Sunday 2 April 2006

Overrated NZ Music

In the spirit of last weekend's 'ten most overrated albums' post, here's the ten most overrated New Zealand pop bands and pop musicians. Discuss:

Goldenhorse - soporific bland nothings to accompany your dinner party.
Jordan Luck/Dance Exponents - the word 'musician' may be innacurately used here.
Tim Finn/Split Enz - one bright moment in a career of mediocrity (guess what that moment was).
Dave Dobbyn - should have hung up the guitar after 'Slice of Heaven.'
Mutton Birds - Don McGlashan seriously needs a 'could do better' report card.'
Wayne Mason - wrote the best New Zealand song ever written? Really!?
Salmonella Dub - less infectious than they sound.
Hayley Westenblah - less inspiring than her sales.
Black Seeds - simply less than inspiring.
Elemeno P - less than music.

LINKS: Ten most overrated albums - Not PC

TAGS: Music, New_Zealand

10 comments:

Mike Heine said...

Interesting!
Must agree with Wayne Mason, funny how there is noone who will confess to voting for 'Nature'. Rigged!
Goldenhorse is kinda up and down, I'm sick to death of 'maybe tomorrow'. Geoff's old band Bressa Creeting Cake was far superior and made one of the greatest NZ albums ever. Listen to Ed Cake's 'Downtown Puff' album if you haven't already!

The Mutton Bird's third album 'Envy of Angels' was brilliant and proof of how good Don could be.

Agreed on Hayley and Elemeno P. I'm shocked you left off Tadpole and Fur Patrol though! No way is 'Lydia' one of our top 20 songs of all time!

Anonymous said...

The Mutton Birds have about two singles that I like. The rest of the songs I can live without.

Yes, Dobbyn is over-rated, and Slice of Heaven was a collaboration between him and Herbs, so that song doesn't count fully in his favour.

I'd love to find a copy of Sweet Lover by the Holidaymakers. One of the few New Zealand pop songs that can always put a smile on my face and a couple of naughty memories in my mind :-)

Bascially, if music doesn't make you make you think or feel something - other than an urge to turn it off - it's a complete waste of time.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and you need to add every Supergroove album to that list. As a friend once said: "If they don't suck, they do a damn good imitation of it!"

Stu as "Stu" said...

Religious zealot issues aside for a moment (not that you mentioned them PC but they do get up my nose, a little). Dave Dobbyn's album The Islander is a superb piece of music. It changed my opinion, in a good way. Reminiscent of Paul Kelly's storytelling skills but lacking, just slightly, due to his lack of humour.

Most overrated, for me (assuming someone rates them), is Stellar*. Blander than Stella Artios.

Got any great NZ albums PC? Besides Hello Sailor?

Peter Cresswell said...

"Got any great NZ albums PC? Besides Hello Sailor?"

I was saving that for next weekend, Yalnikim.

There was a time when NZ music was undeservedly ignored, and the talent overlooked. Now, however, too much NZ music is undeservedly overrated, but with the mediocre being over-feted the talent is too often still ignored, and still overlooked.

"...you need to add every Supergroove album to that list."

Speaking of mediocre... Fortunately, I was out of the country for most of the days of Supergroove. And they split when I returned. How's that for being charmed. :-)

Andrew said...

There was a time when NZ music was undeservedly ignored, and the talent overlooked. Now, however, too much NZ music is undeservedly overrated

So we've caught up with the rest of the world?

Anonymous said...

You could just say you dont like dub music. For those that do, Black Seeds and Salmonella Dub are at worst hit and miss.

Also, be thankful that the worst you can come up with is Elemeno P (who do have some catchy tunes if you can get past that guy's grating voice). Consider what the poor bastards in Australia have to put up with (Rogue Traders anyone?)

Kimble

Anonymous said...

Goldenhoars are absolutely dead boring and as appetising as yesterdays porridge, and along with Elemeno P are fine examples of acts artificially inflated by NaZis On Air. When the state steplader of funding is removed we shall get to see the true level of their popularity and skills.

I do not own a Dave Dobbyn album, but the man is a LEGEND and an AWESOME songwriter, and his new music is some of his best - I love the line in one of his ones . . . "theres a woman with her hands trembling - haere ra" - instantly paints a unique kiwi image (to me at least!)
- not to mention one of his earlier songs - Be Mine Tonight - a perfectly worked pop masterpiece. It is one of the few cover songs I have to sing that I never seem to tire of.
Dave Dobbyn has achieved EXCELLENCE, and is a master of his trade whether you like his genre of music or not and doesn't deserve berating just because you do not approve of modern music forms!
NOW, if you would like to check out a TRULY exciting New Zealand band go to here:
www.brilleaux.orcon.net.nz

Peter Cresswell said...

GRAHAM: You dont' own a Dave Dobbyn album, Graham! Crikey, that's treasonous!

But seriously, I agree with you about the earlier songs, like I said, but what I've heard since has been embarrassingly cloying. If that was my 'Welcome Home' I'd be pushing off.

And I agree with you, of course about Brilleaux. But would you call that modern music, Graham? ;^P

"...be thankful that the worst you can come up with is Elemeno P... Consider what the poor bastards in Australia have to put up with..."

Yes, good point. We might have Dave Dobbyn and Jordan Luck, but at least we never had Michael Hutchence, Skyhooks, Sherbert, Air Supply, Kylie, Peter Allen, Little River Band, Midnight Oil...

Anonymous said...

Split Enz... the most overrated band ever.

Except "I See Red". Great rock hit.