I tried the recent NY Crazy Horse album Barn and couldn’t get past 4 songs. I respect the mans longevity and his willingness to keep putting out new music but I honestly couldn’t see what all the great reviews were about
1 Like
Queen
Steely Dan
Van Morrison
Rush
The Doors.
Guess some of these choices are absolute legends to some people,but believe me I’ve tried to get on board,but to no avail. Have to add that I’ve tried over the years to appreciate “Kind of Blue” ,as most people think that it’s a landmark album,in its genre,but I never seem to get beyond about 10mins in before giving up,and therefore haven’t listened to anything else by Miles,as it seems to be regarded as his best album,I intend no offence to anyone,we’re all different,that’s music for you !
1 Like
Nor does it matter if one personally enjoys it!
1 Like
Dire Straits are quite odd.
They seem like a band with lots of output but above average numbers of ‘one hit wonders’ as counterintuitive as that may sound.
A few good tracks, but not enough for a single excellent album.
I often wonder if many of these legendary acts are simply boring to those who don’t like them or if we’ve been only ever been subjected to their populist/commercial output? Many may have a lot to discover that we’d never consider listening to because of their popular output we’re familiar with.
Thinking aloud.
That’s certainly possible. Part of my own reluctance to sit down to listen to a Beatles album (for example) is that I’m sure to have accidentally listened to most of it already. I’d rather discover a new to me artist with the limited time I have to listen to music. Though it’s definitely true what you say, I won’t have heard all of their output!
I’d rather disappear down a Bandcamp rabbit hole, than line up a “classic” I’m not already a fan of.
But it’s also true that I don’t apply that same rule to albums I already own and have listened to loads!
I’m not trying to unpick it - happy in my personal hypocrisy 
Here’s another one from my list; I’ve never listened to a whole Dylan album. Ahhhhh. Thank you Neilb1906 - this is my controversial choice for thread of the quarter 
I’m no Dire Straits fan but Makin’ Movies is a very good album.
3 Likes
I have it I think, will revisit.
Maybe a problem with buying ‘older’ albums because you enjoy the odd track years later is that you don’t give the album as a whole a chance in the same way you might if listening to something new.
1 Like
A musician friend cites Dire Straits as a good illustration of the importance of the under-appreciated rhythm guitarist. David Knopfler left after the second album.
2 Likes
I can understand that.
1 Like
Lorro1, I understand you finding Miles Davis ‘difficult’ - my term, not yours.
Try Listening to ‘In A Silent Way’ - it’s a much gentler album, quieter even. I find it totally mesmerising, but of course we all like different things, which I think has to be a good thing.
That said, we may just have to agree to disagree. I have loved The Doors ever since I bought their records as a schoolboy in Edinburgh 60-odd years ago.
1 Like
John Lennon was a pretty good rhythm guitarist. He wrote some pretty good tunes too.
Thanks for the tip Graham,will give it a go ,always worth persevering,I’ll post my thoughts later.By the way,I’ve noticed that your very knowledgeable about classical music,something else I want to dip my toes into,but where to start,would appreciate a pointer towards what I’d term popular classical music,all I own at the moment is a recording of Ravels Bolero,Karajan,any thoughts ?
Hello, Lorro1, and here are a few thoughts.
Any decent classical (people argue about this term, but let’s ignore pedantry!) collection should have most, or all, of the following…
Bach’s (six) Brandenburg Concertos - two LPs or CDs’ worth. There is so much more to JSB, who was incredibly prolific (over 150 cantatas, for example). But see if you can find the late 50s account of his Violin Concertos by David and Igor Oistrakh (father and son) on an early DGG record.
Beethoven’s (nine) symphonies, his violin concerto, and his five piano concertos.
Mozart’s 40-odd symphonies, his twenty-seven piano concertos, his (sole) clarinet concerto, his four horn concertos, his fourteen (?) string quartets and the six (miraculous) string quintets.
Lots of Richard Strauss’s tone poems (Ein Heldenleben, Zarathustra, Till Eulenspiegel, etc), and his Horn Concertos (in Dennis Brain’s legendary recordings if you can find the album),
Wagner’s ‘Ring Of The Nibelungen’ - four LONG operas. Decca have just started to re-issue Georg Solti’s fabled 1950s/1960s recordings with the mighty Vienna Philharmonic playing their hearts out. If Wagner floats your boat, go on to explore Tristan und Isolde (Carlos Kleiber in Dresden or Karajan in Berlin will do nicely), and Die Meistersinger (Eugen Jochum on DGG in Berlin), Parsifal (Karajan again). There are quite a few more to explore, but these would be my Wagner picks.
A few Verdi operas - say Macbeth (early), Aida, Force Of Destiny, Otello. His opera-like Requiem Mass is sensational (Giuliani’s early 1960s EMI account is special, but the recording shows its age).
Try some early German Romantic opera - Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel (Karajan’s late 1950s EMI Philharmonia recording has never been matched) or. much more spookily, Weber’s Der Freischūtz (Carlos Kleiber’s first ever recording from Dresden on DGG will never be matched).
I’d say that that’s enough to get you started. After that, the world is - as they say - your lobster: Puccini operas, symphonies by Bruckner, Elgar, Sibelius and Vaughan Williams. The list could be endless, but a few of these suggestions will get you started.
I hope that this helps to get you going. Do come back, if you have further questions or observations,
3 Likes
…and Hal Lindes came in on rhythm guitar.
Theory debunked .
There are those who don’t like music at all, or the color red for that matter, so what’s your point?
Is this meant for me?
I’d never considered that as a reason for why I don’t like their later albums anywhere near as much. As I write this listening to their first album I think he might be on to something.
1 Like
Are you saying the absence of David made you not favour the later efforts?
What a great thread – late to the party. Some of the comments made me laugh out loud.
For what it is worth, the legendary Joy Division/New Order bore me to tears.
2 Likes