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Unsung Forum » Maligned albums: which do you rate? |
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Fitter Stoke 2608 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 19:29
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The most unsung of all albums are those perennially-slagged records (usually by otherwise acclaimed names) which seem to have been universally panned since their release, sometimes by the artists themselves. I'm thinking initially of The Damned's 'Music For Pleasure', which I've always dug more than anything else that band has done. It's got a unique sound, is choc-full of frantic riffs, sometimes in daft time-signatures (reflecting the Captain's Egg obsession, perhaps?) and just delivers on every level for me. Yet everyone, including its makers, seems to hate it. I can also cite a real strong affection for things like Beefheart's 'Bluejeans and Moonbeams', Can's 'Saw Delight', The Doors' 'Soft Parade', and our leader's commercial apex 'Saint Julian'. Okay, so none of those records match the impact of their creators' best work, but that doesn't make them bad albums on their own terms. Sometimes I just want entertaining, not having my mind blown. Anybody got any other examples? |
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Popel Vooje 5373 posts |
Edited Feb 18, 2010, 21:08
Feb 18, 2010, 19:50
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"Telepathic Surgery" by the Flaming Lips (commonly perceived to be their worst LP, including by the band themselves). I think it's ace, even if it doesn't quite have the scope of their later major label albums or the rawness of their earlier stuff on Restless). I can understand some people not getting it because the songs don't hang together in a way that makes any linear sense, but its disjointedness is part of what makes it intriguing to me. The Stones' "Their Satanic Majesties Request" is another one I'm fond of which tends to get a critical kicking.
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Hunter T Wolfe 1706 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 20:02
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If we're talking about critically-panned albums by critically-rated artists, then off the top of my head I'd nominate Bowie's Anthony Newley-influenced first album- more specifically, in its 'The World of David Bowie' incarnation, thus including the sublime 'London Boys' 'Let Me Sleep Beside You' and 'In The Heat of the Morning.' I love every track on that record, and on some days it's my favourite Bowie album bar none. Certainly my favourite to sing along to. Also Leonard Cohen's 'Death of a Ladies' Man,' his collaboration with Phil Spector, swiftly disowned. I was playing it over the weekend, and it's great. Similarly, The Ramones' 'End of the Century' -Spector production, hated by the band and many fans, but it's a brilliant record. Oh yeah, and while we're talking Ramones, can I make a case for 'Halfway to Sanity' as a late-period gem? If you can stomach The Ramones doing goth-pop-metal then 'I Wanna Live' 'Garden of Serenity,' 'Bop Till You Drop' 'Real Cool Time' etc are all fab. I also really like the Damned's post-Captain albums, 'Phantasmagoria' and 'Anything', far more in fact than the critically-rated 'Strawberries' and 'The Black Album.' There, I've said it.
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machineryelf 3681 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 20:24
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Hunter T Wolfe wrote: Similarly, The Ramones' 'End of the Century' -Spector production, hated by the band and many fans, but it's a brilliant record. Oh yeah, and while we're talking Ramones, can I make a case for 'Halfway to Sanity' as a late-period gem? If you can stomach The Ramones doing goth-pop-metal then 'I Wanna Live' 'Garden of Serenity,' 'Bop Till You Drop' 'Real Cool Time' etc are all fab. End of the Century is brilliant, and 'Danny Says' would surely be in any right minded Ramones fan top ten And can I make a case for 'Brain Drain' another underated late period Ramones classic
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Jim Tones 5142 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 20:36
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Hunter T Wolfe wrote: If we're talking about critically-panned albums by critically-rated artists, then off the top of my head I'd nominate Bowie's Anthony Newley-influenced first album- more specifically, in its 'The World of David Bowie' incarnation, thus including the sublime 'London Boys' 'Let Me Sleep Beside You' and 'In The Heat of the Morning.' I love every track on that record, and on some days it's my favourite Bowie album bar none. Certainly my favourite to sing along to. I love the 'David Bowie' album too. After the 'meteoric rise' of the Ziggy album of course, they tried to make his debut album more appealing with that renamed package "Images: 1966-67"- (great sleeve illustrations!) The album has just been remastered now too- I also like the trivial fact that John McLaughlin plays guitar as a jobbing session man on 'Karma Man' and 'Let Me Sleep Beside You' =8-o
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landells 680 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 20:40
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Neil Young's Geffen Years A few years ago I was chatting to Son of Dave after a Supergrass gig (he'd been the support act) and I asked him if Neil Young was an influence cos it certainly sounded like he was. He agreed that he was huge influence. So we got chatting about Neil Young and pretty much agreed that his finest albums are Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Goldrush, On the Beach, Tonight's the Night, Zuma and Ragged Glory. I then added that Life is great album and very much underrated. He gave me a look that said "Hmmmm, I'm not sure I agree but I'm going to go home and put it cos you have convinced me that I'm missing something." Of course what his look probably said "you are a complete nobhead and every word you have spoken t me has been destroyed but that one stupid sentence." I love all Neil's Geffen LPs (well, actually I love all Neil's LPs) and some evenings I listen to all five of them one after the other and when I do I like to think that Son of Dave does the same
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mingtp 2270 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 21:02
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Popel Vooje wrote: The Stones' "Their Satanic Majesties Request" is another one I'm fond of which tends to get a critical kicking. Aah, but surely 2,000 Lightyears from Home is their best ever track? I like that album too, with you all the way on that one Popel.
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mingtp 2270 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 21:06
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For me it's gotta be Kiss' The Elder which I avoided for over 20 years because of its crap reputation, only to have my blinkers removed by this forum - it's now my absolute favourite Kiss album, and maybe up there with Rush's 2112 for 70s pomp in my mind.
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keith a 9572 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 21:27
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Got mixed feelings about MFP. Some good tracks such as Idiot Box and You Know, etc, but I always feel it needed a better production. I like it all the same though. As a Bolan fan I've got to give a mention for Zinc Alloy, maligned for it's OTT everything-but-the-kitchen-sink production, but I love it. And Venus Loon and Teenage Dream are definite faves. I also like Bolan's Zip Gun a lot (Think Zinc and Till Dawn are esp fab) and though I recognise Futuristic Dragon is flawed, it's still enjoyable to my ears. I'm also in the minority of Cope fans who like My Nation Underground. I haven't got a problem with the lush late 80's production. I prefer it to a number of other Cope albums - Autogeddon and any Brain Donor album come to mind straight away. I guess the production on Iggy's Blah Blah Blah hasn't aged well with that big drum sound, but I still like it. Similarly, many folk reckon Bowie's artistic career ended with Scary Monsters but I like Let's Dance a lot despite recognising that DB was going for the hits rather than pushing forward like he had. I was less keen on the next couple but I like most of the ones after that. I've also got to admit loving Moby's Everything Is Wrong. I know most folk think he's a dick, but it's got some genuinley heartbreaking pieces on it. And Play was a breath of fresh air when it came out till over-familiarity reared its ugly head.
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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
Feb 18, 2010, 21:42
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New Order's Movement. While not reaching the heights of Joy Division's two, nor the more assured sound they would acquire from P,C&L, Movement is a sadly underrated album. It suffers from one of Martin Hannett's less impressive production jobs (live versions of the songs were generally better), but there are some terrific songs, notably The Him, Doubts Even Here and Denial. Gang of Four's Solid Gold, although not exactly maligned, is always unfairly overlooked in favour of the (admittedly brilliant) Entertainment!. Yet it contains some of the most questioning lyrics and abrasive, experimental music. OMD's Dazzle Ships. Actually I think this has been re-evaluated and is well-regarded now, but at the time - post Architecture & Morality's hits - it was viewed as career suicide.
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