Toto Cutugno- Insieme 1992.
Our best italian cheesy songwriter! 
Cheesiest song of all time?
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As far as Genesis goes Iād have to give the cheese to I Canāt Dance. Jesus He Knows Me is a close second.
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Display MoreFor me, Land of Confusion is cheesier, if only for the line "I won't be coming home tonight, My generation will put it right", though there are other bits.
99 Luftballons however, I will forgive, for several reasons. Firstly, they were living in West Berlin, in the early 80's, the focal point of east/west relations at the time, being an island behind enemy lines. Of course they were going to be earnest about the subject.
Secondly, the English version is not an exact translation, sometimes that can be done, sometimes not. In this case, the translator, Kevin McAlea (Kate Bush live band/Barclay James Harvest keyboard player at that time) argued it was too difficult and it was agreed he do it with variations. 4 other songs were translated by other people on the International album, some exactly, like "Let Me Be Your Pirate" some very differently. (Incidentally, Lisa Dalbello, a Canadian Singer/songwriter was mentioned on the Female Voices thread, she did the translation for all the songs on the next album, and they are a mix of exact through to totally different translations.)
Thirdly, it was inspired by an actual event, Carlo Karges, the guitarist (Who was older than the other band members, they were all born around 1960, he was born in 1951, old enough to be in Genesis!) attended a West Berlin Rolling Stones gig, at which they released balloons. He considered the possible repercussions of them drifting over the wall and being mistaken in the night sky for something more sinister. It seems to me it's a good story for a song.
Carlo died of liver failure age 50 in 2002 after owning a bar, and being too partial to the merchandise.
I get all that but for me it falls into your previously mentioned category of 'taking a serious topic and making a really naff song out of it'.
Also, to be fair regarding the lyrics, German or English the most KƤse-like aspect of it is the music š§š§š§
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I've always found the 'my generation will put it right' line to be pure irony. They can't, and they know it. If there is anything cheesy about it I would say the middle eight (I remember long ago,etc), which of course occurs just before 'I won't be coming home tonight'.
I think so too re 'my generation' etc, especially as it's followed by "we're not just making promises that we know we'll never keep" - I've always thought there's a very knowing tone to that. I can see how it'd feel cringey if read differently. However I quite like the midsection, particularly Banks's typically pretty synth line at the tail-end.
As far as Genesis goes Iād have to give the cheese to I Canāt Dance. Jesus He Knows Me is a close second.
So, Genesis doing irony translates for you as pure dairy!
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Can't believe Chris De Burgh hasn't got a mention yet. I don't mind some of his stuff myself but Lady in Red is very very cheesy and he's done even worse since!
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So, Genesis doing irony translates for you as pure dairy!
That sounds about right. lol š
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I get all that but for me it falls into your previously mentioned category of 'taking a serious topic and making a really naff song out of it'.
Also, to be fair regarding the lyrics, German or English the most KƤse-like aspect of it is the music š§š§š§
And yet you said "There's an overly earnest vibe that sometimes characterises cheesey songs, an example for me would be 99 Dead Baboons." - can't see how that applies to the music in this case. You could cite the lyrics as earnest, but that tune could carry lyrics of many topics, IMO. Seems you just don't like it, which is fine, maybe we should just start a crap songs thread. There may even be one, and it's just slipped down the timeline too far!
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And yet you said "There's an overly earnest vibe that sometimes characterises cheesey songs, an example for me would be 99 Dead Baboons." - can't see how that applies to the music in this case. You could cite the lyrics as earnest, but that tune could carry lyrics of many topics, IMO. Seems you just don't like it, which is fine, maybe we should just start a crap songs thread. There may even be one, and it's just slipped down the timeline too far!
Yes I do find it quite crap, in a cheesey way.
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Yes I do find it quite crap, in a cheesey way.
S'funny. Reminds me of Wake Up!
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S'funny. Reminds me of Wake Up!
As in The Big Express?
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As in The Big Express?
Yep. Pretty much the same note sequence, but backwards.
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Can't believe Chris De Burgh hasn't got a mention yet. I don't mind some of his stuff myself but Lady in Red is very very cheesy and he's done even worse since!
You beat me to it. The crown prince of aged stilton. I often appreciate a good bit of cheese, but not him. Ugh.
As far as Genesis goes Iād have to give the cheese to I Canāt Dance. Jesus He Knows Me is a close second.
I Can't Dance is a little cheesy I think but JHKM? Surely not. That's one of their best, straight up, uncheesy rock songs for me.
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Yep. Pretty much the same note sequence, but backwards.
Never thought that but running through them in my mind, I can begin to see it. Fascinating how music works. 99 is naffness epitomised while Wake Up is possibly my favourite Moulding songs, one of XTC's best and darkest - blood running into the gutter while onlookers yawn and say nothing - and probably their strongest album opener and one of my absolute favourite starts to any album ever. Coincidentally, as I've done on personal XTC compilations, it also makes a great closer with that long fade leaving the ethereal vocal.
Tangential PS alluding to a previous unrelated conversation - 'songs' above was changed by my phone to sings when I typed it. Earlier it also changed bit to 'bib' among other nonsensical "corrections".
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My family would tell you I can sing any song and make it sound cheesy
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Never thought that but running through them in my mind, I can begin to see it. Fascinating how music works. 99 is naffness epitomised while Wake Up is possibly my favourite Moulding songs, one of XTC's best and darkest - blood running into the gutter while onlookers yawn and say nothing - and probably their strongest album opener and one of my absolute favourite starts to any album ever. Coincidentally, as I've done on personal XTC compilations, it also makes a great closer with that long fade leaving the ethereal vocal.
Fine album, one of their best and massively underrated, This World Over and Seagulls probably being the other best tracks.
99 Luftballons was probably the biggest impact of NDW on the world, and while it's not their best track, IMO, it's still pretty good. Not as good as Wake Up, but that's no disgrace, to paraphrase YES, whose Wonderous Stories puts me in mind of a certain smelly clergyman!
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Yep good shout with Heal the World not too far behind.
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Well if you're going with Michael Jackson I say The Girl Is Mine, the duet with Paul McCartney, which is unworthy of both of them. It's both cheesy and a bad song.