Worst sell out?

[jimmyjazz 46118]

3 minutes ago, NWBuck said:

I agree with much of this, but wasn't Chicago's situation put in motion by Kath's death?

Not really. . . Peter Cetera was a founding member, and his fingerprints were all over cheesy hits recorded before Kath died ("Wishing You Were Here", "If You Leave Me Now", "Baby What a Big Surprise").

[DalTxHornFan 3116]

8 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Not really. . . Peter Cetera was a founding member, and his fingerprints were all over cheesy hits recorded before Kath died ("Wishing You Were Here", "If You Leave Me Now", "Baby What a Big Surprise").

One of their documentaries said something to the effect that Chicago already had enough established rock music for radio airplay from their first 7 albums so that they needed to go in a different direction if they wanted to put anything new on the airwaves.  Of course, most all of that post-Chicago 7 stuff sucked balls.  I still appreciate their earlier body of work.

[utee94 15860]

2 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I was just going to mention REO. From roll with the changes to I can’t fight this feeling. Jesus shitdicks why would you want to turn into air fucking supply.

Same thing happened to Foreigner.  Going from Hot Blooded and Urgent, to "I Wanna Know What Love Is" is just sad and embarrassing.

 

[Underdog 28771]

We’re supposed to hate on Air Supply now? Who’s next?  Leo Sayer? 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

2 minutes ago, Underdog said:

We’re supposed to hate on Air Supply now? Who’s next?  Leo Sayer? 

Now? I have hated Air Supply since I was a kid. It makes me want to crank some metal to dangerous levels.

[Underdog 28771]

You’re all out of love for AS? 

[cactusflinthead 27601]

10 minutes ago, Underdog said:

You’re all out of love for AS? 

From the first time I heard them I knew they had no Elvis. I was 5. 

I don't care if one of my favorite bands sells out. I haven't spent a dime on ZZ Top in years. We Built This City is a bottom five all time haterific song. The early stuff of both are still worth hearing and sharing. Go get that slushy pop music money. Get alllll tge ad money. Do it. Don't care.

"We're Only In It For The Money" Frank Zappa

 

Edit: Hell, they had the Light Crust Dough Boys. And Dolly hawked laundry detergent with Porter.

Don't care.

Edited December 26, 2021 by cactusflinthead

[Deej 76903]

8 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

From the first time I heard them I knew they had no Elvis. I was 5. 

I don't care if one of my favorite bands sells out. I haven't spent a dime on ZZ Top in years. We Built This City is a bottom five all time haterific song. The early stuff of both are still worth hearing and sharing. Go get that slushy pop music money. Get alllll tge ad money. Do it. Don't care.

"We're Only In It For The Money" Frank Zappa

 

Edit: Hell, they had the Light Crust Dough Boys. And Dolly hawked laundry detergent with Porter.

Don't care.

I would have paid to see Dolly take her top off to put in the wash with whatever detergent she was hawking. 

[DalTxHornFan 3116]

22 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Hell, they had the Light Crust Dough Boys.

 

[Guest Lobo]

You'd think the Rolling Stones official channel would know that show did not take place in 2005.  

I'm still confused, we talking about bands that pivoted to shitty music to make more money.  Or bands that licensed songs to crappy shows/commercials/movies/jingles?  

I'd have to put Aerosmith way up at the top of both lists.  I don't hate 'em, used to play 'em all the time on my radio show.  I just never got the allure of Aerosmith.  You can say that about a lot of popular bands, but none with their 50-year history and top-of-the-chart album sales success. They've sold out every which way but loose.  And loose.  They haven't done an honest day of artistry in over 30 years.  It's just bastardized bullshit year in and year out for nothing but cash.  NTTAWWT, but calling them a rock band since the mid 90's has been a fucking joke.

[DalTxHornFan 3116]

J

2 minutes ago, Lobo said:

You'd think the Rolling Stones official channel would know that show did not take place in 2005.  

Just a commentary on the fact that Bob Wills, of Light Crust Doughboy fame, "Is Still the King."  There are lots of ways that folks that make great music can get paid.

[Guest Lobo]

Yeah, I have no issue with that.  Still like the Stones, love that they played that song in Austin.  Just thought somebody could get the year right for a band with some guys that don't have that many left...Richards notwithstanding.  Hence my comment, "you think they'd know the show did not take place in 2005."  Had absolutely zero to do with judging them for the song and the Light Crust Doughboy angle.  Loved hearing that live right after we moved close to Zilker Park.  That was such a great night.  

[NWBuck 8585]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

They've sold out every which way but loose.  And loose.  They haven't done an honest day of artistry in over 30 years.  It's just bastardized bullshit year in and year out for nothing but cash.  NTTAWWT, but calling them a rock band since the mid 90's has been a fucking joke.

Totally agree. I could say the same thing about KISS, but they were commercialized from the jump. 

Not that they didn't have some great songs, but it was always about selling themselves 

[DougO 5256]

Speaking of Taco Bell, they also produced the BEST sell out of all time.

 

 

 

[GhostOfTomJoad 9350]

KISS was never about rock or art or music. They were about merchandising and branding. Their intentions were pure: make a buck. Then another. Gene and Paul owned it from the start. You can't sell out when you've been schlock from the start.

[DougO 5256]

4 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Not really. . . Peter Cetera was a founding member, and his fingerprints were all over cheesy hits recorded before Kath died ("Wishing You Were Here", "If You Leave Me Now", "Baby What a Big Surprise").

True. Cetera's growing influence was largely a a product of Kath's addictions, everybody else coked up and creatively drying up. 

[Buzzrock 14937]

3/4 of Rage Against the Machine devolving to Audioslave.

The mirror opposite would be 3/4 of Creed becoming Alter Bridge.

[Guest Lobo]

1 hour ago, NWBuck said:

Totally agree. I could say the same thing about KISS, but they were commercialized from the jump. 

Not that they didn't have some great songs, but it was always about selling themselves 

Yep, they weren't as stupid as they looked though.  You couldn't trademark/copyright a human face/likeness back in those days.  But you could with a character.  So at the risk of losing out on their in-person "gravitas"...they painted up and those four "characters" were all theirs for the payment.  Quite clever actually in a time where everybody was clamoring to have their actual face in photos/magazines/tv shows/tabloid/etc.

[jimmyjazz 46118]

Let's not diminish the insane hookiness of KISS' songwriting.  They wrote a dozen pop/rock masterpieces.

[NWBuck 8585]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

Yep, they weren't as stupid as they looked though.  You couldn't trademark/copyright a human face/likeness back in those days.  But you could with a character.  So at the risk of losing out on their in-person "gravitas"...they painted up and those four "characters" were all theirs for the payment.  Quite clever actually in a time where everybody was clamoring to have their actual face in photos/magazines/tv shows/tabloid/etc.

Totally agree... Brilliant, but not exactly musically so. 

[tbone_ 14157]

Let's not diminish the insane hookiness of KISS' songwriting.  They wrote a dozen pop/rock masterpieces.

Really? I can only think of 3 or 4 and a whole bunch that are really really bad.

[Napoleon 8699]

First you heard the commercial and thought... "Hey, wait a minute! Is that...?"

 

 

Then you heard the explanation of the sell out... along with the extended radio version.

 

[Don Johnson 4755]

Agree with those who say Rod Stewart.  Went from this

To this

 

And eventually this

 

 

[jimmyjazz 46118]

11 hours ago, tbone_ said:

Really? I can only think of 3 or 4 and a whole bunch that are really really bad.

Going album by album, I'd say:

 

Black Diamond

Rock and Roll All Nite

Detroit Rock City

King Of The Nighttime World

Shout It Out Loud

Calling Doctor Love

Hard Luck Woman

Christine Sixteen

Love Gun

 

So, nine, and I'm not counting "Beth" because it's stupid, or "Strutter", because it's more anemic than it should be.  So I overshot a bit.

[tbone_ 14157]

Yea I guess so.

I was huge fan back in the day as a little kid. Now I go back and listen and it all just seems so bad, even the good ones, compared to the quality of real music that was being created by others at the same time.

[jimmyjazz 46118]

2 minutes ago, tbone_ said:

Yea I guess so.

I was huge fan back in the day as a little kid. Now I go back and listen and it all just seems so bad, even the good ones, compared to the quality of real music that was being created by others at the same time.

The playing is absolutely pedestrian, but they could write a hook now and again.  I still think Paul Stanley is a great rock vocalist.

[tbone_ 14157]

I actually think the playing is ok. It’s the songs themselves, arrangements, production, tone, etc that just never seem quite right to me.

But yes on hooks. And def agree on Paul Stanley. Hell of an arena rock voice.

[smuggs 9353]

 

[jimmyjazz 46118]

I can top that:

 

[jimmyjazz 46118]

This one isn't as bad . . . it's an extremely low bar . . . at least it has more than one verse:

 

[tbone_ 14157]

Ok I’m not sure what I’m supposed to think about those Paul Stanley videos.

But one good thing I can say about the second one is it took me to this completely unrelated example of pure genius

[Napoleon 8699]

I noticed a recurring theme (instrument) in the latter songs that were sellout songs that sucked ass.

 

[Paul Wesley 3289]

4 hours ago, tbone_ said:

I was huge fan back in the day as a little kid. Now I go back and listen and it all just seems so bad, even the good ones, compared to the quality of real music that was being created by others at the same time.

Agree 100%. 
 

They had every bit as big a budget as any of their peers.  But the drums sound terrible - and I’m not saying terrible compared to Bonham + Glyn Johns - but terrible compared to just about any band on a major label.  
 

Ditto for the guitars, which seem to be shooting for “muffled fart” sonically.  
 

And I understand that the whole thing was never intended to have any more integrity than a Wiggles TV special, but dammit if the Wiggles’ vinyl doesn’t hit a lot fucking harder.  

[jimmyjazz 46118]

Let's be clear:  I made no comment on the recordings.  I only commented on the songwriting, which had massive hooks, at least every once in awhile.

 

[tbone_ 14157]

It’s just disheartening to my 4th grade self singing Ladies Room (with zero idea what it was about) in the lunch line that they didn’t turn out to be the real thing.

[Deej 76903]

On 12/27/2021 at 3:57 PM, Napoleon said:

I noticed a recurring theme (instrument) in the latter songs that were sellout songs that sucked ass.

 

 

[zlavydra 2123]

Can't believe no one has mentioned Morgoth or Xentrix.

[hullabelew 3724]

On 12/27/2021 at 3:32 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I can top that:

 

Wow.  Never knew this existed.  What a train wreck.  

On the plus side:  String Section Sex Kittens:   5 stars
Never knew Gary Rossington played the drums.

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by hullabelew

[83Horn 1647]

On 12/26/2021 at 5:43 PM, Lobo said:

You'd think the Rolling Stones official channel would know that show did not take place in 2005.  

I'm still confused, we talking about bands that pivoted to shitty music to make more money.  Or bands that licensed songs to crappy shows/commercials/movies/jingles?  

I'd have to put Aerosmith way up at the top of both lists.  I don't hate 'em, used to play 'em all the time on my radio show.  I just never got the allure of Aerosmith.  You can say that about a lot of popular bands, but none with their 50-year history and top-of-the-chart album sales success. They've sold out every which way but loose.  And loose.  They haven't done an honest day of artistry in over 30 years.  It's just bastardized bullshit year in and year out for nothing but cash.  NTTAWWT, but calling them a rock band since the mid 90's has been a fucking joke.

Yeah, I was never a huge fan of Aerosmith, but I did like some of their early stuff.  I checked out on them completely when they appeared in a Super Bowl halftime show performing Walk This Way with Brittney Spears and NSYNC.

[Paul Wesley 3289]

On 12/27/2021 at 2:32 PM, jimmyjazz said:

I can top that:

 

I just watched that.  It made me think of the scene from "Popstar: Never stop never stopping" where Samberg realizes he's surrounded by people who are afraid to tell him when one of his ideas is horrible.

[DougO 5256]

I always thought Kiss sucked. I never considered them as selling out because their entire career was selling out.

[jimmyjazz 46118]

4 hours ago, DougO said:

I always thought Kiss sucked. I never considered them as selling out because their entire career was selling out.

I am sorry you have a cold dark heart.

[honolulu horn 6165]

13 hours ago, DougO said:

I always thought Kiss sucked. I never considered them as selling out because their entire career was selling out.

[NWBuck 8585]

23 hours ago, DougO said:

I always thought Kiss sucked. I never considered them as selling out because their entire career was selling out.

That may be true, but they saved Santa, so they're all right by me. 

(can't believe that I forgot that pterodactyls not standing the screech of a guitar. thanks Paul!)

[HiggyBaby 2545]

[HiggyBaby 2545]

This one bugged me too

[HiggyBaby 2545]

I think the Cars were guilty at one point too of selling office products

[Biff Tannen 45727]

On 1/7/2022 at 11:23 AM, HiggyBaby said:

I hated them before and I REALLY FUCKING HATED THEM AFTER THIS.

[Biff Tannen 45727]

A stupid contribution on my part, but My Chemical Romance used to be a kind of hard, dark, thrashy sound before they discovered they could be bubble gum pop dipshits.  Whatever.  

On the opposite side, I'll say Kacey Musgraves has yet to sell out, especially considering her songwriting subjects in that genre and the pressures of that ilk.  Get em Kacey.

[Neonmoon 38130]

“selling out” is the dumbest critique of any artist. Specifically, it is an imaginary and arbitrary judgment of artists for monetizing their work. Every artist sells out on some level, the only difference is what level is acceptable to each individual fan. It’s an ever moving stupid target. Every single band in history has sold out to make the radio. If you’ve heard a song, then the artist has made creative concessions to the man to get on the radio. So you’re not actually mad at an artist selling out, your mad at the level of work. I can name a bunch of songs that were artists fully selling out but yet the songs were amazing, so they are accepted.