*** The Barenaked Ladies *** - I don't mind these guys but I also don't own any of their stuff.

Greatful Dead- Same with this band. I agree with anyone that says they never had anyone that is a great singer but I don't mind them...some songs I like "Bertha" comes to mind and a few others...don't have any of the records in my collection though...I do have some Garcia band stuff though...

Phish- I once dated a girl that was a fan. We went to see them live once. I told her I thought they were very good musicians but other than that they were aweful. We stopped dating just days after the concert.

Jane's Addiction- I have a friend that thinks these guys are the best band in the world. Umm...he never puts down his bong and as I write this is brewing some sort of beer that includes as an ingredient his favorite herb. He wants to have a party to celebrate when it's completed and may open his own brewing company someday...Thunderstorm is the name on his current labels. Last time I was at his place he played the latest from Jane's Addiction at a mindblowing volume while hitting his bong and telling me about something...I couldn't hear a word he was saying...but he just kept talking and laughing. He's also a great drummer. The music was ok but my eardrums I believe need medical attention.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Again another band I think is ok but I've never had enough of an interest to buy anything by them. I've heard a lot of the stuff...many friends love these guys...Good musicians I will say that.

Van Morrison- I will admit to this guy being one of my all time favorites. I will also add on many occasions people have told me they hate his voice...I think I formed the opinion he's sort of a love him or hate him sort of artist. Probably writes a bit too much these days about how he hates doing interviews and hates the music business...one or two songs I think would have got the point across Van.

Kiss- 100% agreement with Dale on this one. They would be on my list of bands that never should have been given a record deal...but Dale beat me to listing them.

Dave Matthews- I like these guys and have a couple records. I did go to see them live once about a decade ago (I know I'm not old but when you have to remember stuff from decades past) and thought they were lousy live. Maybe an off night...maybe they are better now...not a favorite but I find nothing offensive about them and it is a surprise to see them on Dale's list.

Radiohead- this was a late additon by Dale. Actually I understand people not liking them but as far as anything interesting with the "Big Name Rock 'n' Rollers" that we have these days...these guys are about all that's out there that's attempting not to just go with the flow to be a big cash cow. Hard to win new fans but I like this stuff and have all the records...most of them were given to me I didn't actually go out and buy them...a friend said you gotta hear these guys and has been giving me Radiohead stuff ever since. They were great live too...which surprised me.

Ok. Now here's my list of bands that just never should have got a record deal. Remember, this is just my opinion and worth no more or less than anyone elses. Also, if you're a fan of any of this stuff I'm glad you enjoy it...as Dale said...it just has no place in my world...one note, this is all stuff that's popular and in line with Dale's post, I just don't understand why:

1. Van Halen - This is by far the worst, most empty headed, soulless and vacant crap ever recorded. They never did anything worthwhile or that attempted to add to or move forward the genre known as rock 'n' roll. I find it hideous that anyone would compare this guy as a guitar player to Jimi Hendrix. That's about as painful as it gets. Honestly, your past can come into play with why you don't like certain stuff and I was subjected to this band endlessly as a teenager by all my friends who loved them. These guys were sort of the ultimate suburban white boys dream band. They also, to me anyway, were responsible for being the creators of the entire 80's hair metal abomination. Bands like Poison, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Winger, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, and the whole damn lot of them. All of the cheap crappy hair metal stuff should never have come into play...right through to Guns & Roses...and really all it did was make a lot of people suffer and make record company guys rich. My god...the 80's were to me anyway, the worst decade for music ever. I doubt it could be topped. I can only imagine the world would have been a better place if we had not been subjected to this aweful trend. As a matter of fact I think the 80's will become known as one of the worst decades in the history of our country. Not a surprise that Van Halen could help provide the soundtrack to that. The "Greed Is Good" decade...or the "Doomed To Despotism" decade.  

2. Jimmy Buffet- Well, what can I say except this guy is now a very close second to Van Halen. And in my world it's hard to get anywhere near that in need of being flushed crew. The funny thing is many of the Van Halen loving puke on my own shoes crowd have grown up to become what else...Parrot Heads! I can't tell you how many times people have tried to drag me to one of these shows because they are "so much fun"...and really my response has always been the same "I'd rather be set on fire." It's sort of perfect that this guy pocketed a bunch of stolen cash that would have been some poor bastards retirement money playing a private birthday party for the richest of the rich. Nice. I don't have anything against any of these musicians personally but we just did not need this stuff to exist.

3. Metallica- The reigning jerks of rock. Bad music, bad taste, bad hair, bad news. Not to mention they like to sue everybody and you can't get that clown Lars to shut up.

4. The Carpenters- My wife is an amazing women. Beautiful, intelligent, has a huge heart, really the world needs more people like her. Everyone has their flaws though and hers is that she's a Carpenters fan. Did you know the Carpenters cover some Beatles songs...I do... nothing like their version of "Help" to make you feel like you need counseling. Actually they probably would not have made this list except that my wife plays them in the car. Other than that the rest of the planet has forgotten them...haven't they? 

5. Madonna- The mother of all fabricated pop stars. She spawned them all and they should all worship her and pay her royalties. She cemented the fact that it's business first...talent, soul, musicianship, everything else became an after thought in her wake. She probably belongs at number three for the sheer impact of her existance...maybe even number one for the way she changed all that came after her...but her music offends me less than Van Halen and Buffett...she annoys me less than Metallica...and I hear the Carpenters more than Madonna thanks to my wife...as a matter of fact I've heard almost no Madonna stuff over the last decade. Plus I have sort of a soft spot for her because she did provide me with one glorious night...yes I went to a Madonna concert with four beautiful women...I was dating one of them...it was on her "Like A Virgin" tour...I've never seen so many beautiful scantily clad women in one place...an entire 20,000 or so seat arena full of them...what went on there was truly criminal...and amazing...and what went on during and after the show I can't really detail on a family website...but suffice to say I won't ever forget that night...So, I have a certain amount of forgivness in my heart for Madonna for getting all those women worked up into such a froth...I can't remember a note of the music but wow...There were moments after the show...maybe several times late into the evening that I think I may have said I love Madonna...when I could speak that is...and the worst part was I think I meant it at the time...oh well...I was younger then...