OT-what song or album totally ruined a band for you?

[Rick]

I have wondered that about him... Hmmm.... As for a song that completely ruined a band for me?? It wasn't a rock band, it was Garth Brooks. Yes, back in the day, I used to like Garth. Then "Friends in Low Places" came out. Holy crap! The kicker stations here played the crap outta that song. I can barely stand to look at him now.

That's because his fat, talentless ass is so huge that you can't see all of him unless you're standing 50 feet away. His top four most popular songs were written by other people, and he can only play chords on an acoustic guitar. He's exemplary of the complete lack of talent in the country genre...although I have to admit, he is a great showman, having been dragged to one of his shows by an ex-girlfriend of mine who was born in Mississippi.

Not sure if it is true, but was Garth Brooks originally a rocker and failed big time on it. Then tried his luck with Country?

Yeah, then he had that side project where he called himself Chris Gaines. That was weird as hell. He's extremely wealthy though.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Not sure if it is true, but was Garth Brooks originally a rocker and failed big time on it. Then tried his luck with Country?

According to Wiki, Garth Brooks started with country but did do the Chris Gaines thing. I believe he did that Chris Gaines bit in 98'/99' because I saw him host SNL and he started out the opening dialog in country attire and then took off the cowboy hat to expose very long hair (a wig of course), a tie-dyed shirt with little round dark glasses and began to do a Ozzy Osborn act like that of the video Iron Man with all the psychodelic colors and video. In this dialog, Brooks said that he was a country singer but before that, he was a rocker, which he lead into this Iron Man song. I thought it was pretty good how he did it, Youtube has failed me for the very first time tonight because it's not on there. I've got a copy of it on VHS though. Soon after I saw him on SNL, I found his Chris Gaines promo cd in 7-11 for a few dollars so I purchased it and brought it to work. I had a few die-hard country music female co-workers at that time and I showed them the cd cover and asked them if they knew who it was. They didn't so when I told them they about fell off their chairs.

About Brooks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Brooks

This is a very interesting account of how Chris Gaines came about and how Brooks ties into that fictional charactor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Gaines

[X factor]

I have wondered that about him... Hmmm.... As for a song that completely ruined a band for me?? It wasn't a rock band, it was Garth Brooks. Yes, back in the day, I used to like Garth. Then "Friends in Low Places" came out. Holy crap! The kicker stations here played the crap outta that song. I can barely stand to look at him now.

That's because his fat, talentless ass is so huge that you can't see all of him unless you're standing 50 feet away. His top four most popular songs were written by other people, and he can only play chords on an acoustic guitar. He's exemplary of the complete lack of talent in the country genre...although I have to admit, he is a great showman, having been dragged to one of his shows by an ex-girlfriend of mine who was born in Mississippi.

Not sure if it is true, but was Garth Brooks originally a rocker and failed big time on it. Then tried his luck with Country?

Yeah, then he had that side project where he called himself Chris Gaines. That was weird as hell. He's extremely wealthy though.

Nah, Garth was always a country performer, he's just always dug KISS and BILLY JOEL, etc... and yes, they guy is crazy as a bed bug. Ever seen him interviewed? Shite- the dude tears up more than Michael Landon in a sappy episode of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE.

[jrnyman28]

Garth tried to do rock music back in OKlahoma and was getting nowhere. Then he "went country" and took off! Makes sense, when he made a splash in country was when the rock that we loved was succumbing to grunge. He made the switch at the righ time. Of course, to be as successful as he is at it, there must have been country in him all along.

[lights1961]

jon parrs st elmos fire... UGH!!!

Rick

[mikemarrs]

i read somewhere that garth brooks has acually outsold elvis and the beatles in terms of record sales.

[MarcelJordan]

But this is the scary part:

Troubled by the conflicts between career and family, in 2001 Brooks officially retired from recording and performing.[1] During this time he has sold millions of albums through an exclusive distribution deal with Wal-Mart

[Fire99]

G n R - Spaghetti Incident ... just hated that album
Van Halen III - Has a couple of fineish moments.. but even the good songs sound disjointed..
Def Leppard - X - Im a huge leppard fan. Loved everything including Slang (eventually) Euphoria wasnt bad. but X was just one big step too far away from Rock. Saying that the ballad 'Long long way to go' that Lionel Richie has also sung is great in its own right. Even if Def Leppard didn't write it.
Metallica - St Anger. I hate this deliberate 'raw' production thing.. Sounded just like a quick hash-up in a rehearsal room.
Bon Jovi - Everything after 'These Days'.. 'Its my Life' is a great song but the rest of 'Crush' was pretty much dreadful and they seem to have gone down a strange path with their songs..
Skid Row - Post Sebastian Bach stuff is just too punky for my liking.. Saying that Subhuman Race was a little patchy.

[finalfight]

G n R - Spaghetti Incident ... just hated that album
Van Halen III - Has a couple of fineish moments.. but even the good songs sound disjointed..
Def Leppard - X - Im a huge leppard fan. Loved everything including Slang (eventually) Euphoria wasnt bad. but X was just one big step too far away from Rock. Saying that the ballad 'Long long way to go' that Lionel Richie has also sung is great in its own right. Even if Def Leppard didn't write it.
Metallica - St Anger. I hate this deliberate 'raw' production thing.. Sounded just like a quick hash-up in a rehearsal room.
Bon Jovi - Everything after 'These Days'.. 'Its my Life' is a great song but the rest of 'Crush' was pretty much dreadful and they seem to have gone down a strange path with their songs..
Skid Row - Post Sebastian Bach stuff is just too punky for my liking.. Saying that Subhuman Race was a little patchy.

Skid Row's first album post Bach Thick is the Skin is hardly punky. Thier new album is though and is extremely poor by comparison.

Journey's One More soiled Trial by Fire for me. Ditto the song Angel on the Judas Priest release Angel of Retribution.

[livin2do]

In 1995, the Goo Goo Dolls had their best album, A Boy Named Goo. It showed them reaching their top form, evolving from their post-punk sound with some great hooks that made me want to see what they would do next. What was it? Iris. It would become their biggest song, but it signaled that they were completely letting go of the attitude present in their early work, going the radio-ready route. That whole Dizzy Up The Girl album pissed me off, but Iris is the one song that ruined that band for me.

[marco17]

Didn't ruin the band for me, but I sure wasn't impressed at all with Bon Jovi's "This Left Feels Right".

Ahh, yeah, that sucked. Just more proof that you should leave the originals alone.

For those who mentioned Def Leppard's Slang... At the time I think it took a lot of people by surprise, but I think they had the right idea, and a lot of the sounds from that CD is what mainstream rock currently is and has been for the last 5+ years or so. I think the album was ahead of its time. I think they, a lot like Journey and many other bands, are stuck in ruts musically by a lot of their fanbase. People expected another Hysteria, they still do, and that wasn't what Slang was. Just as a lot of Journey fans are waiting for the next Frontiers.

[Fire99]

Skid Row's first album post Bach Thick is the Skin is hardly punky. Thier new album is though and is extremely poor by comparison.

.

It's been a long time since ive listened to it.. I'll have a relisten to Thick is the Skin and report back..

[Matthew]

...And Justice For All nearly ruined Metallica for me. Arrival by Journey was hard to take and it has altered the way I see the band. And Presto by Rush...which seemed to signal the end of their golden age at the time...and all the subsequent albums have justified that feeling. What others? Too Hot To Sleep by Survivor was a big disappointment after When Seconds Count and it was clearly all over for them....and the Union album by Yes was a huge step backward and I felt my enthusiasm drain away pretty quickly...although Talk did get them back on track.

I can forgive KISS anything though. Even Unmasked or The Elder didn't break the spell at all for me...

[BobbyinTN]

I never really liked them to begin with, but when "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" came out, I HATED Poison. The dude can't sing, they are midly talented and just fuckin' bad music.

Another song that I absolutely hate and it spoiled the band for me is "California Girls", Van Halen.

To me Van Halen is proof that even though your lead singer has supernatural stage presence, without a good singing voice it ain't worth listening to.

Scream Dave, scream!

[BobbyinTN]

billy squier was moving along pretty good until that video in '84 for 'rock me tonite' .in fact billy squier has confirmed in interviews that he is indeed gay.

I didn't really remember this song until now. I'm listening on You Tube and I have to say it's a pretty good song. He kind of sounds like the lead singer of the Scorpions.

But yeah, that video is pure campy cheese. I don't think being gay (if he is gay, which I don't think he is) negates his musicianship, but that weird dance and Mick Jagger impersonation is just too fuckin' funny.

[jrnyman28]

Another song that I absolutely hate and it spoiled the band for me is "California Girls", Van Halen.

Not to nitpick but "California Girls" was covered by DLR not VH...

[BobbyinTN]

Another song that I absolutely hate and it spoiled the band for me is "California Girls", Van Halen.

Not to nitpick but "California Girls" was covered by DLR not VH...

Oh, sorry 'bout that, but still, Diamond Dave is just not a good singer. Just to reinforce my negative attitude about Van Halen, how about "Jump".

I hate that one more than "California Girls".

[Red13JoePa]

Subhuman Race killed Skid Row.

Disagree.

Songs like Firesign, Breaking Down, My Enemy, Beat Yourself Blind and Into Another keep weird songs like the title track and Medicine Jar and Bonehead from ruining it.


Also, Motley's Generation Swine getting too many votes here. Not with Afraid, Beauty and Wreck Me (Yes, that IS Vince Neil on lead vox; badass) on it, those are too good to discount.

[jrnyman28]

Both CD's did not live up to commercial expectations and hurt the bands. Subhuman Race was the last to feature Bas and the Crue quickly returned to their signature sound after Swine. The Crue recovered, hard to say the Skid's did...

But really, this is about personal opinions. I haven't given either band much attention since. Although I am one of the few that found enjoyment in Skid's RPM disc. Did you ever give it a listen JoePa?

[Red13JoePa]

Both CD's did not live up to commercial expectations and hurt the bands. Subhuman Race was the last to feature Bas and the Crue quickly returned to their signature sound after Swine. The Crue recovered, hard to say the Skid's did...

But really, this is about personal opinions. I haven't given either band much attention since. Although I am one of the few that found enjoyment in Skid's RPM disc. Did you ever give it a listen JoePa?

Got Revolutions Per Minute the day it came out and love it. To me it's all about Sabo and Hill weaving the axes anyway in Skid Row.
F Bach, I think they covered Strength just because he never would have wanted to.

You Lie is one of the best songs they've made, too.

[mikemarrs]

the thing that killed motleys momentum is they were one of the biggest bands in the world in 91 when its greatest hits 'decade' came out it was right after dr. feelgood had like seven top ten songs on the radio and sold over five million in a little over a year and their last few albums including decade were i the top five.then vince was fired in '92 and nirvana and pearl jam came along and ended the hair band thing that was huge so that along with a nice singer in '94 doomed the self titled motley with john corabi.hell there was some good shit on there but the majority hated it.MTV didn't support motley because it and others had moved on to alternative style rock so this album flopped.the swine album with the return of vince also didn't sell and pissed a few fans off because fans said motley tried to sound grunge on swine but songs like afraid and a few others are pretty good.seems like a lot of bands in the mid or late 90's that were hair bands did try new things and most fans weren't accepting it.things like def leppard slang,skid row subhuman race,motley crue generation swine,warrant ultraphobic,etc.

[jrnyman28]

The hair band era was imploding. I see three levels of each fad: the innovators, the mass popularity, the knock-offs. The hair band era was through the knock-offs. That allowed grunge to take hold. Grunge did not kill the rock era. This definately left bands of that era in a difficult position: how to adapt and continue. Fact is, grunge was such a hugh sweeping change that most bands could not adapt. And when they tried, it sounded phony so they lost any cred they may have had. Those attempts could have been sincere but perception rules and the perception was phony. And sadly, while I am certain there are gems on all those records, overall the perception was that these records were not good.

Change is hard, evolution should be natural but complete change?

On the flip side, much of the music I was listing was more about burnout or image. Yet a lot of it seems to go back to a band changing which created all that attention and overplaying and stereotyping...

[Red13JoePa]

What I do know about the so-called "Hair Metal" vs the Grunge Elitists debate is that Vince Neil would kick Dave Grohl's ass.

[jrnyman28]

What I do know about the so-called "Hair Metal" vs the Grunge Elitists debate is that Vince Neil would kick Dave Grohl's ass.

Not a chance...Vince would stumble over a cigarette butt and knock himself out on the side of the bar.

[Deb]

Bon Jovi - Everything after 'These Days'.. 'Its my Life' is a great song but the rest of 'Crush' was pretty much dreadful and they seem to have gone down a strange path with their songs..

Disagree, I kinda liked 'Captain Crash and Beauty Queen from Mars'. It's a fun song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb1-Cttr ... re=related

[Red13JoePa]

I'll take One Wild Night and It's My Life (the deceptive first single) and trash the rest of Crush. Brutal album.

[Fire99]

the thing that killed motleys momentum is they were one of the biggest bands in the world in 91 when its greatest hits 'decade' came out it was right after dr. feelgood had like seven top ten songs on the radio and sold over five million in a little over a year and their last few albums including decade were i the top five.then vince was fired in '92 and nirvana and pearl jam came along and ended the hair band thing that was huge so that along with a nice singer in '94 doomed the self titled motley with john corabi.hell there was some good shit on there but the majority hated it.MTV didn't support motley because it and others had moved on to alternative style rock so this album flopped.the swine album with the return of vince also didn't sell and pissed a few fans off because fans said motley tried to sound grunge on swine but songs like afraid and a few others are pretty good.seems like a lot of bands in the mid or late 90's that were hair bands did try new things and most fans weren't accepting it.things like def leppard slang,skid row subhuman race,motley crue generation swine,warrant ultraphobic,etc.

That self titled Motley Album of '94 is fantastic.. i still listen to it now.. hugely underrated IMO and perhaps their most serious album to date.

[mikemarrs]

yep that '94 motley had some very good stuff.the day i bought it when it came out my brother who gave up on them in the mid 80's said he loved it because they had that heavy nasty vibe back and the music kicked ass and wasn't overly commercial like the girls and feelgood stuff.

[piecesofeight]

Mr Roboto- Styx.

That so sucked and I will even go one back further with Paradise Theatre..when I saw that crap on MTV..I was wondering where in the hell did my POE, Cornerstone and especially GI Styx go. While I am a huge DDY fan..I still shake my head at the fact that he kept getting further and further away from what he did with the GI album.


As far as the original comment about Metallica covering Turn The Page. I thought it was better than the original..which I couldn't even listen to. It wasn't off the hook..but listenable.


Def Leppard for me pretty much lost if after Hysteria..again..the started to go so far from what made them good.

[Rhiannon]

"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" ruined the Backstreet Boys for me. What?!? Don't laugh, I'm serious. As a teenager of the latter 90s, avoiding those songs were damn near impossible (thanks, Abingdon High Senior prom 2000!!). Not that I liked them to begin with, but I'll admit to listening to and remembering most of the songs. I had the boy band phase years before they came along w/ NKOTB.