[gmku]

I think a large part of whether one "gets into" a band or doesn't (not necessarily meaning dislikes, just doesn't get around to them), is a matter of "being there."

The reason I like many of the bands I do is that I was keenly aware of their presence on the scene as it were when they were in making music, in their heyday.

Going back and seeing if you can pick up on a band is much more difficult. They tend not to resonate as much if you come to them fresh 20 years after they've produced their stuff. I think that's why I'm lukewarm about the Smiths. Maybe if I'd paid more attention to them in the 80s, I'd feel differently about them.