don't like OMJ. I don't like the lyrics or tune at all to OMJ (so I agree with you there ) and PWG is just kinda boring, tune-wise. but PWG fits the 'mood' of the song though, I felt.
so no Dyson vacuum Bob for you Fran which is a good thing!
and Kat - good point, I indeed do enjoy both Emergent Nationalist and Crazy I'd call them more tranquil rather than boring...
quote: Originally posted by: franna "Found the Geldof "Crazy". It's not exactly a favorite, but it DOESN'T suck. 1) Musically, it's not that bad - even though it is a style I don't love. 2) Yes, the lyrics are tortured in places, but not all of it is awful. 3) It's basically a straight ahead ballad, and it does make me wish BG were a better singer. 4) Sting's backing vocals!! HELLO PEOPLE - HOW can you think a song with Sting doing what he's doing SUCKS??? I wouldn't think it sucked even without Sting, but WITH him??? SUCK??? NO F***ING WAY!! I'll just wait for Sting's voice to come around again..... I swear, sometimes I think the musical taste of all you people on the other side of the ocean is just bizarre."
So in other words you like it because Sting's singing on it, and Bob could have farted his lines through a kazoo for all it mattered? Well it's what you're effectively admitting to!
Franna, "Crazy" was the most desperate thing Geldof's ever done - "hey guys let's do a song for the Greatest Hits package that sounds just like all the other crap out there, everyone is sure to love it if we do it like that. Yeah, Mellow Birds Cappuchio music is where it's at nowadays."
Great idea Bob, if you had the vocal style to pull it off - which you never did or will have, any more than Charlotte Bloody Church could become the next lead singer of Slipknot or Ministry.
The only merit in "Crazy" is as a best case-example of why it is NEVER a good idea for a musician to do a song in a style simply because they think they will get a hit out of it - the end result always comes out sounding clumsy & laboured. If it "isn't you", it will show - big time!
__________________
If you can smile in the midst of pain
And laugh at the cares of mankind
You're out of the mire
You're out of the rain
And you're probably out of your mind
while I admit that Bob definitely does not have the best control over his mediocre singing voice, I didn't think he did such a bad job with Crazy. The only part of the song where I do cringe is the line "and when I saw you tonight, I know I almost died" - pretty off-key there.
but - I think there are more songs out there that show how ghetto/pitchy/whatever his voice can really become! Most of the entire Mongo Bongo album, Charmed Lives, and Dave (first track on remastered ITLG version) are pretty horrendous in a lot of spots.
No, Crazy is not his forte vocal/song style, but in my opinion he pulled it off decently. I liked how he tried something different (even if was purley for economical reasons), and the fact that he chose to sing with Sting adds another 'cool' factor to it. But that's just my opinion
quote: Originally posted by: Mark Boyle " So in other words you like it because Sting's singing on it, and Bob could have farted his lines through a kazoo for all it mattered?
Partially true. Frankly, I'd have preferred Bob fart his lines through a kazoo - that would be very interesting, especially on the video.
I said it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't go so far as to say I actually LIKED it. I just don't think it sucks like a Dyson. It may or may not have been the most desperate thing BGs ever done, but it's certainly not the most brilliant thing. Still, I can listen to it without wanting to scream, throw things, or immediately turn it off, which is more than I can say for the vast majority of Surfacing and Long Grass, the only BTR CDs I've listened to so far.
I suppose the deep suck I'm finding in the BTR catalog makes even Crazy an improvement.
Originally posted by: Mark Boyle " "Crazy" was the most desperate thing Geldof's ever done - "hey guys let's do a song for the Greatest Hits package that sounds just like all the other crap out there, everyone is sure to love it if we do it like that.
The only merit in "Crazy" is as a best case-example of why it is NEVER a good idea for a musician to do a song in a style simply because they think they will get a hit out of it - the end result always comes out sounding clumsy & laboured. If it "isn't you", it will show - big time!"
That's it in a nutshell for me as well. What makes me laugh is that Geldof said it was one of the few songs he wrote to be a hit single. Oh dear!
In the same spirit as "She's So Modern" and "Do They Know it's Xmas", this was a record with a purpose, ie, to have a hit single. (I'm writing this before the record comes out, so if "Crazy" is a stiff at the time of reading, then we obviously got it completely wrong).
quote: Originally posted by: MMbullybuddyGP "gotta stand up for my song yo while I admit that Bob definitely does not have the best control over his mediocre singing voice, I didn't think he did such a bad job with Crazy. The only part of the song where I do cringe is the line "and when I saw you tonight, I know I almost died" - pretty off-key there. but - I think there are more songs out there that show how ghetto/pitchy/whatever his voice can really become! Most of the entire Mongo Bongo album, Charmed Lives, and Dave (first track on remastered ITLG version) are pretty horrendous in a lot of spots. No, Crazy is not his forte vocal/song style, but in my opinion he pulled it off decently. I liked how he tried something different (even if was purley for economical reasons), and the fact that he chose to sing with Sting adds another 'cool' factor to it. But that's just my opinion -- Edited by MMbullybuddyGP at 03:09, 2005-04-01"
I must strongly disagree about y'all's opinion about Geldof's voice. He might not have the Baby Jesus pretty voice of Sting, but his vocal range and control is outstanding. The fact that his voice is so different is why I love his music so much. I would have never listened to the Rats if anyone else had been the lead singer.
Just realized what my problem is with Pale White Girls. I think it's emotionally dishonest, because it's not Pale White Boys (or Men). If it were PWB(/M), I'd love it.
though I still stand by what I said 'bout his voice, it doesn't mean I don't like it it's so unique, interesting, and it does 'work' with most of what he sings!
quote: Originally posted by: franna "Just realized what my problem is with Pale White Girls. I think it's emotionally dishonest, because it's not Pale White Boys (or Men). If it were PWB(/M), I'd love it. "
I don't understand your comment. If I didn't know you I'd think you were implying that Geldof is gay, but I'm pretty sure you're not...
quote: Originally posted by: franna "MJ, didn't you just buy a rather large POSTER of Crazy? And you think the song sucks???? "
Yes I did, but rather because it's, in my opinion, one of the most gorgeous picture of Bob ever printed. That it promotes the worst song he's ever sang is just an unfortunate coincidence.
ETA: Right, how do I quote 2 different posts? It's totally cheating, really. I quote one, then copy and paste it, then change the text in the second quote. Voilà!
quote: Originally posted by: MJ " I don't understand your comment. If I didn't know you I'd think you were implying that Geldof is gay, but I'm pretty sure you're not... "
It's a song about his own experience. He's the pale white human clawing his way through lonliness. For me, the lyrics as written place too much emphasis on the experience of the woman he was with, when it's not even remotely about her.
To be honest, I think Crazy is a poor song, but I far from hate it. I don't think there's any song by Geldof or BTR that I can say I truly hate. Some I'm just not too crazy about, HA!
I like Crazy far better than The New Routine. I think that song (excluding the two US bonus tracks) has to be my least favorite on SA&D. I always skip it.
However, Crazy's a little too let's-hold-hands-under-a-rainbow to fit on SA&D...I think it'd stand out like a sore thumb (though I love the tune!).
mkay I stand corrected. maybe you all aren't playa-hatas (haters). I just can't believe how Crazy has the overwhelming majority of votes here...but ya know, to each his/her own