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Learning songs you REALLY DON'T LIKE

#21
Can you isolate some of the tracks so you don't hear the song in its entirety when practicing? (As in, strip the vocal out, maybe?) It might make it more tolerable. But you'll still have the problem of actually having to play it at the gig.

And, like everyone else, I'm curious- what is the song?!
 
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#22
You started the thread so before I mention "Old Time Rock and Roll" and how it is the least "Rock and Roll" song of all time... OOPs.
Seriously though - you gotta say.
Bonus track: I was in a country band when "Achy Breaky Heart" was popular - Had to ply it like 3 times a night and we were playing 3 nights a week and often a Saturday matinee.
 
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#23
I used to teach as well as make tabs for people. The amount of crap I had to endure is mind numbing, you just plow through it and collect your paycheque.

Seriously.... the amount of "Jesus rock" songs that ended up just repeatedly saying Jesus in the chorus is just ludicrous. I cannot imagine what the OP is listening can be much worse than Hillsong.
 
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#24
My musical training comes from playing clarinet in school bands and singing in choirs. These are worlds where you just have to take the good with the bad and perform the bad absolutely as well as you can because the success of the ensemble is far more important than your personal taste in music. It helps a lot if other people in the band or the audience obviously enjoy the songs you hate and I don't think hate is too strong a word for some of the music I have played. Probably about a third of the time songs that I hate on first exposure grow on me and I end up enjoying them by the time I have mastered them. I actually kinda dislike clarinet for that matter. It was chosen for me by the music staff at a grade school and I dutifully played it for the next dozen years. I would play it still if there were a good reason to. I won't ever really like the clarinet however. So it is possible to do things you dislike, do them well, and even enjoy doing them, without ever really liking them. It may hurt, character building usually does. You will find that there is a deep personal satisfaction to be had from pleasing others at personal expense however.
 
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#25
In the band I just deal with it. There's nothing more boring for a bassist than a country ballad in 3/4 time. I go on autopilot and just wait for it to be over. In the duo projects I just say "no, I won't play that" ... one of the guys I play with is from the Cambridge MA "Great Folk Scare" of the early 60's and brings some crappy (to me) folkie stuff to the table all the time.
 
#27
Interesting thread; I'm getting the beer & peanuts out and see what happens :)

I can't say that I have such strong feelings as the OP about any song.
Maybe one exception; I was at a funeral of the 6-month old son of close family friends where they played 'tears in heaven' (Clapton). After that experience, I can live a full, happy life without EVER hearing that song again, let alone playing it.

Other than that, I'll be the first one to admit I don't particularly get a kick out of playing "Sweet Caroline", but if a bar full of people yell "whoah oah oah", well - that makes up for my slight discomfort :)

Regards
Mark
 
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#28
Hard to call the shots on material when you're just filling in. I was in a cover band for 14 years with the same guys. It was a democratic band, no leader, and we ran it like the U.N. Security Council-any member could veto a song choice. We passed on some very effective songs (in terms of audience appeal), but nobody had to play a song they hated. My personal take on popular cover songs is this: the song was a hit-millions of people liked it-what is it about the song that caused that? What can I learn about popular taste in music by learning this song? I'm currently in a covers rock band and I do what the bandleader chooses, if I want to work and get paid. My jazz band doesn't gig, just records (mixing our 4th CD now), and we arrive at song choices by mutual discussion and only do material we all like. For my solo folk act, I do what I want to do.
 
#30
I've played with a couple of bands that played for themselves instead of the audience when playing out. They wonder why they don't get repeat gigs. They also wonder why they have a turnover of band members.
 
#32
hsech said:
I've played with a couple of bands that played for themselves instead of the audience when playing out. They wonder why they don't get repeat gigs. They also wonder why they have a turnover of band members.
Click to expand...

As I said, I keep the two completely separate. The other bands that I 'jam' with are all made up of people and friends in regular gigging projects. We get together because we are in other bands that do not afford the same freedoms and have no interest to play out or to play what "the crowd wants". It's very different than being in a group of naive weekend warriors that think people care about their drop tuned version of Simple Man.


The song in question is Meatloafs "Paradise By The Dashboard Light". I have hated that song since the moment I heard it years ago. It has to be the most gratuitous display of exaggerated theatrical cliche crap that ever existed. Absolutely horrible. I didn't want to say the song because I didn't want this to turn into a debate about the genius of Meatloaf ;)
 
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#34
I always liked playing that tune with all of the little sections to it. And anytime we did play it, crowd would go bonkers.

Side note - Way back when, I took lessons from Steve Buslowe and one lesson he showed me every little nuance of that song so maybe that's why I enjoy playing it.
 
#35
I learned a pile of tunes I did not like for a band a few months ago - and I enjoyed it. I've done this long enough that I can focus on the bass part and ignore the badness of the tune.
Of course, once I learn the tune cold, THEN it starts annoying me. Lord, if I have to play "Breakdown" again I will *scream*!
 
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#37
I would politely voice my concerns to the BL. As I've stated in other threads, back when I played cover bands, I was always upfront, I won't play Mustang Sally, ever. They have always obliged. Permanent and sideman. Ironically, the good cover bands I seen, and believe me, those are super rare, don't play those standard cover tunes that everyone on here claims is a must play. But that is irrelevant tothe conversation. I say speak up, talk to them or the BL and let them know how much it's bothering you.
Where Lead Singers and guitarists often seem to have a reputation, and usually live up to it, of having big ego's, it seems many bass players are very submissive almost in just terrified of speaking up as if they are not in the band. Granted, you are not in the band, but You have a voice, use it. Squeaky wheel gets the grease. I doubt they are willing to fire you over your desire to veto one song.
 

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