Between The Wheels

Music => Other Music => Topic started by: pdw1 on February 17, 2023, 09:49:50 PM

Title: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: pdw1 on February 17, 2023, 09:49:50 PM
I have caused chaos on another site I frequent with this list.

So how many of these do you own?
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/horrible-albums-by-brilliant-artists-1234672895/

I'll admit to St Anger & Union

So what would you add to this list?
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Slim on February 17, 2023, 10:34:47 PM
Well at the risk* of stating the obvious - there are three or four Rush albums that should be on there.






*certainty
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: pdw1 on February 17, 2023, 11:08:26 PM
Perhaps I should have pointed out this thread is in Other Music so NO RUSH.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 03:11:29 AM
I have only Van Halen III, which actually is a very..."worthy" inclusion in that list.

Eddie was at a real low point during the period that was made, and for a fair while after come to that.

However, fast forward 14 years and he'd more than cleaned himself up for the band's swan song, A Different Kind Of Truth, a corking, all-killer-no-filler crackerjack of an album which arguably contains his best guitar performance in the whole VH catalogue.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: David L on February 18, 2023, 09:06:47 AM
Quote from: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 03:11:29 AMI have only Van Halen III, which actually is a very..."worthy" inclusion in that list.

Eddie was at a real low point during the period that was made, and for a fair while after come to that.

However, fast forward 14 years and he'd more than cleaned himself up for the band's swan song, A Different Kind Of Truth, a corking, all-killer-no-filler crackerjack of an album which arguably contains his best guitar performance in the whole VH catalogue.
Wasn't the lion's share of that record put together years before it was released?
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 09:59:08 AM
Quote from: David L on February 18, 2023, 09:06:47 AM
Quote from: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 03:11:29 AMI have only Van Halen III, which actually is a very..."worthy" inclusion in that list.

Eddie was at a real low point during the period that was made, and for a fair while after come to that.

However, fast forward 14 years and he'd more than cleaned himself up for the band's swan song, A Different Kind Of Truth, a corking, all-killer-no-filler crackerjack of an album which arguably contains his best guitar performance in the whole VH catalogue.
Wasn't the lion's share of that record put together years before it was released?

There were several songs that were originally old demos and some unreleased material from the early days, but they were re-worked and recorded for ADKOT with the new stuff in 2012.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: captainkurtz on February 18, 2023, 10:44:12 AM
Quote from: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 03:11:29 AMI have only Van Halen III, which actually is a very..."worthy" inclusion in that list.

Eddie was at a real low point during the period that was made, and for a fair while after come to that.

However, fast forward 14 years and he'd more than cleaned himself up for the band's swan song, A Different Kind Of Truth, a corking, all-killer-no-filler crackerjack of an album which arguably contains his best guitar performance in the whole VH catalogue.
He played well on the tour but the record is a stinker.  Gary was a pretty cheesy choice as well.  Urgh.  Despite the final hurrah, that was really the end of VH as any kind of force..
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Slim on February 18, 2023, 11:36:13 AM
Of the 50 listed, I have:

It's Hard - really not so bad but my post-Moon expectations of The Who are not that high anyway
Calling All Stations - does have its moments but I only ever listened to it once or twice
The Elder - actually a mostly enjoyable, interesting album. God knows there are worse Kiss records than that.
Give My Regards To Broad Street - a super record and the redone Fab Four tunes work beautifully.
Never Let Me Down - yes, terrible album

Could have sworn I owned Gone Troppo as well, but I don't. Must have been thinking about George Harrison (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Harrison_(album)), but the same comments would apply.

Interesting comments about that Monkees album. They came up with some very wacky stuff toward the end of their career after they started playing their own instruments and taking themselves (too) seriously.

That piece has certainly piqued my interest to hear some of these records. Will download the Clash one later. And the Van Halen one. I tuned out after their second album and only bought some of the later albums many years later. Was never really interested in the Sammy Hagar ones.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 12:09:56 PM
Quote from: captainkurtz on February 18, 2023, 10:44:12 AM
Quote from: Matt2112 on February 18, 2023, 03:11:29 AMI have only Van Halen III, which actually is a very..."worthy" inclusion in that list.

Eddie was at a real low point during the period that was made, and for a fair while after come to that.

However, fast forward 14 years and he'd more than cleaned himself up for the band's swan song, A Different Kind Of Truth, a corking, all-killer-no-filler crackerjack of an album which arguably contains his best guitar performance in the whole VH catalogue.
He played well on the tour but the record is a stinker.  Gary was a pretty cheesy choice as well.  Urgh.  Despite the final hurrah, that was really the end of VH as any kind of force..

Yes, creatively he was at a low point, then on subsequent cash-in tours he looked a wreck and his playing was (relatively) atrocious; once he'd cleaned up he was as good, if not better, than ever.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Thenop on February 18, 2023, 05:56:09 PM
The obvious 3 for me:
Metallica, Yes and of course, Kiss.
I actually am kind of fond of the Elder. Bought it upon release, I was 12, it was my favourite band at the time and ate up everything they had released. Still like it, like said: there are far worse Kiss albums out there...
The Yes one is, well, not that great, but again, Yes has gone sideways a few times.
And St. Anger, well...the documentary was at least interesting so I'll give them that. I do really like the title track from that one, Some Kind of Monster is a good song, All Within My Hands is not bad at all..It has its place in the Metallica catalogue.
Now Lulu on the other hand....
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: pxr5 on February 18, 2023, 06:13:42 PM
A few clunkers that I know about on this list, for me Genesis, Yes and Metallica. Is Kanye West a brilliant artist though?
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Matt2112 on February 19, 2023, 05:12:48 PM
Quote from: pxr5 on February 18, 2023, 06:13:42 PMIs Kanye West a brilliant artist though?

Karaoke artist at best.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Slim on February 19, 2023, 05:35:23 PM
Quote from: Slim on February 18, 2023, 11:36:13 AMThat piece has certainly piqued my interest to hear some of these records. Will download the Clash one later. And the Van Halen one.

Listened to the Clash one (Cut the Crap) this afternoon, while out on the bike - actually a good album, I think. I believe the trouble with it is that they recorded some of the defining, most vital music of their time and this isn't that. But I listened to it with low expectations and I was surprised - there are some really good tunes on here. It's pretty spirited and imaginative.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Nick on February 19, 2023, 07:26:12 PM
Quote from: Thenop on February 18, 2023, 05:56:09 PMThe obvious 3 for me:
Metallica, Yes and of course, Kiss.
I actually am kind of fond of the Elder. Bought it upon release, I was 12, it was my favourite band at the time and ate up everything they had released. Still like it, like said: there are far worse Kiss albums out there...
The Yes one is, well, not that great, but again, Yes has gone sideways a few times.
And St. Anger, well...the documentary was at least interesting so I'll give them that. I do really like the title track from that one, Some Kind of Monster is a good song, All Within My Hands is not bad at all..It has its place in the Metallica catalogue.
Now Lulu on the other hand....

I really like The Elder, bit of a weird trip for Kiss but the music stands up.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Nickslikk2112 on February 19, 2023, 09:45:05 PM
Got St Anger and Aerosmith's Nine Lives off that list.

Can't decide if St Anger or Vapid Trials is my least favourite. Hideous the pair of them.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Slim on February 20, 2023, 04:19:19 PM
Struggling to think of non-Rush albums that are awful, and not on the list.

In Through The Out Door, maybe? Definitely was a poor effort. There isn't a single Zep tune on there that I particularly like and overall it just feels flaccid.

Tormato, definitely. Huge disappointment.

The post-Waters Floyd albums perhaps, though I've never been interested in them and don't know them well.

Obviously there are loads of really bad records out there, every Five Finger Death Punch or Dream Theater album, for example. But you'd expect those ones to be rubbish.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: David L on February 20, 2023, 07:17:14 PM
Quote from: Slim on February 20, 2023, 04:19:19 PMStruggling to think of non-Rush albums that are awful, and not on the list.

In Through The Out Door, maybe? Definitely was a poor effort. There isn't a single Zep tune on there that I particularly like and overall it just feels flaccid.


I've a bit of a soft spot for All My Love
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Fishy on February 20, 2023, 07:32:37 PM
Todd Rundgren Space Force .  hate to say it but it's fucking awful.. would also agree Tormato is pants
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Matt2112 on February 20, 2023, 07:51:21 PM
Just remembered I do have Union by Yes.

Most of the songs are actually okay but the idea to mix the distinctive styles of both the "classic" and "modern" line-ups and expecting a coherent album to come from it was disastrous.
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: Ali on March 10, 2023, 10:56:06 PM
I have 5 of these:

Genesis, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, Sabbath and Yes...all of which warrant a bit of merit (a bit surprised ELP's Love Beach didn't make the list for it's legendary sleeve alone 😂)
Title: Re: 50 Genuinely Horrible Albums by Brilliant Artists
Post by: David L on March 10, 2023, 11:08:49 PM
The only one I've got is The Elder. Compared to some Kiss songs, a couple on there are far superior. They've recorded plenty of dross in their time