'Great' Acts Hated by the Music Press

[Hot Pepsi]

The sleeve notes on Depeche Mode's 81-85 Singles compilation LP featured a positive and negative review for each track. I remember comments along the lines of "When I first heard this, I really laughed" and "I've heard more melody coming out of Paul Weller's arsehole". I think the former was about People Are People, which was indeed a shocker. I'm not sure anyone would call DM great on the back of any of those early singles, mind.

I don’t agree with any of that. The the shitness of their lyrics is what appealed to me. When you’re 14-15-16 and depressed and in a culture where everyone is trying to be cool and ironic by pretending they don’t care about anything, it’s wonderfully refeshing to hear somebody just singing so simply and literally and not being afraid for it to not be clever. Like “we’re not really musicians but we’re going to make songs out of whatever we can and if you don’t like it then fuck you.”

I know that the band itself doesn’t like People are People, but I do. The clanging bits were really different than anything I’d heard before and most of the guys I knew thought they were “faggots,” which makes me like them even more.

[Felicity, I guess so]

Noticeable that hardly any of the DM negative reviews are NME, in reality. As for Rush, always hated them, both for the way my prog school friends went on and on about them and for the right wing lyrics

[Stumpy Pepys]

To return to the thread title, Led Zeppelin were mostly reviled by the music press, despite shifting truckloads of records and later attaining a status that's unimpeachable.

And whatever you think of Queen, they were hardly critics' favourites either.

[VTTBoscombe]

Another sub group (hah!) for this could be bands who are liked by the UK music press and hated by the US Music Press.
An example that pops up was Led Zeppelin.

[Me Old Flower]

The latter was actually said by Paul Weller, about Leave In Silence: "I've heard more melody coming out of Kenny Wheeler's arsehole," from Melody Maker 21.8.1982. I have no idea who that is, incidentally.

I have the DM compilation and wondered too. Then I read an article in Uncut which stated that Wheeler is Weller's long-time tour manager.

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm pretty sure that the solo Lennon and McCartney were slagged mercilessly. Even Lennon's death did not give him a pass. but 'Great' applied to them was in the past tense after 1971.

But that was also a good thing, compared to later. Sacred cows were there to be shot down in 1977-83, whereas later we had Q and Mojo wankery over dinosaur acts.

[Disco Child Ballads]

The Bee Gees have struck me as never getting the praise they really deserve.

[3 Colours Red]

Another sub group (hah!) for this could be bands who are liked by the UK music press and hated by the US Music Press.
An example that pops up was Led Zeppelin.

I'm guessing that the Americans were more familiar with the acts that Zep were plagiarising.

[Patrick Thistle]

I'm going to nominate The Tragically Hip here, although I think they were just ignored rather than hated.

[Satchmo Distel]

Would The Cranberries qualify for this thread? Would coincide with the Melody Maker careers of wingco, Spearmint Rhino, etc.

[MsD]

I've just seen Wingco's RIP to her on FB, actually. He doesn't pretend to have liked them but acknowledges that other people did. And, yes.

[Hot Pepsi]

As for Rush, always hated them, both for the way my prog school friends went on and on about them and for the right wing lyrics

My feelings exactly, I tended to judge them by the annoying cult around them rather than the sound itself. I've found, in retrospect, that I like some of their songs, but not enough to want to listen to a whole album of theirs. That's pretty much my approach to prog and AOR in general.*

I suspect that the press might have felt the same way. If they'd just been a relatively unknown band doing their "we're all really good musicians, you know" thing, then maybe they'd be regarded by the cognoscenti in the same way as God Speed You Black Emperor or Tortoise or somebody like that. Not sure.

*Growing up on cassettes, listening to a whole album - usually multiple times in a row - was the default approach to music, even though that was probably only worthwhile about half the time. The rest of the time, I'd have rather just had a single or two from it and ditch the rest. But I didn't own a turntable that could record onto cassette, so vinyl wasn't good value for me, since about 75% of the music I listened to was via walkman or in the car. So now that I'm liberated from that, I prefer to have a spotify playlist of 3000+ songs on shuffle.

[Jah Womble]

Isn't it 'Garry Bushnell'? Just realised, I don't care.

I think Supergrass were never given the respect they deserved. But I am quite biased in this matter.

a) No. (But correct not to care.)

b) I can't especially recall the press sticking it to Supergrass (or ignoring them) - their first couple of albums received very good reviews, IIRC. Rightly so, if that was indeed the case - they were regarded as a pretty straight-up rock band, but very good and energetic in what they were doing. Bags of good songs on that debut, IMO.

[Arturo]

a) No. (But correct not to care.)

b) I can't especially recall the press sticking it to Supergrass (or ignoring them) - their first couple of albums received very good reviews, IIRC. Rightly so, if that was indeed the case - they were regarded as a pretty straight-up rock band, but very good and energetic in what they were doing. Bags of good songs on that debut, IMO.

I can remember their third album getting properly slated in either NME or Melody Maker. A bit unfairly in my opinion as I don't think it's a major step down from the first two.

[Sits]

But failed to match it I reckon. In It For The Money has been a sleeper in my CD collection since I bought it about twenty years ago, and has never really woken up.

Rather like World Party's* Egyprology which, despite containing the original of She's The One^ failed to measure up to Bang and especially Goodbye Jumbo.

* see upthread
^ see people pinching other people's hits thread

Edit: to Jah. Mine crossed with Arturo's.

[Satchmo Distel]

Bands had to pass a politics test, especially when someone like Steven Wells (RIP) was the writer. Spear of Destiny, IIRC, were perceived to be somewhat right-wing, as was Gary Numan (a self-confessed Tory, IIRC).

[Moonlight Shadow]

I remember Manowar being the subject of endless mockery in the two French heavy metal mags I used to read and a stream of readers letter's complaining about it....

Never got to the bottom of the "Are they really that thick or is it a big act" question, after reading some interviews with them...

[Jah Womble]

I can remember their third album getting properly slated in either NME or Melody Maker. A bit unfairly in my opinion as I don't think it's a major step down from the first two.

But failed to match it I reckon. In It For The Money has been a sleeper in my CD collection since I bought it about twenty years ago, and has never really woken up.

I Should Coco was a spanker of a debut, IMO - those punchy early singles were all in place, while Lose It (a personal favourite that holds memories) and others also still sound great. In It For the Money - which despite turning up two years later - felt a little rushed to me, but has been lauded by some critics as far more focused. Whatever, it contained some good moments and a few more very strong singles. The eponymous third felt like a big drop-off in impact, while the final trio I'm not sure I've even heard.

Edit: There are some slightly odd half-stories about Danny Goffey getting reprimanded for constantly disappearing from recording the second album to work with his missus (Pearl Lowe out of Powder), as well as Parlophone offering the band extra money (never received, apparently) to come up with a title, as they were taking so long bickering over it.

[Toby Gymshorts]

There are some slightly odd half-stories about Danny Goffey getting reprimanded for constantly disappearing from recording the second album to work with his missus (Pearl Lowe out of Powder)

Supposedly the inspiration for Going Out.

Anyway. I loved / still love Supergrass. Got lots of time for Road to Rouen as an album, too.

[Hot Pepsi]

Another sub group (hah!) for this could be bands who are liked by the UK music press and hated by the US Music Press.
An example that pops up was Led Zeppelin.

But wasn't it opposite with the fans? I though LZ were much bigger over here. No?

Led Zeppelin aren't my favorite band by any stretch, but I often think that they're the greatest rock band ever. I don't know how to explain that more clearly.

Certainly, I rate them higher than the Stones and I find that I listen to them a lot more than I listen to the Beatles. Not that that's the whole universe of "greatness" but whenever VH1 or whomever does a "BEST BANDS EVER" thing, it seems to always come down to those three with Zeppelin usually finishing third. So if that's the choice - which it shouldn't be - I'll go with LZ, despite the misogyny. I prefer their Dungeons & Dragons shit anyway. They just had so many good hooks.

Unfortunately, they were frequently imitated, almost always badly.

[Ray de Galles]

As for Rush, always hated them, both for the way my prog school friends went on and on about them and for the right wing lyrics

I've been listening to Rush and attending their gigs for nearly 40 years and I've never divined or absorbed any of the right wing lyrics. I don't doubt that there's probably some there due to Neil Peart's flirtation with Ayn Rand's ultra-libertarian waffle in the seventies but it's hardly something I'd say is prominent in their work. The over-riding themes (at least of the pre-1981 albums that I listen to) are wibbly-wobbly sci-fi and the usual mythological claptrap. It's interesting that the Manics are huge Rush fans, the lyrics don't seem to a be a problem for them.

[Artificial Hipster]

It's The Trees innit, a dystopian All Things Bright and Beautiful. The oaks are the rich man in his castle, the maples the poor man at his gate. As I think has been said he's since put it down to youthful ignorance though.

[Giggler]

Supposedly the inspiration for Going Out.

Anyway. I loved / still love Supergrass. Got lots of time for Road to Rouen as an album, too.

St Petersburg is a great song. I'll never not be convinced that Road To Rouen has the Stockport viaduct on the cover too.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Tales of Endurance (Parts 4, 5 and 6) has a wanky title, but it's a superb album opener. Plus Fin has a special place in my heart, after I saw them play it live at their farewell London gig. After which I became friends with Mick Quinn on Facebook, and he sent me a lovely message thanking me for my support* over the years.

*I should add that this support took the form of buying records, going to gigs, etc. I don't think we're terribly close.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Listening to Low C now. Gentle country / folk rock backing for some poignant lyrics.

Gaz Coombes was (is) an underrated lyricist IMHO.