Sometimes, for whatever reason, you miss falling in love with a band at the height of their popularity. Perhaps you were too young, or you weren't into that particular genre at the time. Maybe you'd heard of the band, but you needed a friend to introduce you to their music.
Whatever the case, when it clicks...it really clicks. This clicking feeling is generally followed by beating yourself up over the fact that you didn't like them sooner, especially if they're dead/defunct/really old.
I never knew much about the Pixies in the late 80s and early 90s. To be fair, I was six years old when Surfer Rosa was released. In my early 20s, I met a friend that was obsessed with their music, and it lead me to give them a listen. Frank Black's gruff and earnest vocals captured my attention immediately, and I was intrigued by his many alter egos.
The only song I knew by Faith No More when I was a teenager was "Epic", but years later, I discovered the many works of Mike Patton: Mr. Bungle, Tomahawk, Fantomas, and my favorite: Peeping Tom.
Kris and I were listening to the double disc Best of Radiohead collection last week, and he couldn't help but note one of the songs from early in their career was reminiscent of The Stone Roses. I admitted that I was familiar with the name, but I'd missed hearing them entirely, and here I sit listening to them for the first time. I like it.
Which bands do you enjoy now that you wish you'd discovered sooner?
Pavement and Morphine come to mind... two bands that I should have been into a long, long time ago. Stuff that I remember looking at while working at Sam Goody, lots that you can tell me an album title, and I can tell you exactly what the cover looked like- but knew nothing about what was inside.
ReplyDeleteBelly- I HATED BELLY. But I think I might have been wrong. I still don't like Feed the Tree, though. :)