Enjoying a 10 year old song led me to think about evaluating how well older songs hold up today. Plus, it's nice to take a break for bashing every now and then.
Remember the late 90's and early 2000's? Rock stations were plagued with rap-rock bands with misspelled names, lead by Limp Bizkit. The Bizkit however, is not the topic of conversation, but I want you to summon Fred Durst's voice in your head and have it say "Biloxi, this is the real mother f***in' deal!" Rock fans will immediately recognize the line as ruining the live acoustic version of "It's Been Awhile," and realize we're talking about Staind.
Today though, I did not hear "It's Been Awhile". Instead, I heard "Mudshovel"
In my opinion, this song holds up pretty well. Aaron Lewis is a great vocalist, which kind of makes up for the almost too angsty lyrics. I found myself singing along, remembering my junior year of high school. Staind seems to have largely run the course of their popularity, and Aaron Lewis is now branching out in to country music.
As a bookend to a song that still holds up, let's examine another artist who has transitioned into country music.
Now this does not hold up. How did Devil Without a Cause sell 11 million copies?! The is mediocre frat boy rap at it's lowest. There was a certain sleazy, white-trash appeal 10+ years ago, but now I can only shake my head and be glad I never actually bought that disc.
I agree that Lewis is a great vocalist but I'm not a fan. I made the mistake of seeing Staind in concert shortly after I graduated. I love Mudshovel and thought their other songs would be similar. I was disappointed to find out it was their hardest song.
ReplyDeleteI will never understand the Kid Rock phenomenon though.