The four albums Crime of the Century through to Breakfast in America are classic. The 2 previous albums are worth listening too as well.
I enjoy the first album but wasn’t so keen (and still am not) on Indelibly stamped.
I cited ABBA because there was a starting discussion about Supertramp. I feel this band has gone less through time than Supertramp. Supertramp and ABBA were like Beatles and Rolling Stones, some prefer the former, other not.
Surely Dire Straits were uncool before they could even become cool as they coincided with punk/post punk/new wave/New Romantics?
I’m no fan of ABBA but I’d suggest with their Voyage - Hologram show they’ve never been ‘cooler’. Anyone I’ve spoken to who’s seen the show is ecstatic about it and return visits are pretty common. Not sure Supertramp were ever ‘cool’ but they’ve always attracted respect I think. Can’t see the Beatles/Stones comparison mindst. On industrial Disease, its track 1 side 2 on the vinyl so for me, whist it’s clearly very different to side 1 of the album, it only ‘stands out’ on CD or when streamed. Dire Straits make accomplished music imo. Not more complicated than that.
Did someone say “off topic” a while back? ![]()
Whilst the Abba show has undoubtedly bolstered their popularity, I can’t see how it’s made them cooler. The limited demographic information available suggests that around 10% of attendees are under 24 and likely brought in by the Mamma Mia franchise. The sort of people who like karaoke and a cheesy singalong. Not a criticism, but definitely not the people looking to make you or them cool in any sense. The majority are in the 50 to 60 range so there first time around. The number of repeat purchases suggest that few new people are being brought in over 24 and, the ones who are brought in over that age don’t repeat attend. So, yeah, popular but it no way cool.
The four Supertramp albums from Crime to Breakfast are all interesting and much loved but each in their own way not a classic. With the exception of Breakfast they’re inconsistent. Some great songs with some bang average stuff and often a lot of the latter. Nothing wrong with that. This was the era where you had a shot at a long deal or two and to develop in public. That’s exactly what they did and, whilst it creatively and commercially peaked with Breakfast, I’d argue that’s not a classic either as it tips over into almost too much of a good thing. They had a cool moment which presaged their commercial breakthrough when Bloody Well Right and Crime featured on loads of decent music programmes of the time and caught the imagination of a generation who quietly took them to heart and mostly never let them go.
Dire Straits cool moment coincided with Makin’ Movies.
My least favourite DS LP, but I guess that we’re all different and enjoy music in our own unique ways.
As Supertramp and ABBA have been mentioned, dare I say that the best band ever with the greatest album ever Recorded has got to be…….
Radiohead and OK Computer
And with that bombshell, i will go and hide ![]()
Having been twice, and will be taking my mum there for her 91st birthday , I can wholeheartedly say that’s it’s not cool, but incredibly good fun
. Definitely in the “guilty pleasures” realm of things !
Just to get thread back on track. I think Love Over Gold is my favourite. Thought they were excellent when I was younger, and saw them on the Money for Nothing tour at the Brighton Centre (a reliably terrible venue) where they were excellent.
Whilst I doubt the dates accurately tally, I think Money for Nothing was perceived as a bit of a breakthrough album for both MTV and CD - and that made it feel a bit “corporate”. And also, a bit like Moby a few years later, overplaying of that album meant that ubiquity turned into uncoolness (for some)
Little tinker ![]()
What’s cool/uncool is as pointless as who’s rated/under rated tbf. Both say more about the judge than the judged. In the end there’s only music you like and music you don’t like. Unless of course you want to appear ‘cool’ ![]()
Spot on ![]()
The problem I have with Money for Nothing is that it does a much worse job of ploughing the same furrow as Life’s Been Good. Nothing about it suggests that MK had ever done so much as let his hair down.
They were seen a uncool, as they were considered in some circles as a MoR rock band, bearing in mind the late 70’s and ‘80s (as you detail) was a melting pot of different styles and genres. And success back then was measured by top-20 singles, which many bands struggled to achieve – although, it must be said, the singles’ charts experienced some real dross in the 1980s e.g. The Birdie Song.
The Birdie Song - a prime example of Rockabilly right there.
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Speed up Walk Of Life and see what it reminds you of
…
‘rockabilly’ or that other, separate, genre ‘rockabilly lite’?!
This thread appears to has lost its way… Going back to Mikes comment, I loved Dire Straits, but I’m not sure that they were ever “cool”. Knoplflers head sweatband probably ruled that out.
Well. You’re just mad.
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Something my wife tells me regularly ![]()
I’d have to agree with those people and I’ve been and got the tee-shirt! Maybe not so cool, but I’ve also seen the Black Keys this year and have the the t-shirt which hopefully some might consider as a reasonable counterbalance.