Songs that you believe didn't deserve the flack they got

[Glen Quagmire]

Just to see if there's anything among ourselves, songs through time that not necessarily you loved to bits but you didn't mind at least hearing and didn't find it offensive while either the rest of the buying and listening public hated and mocked it, was panned by critics universally, or even both!...

 

1. Robbie Williams - Rudebox

 

 

The fat dancer from Take That was the first to spread his wings from the group that spawned him and clearly wanted to go down a different route, it seemed nearly destined to go flat despite a few half-decent hits until "Angels" picked up major momentum and while not a number 1 hit, hung around the charts for a long time and pretty much saved his solo career. He then carved himself out a good career for several years with radio-friendly songs by the bucket load (Millennium, Let Me Entertain You, Rock DJ etc.) and positioned himself with a cheeky but humorous image. Come 2006 and another Robbie album was expected to deliver, but no one expected what was to be the lead single for the follow up to "Intensive Care"...

 

...Rudebox! Certainly quite different to most of his solo work, and nothing like his Sinatra tribute "Swing When You're Winning" songs, this was his attempt to try something new and introduce electro-funk to the masses. Fuck but that backfired, especially with the other members of Take That reforming and gaining attention with their comeback. His fans didn't know how to react, but it became mostly disgust. The music press were speaking out loud "Epic Fail!" while The Sun, not one to be too melodramatic, described it as the "worst song ever!"

 

But my first time listening to it was simply "that's different". It wasn't the greatest thing around at the time, but Robbie wanted to try something a little different and at least he tried. It's a fun song, the lyrics aren't serious or have much meaning, and if looked at it a little cynically the song itself is a great parody of 80's synth dance. To this day I still cannot get my head around why it is so panned by so many people.

 

2. Oasis - D'you Know What I Mean?

 

 

Summer of 1997 and while Britpop's star is starting to dim, Oasis or more specifically Noel Gallagher can seemingly do no wrong. He could have seemingly let rip a huge fart, record it on to a cheap cassette and still be certain of a top 10 hit with it. With the group's third album "Be Here Now" highly anticipated, the previews were almost all positive, many calling it the band's best work. The lead single was anticipated big as well, and the first showing of the music video of "D'You Know What I Mean?" went out across several channels at the same time. The hype initially took both the single and album to number 1 respectively, but it was now starting to dawn on everyone that the hype wasn't warranted, with DKWIM and Be Here Now being too full of drawn out songs to be sung in pubs and stadiums and Noel trying too hard to make every song an anthem. The backlash had begun, and in due course the press turned, people were starting to get tired of the antics of the two Gallaghers and Noel in the long grass disowned the album. Forget a cassette recording of Noel's flatulence, Oasis were now seemingly as welcome as a fart in a space suit.

 

Though hardly their best song, it wasn't their worst either. It was clear evidence of rampant drug abuse, commercial pressure (Bonehead and Guigsy eventually cracked at the recording of the next album), huge expectations and self-indulgence. The single release was arguably saved by a trait that the band had picked up, namely having a strong supporting B-Side, in this case Stay Young which wouldn't have looked out of place on Morning Glory. In the cold heart of looking at DKWIM over 14 years later, it didn't deserve the bashing it got at the time. It isn't terribly radio friendly, and Noel was trying too hard to make more Champagne Supernovas, but it's a song that is unashamedly meant to be an anthem and it nearly achieves that.

 

3. Talk Talk - I Believe In You

 

 

Get a record deal in the early 80's, have your record company try and style you heavily in the New Romantic and heavy synth of the time and have some modest success. Get rid of your synth man, get someone else to do them (but not as a face in public), stop wearing co-ordinated clothing and wear civvies, be ignored at home but be big in mainland Europe. Record company is happy with its sales so record another album making the synths far less noticeable and involving over 50 musicians. This time your home country gives you some recognition, a top 10 album chart placing and a still loyal following abroad. Go on a tour which includes a performance at Montreaux. Record company even happier now, so give you near unlimited funds for the next album and a fair bit of time to do it. The result?...

 

...probably one of the most commercially suicidal changes in direction in British music history, and not feel ashamed of it one little bit! By 1986 Talk Talk had seemed to finally find their commercial peak, and EMI reckoned they found a band that could sell out stadiums across the world. Most of the fourth album, called the Spirit Of Eden, was recorded "on the fly" with music samples recorded and then moulded into songs. Record executives were barred from listening to preview tapes until it was near time to release the album - and when they finally heard it they must have had a heart attack! What was produced was totally different to anything in their first album, and most of the previous one "The Colour Of Spring" although in hindsight the change in direction wasn't completely out of the blue if you look at some of the songs recorded for TCOS album and b-sides. But no one really expected an album that wasn't quite rock and not quite jazz, but something in between that for its time defied categorisation. At this point, Hollis, Webb and Harris basically said "screw the money, screw the touring, lets do what we want!" There was no obvious single to take from the album, and the band refused to tour to support it. Eventually they gave in to promote it with one performance on Dutch television which was a bit of a farce, and a shortened version of "I Believe In You" was produced to try and get blood out of a stone, unsuccessfully. The album did get into the top 20 on its first week of release but then dropped like a massive boulder after that. Unlike the first two though, the song and album got big critical acclaim, but in an era that was at the time being dominated by Stock Aiken Waterman it simply had no commercial appeal whatsoever.

 

But hindsight again is a great thing, and the beautiful thing about this song is that even the shortened single version still sounds timeless, and it influenced a lot of bands come the late 80's and early 90's through a genre now called post-rock. It's a shame that the song has drifted into obscurity as if it were released about a decade later it would have been far more likely to be a hit. Now the band is known to the masses for It's My Life, Life's What You Make It and that's pretty much it. IMO one of the most unappreciated bands of the 80's and while it's unlikely, I would love to see them reform for a tour. These days if you mention Talk Talk, people think you're talking about calls and broadband

[Frankie Crisp]

Keith Houchen may murder my first born child for mentioning this again, but I loved Embrace's 2006 World Cup song. I'd imagine the rest of you lot will be passing him the bullets. Don't get me wrong, it's not a good song musically or lyrically, but it's got the perfect tone for an easy-to-remember song after England have scraped through a game but you convince yourself they're going to win the tournament. Until you sober up.

 

2. Oasis - D'you Know What I Mean?

 

No, that really was shit.

[Devon Malcolm]

I'm going to resist the temptation to go off on one about Oasis once more although I am due a rant about them as it has been a few months since my last one.

 

Instead, Talk Talk. I don't really think I Believe In You belongs in this thread because although it wasn't critically acclaimed, it wasn't universally panned either. It's a bloody great song, I will say that, and Talk Talk were excellent.

 

EDIT - Frankie, I'll let you off that Embrace thing as long as you don't suggest for one second it's better than World In Motion. Just want that clarifying.

[FLips]

We're on the ball is the best World Cup song, and you all know that.

 

Funny story about that song actually. It was New Years 2007 and I had recently split up with my ex. Anyway, she got an invite for some bizarre reason to my mate's New Years party and not wanting to face me there, turned up horribly drunk. Most of us avoided her while she lumbered around and threw up in the garden, but then at one point a few of us were in the kitchen talking about We're on the ball.

 

She stumbles in and starts chatting absolute shit, and it starts to annoy pretty much everyone in the room. She then goes on for a bit about the song, and then suddenly realises a few have left the room, and the rest of us are stood blankly staring at her. She's sat on the verge of an obvious breakdown and blurts out "i'm making a fool of myself aren't I?" and my best mate, quick as a flash goes "you're on the ball there, love" and she literally breaks down right in front of us, exploding into tears and storming out the house and charging home on her own.

 

She got absolutely no sympathy from anyone, as we all stood pissing ourselves and high-fiving our mate for such class sharpness.

 

Probably one of those "had to be there" things though.

[Maverick]

We're on the ball is the best World Cup song, and you all know that.

 

Funny story about that song actually. It was New Years 2007 and I had recently split up with my ex. Anyway, she got an invite for some bizarre reason to my mate's New Years party and not wanting to face me there, turned up horribly drunk. Most of us avoided her while she lumbered around and threw up in the garden, but then at one point a few of us were in the kitchen talking about We're on the ball.

 

She stumbles in and starts chatting absolute shit, and it starts to annoy pretty much everyone in the room. She then goes on for a bit about the song, and then suddenly realises a few have left the room, and the rest of us are stood blankly staring at her. She's sat on the verge of an obvious breakdown and blurts out "i'm making a fool of myself aren't I?" and my best mate, quick as a flash goes "you're on the ball there, love" and she literally breaks down right in front of us, exploding into tears and storming out the house and charging home on her own.

 

She got absolutely no sympathy from anyone, as we all stood pissing ourselves and high-fiving our mate for such class sharpness.

 

Probably one of those "had to be there" things though.

Absolutely not thats the kind of humor I love. Can't beat a really good situation-deadpan joke. Sounds almost Curb or Seinfeld esque.

[Frankie Crisp]

EDIT - Frankie, I'll let you off that Embrace thing as long as you don't suggest for one second it's better than World In Motion. Just want that clarifying.

Oh come on, I'm not that twisted. Give me some credit!

 

That'd be like saying World in Motion is better than the Anfield Rap.

[Stinky Dad]

Not sure how panned this was at the time but it's one that isn't mentioned much these days but I'm sure everybody remembers it....

 

 

I fucking love it! I remember back in my uni days being a pilled up mess and this tune used to get me through many a nasty comedown. Glorious!

 

 

...Is it wrong that I mention Lolly here too?

[patiirc]

...Is it wrong that I mention Lolly here too?

 

Viva La Radio can fuck right off.

[Stinky Dad]

...Is it wrong that I mention Lolly here too?

 

Viva La Radio can fuck right off.

 

 

 

 

....They fucking do!

[Stinky Dad]

I fucking love this thread......

 

 

[Devon Malcolm]

With all due respect, stunstone, any twat can just post YouTube links to songs that are guilty pleasures, which isn't the point of this thread.

 

EDIT - Frankie, I'll let you off that Embrace thing as long as you don't suggest for one second it's better than World In Motion. Just want that clarifying.

Oh come on, I'm not that twisted. Give me some credit!

 

That'd be like saying World in Motion is better than the Anfield Rap.

 

You can never be sure around here, Frankie.

[Keith Houchen]

Frankie