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Unexpected surprises from performers you thought you knew...

Arkay

Arkay

Lunatic Member
I’ve long thought of John Kay, the lead singer from Steppenwolf, as a guy who would put out dark, sometimes "evil" songs like these (Hint: listen to the second one –heck, both!-- in a dark and silent room, with your eyes closed, and listen to the lyrics, if you really want the “feel” of the song and what I mean):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwZ3h5AN1oo (John Kay is singing this song; it was on his first solo album)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QTWU_m3Zog

But what a completely surprising contrast one sees when viewing THIS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsPFZut7oqA


This got me thinking about the differences between roles and styles, and some of the suprises I’ve experienced when performers have suddenly done something in complete contrast with the image I've had of them.

If you are old enough, do you remember the first time you learned that quintessentially nerdy Gomer Pyle, with his boyish, high-pitched voice, could sing as he does in these?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcwMj8BFoak

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5KeGccP9Jk&feature=fvw


Or that Florence Henderson –the housewife/mom Mrs. Brady on The Brady Bunch—could sing songs like these?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6WsnNJgorg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXpRSYg66w&feature=related


This train of thought leads me to ask: What other performers have SURPRISED YOU, with performances or announcements or actions, that seemed out of character, or revealed a completely unexpected side to their (public) character or their (previously-recognized) talents?
 
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When Dylan went the "born-again Christian" route for 3 albums (Slow Train Coming, Saved, Shot of Love). I bought Slow Train Coming upon its release, not knowing what to expect. Musically, it's quite nice and I still listen to it on occassion, but it's a far cry substantively and stylistically from his earlier work (and what followed.)
 
Two examples come to mind:

1) Neil Young's inexplicable foray into rockabilly and electronica with Trans and the Everybody's Rockin stuff. Here was a guy who had a great sound that oscillated between tender ballads and ripping rock & roll and then seem to jettison it for styles he was ill-suited. He himself must have agreed because by 1990 he was back to tender ballads and ripping rock & roll.

Experimentation is of course a fine thing unless you shred your identitiy which leads me to my 2nd example of:

2) U2 and their embrace of electronic schmaltz. How does a band create a masterpiece like Achtung Baby and then go on to creating trash like Zooropa and Pop? Again, they themselves must have asked that as after 7 yeas in the wilderness they returned to form with All That You Can't Leave Behind.
 
Jack Lord said:
2) U2 and their embrace of electronic schmaltz. How does a band create a masterpiece like Achtung Baby and then go on to creating trash like Zooropa and Pop? Again, they themselves must have asked that as after 7 yeas in the wilderness they returned to form with All That You Can't Leave Behind.
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I felt the same way about Radiohead's Kid A. A lot of my friends thought it was groundbreaking and I just thought it was pretentious and boring.
 
JohnVF said:
I felt the same way about Radiohead's Kid A. A lot of my friends thought it was groundbreaking and I just thought it was pretentious and boring.
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Perhaps a lot of fans are reluctant to admit their idols have released something less than satisfactory. At the time of the aforementioned U2 atrocities, several of my friends, people whose musical tastes and opinions I respect, defended them as great works. However, nowadays mention of said atrocities usually results in shrugged shoulders and embarrased grins accompanied by raised eyebrows.
 
Here's a minor infraction (for my sensibilities, anyway. YMMV). When the Grateful Dead did the Martha & Vandellas' classic "Dancing in the Streets," I was perplexed. Still don't like it.
 
finnbow said:
Here's a minor infraction (for my sensibilities, anyway. YMMV). When the Grateful Dead did the Martha & Vandellas' classic "Dancing in the Streets," I was perplexed. Still don't like it.
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Yea that one is pretty bad. I have some live shows where it pops up. I always skip right over it.

If they had done it soul style with Pigpen back in the day, it might have worked. Maybe it was their attempt to move with the times (disco) without going all the way?
 
Jack Lord said:
Yea that one is pretty bad. I have some live shows where it pops up. I always skip right over it.

If they had done it soul style with Pigpen back in the day, it might have worked. Maybe it was their attempt to move with the times (disco) without going all the way?
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Maybe the band just liked the tune? As a former musician who often played other peoples tunes, that's what we did. If we liked a tune, we tried to adapt it to our style. Homage?
 
When I saw Chet Atkins on TV in the late seventies with a scarf tied around his neck playing jazz guitar (I think), I was floored. He said something like "gotta pay the bills" when asked why the departure from his roots.
 
Their Satanic Majesties Request

For me, psychedelia and Stones don't mix very well. I like She's a Rainbow, the rest not so much.

Donning flame suit.:pistols:
 
finnbow said:
Here's a minor infraction (for my sensibilities, anyway. YMMV). When the Grateful Dead did the Martha & Vandellas' classic "Dancing in the Streets," I was perplexed. Still don't like it.
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It was a staple in their repertoire from their earliest days and there are many live versions from 1971 and before that are phenomenal (IMO). When they reinvented and reintroduced it to their repertoire with the version on Terrapin Station (I think it was) it was very different and not very good, also IMO.

finnbow said:
Their Satanic Majesties Request

For me, psychedelia and Stones don't mix very well. I like She's a Rainbow, the rest not so much.

Donning flame suit.:pistols:
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Totally agree with you on this one. 2000 Light Years is also good.
 
I was surprised that I liked Scarlett Johannson's debut album of Tom Waits covers. Her voice was much more odd and unique than I thought it would be. Not a great voice, and it was certainly processed to some degree, but I thought it was a really interesting album and you can tell she knew and liked the material. She didn't just rehash it, it was different, and I actually like her version of Fannin Street better than the original. For some reason it's unexpectedly sad to me when she sings it. "The desire to have much more, all the glitter and the roar...and I know this is where the sidewalk ends."
 
On the positive side (my past couple have been negative surprises), I'll nominate Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive. Its big band/swing style was a radical departure from I'm the Man and Look Sharp (both terrific albums). From this point forward, he continued to surprise with nearly every release, some very good, others not so much.
 
Listened to two tonight: Pete Townshend's Who Came First and Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane's Rough Mix. Both superb; neither anything like Big T's bombastic statements with the 'OO.
 
"I’ve long thought of John Kay, the lead singer from Steppenwolf..."
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speaking of John Kay, some of you might enjoy his first solo LP, 'forgotten songs and unsung heroes'.
i originally bought the album when it came out in, iirc, '72. lost it a few years later, and only recently re-purchased it when i 'discovered' ebay.

it's kind of country flavoured, imo. nice! :music:
 
JimInLhc said:
Maybe the band just liked the tune? As a former musician who often played other peoples tunes, that's what we did. If we liked a tune, we tried to adapt it to our style. Homage?
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Can't say I agree at all. :no:

Nobody, let alone I, is arguing against any band doing covers. The Grateful Dead did many covers and some, I Know You Rider comes to mind, they made their own.

Its how they did it that particular song I find unappealing. The original song is pretty good and I have heard some decent covers of it. The way the Dead does it sounds cheesy to say the least. Adapting it to their own style would have meant doing it while Pigpen was still alive so that he could have done the vocals. That would have cranked.

Sorry bro, but hearing them sing like that after a classic like Estimated Prophet is a buzz kill.
 
finnbow said:
Their Satanic Majesties Request

For me, psychedelia and Stones don't mix very well. I like She's a Rainbow, the rest not so much.

Donning flame suit.:pistols:
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Acid Rock was not the Stones' thing, but I like Satanic Majesties. Its different.
 
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