Which artists do you just not get?

REM, U2, and Sting.

Madonna - can someone please explain the 20 year star run of this modestly gifted superstar? Can hardly carry a tune, can't act at all, maybe ok-looking in a real hard edged sort of way... I'll give to her that she can write passable pop tunes about currently fashionable notions that emerge originally from other sources that she jumps on. I'm always floored when I hear the women, and even some of the straight men I work with: educated, professional, mature smart people - get all excited talking about her new CD & whether it's as "good" as such & such cd.... Hey, there are other contemporaneous women artists that I may like or not like or get: Bjork, Sinead, Enya, Janet Jackson, Celine, Sheryl Crow that at least I could understand their appeal on some level. But Madonna's appeal, especially on her superstar scale completely mystifies me. Come on, there HAVE to be some of her fans here that can argue for her just based on the numbers.
And I just plain hate Courtney Love and everything she represents.

Sean,The Inner Mounting Flame and Visions Of The Emerald Beyond are,I think,the two best Mahavishnu albums.Quality of recording is not exactly good,especially of the former.As usual,UK or Dutch pressings are much better;never heard Japanese.Birds Of Fire and The Lost Trident Sessions( CD only) also contain some great cuts.Frankly, I don't know anyone who could play electric guitar like John McLaughlin; he is unbelievable with acoustic as well-just listen to Friday Night In San-Francisco and Passion,Grace&Fire.Of his later work I like Que Alegria album the most.A Handful Of Beauty with Indian musicians is another masterpiece.

I don't know about artists but I never really got threads like this-what's the point?
I worship Dylan but the fact that some people either hate his voice,his hair or his songs really doesn't come as a big surprise.
There's not much I don't get but some stuff I loathe for a variety of reasons-anybody really care?
Nope didn't think so.
This is the worst thread I've seen on Audiogon for a while-just an opinion.
:-)

Hi Sean,
Hope the earlier post didn't come off as a rule 1 or 2 violator. Not really sure what vein of rock you've been hanging out in. Personally, I've never felt comfortable with labels like fusion, jazz or even rock. There's no denying that they have a certain utility about them though. Anyway, Inner Mounting Flame clobbered me first. The fidelity sucks, but the content makes it one of their best (might want to listen to this one in your car a couple of times through first), the same is true w/ Birds of Fire. The Devotion record w/ (caveman drummer) Buddy Miles delivers a fine narcotic rock fix. Also you might dig the McLaughlin/Santana Welcome disc. Another possibility could be to access this stuff via the Praxis/Buckethead route (Metatron or Mutatis Mutandis are both highly deluxe flame throwers).