your favorite album by (insert artist) is usually considered to be their worst

Let's see, did that work?

but is it really considered to be their worst?

it's my favorite album of theirs at the moment, i go back and forth between it and perfect from now on.

Ozzy O.-Ozzmosis

Woo! My favorite for years as well. :-)

Usta be, it took him entire albums/years, to recombine disparate stuff for subgnres here, he does it about every other song.
Of course, with horrid titular opening song and most of the ‘gothic hypercycle’ hoohaw skipped over. (Actually, I love the "I am a broken man" segue.)

"Hallo Spaceboy" is both sui generis and familiar on first listen. Although its only forebear is "Third Uncle," whose design it only follows on the most formalistic fashion.

"Heart’s Filthy Lesson" is sort of like a dance song, except there’s no low end to speak of, and I can’t think of many singles that use whole-tone guitar riffs as central hook.

What hell genre is "Through These Architect’s Eyes"? Big Bonham beat Ayn Rand show tune?

"I’m Deranged" was the only time jungle and Scott Walker and panic attacks needed to be in the same room.

The sole two look-backs are simply delicious: "I Have Not Been to Oxford Town" is like po-mo Turtles; "Strangers When We Meet" is almost "heroes" but funnier and sweeter.

Etc.

The Kinks - Give The People What They Want
Led Zeppelin - In Through The Out Door

In my experience it's not so much that other Afghan Whigs fans think that album is bad, just that they always claim Gentlemen is better.

Sandinista?? Isn't CUT THE CRAP or even COMBAT ROCK generally considered their worst?

Also, Lloyd Cole's "Bad Vibes" is one of my favorites, but not *the* favorite.

My Dying Bride's 34.788% is largely reviled as a weird anomaly, but it's the only one I can still listen to.

Also, possibly because it's the album I got into them with, but King Crimson's Thrak is probably my favorite (maybe tied with Red).

Cut the Crap is very often simply not considered a Clash album. And at the time, at least, Combat Rock was widely considered a vast improvement upon Sandinista! By widely, I mean I read many, many reviews saying as much. But Sandinista! has been reabilitated with the years...

I saw Built to Spill earlier last fall and they did a few songs off Keep it Like Secret...incl. The Plan and Sidewalk (I think one or two others too)....Keep It is soooo obviously their best record it's not even funny...I'm shocked to hear that some fans don't like it.

regards,

REB

Does Ornette Coleman's "Ornette!" count? I guess "Prime Design/Time Design" is universally acknowledged as worse, inc. by me.

In a slightly different category, Tim Gane once told me that he thinks "Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements" was the worst thing Stereolab's ever done. It's one of my four or five favorite records ever...

Don't forget Rock Action.

ae - Chiastic Slide
pjh - Stories by the city
Portishead - Portishead

Do most people consider Rest Proof Clockwork Plaid's least accomplishment?

Heh, that'll be my pick then.

WHAT!!!! I will fight anyone who tries to claim this.

I think people are somewhat put off by the fact that it's a darker album than their usual fare (which is precisely why I prefer it).

I thought it'd be far and away the most popular ae here (and PFork), but way more people seem more interested in Amber and Tri Repetae.

It's my favorite as well, along with the second Peel Sessions.

You're alone on PS2, Jordan.

(NB: this is the first ae I bought, because it was cheap)

As I was ripping it to my iTunes this morning, I realized that every discerning 999 fan seems to hate this album, but it's far and away the album of theirs I enjoy the most.

http://www.inflammablematerial.co.uk/catalog/images/999Concrete.jpg

'Experimental Jetset' is one of my favourite Sonic Youth LPs... Just love the stray trash aesthetic, and how lovely and radiant 'sweet shine' is...

Bob Marley: Survival (Alex Sadkin R.I.P.)

And I guess you could almost put "Us" by Peter Gabriel in here as well, although I think his second self titled one is usually considered his weaktest.

also:
Paul Simon - Hearts and Bones
Tragically Hip - Music @ Work
Joe Jackson - Big World

though not considered their worst
beggar's banquet is my favorite by a mile

i really love uncle tupelo's march 16-20, 1992... i am not really sure what their most hated album is though

You should really check them out. Sure, they were kind of obscure, to say the least, but for those of us who have discovered them, we are speaking of some truly hidden gems here. Best kept secret ever!

Outside ILM, "Sea Change" is generally considered one of his best though.

Very true. Not absolutely their best album of course, but it would probably comes 3rd or 4th on my list (definitely below 3IB and The Head On The Door and about level with Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me if anyone gives a toss).

".... every discerning 999 fan seems to hate [Concrete], but it's far and away the album of theirs I enjoy the most."

Not just the fans it would seem - I saw them a couple of weeks ago and the vast majority of the set came from the first 3 albums and related singles.

Not that that's particularly unusual for an old punk band of course.

I'm not sure I've ever actually heard the album myself but I do remember buying the single of "Li'l Red Riding Hood" on spec when it first came out and thinking that they seemed to have sadly lost the plot.

Few people would rank it (or anything else from his 70s output) as his worst though.

Worlds Apart by Trail of Dead

yeah that's also my favorite trail of dead record lol

my favorite panic at the disco record is pretty odd which is still maligned by their fans

and my favorite jimmy eat world record that's not clarity is invented which afaict no one else has ever had time for

really this board is the only place where i haven't had to explain why my favorite jay-z record is vol. 2

Stereolab - cobra and phases group play voltage in the milky night (or whatever it's called)

"Drama" by Yes

oh this is also my favorite yes album but who in the world considers it their worst

I guess "heaven and earth" hadnt been released yet

I really love Moby's Animal Rights and don't care much for Play or 18.

Missy Elliott "The Cookbook" - at least it's the one I've listened to the most out of the five I own.

Monster is my favorite REM album.

some days Interpol's self-titled is my fave of theirs, it's so compellingly desperate sounding to me

Cold Lake was the first Celtic Frost album I heard.

Chuck by Sum 41

I like how 'Life's Rich Pageant' was misspelled four separate times in this thread and never spelled correctly

really this board is the only place where i haven't had to explain why my favorite jay-z record is vol. 2

― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Saturday, 26 December 2015 21:44 (Yesterday) Permalink

Right, but surely not even idiots rank this below the majority of his post-Black Album efforts.

Missy Elliott "The Cookbook" - at least it's the one I've listened to the most out of the five I own.

― o. nate, Sunday, 27 December 2015 03:11 Bookmark

disgusting

Blur - Think Tank

Antenna is my favourite Cave-In album

REM - Automatic For The People

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 23 January 2004 05:46 (11 years ago)

???

The Top is continually written off as The Cure's worst album by rock critics who don't do their homework and just repeat what others said before them. Have they actually listened to that album? To me it's Robert Smith at his purest, craziest, and most creative. Every song is amazing and completely different from the other. They perfectly combine all the different styles The Cure had played with up to then as well as exploring new ones like Eastern sounds and heavier rock. Terribly underrated and definitely one of my all-time favorites.

― Seb, Friday, 23 January 2004 19:59 (11 years ago)

I definitely used to see a lot of that in rock magazines, not just about The Top, but just way more third hand opinions in general. But I was shocked how good The Top was after hearing so much shit about it. Not my favourite but I wish he done more albums like that.

A Certain Ratio - I'd Like To See You Again (the title track's also my fave song by them)
not a huge fan of Too Each but like Sextet and Graveyard... a lot
(people might rate later one's even lower but of the first 4 my fave's usually considered the worst)

The Top was soooo disappointing at the time, except for "Birdmadgirl" possibly my fave Cure song of all time

Right, but surely not even idiots rank this below the majority of his post-Black Album efforts.

listen i had a very long argument with someone at a bar once about how vol. 1 is NOT the worst jay record and american gangster is garbage and guy was not having it

anyway monster is also my favorite r.e.m. album. it's so gay

It's quite possibly my favourite of their major label albums. I don't rank it over most of the IRS albums.

My favourite Pink Floyd album is The Final Cut.

Roger I thought your schedule was full

the final cut used to be my favorite floyd record, especially the reissue that spliced in "when the tigers broke free"

now my favorite floyd record is prob meddle

my favorite van morrison album is "the original bang sessions, vol. 2". does that count?

out of time is my favourite rem and that's considered a bit so-so by most people, but I love nearly every moment

I like how 'Life's Rich Pageant' was misspelled four separate times in this thread and never spelled correctly

And still not spelled correctly because the apostrophe was intentionally omitted from Lifes Rich Pageant because Buck and Stipe agreed that "there never has been a good rock album with an apostrophe in the title"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lifes_Rich_Pageant

Anyway, my favorite Love And Rockets album is Hot Trip To Heaven. I may have been the only person who bought it and kept it.

Middle of Nowhere is usually listed as one of the worst Orbital albums, if not the worst. I've seen a couple people defend it here - I think it's incredible.

The Rising Tide is my favorite Sunny Day Real Estate but I wouldn't say it's a lot better than the others

All Shook Down is my favorite Replacements album, and it's barely even a Replacements album (Westerberg plus a cast of thousands).

My fave yo la tengo album is president yo la tengo. I have no clue how people rate it but i don't think it is widely acclaimed by critics.

Mastodon's Once More 'Round The Sun is the only album of them I like and I think it's regarded as their worst.

My favourite Wild Beasts album is still Limbo Panto. It's definitely their least critically acclaimed album and the band seem to have almost disowned it. Not sure what other fans would say though.

drukqs might be my favorite aphex twin album

My favorite Scritti Politti album is Provision.

sometimes provision is my favorite too

The only nomination I can think of is Wu-Tang Clan's Iron Flag, with the caveat that I'm not sure what people think of (and haven't listened to) their post-8 Diagrams albums.

Mastodon's Once More 'Round The Sun is the only album of them I like and I think it's regarded as their worst.

it's considerably better than the hunter so i can see this

Sun Kil Moon's Admiral Fell Promises would have been the obvious answer if this were still 2010.

that album is so good. i revisited it a few months ago and it's so singular and stark and the songs are all so lovely and digressive

It's really his most tasteful and sophisticated release imo.

I'll go with Mag Earwhig! here. Fun question.

The Spaghetti Incident

Hello Nasty is my favorite Beasties record, but I don't think it's considered their worst

I'll go with Mag Earwhig! here. Fun question.

― campreverb, Thursday, December 31, 2015 10:11 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I think popular opinion still regards this album as better than many of those that followed. It's also hard to know which "era" to associate it with, if you're using that to specify.

They're both good but I greatly prefer the second Comus album to the first.

Also, Mag Earwhig! is the best GBV album so naturally you favor it.

I'm not sure how highly they're rated generally speaking, but I feel strongly that Zero 7 has gotten better with every album. I do know, at least, that I'm in a distinct minority in thinking that their last album was their best.

I think you go any GBV lineup that's not 'classic' and you are off the reservation a bit, which is why every list I have seen always has 'Bee Thousand' or 'Alien Lanes' as the best.

I do kind of admire Dylan's 'Self-Portrait' for how terrible it is.

Ohhhh, I just thought of one that should garner some hate mail: while the latter is inarguably a good album with some classic tracks, it's possible that I prefer Saturnz Return to Timeless. And yes, I am referring to both discs (I've listened to 'Mother' in its entirety and enjoyed it numerous times).

really this board is the only place where i haven't had to explain why my favorite jay-z record is vol. 2

― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Saturday, 26 December 2015 21:44 (Yesterday) Permalink

Right, but surely not even idiots rank this below the majority of his post-Black Album efforts.

― Tim F, Sunday, December 27, 2015

I'm continually amazed by how ignorant the twentysomethings are to albums Jay recorded The Blueprint.

definitely used to see a lot of that in rock magazines, not just about The Top, but just way more third hand opinions in general. But I was shocked how good The Top was after hearing so much shit about it. Not my favourite but I wish he done more albums like that.

― Robert Adam Gilmour,

When I bought the album a few years ago, my first listen since early '91, I was amazed by the one-two-three punch of "Shake Dog Shake," "Birdman Girl," and "Wailing Wall."