Truly appalling albums by acts/bands you like

[Buzzer]

Agree. Weird there are some people out there who think it's the Smiths' best album. It's easily their weakest - apart from, as you say, Girlfriend in a Coma.

Haha! Strangeways is my favourite Smiths album and my THE track on there, for me, has to be "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me". Easily my fave intro to any song ever. Death of a Disco Dancer too is a pretty strong tune although despite all that I do admit that aside from 'Last Night' the B-side tails off rapidly. I do recognise that The Queen Is Dead is their greatest and with arguably only one or two fillers (Never Had No-One Ever? Some Girl's Mothers?) it's pretty much a classic in any sense of the word, I find myself listening to Strangeways far more often than TQID. I think it might be down to the memories it invokes rather than the music, to be fair.

Although in true Partridge style - my most played Smiths album is the compilation 'The World Won't Listen'. Half A Person and You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby in particular on that.

Talking of TQID I remember reading how unhappy Johnny Marr was with 'Some Girls Mothers'. He compared it to a Carry On film. It may have been an NME interview back in the late 80s/early 90s. I might have got that wrong or it might have been a hasty comment when they relations were at their nastiest.

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Surely that's down to pathetic, wimpy, weedy, girly, toothless 80s production "values"? The stuff that's been played live since sounds fantastic.

For truly unlistenable Rush, I give you Vapor Trails. Painful, just painful.

You're right, Vapor Trails was so bad that I'd managed to forget it existed!

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Great thread!

I occasionally plough through Def Leppard's post-Hysteria period (1988 - present day) purely out of a sense of loyalty to what came before.

Yeah, I know...

I agree with the exception of Slang which is one of my favourite Leps albums.

Songs from the sparkle lounge really was a big bag o' shite.

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

I liked everything The Seahorses done until they released 'Do It Yourself'. That was a shit album

Hmmmmm

 

[Buzzer]

Am I allowed a 2 album band?

The Pipettes first album was one of my albums of the noughties, the second where they dropped the Phil Spector sound for bland disco was a terrible career move. That second album deserves to be described as appalling.

 

[rouseytastic]

I'll give it another go. Probably doesn't help that the last time I listened, it was a really boring, rainy Sunday. Still, Bizarre Love Triangle, All Day Long, Weirdo...great works of art!

Right, a few more:
Prince - Graffiti Bridge. The last Prince album I ever bought. The only Prince album I ever bought that I sold on eBay.
REM - anything after Document. As Hans Kraay FC says, they lost it.
Low - Drums and Guns. Just can't find anything to love about this album. Sadly.

I'm a big prince fan and can agree that Graffiti Bridge was turd (as was the film......purple rain 2 it certainly wasn't!) he hasn't really done many other shockers. Around the world in a day comes close but it was impossible to follow purple rain really so why not do donething totally different and it's saved largely by raspberry beret. And to be honest the black album rarely gets a listen. Pretty obvious why he canned it originally and released love sexy instead. Anyway.....

 

[tinycowboy]

Am I allowed a 2 album band?

The Pipettes first album was one of my albums of the noughties, the second where they dropped the Phil Spector sound for bland disco was a terrible career move. That second album deserves to be described as appalling.

Agreed - a great band ruined. They should have cared less about their master plan and concentrated on being different and killer songs. Shame.

Haha! Strangeways is my favourite Smiths album and my THE track on there, for me, has to be "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me". Easily my fave intro to any song ever. Death of a Disco Dancer too is a pretty strong tune although despite all that I do admit that aside from 'Last Night' the B-side tails off rapidly. I do recognise that The Queen Is Dead is their greatest and with arguably only one or two fillers (Never Had No-One Ever? Some Girl's Mothers?) it's pretty much a classic in any sense of the word, I find myself listening to Strangeways far more often.

Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others is one of my favourites! It's a great finish, love the serpentine bittersweet guitar, the "send me the pillow" bit, even the too loud then quiet bit at the start. But I am a bit fanatical about that album - can almost smell the joss stick aroma from my teenage bedroom whenever I play it. Agree about Never Had No-one Ever though - mawkish Smiths-by-numbers.

 

[tinycowboy]

For whatever reason it doesn't hang together as impressively The Queen is Dead or Meat is Murder for me. I've never quite worked out why (maybe the split & not seeing it toured etc) but I just don't have the same affection for it as an album...still pisses all over lots of other lauded albums mind you.

Of course, the advantage of dying young is that you leave a beautiful corpse...I'm struggling to think of many artists with long catalogues that haven't released something so poor even their fan base struggle with it...cue the zealots...

And that's why Pavement are probably still my favourite band - each album contains a rough diamond, a polished diamond, some grit, some space dust, etc. Put together too many pleasant songs and not enough texture and you end up with Native Place by The Railway Children.

 

[tinycowboy]

Am I allowed a 2 album band?

The Pipettes first album was one of my albums of the noughties, the second where they dropped the Phil Spector sound for bland disco was a terrible career move. That second album deserves to be described as appalling.

I'm a big prince fan and can agree that Graffiti Bridge was turd (as was the film......purple rain 2 it certainly wasn't!) he hasn't really done many other shockers. Around the world in a day comes close but it was impossible to follow purple rain really so why not do donething totally different and it's saved largely by raspberry beret. And to be honest the black album rarely gets a listen. Pretty obvious why he canned it originally and released love sexy instead. Anyway.....

For me, Purple Rain to Lovesexy was a fantastic run. Love all of those albums, particularly Parade. Of the earlier stuff, Dirty Mind is probably the pick of the bunch. I tolerated Batman, mainly because of some fantastic William Orbit remixes. Still, I'm left with more than enough very decent stuff - love all the extremely long 12" versions of the "golden period" singles too...

 

[wadhurstseagull]

Hooverdam by Hugh Cornwall. Truly truly awful. 45 minutes of my life I will never get back.

 

[rouseytastic]

For me, Purple Rain to Lovesexy was a fantastic run. Love all of those albums, particularly Parade. Of the earlier stuff, Dirty Mind is probably the pick of the bunch. I tolerated Batman, mainly because of some fantastic William Orbit remixes. Still, I'm left with more than enough very decent stuff - love all the extremely long 12" versions of the "golden period" singles too...

Agree, and Controversy is a favourite of mine. As a song writer he has clearly dipped in recent years. Emancipation was good in parts and the gold experience I can listen to all the way through (maybe skip 'we march') the 4 disc crystal ball collection was excellent I thought a big fav. 3121 was the last of his most recent that I would class as classic prince, shame about musicology promised do much. As a live performer he is totally without equal though. And one if my favourites was the 0(+> tour that I saw in Germany in the late 90's. Blinding show

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Great thread!

I occasionally plough through Def Leppard's post-Hysteria period (1988 - present day) purely out of a sense of loyalty to what came before.

Yeah, I know...

I'm currently reading a book about Metallica. Def Leppard keep popping up due to sharing the same management. It is easy to forget, or not know, how huge this band were.

 

[rouseytastic]

For me, Purple Rain to Lovesexy was a fantastic run. Love all of those albums, particularly Parade. Of the earlier stuff, Dirty Mind is probably the pick of the bunch. I tolerated Batman, mainly because of some fantastic William Orbit remixes. Still, I'm left with more than enough very decent stuff - love all the extremely long 12" versions of the "golden period" singles too...

And to add you're are right about the 12" versions. If you can hold of it try and find the extended version of Love or Money from the Parade album (although it wasn't included on the final release) Superb stuff!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Republic (1993) and Get Ready (2001) were between Technique (1989) and Waitng for the Sirens Call (2005). But yes, its a very, very poor effort.

I never really got on with New Order albums. They were always a 'singles band' for me.

 

[keaton]

I'm going to noiminate Off The Wall by Michael Jackson as the reverse. I hate him and all of his music, never understanding the excitement in my friends when Smooth Criminal or other such turd came on in clubs but Off The Wall is an absolutely amazing album.

 

[Pevenseagull]

i haven't looked through the whole thread but I am sure that David Bowie 'Never Let Me Down' must have been mentioned a fair few times ........ was there ever an album with a less appropriate title?

 

[Pevenseagull]

Siouxsie and the Banshees - 'Through the looking glass' (the covers LP) is an absolute turd as well

HOWEVER, I think 'Monster', REM is a corker and 'New Adventures in HI FI' even better ..... but Up, Reveal and Accelerate are turgid (Michael) tripe.

 

[tinycowboy]

And to add you're are right about the 12" versions. If you can hold of it try and find the extended version of Love or Money from the Parade album (although it wasn't included on the final release) Superb stuff!

Pretty sure I have this - on the other side of Kiss? The America extended version is a whopping 18 mins, but I think that the 10 minute version of Mountains is my favourite.

 

[Albumen]

Blur – Think Tank
Frank Turner – Tape Deck Heart
Bloc Party – Weekend in the City
Blood Red Shoes – Fire Like This
Charlatans – Us & Us Only
Editors – In this Light & on this Evening
Jarvis Cocker – Further Complications
Nick Cave –Nocturama

Harsh. Are they really both dreadful?

 

[rouseytastic]

Pretty sure I have this - on the other side of Kiss? The America extended version is a whopping 18 mins, but I think that the 10 minute version of Mountains is my favourite.

That's right yes. Mountains extended is fantastic I'll agree and actually while as an album it's shocking I've got a Japanese import of Thieves in the Temple which is brilliant!