Growing (Pleasures and) Pains: Bands We Loved & Bands We Grew To Enjoy

Today's post is from our friend HIM! Let's welcome him back to us.

While Allyson is nursing her hand back to health, I figured I would pick up the cyber-quill and ask the loyal BBG! readers a question that has been rattling around in my brain for some time. Actually, it is a two-parter: Which bands that you loved back in the day no longer ‘do it’ for you? Which bands that you used to turn your nose up at now sound better with age (yours, not theirs necessarily)? To be clear, I am not asking if you have completely dropped a band from your rotation, nor am I suggesting you are now a die-hard fanboy of some older band. No, I am being a bit more in the middle about all of it (given that I am a bit more middle-aged nowadays). But I am talking about bands from the 70s-90s.

For me, personally, it was startling when I started pondering those questions. And mulling both questions over was partially a consequence of listening to SiriusXM’s Hair Nation so often, what with its repeats and omissions that make it so much like terrestrial radio of old.

Question One: The obvious one for me is the Scorpions. Back in the day, I really loved Crazy World and Savage Amusement. Now I can barely listen to those albums without cringing. What was I thinking?!?! And I basically checked out when Face the Heat was released in ’93. If I want to listen to the Scorps these days, I have to retreat to the glory of “I’m Leaving You” from Love at First Sting (1984), or go even further back into their catalog (though not so far back that I am wearing bell-bottoms and grooving to Lonesome Crow [1971]).

Question Two: The obvious ones for me are Winger and Warrant. Back then, I would barely acknowledge them. Too pretty. Too poppy. Too . . . whatever. But as time has gone on, I admire and enjoy them both. I will admit, I am not a deep diver with either band. I enjoy the hits I scoffed at when I was younger. But I now recognize that both bands contributed some mighty fine songs to the canon. I also tap my toe to the funky beats of Trixter and Firehouse on occasion. Yes. I admitted that. Sue me.

Non-asked-question: Are there bands, which to this day, I both love and loathe (and that is probably the wrong word)? Sure. I still need my daily fix of Cinderella. I still rock out to Ratt and Dokken. I am still partial to Maiden. I still get a kick out of W.A.S.P. (the first three especially).  And I still shrug when people mention anchovy, I mean, Bon Jovi (but will gladly support “In and Out of Love” off of 7800° Fahrenheit (1985), an album that Jon is less than pleased with). I am also reluctant to raise my lighter (no, I don’t use my pocket robot to do that!) when it comes to Poison. Sure, I like “Ride the Wind” and “Fallen Angel.” But the rest of it just doesn’t do it for me.

Don’t misunderstand me. I recognize all of these bands as important. I am also not wading into the water regarding any of these bands and their more recent output. Me not liking them has absolutely no importance when it comes to what other people liked, loved, like, or love. But I think you get my point. We grow into, and out of, love with a host of things: people, places, foods, and bands.

Now I am putting my cyber-quill aside. To paraphrase Perry, let the posters do the talking!