The race is almost run

[mippy.livejournal.com]

OK, I've just had a claws-out argument with someone about The Days of Pearly Spencer. I love it, and told said person. "Mark Almond? Seriously? You are fucking weird. That's a terrible record. Mark Almond? This is some sick joke, right?' Then I was sent an mp3 of Peter Allen's I Go To Rio as my 'punishment', along with 'I played this AND Pearly Spencer on my student radio station as part of 'it's so bad, it's good...' 

I really love Pearly Spencer. I may have to re-evaluate my friendship in the light of this. But never mind that. I love MacArthur Park, because it's so over the top, it's wonderful. I love Pearly Spencer for much the same reasons - sheer melodrama - but sincerely; it's in the same category as ABC's All Of My Heart, PSB's It's A Sin, and some other records by acronym groups. I wouldn't go as far to say 'If you don't understand this record, you don't understand MOI!' and stomp off to my room to play my tapes, but really, it's not kitsch fodder, is it?

So, questions for discussion:

1. Which records can you genuinely not understand people disliking, somehow?
2. 'So bad it's good' - pop snobbism getting in the way of TEH TUNEZ?

Please write on both sides of the paper at once.

 

 

 

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I always find it RLY fascinating when a quite innocuous record attracts this kind of OMG YOU KITSCHSTER FULES ire.

On ILX recently I mentioned my liking of "Lean On Me" by Red Box and was accused of making some incomprehensible hipster taste-move! RED BOX!

Anyway I honestly can't imagine how people could dislike most of the canonical pop I like. I have a failure of imagination I think because clearly a lot of people do. I think it's more that I can't understand how people could see catchiness (say) as a bad thing.

I don't mind so bad its good really - it's a way into good after all. I prefer so bad it's OMG or so OMG its good, though.

[koganbot]

Fish see catchiness as a bad thing when catchiness is due to a hook.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

Time flies like an arrow - fruit flies like a banana.

[mippy.livejournal.com]

I only heard Lean on Me about three months ago, and it made me smile mightily. It still does.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

i think the level of "oh yeah, of COURSE you like girls aloud" comments i've had has started to decrease a bit, but is still prevalent...

Still Bill?

[(Anonymous)]

Hoping against hope that "Lean On Me" by Red Box is NOT the classic Bill Withers song?