"One trick pony" bands

[atypical_boro]

Surely Radiohead are the opposite of a one trick pony? I can only think of one other band who have continually (and radically) evolved their sound with no discernable drop in quality.

I was being facetious to make the point. Ultimately it usually boils down to whether or not you like the band.

Of all the bands I like, I’d be the first to admit that AC/DC are a one tricky pony though.

 

[BoroMart]

I sense this thread will quickly just descend into disagreements about which bands are actually 'good'.

Radiohead - all wrist-slashing drab nonsense. "Ah yeah but Fitter Happier is dead different to Creep" etc etc.

I assume that's fishing because just comparing Everything in it's right place, Karma Police, Lotus Flower and Life In A Glasshouse shows their versatility

 

[atypical_boro]

I assume that's fishing because just comparing Everything in it's right place, Karma Police, Lotus Flower and Life In A Glasshouse shows their versatility

See above

 

[BoroMart]

firmly in the knowledge that their fans attach a weird sort of “intellectual kudos” to them that few others bands can garner.

Their music is complex though, it changes tempo, uses odd timings, lots of weird scales and progressions and seldom used modes. They can be inaccessible to people that like familiarity, of style and don't want to have to put the effort in to hear the beauty of songs. A good example is Videotape, which is 154.78 beats per minute, but anyone listening to it thinks it's 77, even when they know it's 154.78. There is a beauty in creating a song that sounds slow as hell but is far from it. Then it clicks and you get it and can hear it, and you get that 'kudos' moment

 

[atypical_boro]

Their music is complex though, it changes tempo, uses odd timings, lots of weird scales and progressions and seldom used modes. They can be inaccessible to people that like familiarity, of style and don't want to have to put the effort in to hear the beauty of songs. A good example is Videotape, which is 154.78 beats per minute, but anyone listening to it thinks it's 77, even when they know it's 154.78. There is a beauty in creating a song that sounds slow as hell but is far from it. Then it clicks and you get it and can hear it, and you get that 'kudos' moment

Yeah, whatever. I tend to prefer tunes I can tap my foot and sing along to.

 

[alanmoodysdog]

think what we are confusing are rehashed riffs to a band identity covering vocal style, guitar sound

rehashed riffs = Police

band identity = Dire Straits

 

[jonny_greenings_sock]

Fleetwood mac

Nah, no way! Jesus even taking just Rumours, it could be 11 songs by 11 different bands. They've even got three different singer-songwriters, four if you include Peter Green!

Loads of mid-2000s guitar bands who fit this criteria of regurgitating the same **** over and over again. That was a proper boring era for guitar music. Kasabian great example. Jet were awful. The Hives?

You could argue that Lee Perry and King Tubby and most reggae producers only had one trick... F***ing good trick though.

 

[atypical_boro]

think what we are confusing are rehashed riffs to a band identity covering vocal style, guitar sound

rehashed riffs = Police

band identity = Dire Straits

Rehashed riffs = Metallica
band identity = U2

 

[BoroMart]

Yeah, whatever. I tend to prefer tunes I can tap my foot and sing along to.

they can do that too, but the main point is like them or not, it really is silly to put them on a list of bands that are one trick ponies

 

[atypical_boro]

they can do that too

TBF I know their first few albums inside out and I wouldn't entirely agree with that in the early days. What I've listened to since, even less so.

 

[DCI_Gene_Hunt]

What bands have made their entire career on just the one song, which they rehash over and over ?

I'm listening to Tom Tom Club's - Genuis of Live LP (Record store day release) and with the title, the two versions of Genius of Love on the LP and the couple of riffs from the song that they also pepper throughout the rest of the album - it seems they really struggle to get away from probably their most famous song.

Anymore like that who aren't necessarily "one hit wonders" that had one song and then went away ?

I'd argue that Tom Tom Clubs most defining song is Wordy Rappinghood

 

[Glover_elbow]

Status quo

 

[EI_Owen]

The Spice Girls were quite samey.

 

[alanmoodysdog]

The Thompson Twins were quiet samey......

 

[The_Lizards_Jumpers]

I'd argue that Tom Tom Clubs most defining song is Wordy Rappinghood

Nah no way am I having that, but even then both songs are hardly massively different anyways.

 

[EI_Owen]

ABBA were very samey.

 

[Glover_elbow]

Wizard

Their hits all sound like i wish it could be xmas everyday

 

[alanmoodysdog]

Wizard

Their hits all sound like i wish it could be xmas everyday

or California Man or any Move song

 

[red_harrington]

Mighty Lemon Drops

You've heard one you've heard 'em all

 

[The_Lizards_Jumpers]

Mighty Lemon Drops

You've heard one you've heard 'em all

You could add many of their ilk into that, The Wonder Stuff, Neds, PWEI (all bands that I loved growing up bit not really that ground breaking in hindsight)