A chance encounter with a 1988 live performance that completely obliterated one of my self-imposed musical blind spots leaves me wondering where else I should be shining the light.
I love all the reggae and ska artists in this list! It's funny how there are few bands that start with U but in those genres it's plentiful. I didn't realize at first that you chose a different "The Untouchables" than the one I grew up with. I'm thinking of the '80s-today ska-funk-soul band. You know them, yes? I wonder if the LA band were aware of The Inspirations/Untouchables band from 15 years prior.
They are/were an amazing live band and I was lucky to have seen them at least twice back in the '80s. I saw them with Fishbone once and I want to say Bad Manners and maybe Oingo Boingo the other shows. Here's a video by them, in case you don't know their music.
Seeing The Upsetters and U-Roy in your list took me back. I also had a reggae/ska obsession back in the late '80s-early '90s. I am not familiar with The Uniques, though I definitely know other ska/rock-steady bands of their day.
You know I'm a UB40 fan already (since my piece about them was your favorite). Good to see Urge Overkill on this list and their fantastic cover of the Neil Diamond classic. I still have the Us3 CD in my collection, which is one of the best Jazz/Hip-Hop/Soul blended albums of all time. It really holds up.
The only one in your list I didn't know (other than the ones mentioned) are The Urbs.
Other U bands I'd recommend:
Ultravox (one of my favorite post punk/new wave bands of all time)
The Umbrellas (I'm gonna see them in concert in a few weeks)
Uriah Heep
and surely more but that's all I can come up with now.
My biggest and most tightly held blind spot is country & western. There's something about its stereotypical sound and themes from my childhood that grates on my ears.
Thanks mostly to fellow 'Stack authors who focus on music, it's slowly wearing down; but in all honesty, I don't think I'll ever choose to explore that genre on my own. And I'm okay with that. One can't drink deeply of everything.
Thanks Jackie! For many years country music was a blind spot for me. It’s certainly still not a favorite genre for me. While I haven’t opened up to it that much over the years there tends to be a handful of country or country-adjacent albums that make my Album of the Year list nowadays.
I have two thoughts on this. The first is that there is just too much music out there to spend time with every band that doesn’t immediately grab you but that does not mean you should close your mind to revisiting them in the future. Much like you with Pixies, I was shocked to discover last year just how much I like Bloc Party having written them off in around 2004. Tastes change and I think as I have got older the variety of music I find accessible has significantly broadened. There are many bands from the late 80s that I just wasn’t ready for at the time and because I tend to look forward rather than backward with music, I’ve never really got to know them. I think this is inevitable to be honest and as long as I’m open to new things, I’m not going to beat myself up over it. Sort of related is the fact that I think the music we really love is somewhat dependent on “right place, right time”. There are many bands which could scratch a particular itch but the one which becomes your favourite is probably going to be the one which grabbed your attention first.
In terms of genre there are plenty of which I have limited knowledge and many which I am less excited about - metal definitely doesn’t do it for me, for example. That doesn’t stop me listening to recommendations but I’m less likely to be digging deep to find the gems. As I see it, that’s what Substack is for.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I think it’s the same for me with some of those late 80s bands that I’d written off - I just wasn’t ready for their music at the time. But I’m loving exploring it now.
I’ve heard OF Bloc Party but not sure I’ve ever listened to their music.
Another album that I’ve come to love is Hats by The Blue Nile. One of my god friends absolutely LOVED the album back in the day and despite trying (really hard) I just didn’t get it. Listening to it earlier this year, and falling in love with it, I realized just how much my musical tastes have evolved in the last four decades.
I’m not too into metal myself but occasionally albums come along that just really work for me - Heartless by Pallbearer (2017) and Nest by Brutus (2019) come to mind.
Oh, I wanted to say, because I see life as endless wordplay, that I read the title of this post as: "there are 41 artists piled up beneath you, like a rock and roll cheerleading squad and you on the top."
Isn’t it great when an artist or band you thought you didn’t like sneaks up on you like this?
My blind spot is Radiohead. While I respect their work, I never truly managed to connect with the band in the way others have. Still, I’ll keep an open mind because maybe someday it’ll all click.
It sure is! In this case it really was a shocker because I’d so thoroughly written them off in my mind while clearly never having spent any time listening to them. So glad I clicked on that reel on Instagram or I would’ve gone right on thinking I didn’t like The Pixies!
Regarding blind spots, I would say Classical is my biggest one. I have maybe 20 albums in my collection, essentially one for each of the ones we all know: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. But I feel uneducated in terms of recognizing differences between orchestras or picking out specific movements.
There aren't enough hours in the day and days left in my life to explore every genre, but I truly am able to enjoy every one I can think of. Even screamo-metal. I have really gotten into ambient in the past few years, though my memory is for shit and I can't name most of the artists I listen to.
Maybe my blind spots are more modern genres like K-Pop and stuff like that. Stuff for young people today that isn't meant for codgers like me. But I would bet I'd find bands to like even in those genres.
For me there’s certainly plenty of genre-related blind spots. Like you said, there’s just not enough time to listen to everything. I have to pick and choose. There’s plenty that I’m not interested in (K-Pop comes to mind; nothing against it but I just don’t want to make time for it).
I’m actively trying to revisit artists and albums that I’d previously kicked to the curb. So glad The Pixies serendipitously popped up on my musical radar at a time when I was open to listening. The Replacements are up next. Just didn’t get them (or wasn’t ready for them) when I was first exposed so I’m gonna dig into their stuff.
I also had not heard of The Posies in the 1980s. I'm not sure where or when I first heard of them but they've never really been on my radar. Aside from that, here are two more "U" songs/groups:
Thank you for the kind words and signal boost! I'm really happy you've found some new records to enjoy!
These pictures are gorgeous! Experiencing it all in person must be incredible.
As for Pixies, Surfer Rosa and Come On Pilgrim are an incredible 1-2 punch. Urge Overkill's Americruiser is pretty good, too--"Ticket to LA" in particular.
Blind spots? Oh man, let's see... Folk, K-Pop, Deathcore, Hyperpop, World Music... It's a long list, but I'm chipping away at it!
Ah, no worries if those psych recs aren't your fancy, Mark. There's plenty of music that doesn't work for me, yet I can still respect it and the musicians behind it (Queen immediately comes to mind. They do nothing for me). I do appreciate you giving them a chance, tho.
I love the photos; the second and third ones of the treacherous cliff looks like a precarious stack of Jenga blocks that will eventually be reclaimed by the sea!
It’s been a fun journey bouncing around your list and a couple good albums so far. I’m trying to take a few notes as I go along so that you can make some more suggestions once I’ve narrowed down what I do like.
The cliffs yesterday were stunning. More coastal walking today and tomorrow we’ll be seeing a 449 foot sea stack off the island of Hoy. Looking forward to that!
I love all the reggae and ska artists in this list! It's funny how there are few bands that start with U but in those genres it's plentiful. I didn't realize at first that you chose a different "The Untouchables" than the one I grew up with. I'm thinking of the '80s-today ska-funk-soul band. You know them, yes? I wonder if the LA band were aware of The Inspirations/Untouchables band from 15 years prior.
They are/were an amazing live band and I was lucky to have seen them at least twice back in the '80s. I saw them with Fishbone once and I want to say Bad Manners and maybe Oingo Boingo the other shows. Here's a video by them, in case you don't know their music.
https://youtu.be/QHItHKfzW7A?si=Kx34Lxu4hM_3LA6Z
Seeing The Upsetters and U-Roy in your list took me back. I also had a reggae/ska obsession back in the late '80s-early '90s. I am not familiar with The Uniques, though I definitely know other ska/rock-steady bands of their day.
You know I'm a UB40 fan already (since my piece about them was your favorite). Good to see Urge Overkill on this list and their fantastic cover of the Neil Diamond classic. I still have the Us3 CD in my collection, which is one of the best Jazz/Hip-Hop/Soul blended albums of all time. It really holds up.
The only one in your list I didn't know (other than the ones mentioned) are The Urbs.
Other U bands I'd recommend:
Ultravox (one of my favorite post punk/new wave bands of all time)
The Umbrellas (I'm gonna see them in concert in a few weeks)
Uriah Heep
and surely more but that's all I can come up with now.
I was NOT familiar with the LA version of The Untouchables! I like that track, we’ll have to check them out.
I don’t believe I ever actually owned or listened to the entire Us3 album which is surprising given how big that song was and how much I enjoyed it.
Ultravox was definitely on my initial list but just couldn’t find a way to work them into the playlist give how much reggae was in there.
The Umbrellas are brand new to me and Uriah Heep I’ve heard of but never listened to. Will check them both out.
The Umbrellas! Yes!
My biggest and most tightly held blind spot is country & western. There's something about its stereotypical sound and themes from my childhood that grates on my ears.
Thanks mostly to fellow 'Stack authors who focus on music, it's slowly wearing down; but in all honesty, I don't think I'll ever choose to explore that genre on my own. And I'm okay with that. One can't drink deeply of everything.
Thanks Jackie! For many years country music was a blind spot for me. It’s certainly still not a favorite genre for me. While I haven’t opened up to it that much over the years there tends to be a handful of country or country-adjacent albums that make my Album of the Year list nowadays.
I have two thoughts on this. The first is that there is just too much music out there to spend time with every band that doesn’t immediately grab you but that does not mean you should close your mind to revisiting them in the future. Much like you with Pixies, I was shocked to discover last year just how much I like Bloc Party having written them off in around 2004. Tastes change and I think as I have got older the variety of music I find accessible has significantly broadened. There are many bands from the late 80s that I just wasn’t ready for at the time and because I tend to look forward rather than backward with music, I’ve never really got to know them. I think this is inevitable to be honest and as long as I’m open to new things, I’m not going to beat myself up over it. Sort of related is the fact that I think the music we really love is somewhat dependent on “right place, right time”. There are many bands which could scratch a particular itch but the one which becomes your favourite is probably going to be the one which grabbed your attention first.
In terms of genre there are plenty of which I have limited knowledge and many which I am less excited about - metal definitely doesn’t do it for me, for example. That doesn’t stop me listening to recommendations but I’m less likely to be digging deep to find the gems. As I see it, that’s what Substack is for.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I think it’s the same for me with some of those late 80s bands that I’d written off - I just wasn’t ready for their music at the time. But I’m loving exploring it now.
I’ve heard OF Bloc Party but not sure I’ve ever listened to their music.
Another album that I’ve come to love is Hats by The Blue Nile. One of my god friends absolutely LOVED the album back in the day and despite trying (really hard) I just didn’t get it. Listening to it earlier this year, and falling in love with it, I realized just how much my musical tastes have evolved in the last four decades.
I’m not too into metal myself but occasionally albums come along that just really work for me - Heartless by Pallbearer (2017) and Nest by Brutus (2019) come to mind.
Oh, I wanted to say, because I see life as endless wordplay, that I read the title of this post as: "there are 41 artists piled up beneath you, like a rock and roll cheerleading squad and you on the top."
Haha that’s hilarious 😂
Isn’t it great when an artist or band you thought you didn’t like sneaks up on you like this?
My blind spot is Radiohead. While I respect their work, I never truly managed to connect with the band in the way others have. Still, I’ll keep an open mind because maybe someday it’ll all click.
Stunning photos, by the way!
It sure is! In this case it really was a shocker because I’d so thoroughly written them off in my mind while clearly never having spent any time listening to them. So glad I clicked on that reel on Instagram or I would’ve gone right on thinking I didn’t like The Pixies!
^I have found my people^ lol
Regarding blind spots, I would say Classical is my biggest one. I have maybe 20 albums in my collection, essentially one for each of the ones we all know: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. But I feel uneducated in terms of recognizing differences between orchestras or picking out specific movements.
There aren't enough hours in the day and days left in my life to explore every genre, but I truly am able to enjoy every one I can think of. Even screamo-metal. I have really gotten into ambient in the past few years, though my memory is for shit and I can't name most of the artists I listen to.
Maybe my blind spots are more modern genres like K-Pop and stuff like that. Stuff for young people today that isn't meant for codgers like me. But I would bet I'd find bands to like even in those genres.
For me there’s certainly plenty of genre-related blind spots. Like you said, there’s just not enough time to listen to everything. I have to pick and choose. There’s plenty that I’m not interested in (K-Pop comes to mind; nothing against it but I just don’t want to make time for it).
I’m actively trying to revisit artists and albums that I’d previously kicked to the curb. So glad The Pixies serendipitously popped up on my musical radar at a time when I was open to listening. The Replacements are up next. Just didn’t get them (or wasn’t ready for them) when I was first exposed so I’m gonna dig into their stuff.
I also had not heard of The Posies in the 1980s. I'm not sure where or when I first heard of them but they've never really been on my radar. Aside from that, here are two more "U" songs/groups:
Set Me Free - Utopia
Small Strides - Umphrey's McGee
Great photos, by the way!
Thanks for those tracks Dan! Haven’t heard of either band, will give them a listen.
Utopia was a Todd Rundgren band.
Thank you for the kind words and signal boost! I'm really happy you've found some new records to enjoy!
These pictures are gorgeous! Experiencing it all in person must be incredible.
As for Pixies, Surfer Rosa and Come On Pilgrim are an incredible 1-2 punch. Urge Overkill's Americruiser is pretty good, too--"Ticket to LA" in particular.
Blind spots? Oh man, let's see... Folk, K-Pop, Deathcore, Hyperpop, World Music... It's a long list, but I'm chipping away at it!
"Kim Deal was otherworldly with her "ooh ooh" backing vocals "
Other key-ly, too. OMG, whoever let her do that?
Ah, no worries if those psych recs aren't your fancy, Mark. There's plenty of music that doesn't work for me, yet I can still respect it and the musicians behind it (Queen immediately comes to mind. They do nothing for me). I do appreciate you giving them a chance, tho.
I love the photos; the second and third ones of the treacherous cliff looks like a precarious stack of Jenga blocks that will eventually be reclaimed by the sea!
It’s been a fun journey bouncing around your list and a couple good albums so far. I’m trying to take a few notes as I go along so that you can make some more suggestions once I’ve narrowed down what I do like.
The cliffs yesterday were stunning. More coastal walking today and tomorrow we’ll be seeing a 449 foot sea stack off the island of Hoy. Looking forward to that!