This old post never got as much play as I’d hoped. Perhaps people were simply turned off by my use of Jethro Tull as an example. As we revisit this topic, perhaps it will be helpful to think of what I’m getting at as a form of trash picking. There can be beauty in understandably discarded bands. There may be something to learn. See if this makes any sense a second time around. See if you haven’t identified the promise of greatness in a band or artist you don’t really like.

This post initially appeared 11/3/07.

The title of this entry about says it all. Here’s my example: I’ve always dug enough elements in Jethro Tull to think that they could be great…if only they didn’t go so wrong in a few key areas. If you could salvage all the good parts of Jethro Tull, I think, and start fresh, leaving out the bad bits, you’d have a very cool band. Do you have a band or artist you feel that way about?

Velv, don’t get any ideas from The Velvet Fog‘s move, beginning about 59 seconds into this clip!

Please closely examine both of these videos (make sure you watch the first one all the way through), then answer the questions. I look forward to your responses.

Question: every band has one — what’s YOUR drummer horror story?

Question: Please share the most heinous misappropriation of ethnic/multi-cultural music you can think of.

HVB