Truly appalling albums by acts/bands you like

[Buzzer]

I have just remembered Saint Etienne's Tales from Turnpike House, a concept album where the concept took over. Having said that Milk Bottle Symphony is brilliant and repeatedly played chez moi even today - but it's the only track from that album I do play which is hardly a success for a concept album. Wonder if Buzzer agrees?

Yep. After the Finisterre album it's pretty much downhill rapidly for Saint Etienne. They lost their mojo quite spectacularly. The Turnpike and Words and Music albums are triumphs of ad agency packaging over content. The same for their gigs too, it was all very ironic and too self-satisfied. The St Etienne presents themed albums are all pretty good, The Trip in particular but I've given up on them coming up with another great album of new tracks.


Can I add to this list Massive Attack's 100th Window? I don't know anyone who can even name a track from that off the top of their head.

 

[BlockDpete]

Should I mention Dire Straits?

I got quite into them late 80's, early 90's after the release of Brothers in Arms, but the next album (which I can't even name), did nothing for me.

Looking back, I'm not sure their best album was Making Movies, and then it was downhill from there.

I'm not sure I'd even bother putting Brothers in Arms on now.

 

[Pevenseagull]

I'm sure there are several other bands out there who also made great debut albums, and then followed a similar downward career trajectory.

At least The Stone Roses just did it in one step (that said I really don't get the venerated status of their debut)

Stone Rose LP career:

good
shit

 

[Pevenseagull]

Echo and the Bunnymen - 'Reverberation' is pretty shit, but as it doesn't have Ian McCulloch on it I'm not sure that it qualifies.

If it does then yeah,



pretty shit

 

[Pevenseagull]

I have a vague recollection that Iggy Pop's 'Avenue B' was damn awful.

maybe I'm wrong, I shall consider re listening to it late and if appropriate report back.

 

[Tubby Mondays]

Can I add to this list Massive Attack's 100th Window? I don't know anyone who can even name a track from that off the top of their head.

yeah forgot about that one. That was pretty much a Del Naja solo album in the same vein as the previously mentioned Pink Floyd / Roger Waters affair.

 

[Peteinblack]

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.

Good shout: On 'New Adventures in HI FI' is the brilliant track 'Leave' (melancholy joy!). Agree about Up, Reveal and Accelerate, although there was one sublime track on 'Up' - 'Walk Unafraid'. But yes, the rest was turgid toss!

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

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...

To be fair Slang & Euphoria are pretty good

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

To be fair Slang & Euphoria are pretty good

Slang "yes", Euphoria ummmmm

 

[Icy Gull]

Should I mention Dire Straits?

I got quite into them late 80's, early 90's after the release of Brothers in Arms, but the next album (which I can't even name), did nothing for me.

Looking back, I'm not sure their best album was Making Movies, and then it was downhill from there.

I'm not sure I'd even bother putting Brothers in Arms on now.

The live Dire Straits album is very good, still get tracks coming up on my iPod shuffle. Dire Straits suffered from overplay and being " a yuppie band" Knopfler moved to country rock music after Dire Straits split, I'm a fan.

Have to agree on Brothers in Arms though, tracks like Telegraph Road sound a bit naff these days.

 

[Geestar]

Daft Punks new album.....what a let down, typical French!

 

[Albumen]

Echo and the Bunnymen - 'Reverberation' is pretty shit, but as it doesn't have Ian McCulloch on it I'm not sure that it qualifies.

If it does then yeah,



pretty shit

From 1980 the albums didn't have Echo on them either!

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I can't believe the kings of leon have not been mentioned so far!

First two albums were great. Then Because of the Times was ok/good. Then they have just released three absolute stinkers, complete guff.

Actually, yeah. I'd almost forgotten that I ever liked them until I was round a mate's house recently, and he was playing the first album. A corker.

Now I find them boring, derivative and bracket them with other dullards like U2 and The f***ing Kaiser Chiefs.

 

[Albumen]

Oasis.

Absolutely superb.
Much of the same brilliance.
WTF?
Deary me.
Why are you still in the music business?

This is funny. Noel going through the history of Oasis videos in 10 minutes. Excerpts from the DVD commentary. He's honest, as usual.
("I ****ing hate this next tune. I ****ing hate it.")
http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/jan/22/noel-gallager-hates-oasis-videos?CMP=fb_ot

 

[kevo]

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.

Hatful of Hollow is my personal favourite - particularly 'This Night Has Opened My Eyes'. As you say, for all it's 'classic' status, there are some really weak tracks on Queen is Dead (Vicar in a Tutu, Some Girls are Bigger, Frankly Mr Shankley are all fillers imho). Haven't listened to Strangeways for a long time...

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

Shark Sandwich - Spinal Tap

 

[SouthCoastOwl]

Shark Sandwich - Spinal Tap

I read a review of that, it just said "Sh*t sandwich" which was just nit picking really.

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

I read a review of that, it just said "Sh*t sandwich" which was just nit picking really.

Where d'they print that? Where did they get that? You can't print that?

 

[Simster]

Can I add to this list Massive Attack's 100th Window? I don't know anyone who can even name a track from that off the top of their head.

That is a great shout. Massively disappointing and totally anonymous, just one release after the sublime Mezzanine.