Bands you really want to love....but can't.

[soupytwist]

Foo Fighters.

I love Dave, he seems like a really great guy.  Genuinely great live band too.....but no matter how much I will myself to enjoy their music, most of it just falls flat to me.  I've brought ever album they've put out bar - 'Echoes, Silence etc'  At that point I was out, then 'Wasting Light' came out and everyone was calling it a great album, and back I came - and yeah it was a better Foo's album, but I still am only Lukewarm towards it.  Sonic Highways I just picked out out of habit I guess, does nothing for me.   So yeah I want to love this band, they are one of the few Rock Acts still relevent in a commercial sense (that aren't utter shit) - but they always disappoint me.  Still would love to share a beer with Dave.

I'd also like to enjoy Nine Inch Nails music much more than I do.  Trent is a interesting guy, but everything I go to listen to some of their stuff I realise it's not for me, which feels like a shame.

[Fritzinger]

I feel the same about Dave Grohl. Love that guy but not his music.

Frank Zappa. I admire Zappa and like some of his music, but I would not consider myself a fan of his music. I'd rather consider myself a fan of the person himself.

I used to feel the same way about David Bowie, but I have gotten into him 5-6 ago. Now I love his music.

[Kotowboy]

Foo Fighters are frustrating because they can write amazing rock songs but they keep doing MOR radio friendly fodder.

They're big enough now that they can put out an uncommercial heavy rock and roll album and it will still sell enough.

Even though bands make money from touring these days - not CD sales.

I hope the new album is a bit rougher than Sonic Highways.

St. Cecilia showed a bit of promise.




But back to the OP, yo.

I really want to like Iron Maiden since they're English and well respected by all - but I can't enjoy their music. There's just something about it I can't get into.

I've not heard that one song from them where it's been like " Oh..I get it now.." like a Master Of Puppets or Battery or Disposable Heroes.

[Logain Ablar]

I'm going to say Rush.

I've watched a lot of their music videos on youtube, and bought 2112 on iTunes. Yes, I can appreciate their abilities, and I can see the influence they have had on DT, but I'm still looking for that "gateway" song that makes everything click for me, and gets me hooked.

[bl5150]

I'm going to say Rush.

I've watched a lot of their music videos on youtube, and bought 2112 on iTunes. Yes, I can appreciate their abilities, and I can see the influence they have had on DT, but I'm still looking for that "gateway" song that makes everything click for me, and gets me hooked.

Me too.

[Kotowboy]

I don't like Rush at all. Went on a road trip with a friend once and listened to a Rush retrospective and I didn't enjoy one song . . .

[Cyclopssss]

Haken.

Sorry, I've even seen them play live and although for the most part I like what I hear and see what they are trying to achieve, even on their latest cd, I just can't seem to connect to their music on an emotional level. 

[Phoenix87x]

Definitely foo fighters. Besides Everlong and My hero which I adore, I just can't get in to them

Also really can't get into Queen that much, or at least as much as I want to. I really want to love them and listen to them on the level that I listen to other bands

Steven wilson solo stuff. Love PT, but can't get in to solo stuff

[SoundscapeMN]

of Montreal.
Largely due to the vocals and I guess the meandering/repetitive nature of their music.

[Skeever]

Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, The Dear Hunter, and plenty of other music that I file into the "MP's iPod circa 2007" category.

[Mladen]

of Montreal.
Largely due to the vocals and I guess the meandering/repetitive nature of their music.

Does not compute.  of Montreal is everything but repetitive as far as I'm concerned, their song structures are sometimes very challenging to follow. The chord progressions are sometimes insane as well. I get the comment about the vocals, though, they're quite eccentric.

[ChuckSteak]

I don't understand the thread. If you never listened to a band, how can you want to love it? You listen it for the first time and you have no idea how it sounds. From that point you either like the band and want to listen to it again or you dislike it and don't listen to it again. If you like it, you can come to love it after a couple of listens or maybe on the first listen, who knows? If you listened to it and you didn't like it, why would you want to love it? Why would you be in conflict with your own taste? To fit in? Just because other people seem to like it?

I think when you listen to an album for the first time, you have to be neutral about it. Of course you expect to like it, but it is not good to have high or low expectations. Just listen to it. Wanting to love an album is to be forcing yourself to like something for whatever reason. And I think taste shouldn't be forced, but spontaneous.

[MirrorMask]

Echoing ChuckSteak's comments, I would rather put it as "Well, everyone seem to like this band, let's try and check it out".

First example is Opeth. There's not a single Opeth song I dig.

I tried listening to some, didn't like it.
I'm not a gruntled vocals kind of person, I tried to listen to the clean vocals songs... didn't like 'em.
I know they changed style, tried the more progressive stuff... didn't like it.

I simply don't like Opeth, and I feel like the only one. Never found anybody who was "meh" about Opeth.

[Stadler]

I'm taking this as "I love the IDEA of X band, but I just can't abide their music".

Foo Fighters are at the top of the list.  I SHOULD like them - hard rock from a cool guy, but... none of it clicks with me.

Steven Wilson; I should like this:  prog rock (that others might find pretentious) from a guy that loves and respects Crimson, Yes, ELP, etc., but... even I find it really pretentious prog rock.  Pass.

There are others, that I sort of like but don't love, but there are sort of too many to name.

[Train of Naught]

Echoing ChuckSteak's comments, I would rather put it as "Well, everyone seem to like this band, let's try and check it out".

First example is Opeth. There's not a single Opeth song I dig.

I tried listening to some, didn't like it.
I'm not a gruntled vocals kind of person, I tried to listen to the clean vocals songs... didn't like 'em.
I know they changed style, tried the more progressive stuff... didn't like it.

I simply don't like Opeth, and I feel like the only one. Never found anybody who was "meh" about Opeth.

For me it's definitely not as bad as you, but I find other bands in the same category way more interesting. I don't seem to share the same love for Akerfeldt's growls as most do (and I do like a LOT of different types of harsh vocals). When his cleans fit the music, it's perfection (Cusp of Eternity is the prime example for me), but on their own I don't find them particularly nice.

Using the same thought-process (bands others seem to like more than me/I tried hard getting into but simply can't, opposed to bands I "want to love"), Tool comes to mind. I don't dislike them, and some of their songs are fucking fantastic. I just have a really hard time getting through any of their albums, Lateralus is fine but not as good as I wish it was. Weirdly enough, I gravitate a lot towards bands that people claim to be "Tool clones" and bands similar to them, like Soen, Rishloo and even A Perfect Circle to some extent.

[Samsara]

Kamelot.

Everything about them should be right up my alley...but the orchestration, and something else that I can't put my finger on, just derails me every single time. I can't explain it.

[Cruithne]

Tool. I can really dig a song or two, but if I try to listen to a full album I get bored really quickly.

Meshuggah. Pretty much the same as with Tool.

Both of them have a vibe that's really appealing, but they often just end up making me want to go listen to some soaring Power Metal pretty quickly.

Primus. I adore the Tales From The Punchbowl album and both Sailing The Seas Of Cheese and Frizzle Fry have a few songs on them that I also love, but I find the other two albums (Pork Soda and The Brown Album) of theirs I have almost unlistenable. From what I remember Antipop is decent enough, though I've never bought it, and the two more recent ones aren't up to much. Les Claypool is such an amazing, unique (to my knowledge) player and such a quirky, entertaining guy, that I find myself wanting to enjoy more of their material than I actually do.

[SoundscapeMN]

of Montreal.
Largely due to the vocals and I guess the meandering/repetitive nature of their music.

Does not compute.  of Montreal is everything but repetitive as far as I'm concerned, their song structures are sometimes very challenging to follow. The chord progressions are sometimes insane as well. I get the comment about the vocals, though, they're quite eccentric.

well here's a longer explanation: https://allmediareviews.blogspot.com/2017/02/indietronica-great-history-but-ifwhen.html

of Montreal (Athens, GA) I often compare Apes and Androids to this band for those who never have heard Apes and Androids, but I say Apes and Androids actually can sing really well, whereas I have never been able to tolerate Kevin Barnes voice. Similar issue I have with bands like Radiohead, Circa Survive or The Flaming Lips (or The Postal Service/Death Cab for Cutie). Musically though I actually could enjoy them, although I've heard they have kind of dropped off or repeated themself a few times, to not look too favorably across their entire catalog. Because they have like 15 or 16 albums, which might be a case of quantity over quality. I can't imagine if we even had half that many albums from Apes and Androids, lol.

and actually beyond them and the others mentioned there, just in the Indietronica genre

Metronomy
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Alt-J
MGMT
Franz Ferdinand
Ghostland Observatory
Phantogram
Neon Indian

[Crow]

Meshuggah and Gojira. Two bands that mostly just bore me but are apparently very popular and influential

I get very little out of constant, repetitive heaviness I guess? I like 0 Meshuggah songs and maybe 2-3 Gojira songs

[Sycsa]

None of the modern prog rock bands (Porcupine Tree, Transatlantic, Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, new Opeth, etc.) and I gave them all plenty of chances. It's weird, because I grew up on classic prog, so I should like it, but none of them work for me. Either it's the the soft & happy vocals and the "happy instrumentation" that turn me off, or I just find it plain boring.

If it's modern prog, it has to have a strong metal element to draw me in (DT, Symphony X, Riverside's ADHD). 

[Architeuthis]

Porcupine Tree is mixed bag for me. They have alot of great songs of pure brilliance, but also alot of boring droney songs with a depressing darkness to them (not necessarily a bad thing from an artistic point of view).

 Pantera. Great musicians but I think the vocals ruined it for me.

The song "Radar Love" by golden earring. I can't stand that song though everyone else seems to love it..
 
 

[TheCountOfNYC]

The first band that comes to mind is Black Sabbath. I've been a metal head my whole life and I of course respect the band that started it all, but with the exception of War Pigs, I can't get into them. I almost feel guilty about it, but they just don't do anything for me.

[Architeuthis]

The first band that comes to mind is Black Sabbath. I've been a metal head my whole life and I of course respect the band that started it all, but with the exception of War Pigs, I can't get into them. I almost feel guilty about it, but they just don't do anything for me.

Same here..

[Sycsa]

The song "Radar Love" by golden earring. I can't stand that song though everyone else seems to love it..

That's funny. I never ever heard this song until a month ago. I was at a show of a legendary local rock band, who play a show in the same pub every month. They play two sets and in each set they play a new cover song. They started the second set with Radar Love. The song immediately hooked me (you can see me nodding in the first row all the way through). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdVr6FiXz2U

Since then, I listen to it all the time, it's in my regular gym rotation. Just gotta love that chorus, especially when it comes back the third time. So powerful!

[Architeuthis]

The song "Radar Love" by golden earring. I can't stand that song though everyone else seems to love it..

That's funny. I never ever heard this song until a month ago. I was at a show of a legendary local rock band, who play a show in the same pub every month. They play two sets and in each set they play a new cover song. They started the second set with Radar Love. The song immediately hooked me (you can see me nodding in the first row all the way through). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdVr6FiXz2U

Since then, I listen to it all the time, it's in my regular gym rotation. Just gotta love that chorus, especially when it comes back the third time. So powerful!

LOL!  The exact same circumstance is probably what made me hate that song. There was a cover band in my area with a biker image called Iron Rose, they played Radar Love every gig and the image of them playing it in my mind over and over developed a bitter taste.   Their drummer left that band to join ours because he wanted to do originals. He said he hated playing songs like radar love all the time..

[Stadler]

At least around here (northeast USA), in the 80's and 90's, Radar Love was a standard for a bar band.

[Sycsa]

The song "Radar Love" by golden earring. I can't stand that song though everyone else seems to love it..

That's funny. I never ever heard this song until a month ago. I was at a show of a legendary local rock band, who play a show in the same pub every month. They play two sets and in each set they play a new cover song. They started the second set with Radar Love. The song immediately hooked me (you can see me nodding in the first row all the way through). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdVr6FiXz2U

Since then, I listen to it all the time, it's in my regular gym rotation. Just gotta love that chorus, especially when it comes back the third time. So powerful!

LOL!  The exact same circumstance is probably what made me hate that song. There was a cover band in my area with a biker image called Iron Rose, they played Radar Love every gig and the image of them playing it in my mind over and over developed a bitter taste.   Their drummer left that band to join ours because he wanted to do originals. He said he hated playing songs like radar love all the time..

wow

[Mosh]

Steven Wilson is a good one. I've warmed up to him recently but I don't see him as the genius he's often propped up as and a lot of his music doesn't connect with me. But given his style of music and his popularity level (not to mention his connection with Mikael from Opeth) he should be one of my favorite artists.

[CrimsonSunrise]

The first band that comes to mind is Black Sabbath. I've been a metal head my whole life and I of course respect the band that started it all, but with the exception of War Pigs, I can't get into them. I almost feel guilty about it, but they just don't do anything for me.

I love Sabbath, but at the same time I can understand someone else not "Getting" them.  I know with me, when I was exposed to them in the 70's, there wasn't a huge selection of heavy bands.  So, if someone was exposed to them after the barrage of Heavy Metal... I understand why they might be bypassed.  Does that fuzzy logic make sense? 

[PixelDream]

I've tried to like Iron Maiden and I bring myself to play some of their tracks from time to time, only to realize every time that - to me - all of their songs pretty much sound the same. The rhythm section mostly seems to play those signature Maiden triplets and Dickinson's singing just isn't for me - it must be his operatic vibrato I just tire too quickly of.

[twosuitsluke]

I've tried to like Iron Maiden and I bring myself to play some of their tracks from time to time, only to realize every time that - to me - all of their songs pretty much sound the same. The rhythm section mostly seems to play those signature Maiden triplets and Dickinson's singing just isn't for me - it must be his operatic vibrato I just tire too quickly of.

Yea I flat out disliked Maiden until I tried giving them another go a few years ago. I like a couple of songs but I'm really not a fan of Dickenson.

There are a lot of bands that by all rights should tick all the boxes but they do nothing for me. We all know we keep trying because we all have bands that have taken a long time to click. Hell, Coheed and Cambria are a top 3 band for me but it took at least 3 years, from when I first heard them, to fall in love with them. I can't imagine not having their music in my life but if I'd gone on first, second, third etc impressions and not persevered then I wouldn't have got them (and I would've missed out). There are lots of bands that I think with a few more listens I may find my new favourite band and it keeps me coming back.

I know when I first came to DTF I discovered a whole host of new bands and The Dear Hunter were one of the first. I was intrigued by everything about them and read through the thread. I wasn't particularly impressed on first listen but I could tell there was something about this band. I got Acts I-III and was listening for a good 6 months, off and on, it wasn't until I got Act IV that these guys clicked.

Anyway, I'm gonna add Tesseract to this list. I'm not a huge djent guy anyway but by all rights I keep thinking there should be something I like about these guys. I'm seeing them support Devin Townsend in a few weeks so maybe seeing them live might help. So far they do nothing for me, I haven't really bothered trying for well over a year though.

[The King in Crimson]

ELP
I'm a fan of most of the classic prog bands... except for ELP. I like a couple of their songs, but most of it eludes me. They are easily the wankiest of the classic prog bands, seemingly more interested in showing off how well they can play than how good their songs actually are. While I can take some wanky playing at times, the keyboard heavy sounds and awful ,awful lyrics make taking ELP seriously really difficult.

Shining
Black metal + jazz sounds totally right up my alley, but by god, this is too weird even for me.

Tool
I like some songs, but I just generally find them too... boring.

[KevShmev]

Marillion - with the exception of the bulk of Misplaced Childhood, about half of Clutching at Straws and a handful of songs from other albums, this band has always left me hollow.  Bummer, since their fans go nuts over them, and given their style, they seem like a band I would be bananas over, but it just never happened.

[red barchetta]

Janis Joplin. She's an icon but can't stand her voice.

A band like Between the buried and me. I have heard some of the best melodies possible but then the singer goes. Rawrawrawrawraw arrrrrrrr rawrawaraw can't stand that lol

[Mosh]

Try their last album, Coma Ecliptic. Growls are still there but it's mostly clean singing.