The Dramatics are from the same fabric as Eddie Floyd or Rufus Thomas? William Bell and 24K Black are related artistically or personnel-wise? Where your argument does hold up is that many things in the Volt catalog stink as much as in the main Stax catalog. Shack anyone? Perhaps a little Hot Sauce? Maybe a bit of Margie Joseph or some Newcomers?
There are low points in the Stax catalog, but the people Dante mentioned as being B-listers sound alright to me. Having digested the first two Stax boxes and several 45's and LP's along the way, I could put together my own list of mediocre Stax songs (and it would probably include some of the stars - I know damn well Carla Thomas, to name one example, didn't always get the best material). And it still wouldn't wipe out the memory of Stax at its' finest.
While I wasn't as knocked out by 24-Karat Black's album as most on this list, I still believe that "Mannish Boy" (Newcomers), "Too Many Lovers" (Shack), "I'll Kill A Brick About My Man" (Hot Sauce), or any of the three Dramatics elpees on Volt are right up there with Stax' finest. Margie Joseph, I'm on the fence about - her Atlantic records are mostly uneven, but her Volt singles weren't embarrassing.
And my comment was not made off-the-cuff
Which reminds me, Freddie Robinson's Off The Cuff LP on Enterprise is a neglected classic. Better than his loungey World Pacific Jazz records.
So...what's the difference between 'shit I don't like' and 'overrated' again?
I would say that a better title for this thread is overhyped rather than overrated. There are bands and artists out there that are just as good if not better than some bands/artists people have listed and the public has just overhyped and uber-loved people like 2Pac to the point that they are perceived as better than they actually are.
There's a whole lot of people in this thread that should actually just kill themselves immediately.
true
What does that even mean? We should commit suicide now because we think certain popular artists are overrated? How is that even something that can be called "true"?
There's a whole lot of people in this thread that should actually just kill themselves immediately.
true
What does that even mean? We should commit suicide now because we think certain popular artists are overrated? How is that even something that can be called "true"?
Must be magic. That way it doesn't have to make sense.
James Brown is the most overrated artist ever. Also, the drum is the most overrated instrument of all time. I think washing one's ass is overrated as well...
whoa, whoa whoa, hold up, you just crossed the line. Elvis Costello is the greatest songwriter of our generation. I really hope you didn't mean that. If his song stylings don't talk to you on a deeper plain of understanding then you have got to check your pulse man.
As far as the Stax thing...I would agree that Stax post 68 is overrated...When Al Bell started farming the shit out in the post Atlantic era, the terd to banger ratio went sky high. Yellow label stax doesn't thrill me. But Stax/Volt/satellite, from about 61 to 67...unfuckwitable IMO.
Blue Stax Label>Yellow Stax Label all day, everyday
whoa, whoa whoa, hold up, you just crossed the line. Elvis Costello is the greatest songwriter of our generation. I really hope you didn't mean that. If his song stylings don't talk to you on a deeper plain of understanding then you have got to check your pulse man.
As a whole, the entire Stax label (not counting Volt and subsidiaries).
Seems like a facetious argument. There was absolutely no separation between the Volt and Stax labels artistically and personnel-wise for non-reissue cuts. Stax alone produced an unfathomable amount of great material, especially from 1968 on.
I'm not being facetious. I think Stax is completely and totally overrated. I also think Hi is overrated. I say this as a lover of most things Memphis, too...it's one of my favorite cities. And the comment that there was "absolutely no separation between Volt and Stax artistically" is uninformed. The Dramatics are from the same fabric as Eddie Floyd or Rufus Thomas? William Bell and 24K Black are related artistically or personnel-wise? Where your argument does hold up is that many things in the Volt catalog stink as much as in the main Stax catalog. Shack anyone? Perhaps a little Hot Sauce? Maybe a bit of Margie Joseph or some Newcomers?
And my comment was not made off-the-cuff, I just listened to hundreds of Stax singles this past week and everything was just stale. I fully understand Estelle and Jim's role in the history of music, but for me their output is grossly overesteemed.
If mofos can say that Coltrane and Dylan are overrated, I can more than put Stax on the fire.
Perhaps, I misunderstood you're first post. It seemed to me that you were saying that Stax was overrated whereas Volt was not. If that's what you meant then I don't get what you're saying. True, there are a number of later projects like 24 carat Black and a number of reissues (Milner, Dino and Doc) that do not crossover personnel or production wise but for the most part, Stax/Volt kept a pretty tight circle of producers and musicians, especially within given periods of time. Hence the congruence of production/sound between a great many of their acts. For example, the Delaney and Bonnie record sounds a lot like Eddie Floyd's output from that time which doesn't sound that much different than the Jeanne and the Darlings. Aesthetically there just isn't much difference between Blind Alley and I'll Take You There. Or for that matter the Dramatics don't sound that different from the Bark-Kays in the early 70s. Simply put, save a few one offs and reissues, Stax and Volt were nearly identical in sound and quality. Perhaps your point was that Volt/Enterprise had all the cool one off stuff?
I do agree that in the 70s things got much more spotty quality wise. Most of the acts you sighted put out crap. I suppose we just disagree about the relative merits of the labels' total output. I am particularly impressed with Stax/Volt's quality of work by it's lesser known artists, stuff that for me ranks right up there with the canonical stuff by Otis and Sam and Dave et al. William Bell, Mable John and Ollie and the Nightingales, in particular produced some amazing sides.
I'm not agree with the Prince choice. I think that he is a genius pop songwriter and a very good musician, if he could dance like MJ he definetely would kick he in the ass.
Other choices are really right and made me laugh: U2, Coldplay and Lenny Kravitz (agree with all, but I have to say that first Lenny album, 'Let Love Rule' it's a good album).
My adds are Sade, Norah Jones and of course, The Strokes.
I agree with you for the most part, except for Sade!
Re: Stax...this thread is about overrated artists not labels!!! Geez.
As far as Coltrane goes...the idea of asking somebody what their favorite Coltrane song is hilarious to me...as if Coltrane wrote catchy little diddies!
I'm guessing whoever said The Beach Boys have never listened to them and specifically have never heard "Surf's Up" or "Sunflower" and have most definitely never heard the Dennis Wilson solo album.
Ha I know...not placing blame just saying that should be a whole nutha thread! But since we are on it...how is Stax even overrated? Isn't it universally acknowledged they jumped the shark around the same time as Motown? And the primetime Stax is unfuckwithable! What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall at that theater-turned studio/record store in the mid-60's! Thinking about that era of Stax makes me love this country way more than anything happening today.
Ha I know...not placing blame just saying that should be a whole nutha thread! But since we are on it...how is Stax even overrated? Isn't it universally acknowledged they jumped the shark around the same time as Motown? And the primetime Stax is unfuckwithable! What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall at that theater-turned studio/record store in the mid-60's! Thinking about that era of Stax makes me love this country way more than anything happening today.
Comments
There are low points in the Stax catalog, but the people Dante mentioned as being B-listers sound alright to me. Having digested the first two Stax boxes and several 45's and LP's along the way, I could put together my own list of mediocre Stax songs (and it would probably include some of the stars - I know damn well Carla Thomas, to name one example, didn't always get the best material). And it still wouldn't wipe out the memory of Stax at its' finest.
While I wasn't as knocked out by 24-Karat Black's album as most on this list, I still believe that "Mannish Boy" (Newcomers), "Too Many Lovers" (Shack), "I'll Kill A Brick About My Man" (Hot Sauce), or any of the three Dramatics elpees on Volt are right up there with Stax' finest. Margie Joseph, I'm on the fence about - her Atlantic records are mostly uneven, but her Volt singles weren't embarrassing.
Which reminds me, Freddie Robinson's Off The Cuff LP on Enterprise is a neglected classic. Better than his loungey World Pacific Jazz records.
lulz - lesbian hoodrat anthems, also catering to bi-curious beckys and their accountant hanger-ons.
The Who- Daltrey has a crappy rock voice
Any jam band that is liked by anyone is in the category of overrated
I would say that a better title for this thread is overhyped rather than overrated. There are bands and artists out there that are just as good if not better than some bands/artists people have listed and the public has just overhyped and uber-loved people like 2Pac to the point that they are perceived as better than they actually are.
true
What does that even mean? We should commit suicide now because we think certain popular artists are overrated? How is that even something that can be called "true"?
PINK
Justin Timberlake
DR.DRE
KId Rock
Must be magic. That way it doesn't have to make sense.
B/W
James Brown is the most overrated artist ever. Also, the drum is the most overrated instrument of all time. I think washing one's ass is overrated as well...
Damn right, sex is mad overrated. So is water. Shit, H2O doesn't EVEN rate in my book...
Blue Stax Label>Yellow Stax Label all day, everyday
LOL...no dude I'm talking about MR. Presley
Are you equating Prince with water? If so I can definitely recommend you get back to washing your ass.
man. kill yourself
oh man this exchange just had me laughing until tears came out.
Perhaps, I misunderstood you're first post. It seemed to me that you were saying that Stax was overrated whereas Volt was not. If that's what you meant then I don't get what you're saying. True, there are a number of later projects like 24 carat Black and a number of reissues (Milner, Dino and Doc) that do not crossover personnel or production wise but for the most part, Stax/Volt kept a pretty tight circle of producers and musicians, especially within given periods of time. Hence the congruence of production/sound between a great many of their acts. For example, the Delaney and Bonnie record sounds a lot like Eddie Floyd's output from that time which doesn't sound that much different than the Jeanne and the Darlings. Aesthetically there just isn't much difference between Blind Alley and I'll Take You There. Or for that matter the Dramatics don't sound that different from the Bark-Kays in the early 70s. Simply put, save a few one offs and reissues, Stax and Volt were nearly identical in sound and quality. Perhaps your point was that Volt/Enterprise had all the cool one off stuff?
I do agree that in the 70s things got much more spotty quality wise. Most of the acts you sighted put out crap. I suppose we just disagree about the relative merits of the labels' total output. I am particularly impressed with Stax/Volt's quality of work by it's lesser known artists, stuff that for me ranks right up there with the canonical stuff by Otis and Sam and Dave et al. William Bell, Mable John and Ollie and the Nightingales, in particular produced some amazing sides.
I agree with you for the most part, except for Sade!
As far as Coltrane goes...the idea of asking somebody what their favorite Coltrane song is hilarious to me...as if Coltrane wrote catchy little diddies!
I'm guessing whoever said The Beach Boys have never listened to them and specifically have never heard "Surf's Up" or "Sunflower" and have most definitely never heard the Dennis Wilson solo album.
Overrated? That Scorpio and His People 45
Dante started it, not me.
haha
Apparently you like stale music my friend.