Band On The Run...

So, I wrote a post a while ago about the concept of an album changing your life. It was an interesting piece to consider so I have decided to take this a little bit further and talk about the bands that have had an influence on my musical experiences over the years. We all have a favourite band (or group if you like), but why are they your favourites? Have they changed your life completely or do you just buy their albums because you feel obliged to as a fan even though sometimes you may think they may have sold out? Let's ponder those thoughts a little bit.

Bands, bands, bands

I have mentioned my all time favourite band numerous times, but for those of you who don't know it is and always will be Crowded House. As a band they have bubbled under the surface since they formed nearly 30 years ago and it does seem to me that folks are embarrassed to admit that they dig their music. Neil Finn said recently "I have written some good songs. Don't ever apologise to your hip friends for liking them. They'll be singing them in a karaoke bar someday". I would never apologise for the fact Neil has written some down right amazing songs or for the fact that he is my hero. When someone has been in the music business as long as he has (don't forget he joined Split Enz in the late 70s) I think he deserves the utmost respect for his songwriting ability and longevity of his career. The band have been through some changes over the years and we've seen different line ups, but they will always remain in my heart as my all time number 1. Why? Well, because for starters Neil is a true master of his art. I watched him in awe on his solo tour earlier this year commanding the stage (and a rather large stage it was too) while he sat and played the piano completely alone. Not many artists can hold the audience completely spellbound in that way, but Neil does it with ease. One of the many reasons why I will never tire of the music he produces with or without the band.

I have to admit, I now struggle to name a second favourite band as honestly, I like so many others I don't think there is a clear winner. My taste has changed over the years and I'll get into a new band (like recently Alter Bridge) and then immerse myself in their back catalogue (if they have one) and get to grips with their style.

For many years I would always name Barenaked Ladies as my second choice, but now I'm not so sure. They are definitely up there, but I have to admit that after Steven Page left the band my interest faded slightly. His was the voice I tuned into and as much as I love the output from the rest of the band, it was his voice that drew me to them in the first place. Without him it just hasn't been the same. Don't get me wrong, I've still been to see them live without him and thoroughly enjoyed it as they are great performers, but it was just missing that something. His solo work is not too bad, but didn't really set the world on fire, although his album does have some really great tracks on it and I enjoy listening to it when it pops up on my iPod.

Fall Out Boy are another band that feature heavily in my playlists. I got into them when 'Folie A Deux' was released and once again it was the voice of Patrick Stump that hooked me in for the long haul. I was a background fan for many years, liked their stuff, but didn't go overboard with them really. This was until the made their comeback from hiatus and released 'Save Rock and Roll' last year. It was a well received album and they have been on the up ever since winning awards and gaining a whole new fanbase in the process. Interestingly though, just last week I was sent an interview that DJ Annie Mac gave where she informed the public that she couldn't stand FOB and that she actually found them 'offensive'. No idea why she feels this way, and although everyone is of course entitled to their own opinion, to say they are offensive is a bit much. They don't have rude lyrics, swear or degrade people so it's a bit much to state such a fact if you ask me. Anyway, during their enforced break Patrick released a solo album and EP which are both very good. Unfortunately the public didn't seem to agree and the album wasn't met with much success. I've never really understood why it didn't do better than it did as it's actually a really great piece of work. He did absolutely everything himself and you can tell that it's been lovingly put together. I was lucky enough to see Fall Out Boy when they played the Download festival this year and they do give a great show. Let's hope there's more to come from them next year.

Behold, the greatness that is Fall Out Boy

The last post I wrote on this blog was about the return to my youth in the 90s and my continuing love affair with the Bluetones. They therefore have to feature on this list as a band that mean something important to my life. They are nothing if not a quandary for me though. Massive success when they burst into the British charts in the mid 90s, followed by some lows, then success again and finally the sad conclusion that it was all over. I still find this hard to take and feel that perhaps the public weren't paying attention hard enough cos you know what? They were bloody awesome! Lumped in with the whole Britpop scene (which they weren't at all) they hit us with the jangly guitar of the wonderful Adam Devlin and lyrics which were something to behold. I followed them through their career, but was never fortunate enough to see them play live which is something I will always regret bitterly. I have, however been lucky enough to see lead singer and all round top bloke Mark Morriss play his solo material live (and Adam was with him so it was 2 for the price of 1!!) and I am doing so again very soon. Both Mark and Adam are kind enough to put up with my stupid ramblings on Twitter and I feel very privileged to be able to communicate with them both especially as I have been a fan of theirs for nearly 20 years and will continue to be for the foreseeable future (or until they get fed up of me pestering them)...

What platform for the last train to Clarksville guys?

So, who else? Other bands I've followed from the start include Counting Crows, The Gin Blossoms, Hootie and the Blowfish, Ben Folds Five, the list goes on. Lots of American acoustic style rock bands seemed to be my genre of choice in the 90s/00s. From a British point of view I love bands such as Squeeze, Genesis, The Divine Comedy, Teenage Fanclub, The Smiths, Del Amitri and the wonderful Turin Brakes.

It was being a fan of Turin Brakes which earned me some cool points a few years back as a ex mate of mine was trying to appear 'down with the kids' and asked me to name some good music so she could impress her workmates. I reeled off a load of stuff including the aforementioned Brakes and she told me she was greeted with "that's impressive actually, maybe she does know a thing or two". Yes, I certainly do thank you very much indeed.

I'm actually listening to a lot of Turin Brakes at the moment to be honest as their latest album is fab (We Were Here - check it out) and lead singer Olly Knights has a solo album called 'If Not Now When' which he lovingly put together in his own home using a very unique and personal recording style. I watched a documentary on the production of this album and it was a moving and inspirational journey for him and made me consider that perhaps not all music is constructed by faceless producers for the masses. This was a labour of love for him and a legacy that he could be proud of. It made me hopeful for the future of the industry and confirmed to me that there are still musicians out there who care about what they do on a higher level and these are the people we should be following with interest. Watch the documentary below.

I guess there are also the 'classic' bands that most people like (or say they like cos if you don't you appear to be an idiot) like the Beatles, Queen, the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin etc. I love all of these by the way. We also have to give consideration to other such bands as Guns 'n Roses, Oasis, and even Coldplay and U2. Yes, bloody Coldplay and egomaniacal carnival ride that is U2. People seem to buy their albums and get them to the top of the charts, but whenever I speak to anyone, no-one actually seems to like them! So who is buying their bloody music then?? It can only be because people feel they 'should'. I never buy anything just for the kudos of it. It has to be something I am interested in and enjoy listening to otherwise what's the point? My CD collection is for me and no-one else and I don't feel the need to impress someone with my choices so they'll think that I'm cool. I mean, come on. Everybody already knows that I am...

Anyway, there are are tons and tons of other bands that could be mentioned in this post, but it would then go on forever and I have other things to do. I'm sure you all have your favoutites and that there are reasons why you particularly like them so think about it, chat about it with your friends and keep the conversation going. Or tweet me about it if you want. I'm always up for the debate.