Highly Praised Music Artists That Don't Do a Thing for You

[Doug C]

Yes on the Aimee Mann chops. She is one of our top 10 favorites.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I'll be honest, most of what I've heard is from the Magnolia soundtrack, but that stuff is fucking amazing. Scratch that - I had a supervisor at a job who loved Til Tuesday, so I basically just need to fill in the middle of her career.

[u2roolz]

u2roolz - were you saying that Jewel did't get be a country artist because her label didn't want her to be? She didn't become a widely successful country artist because, more than anything else, her work was smarmy and shitty.

 

Nope. I said that she wasn't successful at it. I never pointed the blame at her label. Although, I'm not 100% sure which label put out her "country" record as opposed to the label that put out her big records in the late 90s. I suppose I can check out her discography, although I wouldn't be surprised if it was a different label.

 

Let me put on my little detective hat. What's the worst that could happen? Look at pictures of Jewel .

 

OK. Her 2 country albums are on a new label named Valory Records. Atlantic Records released her earlier work.

[moxiebean]

I ask again if anyone can think of an example of someone that made it big as a 'vanilla pop tart' then transitioned to a 'flavorful artisan scone' and stayed on the popular 'musical breakfast menu'? (I apologize for the verbal ipecac but that's why I don't make a living at creative writing). I mean, for example, the Hansons are making non-Mmmm bop! music and touring but they certainly are no longer popular or newly respected.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiyhqNE8fV4

[jff]

I'll be honest, most of what I've heard is from the Magnolia soundtrack, but that stuff is fucking amazing. Scratch that - I had a supervisor at a job who loved Til Tuesday, so I basically just need to fill in the middle of her career.

 

My favorites are I'm With Stupid and Bachelor No. 2.

[GtrPlyr]

Another one that started as a teeny bopper pop artist that transformed into a somewhat respected artist is Alanis Morrisette. Any Canadian's on the board of a certain age will no doubt recall seeing those awful dance music videos of hers back in the early 90s. I remember one video even had a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc... found it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPFnEJXuqz8

[dtram]

Due to the lack of response to my question, it is safe to assume that either a)no one could think of an example, or b)no one cares. Since I am the one that asked, b)is the odds on favorite.

 

Seriously though, I have been trying and cannot think of an example of someone that fits the bill of what u2roolz's Katy Perry-esque public access singer was talking about. To quote his post, "Part of what she talked about before the aired interview was how the business works and you need to fill that popular void and then if you catch on you can kind of change your image and style and hope that people will stick around once you catch on because you are "pop" music.".

 

I ask again if anyone can think of an example of someone that made it big as a 'vanilla pop tart' then transitioned to a 'flavorful artisan scone' and stayed on the popular 'musical breakfast menu'? (I apologize for the verbal ipecac but that's why I don't make a living at creative writing). I mean, for example, the Hansons are making non-Mmmm bop! music and touring but they certainly are no longer popular or newly respected.

 

I would think Madonna kind of fits the bill. I can't remember what critics initially thought of her but I know some of her later stuff was really appreciated, like Ray Of Light.

 

Also the Monkees, they started as Johnny Bravo and quickly evolved into making a record like Pisces in which they wrote and played it and had hits. Granted, this all happened over a 2 year period but they did break out.

[The High Heat]

Death Cab for Cutie and Lucinda Williams do nothing but irritate me.

[Doug C]

Another one that started as a teeny bopper pop artist that transformed into a somewhat respected artist is Alanis Morrisette.

Now that is a fine example! Well done. Not as popular as she was originally, but definitely had staying power post-teeny bop.

 

To stay on the thread topic, the Decembrists don't do much for me but I also haven't given them a fair chance.

 

Edit I think that the Beastie Boys fit the bill of way popular but not deep on the first album but have staying power, though less popular, throughout their career.

[The High Heat]

Rufus Wainright also.

[Oil Can Boyd]

I am reluctant to start yet another similarly themed thread but this got me thinking about Highly Praised Albums That Don't Do a Thing for Me.

 

For me, Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica might be at the top of the list. I had Safe As Milk, which I really like, and I remember reading about how amazing Trout Mask was, so I got it. Believe me, I tried to get into it but I'm just couldn't.

[cryptique]

Death Cab for Cutie and Lucinda Williams do nothing but irritate me.

I love a lot of Lucinda's early stuff, but her last few albums have left me bored and annoyed.

[austrya]

Glad to see someone beat me to the Justin Timberlake thing. Also, what about Kylie Minogue?

[jff]

You could make a pretty strong case for Stevie Wonder.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Ebony and Ivory garnered more respect than Uptight?

 

I'd say he's a favorite now, but was always viewed as a whiz.

[austrya]

Ebony and Ivory garnered more respect than Uptight?

 

I'd say he's a favorite now, but was always viewed as a whiz.

 

What do you have against living together in perfect harmony?

[jff]

Ebony and Ivory garnered more respect than Uptight?

 

I'd say he's a favorite now, but was always viewed as a whiz.

 

No, but I'd say Living for the City, Superstition, and virtually all of Songs in the Key of Life garnered more respect than most of his early work.

 

No disrespect intended towards the young Stevie, but despite his obvious talent, most of his early material was mass market pop fluff compared to his '70s work.

[Vacant Horizon]

Another one that started as a teeny bopper pop artist that transformed into a somewhat respected artist is Alanis Morrisette. Any Canadian's on the board of a certain age will no doubt recall seeing those awful dance music videos of hers back in the early 90s. I remember one video even had a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc... found it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPFnEJXuqz8

 

that was so bad i couldn't stop watching. oh man!!

[PopTodd]

Patti Smith.

The first line from the first song on her first album hit me like a fucking suckerpunch. And then, there was nothing for me after that.

[Jerrygarciaparra]

re : Beefheart

 

He's got some great albums but Trout Mask Replica is just not one that I pop on too often.

 

Shiny Beast, Doc at the Radar Station and Lick My Decals Off Baby are all much better albums IMHO.

 

That being said, TMR is about the coolest album cover ever and when I finally stumbled across a t-shirt here I bought it.

[tinnitus photography]

agreed; Beefheart does have better records than TMR...not sure why that one is singled out so often.

[GtrPlyr]

agreed; Beefheart does have better records than TMR...not sure why that one is singled out so often.

I guess because it's his most polarizing record it draws the most attention from writers and critics. I still listen to it on occasion and dig its adventurous spirit, but there's a few other records of his that I'd put above that one, Safe As Milk being at the top of that list.

[jff]

I love Trout Mask. It's like a different album every time I hear it. I think it gets singled out because of the cult-like (true) story of it's creation, and the numerous fictional versions (which are mostly bald-faced lies told by the Captain to various music journalists).

 

I like Lick My Decals Off, Baby better, though.

[LouieB]

I love a lot of Lucinda's early stuff, but her last few albums have left me bored and annoyed.

No one has gotten more annoying in the course of their career than Lucinda. I totally agree. She was a great singer songwriter who has just gotten ridiculous.

 

LouieB

[choo-choo-charlie]

Another one that started as a teeny bopper pop artist that transformed into a somewhat respected artist is Alanis Morrisette. Any Canadian's on the board of a certain age will no doubt recall seeing those awful dance music videos of hers back in the early 90s. I remember one video even had a pre-Friends Matt LeBlanc... found it:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPFnEJXuqz8

 

Sick bassline.