If you could change one thing... (1 Viewer)

[Darren Conroy]

I stole this from my friend in another forum. (Who, had, in turn stolen it from another forum before that.) What you do is list a few of your favorite artists and then one thing you dislike about them. If you could improve one thing about them, what would it be? (And, let's be honest here, no one's perfect.)

As for me,

• Beatles are my all time favorite hands down, but some of the experimental stuff they did in their mid-to-late career was just a little too out there for me. (Particularly George Harrison's material, but that's not to say songs like 'While My Guitar..." and "Something" aren't some of my flat-out favorites.)
• Matchbox Twenty make a huge deal out of each song, I'd like to hear just a humble little ditty from them that isn't blown into a large-scale production.
• Fountains of Wayne seem to have the opposite problem, all their songs are light-hearted and don't take themselves all too seriously. The most depressingly written song on the last album had lyrics complaining about a waitress taking too long to serve coffee.
• Jimmy Eat World can rock out hard and do some smooth ballads, but they don't spend enough time in the middle ground, where I feel where they sonically are the strongest.
• Barenaked Ladies' recent attempts at being the carefree band they were in the mid-to-late 90's is causing them to not sound carefree at all.
• U2 take themselves way too seriously, and I'm not a fan of how political they get.
• Aerosmith's sound is a little too formulaic in my opinion. It's a working formula, sure, but I'd like to hear something totally out of left field from them; I think they're capable of it.

It does feel weird being critical of your favorite artists, but that's the point of the topic.

 

[AricB]

Radiohead-release a straight up live DVD already, enough with the artsy stuff. I want to see a well shot concert with quality audio, i know they are capable of it.

NIN-finish the new album and tour already... new releases take so long to come out, i guess quality needs to come before quantity and speed. But every 4-5 years?

Ministry-enough with the anti bush mumbo jumbo, all this from a recovering heroin addict among other things, i want to hear about this from Al about as much as a sharp stick in the eye.

Lenny Kravitz-dude stop making music for gap commercials, all the songs are annoying and I'm tired of hearing them after like 2-3 listens. Lady, pile of crap, just a very bad song,, IMO.

 

[Rachael B]

I wish the Meters would become young again and write all new songs, even funkier than before. Funky Bag Daddy would be a new title. They would record with Dr. John again too. I may need Bill & Ted's help on this one...?

 

[Will_B]

The Dude from Scrubs: Please give up acting and instead make more compilation albums (a la Garden State soundtrack).*

*ok, keep acting (you are very good!) but please make more comp albums. Your Garden State soundtrack was the best mix tape I'd heard in more than a decade. Do it again, more more.

 

[Eddie Horton]

U2, Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys.....please stop with all the political crap already. Yeah, I lean to the right, but don't want to hear my fav singers spouting off any kind of political hype no matter which side of the aisle it comes from. For the love of God, just sing me a song!! No matter how famous you get, or how much money you make, I do not care what your thoughts on world politics are. Come on, Beasties, just give me the obscure cultural references and be done with it!!!!

 

[nickGreenwood]

I agree with the U2 stuff. Still one of my favorite bands though. But they get too political sometimes, though How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was supposed to be wicked political but Bono realized the lyrics were coming out forced. Besides he's a Bush supporter and The Edge is a Kerry supporter so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

John Mayer really needs to show the world he's not just a pop singer, I know he's an awesome guitarist, I have all of his offical live releases and I know he can do it, so for the love of God show it already. (I know that he's doing a Blues show at the end of the month, I just can't wait.)

Los Lonely Boys, ok we can see what you can do with Stevie Ray Vaughan sounding stuff how bout some stuff that actually sounds like "The Mexican Beatles" or whatever they're father nicknamed them.

Switchfoot, just make a new album already that's my biggest gripe, other than that I have no complaint.

/done ranting.

 

[ThomasC]

Zach Braff.

 

[Chris Brunner]

Sting - Get over it before the worst happens.

Roger Waters and David Gilmour - See Sting.

 

[Zen Butler]

I wish The Flaming Lips were required by their label to release a new album every year.



Sure, but The Flaming Lips are damn near. There are a few bands that I just couldn't change a thing.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Metallica - Please no more collaborations with symphonies.
JET - Fewer ballads on the next album
Uriah Heep - Hello, I've been waiting 30 years for the new album.....

 

[Tony-B]

Less Than Jake - Move out of the pop-punk territory!
AFI - Can the pseudo-goth shit and go back to old punk.
Jet - Put less ballads on the next album.
Killswitch Engage - PLEASE do not make shitty radio edits with no screaming!
Atreyu - Drop the eyeshadow, move out of radio-friendly screamo terriotry and give us another Suicide Notes And Butterfly Kisses.
Every Time I Die - Kieth, don't sing so weirdly.
Lamb Of God - More guitar solos.
Superjoint Ritual - Phil, stop being an asshole.
The Vandals - Don't take yourselves so seriously, don't make another album like Hollywood Potato Chip. Go back and make something hilarious like Hitler Bad Vandals Good or Oi To The World!
Reel Big Fish - LET'S GET SOME MORE HORNS ON THE NEXT ALBUM!!

Green Day, Lamb Of God, Bad Religion, Fear Factory, NOFX, Unearth, Beastie Boys, The Offspring, Foo Fighters, Less Than Jake, Pennywise, God Forbid, Sum 41, etc - Don't make any more anti-Bush songs. It's such a cliche now. I really don't like listening to bands I like call me an "American Idiot" or something like that.

 

[Phil_L]

Radiohead - I love every album you guys record, but please, bring back the guitars. A live DVD would be nice too, as suggested by AricB.

Madonna - No more Kabballah. No more movies. No more kids books. Make more albums and then go on tour. Dump Mirwais, call Patrick Leonard and Shep Pettibone and ask them to do your next record.

Garbage - Where are you?? I miss you.

EDIT: Garbage is releasing a new album in April, so nevermind

 

[Eddie Horton]

Oh, and to every band as suggested by Will Ferrell.......more cowbell!!

 

[Tony-B]

Every Time I Die has a cowbell in their song "I Been Gone A Long Time".

 

[Christ Reynolds]

i came here to say the same thing about pearl jam. not that i am that much for/against what they are saying, but i dont listen to them to find out what they think about the country.

CJ

 

[Kirk Gunn]

If I could change one thing:

I would have topped off the gas tank in Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane in 1977....:frowning:

 

[LanieParker]

The Cure: Robert Smith is a genius in my book and The Cure is my all time favorite band, but I would love to hear him go all out rock. Just once atleast.

Depeche Mode: Let Andy sing and write a few songs! LOL! JK

Fiona Apple: What would happen if she gave up piano and tried out the guitar for a while?

Gwen Stefani/No Doubt: Go back to doing ska, it's what I think you're best at. No more dance hall and bad 80's remake albums please!

Madonna: Acoustic rock , baby! Anyone hear the two songs she did for DWT? Make me a whole album of that. and yes... no more kaballah crap.

Any artist/band that will listen to me: PLEASE NO MORE COVERS! THEY SUCK! THEY NEVER COME OUT SOUNDING GOOD (okay maybe a handful of them might), BUT PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY! LEAVE THE SACRED MUSIC ALONE!

 

[Zen Butler]

Lanie, that may be interesting. I liked his little stint with Blink 182 . As to The Cure though, would you want one of the best bands ever, different?

Speaking of covers, what is the name of the band currently covering a The Cure song, it's all over the radio and it is horrid.

 

[Tony-B]

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Do another EP or better yet an LP with Mike Patton. Irony Is A Dead Scene is one of the greatest EPs ever made, and after 4 songs and 18 minutes, it just leaves you BEGGING for more! Also take Mike Patton out on tour and do a bunch of shows with him. That would kick ass!

 

[Mark Murphy]

I've heard a 311 cover of Love Song on the radio recently. A Perfect Circle, on their first tour, covered Love Song and Ozzy'z Diary of a Madman at the sametime. It wasn't bad.


For me:

Tool: Enough already, release a live DVD. 12 years worth of amazing shows and no live DVD?