Friday, February 03, 2006

Which is worse?

Perhaps you can help me and the PP resolve a dispute, which raged last night while we were drinking wine at a local establishment and waiting for our food to come.

This place has had its share of auditory identity crises: its soundtrack began as cool jazz, and not smooth jazz mind you, but some good stuff. Then the owner decided he wanted the place to be more relaxed, not competing with the more upscale places in town, so he casualified the menu, and switched to CDs of The Eagles. One time lately they were playing Talking Heads. But last night it was some kind of probably satellite Lite Rock.

The PP challenged my characterization of it as Lite Rock, but that is not what was really at issue over dinner.

What was at issue was who was lamer, Hall & Oates or Phil Collins. Please note as you deliberate that we are not talking about Phil Collins of Genesis, but Phil Collins solo. And I was not really thinking about Phil Collins of the song about his drowned friend and the person who did not help. I was thinking of "One More Night" and "Sussudio" and "I Wish It Would Rain Down" or whatever that song is called and "A Groovy Kind of Love."

A what kind of love?

"But did you ever own a Hall & Oates album?" the PP asked, as if this would intimidate me into admitting he was right. I said I did, he said he did too, and then said "See??" which I did not. He later added that they were just "smarmy."

But Phil Collins was so cliche, I said.

The PP gave me this look.

So, Dear Readers, what do you think?

5 comments:

Tim said...

well, as evidenced by my inclusion of "Sussudio" on my recent "scary 80s 5" mix, I have started to make my peace with Mr. Collins. To wit, going back and listening to his solo work. And I have to confess that as much as I feel like opening a vein when I even see the song title "Don't Lose My Number," it's nothing compared to the primal revulsion I feel over Hall and Oates. (And how did you miss their appearance at the 1991 Fourth of July party at Patrick Henry Airport? Oy.)

Anonymous said...

I'll put in a vote for Phil Collins, based entirely on the fact that he sold out to Disney and did the Tarzan soundtrack, which included multiple versions of "You'll be in my heart" (which is as sappy as the title suggests).

Of course, I am rather partial to fluffy pop music of all kinds, so I've been known to sing along with both Phil Collins and Hall & Oates. You can disown me now.

Anonymous said...

HALL & OATES HAS AND ALWAYS WILL ROCK!!!!!!

Heathen doubters will burn in a hell of Michael Bolton and Kenny G duets!!!!

Phil Collins is a PLO loving ape humping parasite on a diseased flea sucking on the desicated hump of a rotting camel corpse!!!!

What the hell is a "sussudio" anyway?

May the chalice of the sacred jade monkey forever shine from its heavenly nook (or cranny).

But I haven't really formed a strong opinion on this matter.

It's been a long day already and I really shouldn't be interacting with people.

estaminet said...

phil collins is my guilty little balding love, despite fully realizing how horrible everything he's ever done for disney is. still, i was alive in the 80's and yet do not have any connection to/love for hall and oates at all. but tonight, tonight, tonight, whoa-oh...we're gonna make it right, tonight, tonight, tonight, whoa-oh...

freeman said...

I throw in my 2 cents regarding this dispute since I can't think of any Hall & Oates songs off the top of my head.

I will say this though -- I'm glad that the ami lumped Kenny G and Michael Bolton together. I've always done that myself since I view Kenny G and smooth jazz in particular as being the jazz equivalent to Michael Bolton and lite rock. I would assume that anyone who respects either jazz or rock would consider those cheesy commercial departures to be pure blasphemy.