8/25/2009

The Audacity of Rock: Part 24

Vanilla flavored rock.

You know the bands. They get a lot of air play, have a lot of fans, but you have no idea why. They don't rock hard, they have bland melodies, and absolutely none of the band members are good looking, but somehow they become huge. This is one part of our past we haven't learned from yet.

"Even the Nights are Better" Air Supply (1982)

Suffering from a disco hangover, this duo managed to reach the top of the US charts in 1982 with this song. The bridge is pretty good, but I'm a bridge junkie, so I don't know what that means. Anyway, this is soft rock at its finest and milquetoastiest, complete with the cheesiest lyrics possible.





"Never Say Never" The Fray (2009)

Once again proving that they're the least creative lyricist in popular music today, each phrase is uttered at least twice in a row. Alhtough I can understand about half of what Isaac Slade sings in this #44 peaking song, unlike most of their singles. But honestly, there is nothing interesting about this song, except that it would do well accompanying the ending montage of a broadcast channel drama.





Questions to ponder:

1. How do bands like this make it huge?
2. How do you deal with their ubiquity?
3. Most importantly, how did Air Supply get those cute girls in their video?

1 comment:

  1. So I had an argument once with a fellow who thought that Matchbox 20 was, like, the best band of the decade.

    Vanilla.

    1. Someone has to fill up radio playlists?
    2. Listen to them only guiltily.
    3. Groupies will do anything for fame. Anything.

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