Wonderin ...

[ericcoleman]

I was going to post this the other day, but I spaced it off.

What is a band that you dearly love (or even just kinda like) that you are amazed got big. I'm not talking bands you hate, that's too easy. What is something that you listen to that you are amazed that a lot of people get?

I can think of two off the top of my head.

Jethro Tull. Yeah, here is a formula for stadium stardom. The lead singer plays flute and acoustic guitar. Odd time signatures. Intelligent lyrics. How did they sell out stadiums in the 70s? I'm glad they did, I saw them a half dozen times or more. But really ... how did that happen?

Supertramp. The two main instruments are electric piano and clarinet. I don't really need to say more . They sold millions.

Comments

[barondave.livejournal.com]

For various quantities of "got big", I'd have to say Steeleye Span. They charted a few times in the 70s, mostly in England, but never really took off. On the other hand, they've produced 20+ albums over three decades and many lineup changes.

They've been my favorite group for decades. Lots of people liked them, but too many of the people I know haven't heard of them. It's only with the arrival of LJ/FB that I've found out that a large number of my friends also love them, and think Maddy Prior is a great singer.

And I'm a decade behind in SSpan albums (since Maddy left).

[ericcoleman]

They were never a big thing over here ... they were hardly a tiny thing over here. But they were very popular in the UK ...

[uberhill.livejournal.com]

Yes.
They broke every rule. The industry even made up a few, just for Yes to break.

"What's this, it doesn't sound like anything else on this station."
"Yeah, I know, it's really good."

[ericcoleman]

Their biggest hit (in their first incarnation) was their most ordinary sounding song. Your Move/All Good People ... and it's damn odd.

[shadowcat48li.livejournal.com]

Whos the Band on Stage? Yes
So Yes is the Band on stage?
No, there on later

[ravenclaw-eric.livejournal.com]

Warren Zevon.

[dek9.livejournal.com]

My favorite band... Dire Straits.

Pretty big in the US (Everyone says "Oh, yeah, the Money for Nothing guys... didn't they also do Walk of Life?") but HUGE in the UK and Europe.

[fleetfootmike.livejournal.com]

...and you have to remember that they started out in the UK in 1977, when guitar-based light rock was... very much NOT the in thing!

[ericcoleman]

Sultans Of Swing was SO against the times. It's a chuckling, bemused appreciation of a jazz band. I loved it at the time, much to the shock of my punk friends ... still do. And you want to talk the ultimate non-rock star. Mark Knophler. Brilliant astounding guitar player ... looks kinda like Woody Allen. Sings like him too.

[ericcoleman]

Remind me then that I need to make you some presents before the next time I see you. I have some cool Dire Straits stuff.

[erik]

Al Stewart. He had a few hits that were wildly popular, but most of his stuff is historical treatise in song form:
"I know! I'll write an 8-minute narrative of the Russian campaign of the second world war. First-person, from the perspective of a footsoldier in the Red Army!"

[ericcoleman]

One of his more recent records was about his wine cellar.

[phillip2637.livejournal.com]

I saw him play live a few months ago. He's still doing it, and brilliantly. Sparks of Ancient Light (2008, with Laurence Juber) is as enjoyable as anything I've heard in...long time.

But, like you say:
- Lord Salisbury
- Eisenhower
- Hanno the Navigator
- the last Shah of Iran
- William McKinley

[erik]

I just got Sparks.... Haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I really liked A Beach Full Of Shells

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

I find it a little curious that Al Yankovic got as big as he did. I wouldn't have been surprised by a "one hit wonder" or even a couple of them, but I was surprised he became a whole phenomenon.