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60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 02:41
by Nolamike
Jeff K wrote:Lance Matthew wrote:So are there any '60s/'70s soul singers who aren't revered around here?
Years ago I started a thread asking why soul in general gets a free pass around here as far as criticism goes. You very seldom, if ever, see a negative word written about any soul or R&B artist. I remember saying I was never fond of Aretha Franklin and a few of you thought I was nuts.
Alright, let's identify the ones we don't think were as good. I'll start with a big one....
Barry White. Eh, some tracks are fine, but I've just never been able to get into him, and never saw what all the fuss was about.
That actually felt kinda good to say.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 03:43
by Count Machuki
Earth Hot Air & No Fire.
Vapid pop with big band arrangements for people who can't stand the heat of the funk.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 03:43
by Matt Wilson
I'm waiting for Davey's list.
It's going to be a hell of a meritocracy you know.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 05:50
by Davey the Fat Boy
Truth be told, I don't dislike many soul artists from this period. But the premise that just about any soul artist who had a hit during this time is now showered with undeserved praise these days is demonstrably wrong. Anyone see anyone around here showering love on The Sylvers, Eddie Holman. Heatwave, Anita Ward, Sylvester, or OC Smith lately? Hell - if anything soul artists get short shrift here compared to leaden classic rock crap merchants like Jethro Tull.
Oh yeah...and EWF were great - and Barry White was a stone-freaking genius. You folks should be ashamed.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 07:11
by Bungo the Mungo
Al 'Boring' Green
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 07:28
by Davey the Fat Boy
C'mon John. Be honest. Does this bore you?
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 07:32
by bobzilla77
I can't say I liked the slick Philly stuff over much. You could probably post one or two examples of undeniable tunes but hearing that stuff all the time was not my cup of tea in general.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 07:48
by toomanyhatz
There is some late-70s funk that sometimes hits a sour note for me when it gets a bit too muso. Some Commodores and even Kool and the Gang suffers for it a bit, though of course those two have also provided some truly magic moments.
On the whole, though, it's undeniable- there was something in the air between about '65 & '78 or so. To deny it is to look for things to dislike. And the "pro" arguments re: folks like Al Green and Aretha Franklin are simply more convincing than the opposite. The batting percentage of all but a scant few- and I honestly can't think of who they might be right now- is pretty remarkable.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 07:51
by The Modernist
Sir John Coan wrote:Al 'Boring' Green
I have some sympathy with this view. Some of his music can sound very generic, I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike him, but I've never fully understood the fuss that surrounds him.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 08:10
by clive gash
The vast majority of George Clinton's output. Wildly scatalogical and puerile, an inch of musical material stretched and weakened to transparency and dreadfully indulgent - fratboy funk.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 08:20
by Bungo the Mungo
neville harp wrote:The vast majority of George Clinton's output. Wildly scatalogical and puerile, an inch of musical material stretched and weakened to transparency and dreadfully indulgent - fratboy funk.
Some of the later Funkadelic stuff annoys me, and I haven't found much in his solo work to enjoy.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 08:21
by Belle Lettre
The Stylistics.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 08:38
by Walk In My Shadow
I have a couple of big ones I don't care much for.
Marvin Gaye
Stevie Wonder
I'm more of a Otis, Bobby, Wilson man.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 09:19
by whodathunkit
The Modernist wrote:Sir John Coan wrote:Al 'Boring' Green
I have some sympathy with this view. Some of his music can sound very generic, I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike him, but I've never fully understood the fuss that surrounds him.
I often find myself wishing he would just get on with the fucking song and stop groaning and gasping like an old bloke putting his socks on. I was introduced through mix club to some of his excellent earlier stuff when he was just a sweet country soul singer and hadn't started piling on the vocal mannerisms.
As you dig deeper into 60s/70s soul, there is plenty of second rate stuff (and an amazing number of lost gems). But these are usually one offs from artists you never hear from again. On the whole this was a genre in which the cream rose to the top.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 09:24
by mantochanga
Count Machuki wrote:Earth Hot Air & No Fire.
Vapid pop with big band arrangements for people who can't stand the heat of the funk.
That's The Way of The World is a great album - and (rarely seen) film (starring EWF and Harvey Keitel as a hot shot producer who can't find time for the funk cos he's gotta produce some lame-o Carpenters-type act - nb. all value judgements taken straight from the film, you understand).
On the no-like pile, James Brown. Bereft of melody. I am impressed by Live At the Apollo, but only in terms of military regimentation. (I work near Horseguards Parade so maybe I'm too used to this kind of thing.)
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 09:27
by The Modernist
Count Machuki wrote:Earth Hot Air & No Fire.
Vapid pop with big band arrangements for people who can't stand the heat of the funk.
You really should check out their early albums. Cosmic jazz funk with the spiritual vibes of the early seventies. And they had Charles Stepney on board for a number of albums. Vapid pop is just a silly description.
I'd take them above Al Green any day.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 12:09
by Davey the Fat Boy
What a depressing thread.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 14:32
by Nolamike
pig bodine wrote: I LOVE Philly soul--it's the music of my childhood, and The Stylistics debut is a 5 star album (the top 2% of my collection.)
Man, that "You're a big girl now! No more daddy's little girl!" - that one just
slays me. I recently reduced a good friend to tears by giving him some bourbon and playing that track for him the day before his daughter's sixth birthday.
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 15:01
by Snarfyguy
Count Machuki wrote:Earth Hot Air & No Fire.
Vapid pop with big band arrangements for people who can't stand the heat of the funk.
I saw them live around 10 years ago and they were fantastic. I'm not the biggest soul fan, but they really brought it.
Davey the Fat Boy wrote: Anyone see anyone around here showering love on The Sylvers...
I certainly don't shower them with love, but one of the first records I ever bought was Boogie Fever. Great tune!
Re: 60s/70s Soul Artists We Don't Like
Posted: 22 Sep 2010, 15:16
by Nolamike
pig bodine wrote:Snarfyguy wrote:one of the first records I ever bought was Boogie Fever. Great tune!
I tried calling in sick at work with boogie fever and another time with love-itis. Both times I was told that if I didn't come in, I was fired.
Everyone knows pigs can't catch boogie fever.