Unclescam777
The Pixies
June 06, 2004 at 01:43AM View BBCode
Believe it or not today was the first time I ever heard them. My reaction? eh. Maybe they're one of those bands that grow on you. The songs I heard were Debaser and Where is my mind. Anyone got anything to say on them? I'd like to give them a chance since so many people seem to like them
ABDREW
June 06, 2004 at 01:46AM View BBCode
I'd hate to say it but, for once I am in agreement with you scammy
skierdude44
June 06, 2004 at 01:56AM View formatted
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Who?
farfetched
June 06, 2004 at 02:00AM View BBCode
It's something I doubt you'd be able to comprehend, skier. :D
Either that, or you wouldn't give it a sporting chance.
skierdude44
June 06, 2004 at 02:11AM View BBCode
Naw Im very open minded, juss picky. Ill take a listen tomoro and let you know what i think.
sycophantman
June 06, 2004 at 02:17AM View BBCode
I was thinking the same as Scammy...
I hear a lot about them recently and am now considering getting their greatest hits package.
Nirvana constantly raved about them, but I got burned before by critics who rave about supposedly 'great' bands (Sonic Youth, Pavement...)
whiskybear
June 06, 2004 at 03:56AM View BBCode
The Pixies are pretty decent. I've got a friend who is obsessed with them (this is the same friend who says Nirvana is completely worthless because, essentially, the Pixies influence appears in their songs).
ABDREW
June 06, 2004 at 11:06AM View BBCode
The Pixies have been a major influence on almost every rock band in recent history that I can remember. I just don't think they are that good, there is nothing in the music that impresses me that much
ABDREW
June 06, 2004 at 11:10AM View BBCode
Originally posted by FuriousGiorge
Pixies rule. Both of you are wrong.
one of the more well thought out posts I've seen in a while:lol:
Unclescam777
June 06, 2004 at 11:30AM View BBCode
I never said they sucked, I just said from what I heard nothing really jumped out at me. They might just be one of those bands who slowly creeps up on you.
I do have a thought though....after listening to them I dont see how furious insults other people's music. It's not like they're some super talented "nobody can touch us" band. They sound like grunge with a better singer. I especially don't understand how you insult lyrics of other bands. girlie so groovy? :lol:
got me a movie
i want you to know
slicing up eyeballs
i want you to know
girlie so groovy
i want you to know
don't know about you
but i am un chien andalusia
wanna grow
up to be
be a debaser, debaser
sycophantman
June 06, 2004 at 02:08PM View BBCode
It is the rare musician that has good lyrics nowadays.
More accurate, sensical lyricals, the jury is still out on whether a song requires masterful lyrics to be considered 'great'
There was an interesting article in entertainment weekly a couple of months ago that asked that very question. I'm of the school that lyrics that make sense are a nice addition, but isn't necessary. I've gotten goosebumps from songs that sound ridiculous outside of the musical backing. Lyrics are especially meaningless in modern music, most of the appointed 'best' of the last decade or two had gibberish for lyrics, yet their music was still often wonderful.
Bands from the last decade with the worst lyrics...
R.E.M.
Radiohead
Beck
(many others but too lazy to think of them...)
Strangely enough, even though most bemoan the genre for it's fierce anti-intelligence, oftentimes rap has by far the best lyrics in music nowadays...
Go figure...
whiskybear
June 06, 2004 at 02:58PM View BBCode
To me, good lyrics are pretty vital to a song. I think Bob Dylan was one of the all-time masters, more poet than song writer.
I'm going to have to disagree on Beck, and a bit fainter on Radiohead. Beck is pretty good at writing slightly non-sensical, funny, and creative lyrics. Some of his lyrics strike me as "Soul Coughing lite." Soul Coughing, by the way, is one of the greatest bands of the 1990s, and M. Doughty deserves a Nobel Prize for his lyrics.
Radiohead's lyrics are sometimes hit-or-miss, but I think they have some pretty solid ones--"Karma Police," "No Surprises," "The Bends," "High and Dry," etc.
When I think of bad lyrics, I think of bands from this new, angsty, teenage crap music. You know, bands like Linkin Park and Staind, and all the rest of that crap that's so bad it's not even worth being familiar with. I also think of anything performed by these "bands" of "boys" who don't use any actual "instruments." And I think of Britney Spears, which is not an unpleasant task...
Christ, when did I turn into my father? :lol:
Unclescam777
June 06, 2004 at 03:09PM View BBCode
I like radiohead but one thing I hate about their lyrics is they really aren't from the heart. Do a bit of research on Radiohead and you'll learn that radiohead just fools around until they get an idea, then they make lyrics about that idea and make it sound like it's personal. Kind of like bullshit personal emotions.
Lyrics don't need to be complicated to be considered great. They just need to get your mind to quiver. It doesn't do any good to hear "great" lyrics if you don't understand them. I still stand by Billy Corgan as the best songwriter ever, even if some disagree. He wrote a few bad songs lyrically but on a whole nobody can touch him. A lot of bands can write a few good sets of lyrics but Billy can do it for nearly every song of every album, and that takes talent. I always liked Jim Morrison's lyrics too, though they can be broken down and put into the category of "making lyrics that don't really mean anything but sound complicated so people call him a genius". A lot of bands use that technique and it started with Morrison.
Unclescam777
June 06, 2004 at 07:05PM View BBCode
I downloaded a few more songs, they're growing on me a bit. But I still don't see what make them holier than other bands. But right now I'm getting my Judas Priest fix :D
goosemandan
June 06, 2004 at 10:37PM View BBCode
I feel the same way as unclescam.
The pixies were coming to Vancouver about a month and a half ago, so my friends and I were going to go. The tickets sold out in under a minute. I hadn't really heard anything by them before, but I downloaded some songs. I like where is my mind a lot, and I agree that they grow on you, but they're definitely not one of my favourite bands.
For good lyrics, my favourites are Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, the Tragically Hip, and the Weakerthans (pretty obscure Canadian band).
Radiohead's one of my favourite bands, but it has nothing to do with the lyrics. I think for the past 3 albums, you have to think of Thom Yorke's voice as another instrument rather than a traditional voice. The lyrics are mostly unrecognizable, and they can even be played backwards and still sound good (Like spinning plates).
FuriousGiorge
June 06, 2004 at 11:19PM View BBCode
Here's the thing about the music I like: I know that it's better than the music everyone else likes. Therefore I can say things like "Pixies rule. Both of you are wrong." because I am comfortable with the music I listen to, especially with it being the best music ever and everything else being worthless. As far as the Pixies' lyrics, well, I don't need to defend them because they of course must be great since I like them. But that song is about a movie by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali called "Un Chien Andalou", and if it's nonsense at least it's about something and not just non-specific angst. That's the only lyrics that piss me off, non-specific angst. Oh, and pretentious lyrics like Jim Morrison's. That pissed me off too. And since I don't like it, it must be worthless (see tenets above).
Unclescam777
June 07, 2004 at 12:07AM View BBCode
yeah :rolleyes: Slowly but surely you are shifting from smartass to moron. You haven't quite made it yet, possibly a few more posts
goosemandan
June 07, 2004 at 01:34AM View BBCode
Having seen "Un Chein Andalou", those lyrics actually make a lot of sense. More sense than the movie did, actually.
FuriousGiorge
June 07, 2004 at 03:38AM View BBCode
I'm not real sure how pushing your buttons makes me a moron. I guess if you exhibit the possession of independent knowledge, you are stupid.
The Doors suck.
Bah!
:lol:
sycophantman
June 07, 2004 at 02:17PM View BBCode
Well, yes, the Doors do indeed suck, and I'm not even being sarcastic!
We can all agree on that right?
(preparing defenses after shooting sacred cow....)
nextyearcubs
June 07, 2004 at 02:51PM View BBCode
To a lot of bands, lyrics are an afterthought anyways. I had a friend once who had a Metallics CD with them playing the songs, but humming or whatever where the lyrics were... he told the that they made the music part first and then came up with lyrics... I thought it was pretty lame, but it proves that many bands just come up with a song, then lyrics, while others start with lyrics. So they just might not make any sense because they were made to fit the music.
I went through the phase of trying to figure out what the lyrics were, and what they meant, and trying to glean whatever super-wisdom they held... But its a waste of time, my friend. Sometimes a good song can spur great, independant thought, but other times you are left sorely disappointed. So much of music is making things that sound good but don't really mean anything, so its a rare treat to find the band who can pull off the hat trick of great music, great sounding lyrics, and actual meaning. I'd settle for good, flowing, complex instrumentals and vague, sparse lyrics anyday.
I guess what Furious is saying is that whatever he likes is the best because he thinks it is. Well, that's a strong argument based upon fact. In that case, I know everything in the world, because I can't think of anything I don't know. And I'm comfortable with that assertion, so it must be right. Cool, I like playing this game... All hail nextyearcubs, a legend in his own mind!!!
I agree with Unc on the pumpkins lyrics being pretty solid... When you figure them out, you realize there was thought behind them, and integrity enough not to sweep things under the rug.
Nice observation about the rap, syco, but rap also has tons of self-serving lyrics as well, that's probably what turned me off to it as a genre. If Jay-Z is so damn cool, why does he have to make an album about it? Wouldn't everyone already know? And the dissing thing is kinda lame too, because we all know both parties benefit from it anyways... Its more profitable to start a "war". But rap is definately more lyric centered, you can't deny that.
Unclescam777
June 07, 2004 at 03:02PM View BBCode
Furious, saying that any music you don't like is worthless is moronic. You don't need to like something to be able to respect it. As for putting down the doors, that's fine. Nobody has bashed any of my favorite bands anyway, just the ones I somewhat like.
Anyway, most bands create the music first and throw the lyrics in afterwards. It's easier to make a song flow when lyrics are an afterthought. I can't think of many musicians who write lyrics before the music. Marilyn Manson does it but his lyrics are subpar, Morrison used poems which was kinda odd. Billy Corgan does it partially, he gets a general idea of the lyrics he'll write then makes the music to fit the mood. But he doesn't write the complete lyrics before the music for flowing reasons. It's just too hard to write music after the lyrics because then the song itself suffers since the other band members are limited to what they can play.
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