December 14, 2004

In Defense of Adequacy: Klosterman @ Spin lists ten bands who are neither overrated, nor underrated, but just-right-rated. In these hyperbolic, polarized, diametric days, what's remains 'just right' anymore?

For me? Cheap Italian wine is just right. My internet connection (256K work, 56k home) is just right. The air pollution in my region, with it's combination of sinus antagonism and pretty sunsets? Just right.

posted by Fes 20 years ago
  • Man. That's the best thing Klosterman's ever written. His Fargo Rock City was a perfectly good-but-not-great book about liking metal in the midwest. Grain Belt Premium is just right for a cheap beer that's not too bad. My aging Schwinn Moab is the exact level of mountain bike- good, but not awesome- for someone with my limited skillz.
  • That was very, very enjoyable. It was well-written, occassionally insightful, and clever. I agreed with some. I disagreed with some. But that was not the point. I especially enjoyed his explanation of how Van Halen had written the most average song ever (therefore anything better than it is a good song, and vice versa).
  • Hmmm... for a minute there, I thought it was an article defending trolling.
  • Wow. That was amazing from Klosterman.
  • That was great, thanks for sharing. (I'm not just saying that because he spoke for the Beatles so nicely.)
  • Thst is very good. I would however nominate Bad Company as the most perfectly average band, and "Feel Like Makin' Love" as the most average song.
  • God, I hate "Feel Like Makin' Love." Great post, though.
  • Now, I would disagree with the good doctor. If I recall my bar days in college, there were a fair amount of people who really, really liked that song. I would think that the ideal average song would have no one who thought it was great, and no one who thought it sucked.
  • "Some Kind of Wonderful" by Grand Funk is my definition of average. "And the Cradle Will Rock" is significantly above average. Nice article, though. I totally agree with him about Matthew Sweet. Don't ever buy an album of his, just download the good songs.
  • If I recall my bar days in college, there were a fair amount of people who really, really liked that song. Perhaps that song is slightly above average. I just think of Bad Company as very nodescript because they were trying so hard to be a poor man's Led Zeppelin (probably cause they were on Zep's record label), but didnt quite have the msytique or great musicianship and riffs. I just have no strong feelings about that song at all. It is on the radio all the time, and I could just as easily be listening to white noise- my brain just cancels it out. The lyric is I guess meant to be sexual but the use of the grandma term "making love" is not exactly erotic. And he doesnt even say he IS making love, he just FEELS like it. Yeah don't we all, Paul? My friend once argued that Bad COmpany should be in the rock and roll hall of fame- I lost a lot of respect for him that day. I said MAYBE Paul Rodgers, based on his work with Free, a much better group, and for being in the Firm, which kind of sucked, but hey he was in a group with Jimmy Page and that's pretty cool.