Critically Revered Albums That Leave You A Bit Cold

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You know: that record you're supposed to like...but don't. Not really, anyway. For me, this thread occurred to me as I realized that a whole lot of ILMsters worship Loveless to no end (Ned, I'm talkin' bout chu), but that an almost equal number say that it's merely decent.

So, give it up, people. Show yourselves to be the anti-trendsters we know you all are and tell us how the canon is fucked...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

never understood the mass appeal of the Cure,..nope.

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Pet Sounds. Yawn.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The Rapture - (whatever that album was)
SB/TLB
anything by the Beatles

― donny dorko, Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Patti Smith - Horses
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

The Blue Nile - Hats

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Joy Division, Closer
anything by Led Zeppelin

― Alex Pittman (Alex Pittman), Saturday, 20 March 2004 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

PJ Harvey, To Bring You My Love. Eh.

― m.e.a. (m.e.a.), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Horses not only leaves me a bit cold, it leaves me nauseous.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

I really hate these threads because people inevetably name my favorite albums....
How long until someone mentions Astral Weeks?
That's like one of my favorite albums ever.

― djdee2005, Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex in NYC OTM

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

re: Horses, I love Pet Sounds

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:20 (twenty-two years ago)

everything by Tupac. ever.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Ryan Adams, Gold
NIN, The Downward Spiral
Dr. Dre, The Chronic (except when Snoop is rapping, if then)
Elvis Costello, Imperial Bedroom (except Beyond Belief)
Any Frank Zappa I've heard
Almost all Los Lobos I've heard (though I'm pretty curious about the Latin Playboys)
Any Joni Mitchell I've heard
Astral Weeks (which is really ironic cuz I dig the follow Van albums a lot)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:26 (twenty-two years ago)

heh heh, sorry djdee, but I can't stand Astral Weeks either (though it's one of my wife's faves, so I'm subjected to it often....karmic retribution for you).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Tupac seconded

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd third that, but I don't feel entirely qualified to make that assertion. I've never been able to fathom why some rappers became so celebrated while others who certainly seemed more imaginative (to my rock-engorged ears) fell by the way side. I never heard anything necessarily that impressive about Tupac (or B.i.G., for that matter) that truly distinguished them from the rest. But, y'know, fuck do I know.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

biggie I've begun to appreciate recently. My fave raps on 2Pac tracks I've heard are usually from other rappers (Shock G, even - and this is how I know he leaves me cold - Dr. Dre!)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Digital Underground's first record (Sex Packets) is SO much better (to my ears) than any Tupac solo album (yes, I know he was a member). For what it's worth, I found B.I.G's music better than Tupac's....but only marginally.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:35 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, forgot Digital Underground. still, he strikes me as a typical example of being dead elevating a mediocre talent to godhead (cough)JimMorrison (cough)

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:37 (twenty-two years ago)

(cough)Kurt Cobain(cough)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

There seem to be a lot of threads like this. I don't really understand the point of naming albums you don't like, especially when those albums are so beloved by others. I think The Stone Roses is entirely spectacular, but I'm sure there are hordes of haters. What can we really do about this difference besides bicker at each other?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Biggie is WAY better than 2pac. I understand 2pacs appeal, and he released a good number of songs that I love - I Get Around, California Love, Keep Your Head Up, Brenda's Got a Baby - but not enough quality material to stand up to his reputation. Really his appeal is about his persona and myth, along with some pretty catchy pop songs.

Biggie was on another level...you can't tell this from just listening to the singles, but his albums were deep - strong tracks all the way through.

― djdee2005, Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:49 (twenty-two years ago)

if questioning other people's taste isn't your thang, Maxwell, you may have come to the wrong place. plus the Roses were a bunch of no-takent chancers riding on the Happy Mondays' baggy coat-tails. hehehe.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Beatles, Gram Parsons and Massive Attack albums
Clash London Calling

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think it's that negative an idea, Max (if I may call you Max). Unlike many other threads, I don't think this thread is strictly for ruffling feathers. Who knows? Maybe I'm truly missing something in regards to, say, Horses (though, believe me, I've tried....I really wanted to like it and understand why it's so revered, but I just don't). Help me. What am I missing? What does this record mean to you? And why?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:51 (twenty-two years ago)

takent=talent (cough)AlexonthemoneyaboutKurtCobain(cough)

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Pretty much any critically acclaimed rock band from the last 5 years fits in this category for me.

― djdee2005, Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait, isn't this place called I Love music?

Anyway, the undoubted value of being contrarian aside, you are all mentalists re: Horses.

And Alex, if you're interested, here's my take.

― David A. (Davant), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I realized that a whole lot of ILMsters worship Loveless to no end (Ned, I'm talkin' bout chu)

I have a feeling that was an unneeded paranthetical clarification.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Pet Sounds and Astral Weeks for me too, please. I've not heard Horses properly but I have a strong suspicion I'd hate it.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Saturday, 20 March 2004 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Horses is weird. I hear it very rarely and my reactions have been all over the map.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:03 (twenty-two years ago)

noodle vague, talent has nothing to do with making great records.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Imperial Bedroom seconded. and Remain In Light is my least favorite Eno-era Heads album.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh wait, but you said "takent". I don't know what that is.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Horses is weird. I hear it very rarely and my reactions have been all over the map.

Anthony, Horses itself is all over the map, in a sense. I mean, what's with the faux-reggae on "Redondo Beach"? It works for me, but I can see why it might be disorienting (hence your ambivalence and Alex's "nausea").

I just realized what it is about this kind of thread that bugs me. When you love a record that also happens to be firmly ensconced in the Canon, you know said record is going to get gratuitous potshots... well, just because... but, still, it isn't the actual record's fault it got canonized. But I suppose kneejerk defensiveness is as silly as kneejerk contrarianism, perhaps sillier.

Bring on the sacred-cow-tippers!

― David A. (Davant), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Why is "Groove in the Heart" such a classic?

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I assume that most of its coolness resides on its guests Q-Tip and Bootsy. If you don't like these people, the song means nothing. And what is it that Bootsy actually does on the record, besides put his name on it so it will sell copies to hipsters?? I was always under the impression that the bassline was a sample.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:28 (twenty-two years ago)

it's the only Dee-Lite song I like. just a fun dance song.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe that's what bothers me about it. Since it's "just a fun dance song", everyone must like it. Anyone who doesn't like it is a fun-hating sourpuss.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:32 (twenty-two years ago)

personally when something is fun like that I don't get mad if they don't like it, I just don't give a shit. Frankly I'm more baffled by folks who like the whole album than folks who don't care for the song.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Why is "Groove in the Heart" such a classic?

For me, it's always been that Herbie Hancock hook (sampled from a track from "Blow-Up", my fave film in th'world), but it's also just a simply great song.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's Next

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

White Light, White Heat. Ick ick blech. Wanky! Thank god for Loaded.

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Blondie, Parallel Lines
Everything by the Talking Heads aside from part of the first album

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Saturday, 20 March 2004 18:55 (twenty-two years ago)

nate and milo (re: t-heads) have successfuly made my eye twich for about two minutes straight.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 19:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember critics, at least some, hating out on "Groove is in the Heart." Look it up in the Trouser Press guide. I loved the guy in the group who didn't do anything (the Andrew Ridgley/Bez role) but yeah, Dee Lite wouldn't have existed w/o samples & cameos.
OTM: 2 Pac, Biggie. Add anything by Eminem, the Mekons and Pavement for me. Also: Bowie's Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars or any Neil Young canon entry. As an ex critic, though, I must confess to a certain amount of pack-following in my time. All those freebies are corrupting in a sense.

― lovebug starski, Saturday, 20 March 2004 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Max, the idea is less the bicker factor and more that I think it's interesting to hear why someone doesn't get a record. I know, in a lot of cases, some of my favorite people (Tim Buckley and Burt Bacharach, for starters) didn't hit me at first -- kind of like I knew there was SOMETHING there, but I didn't know what. Then...it hit me.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 20 March 2004 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

does that guy from New Jersey count as a critical fave? you know, the one who imitates Bob Seger, employs Dave Marsh and useta be huge in the 80s? He always left me stone cold. Maybe you're no longer a critical fave when you play stadiums?

― lovebug starski, Saturday, 20 March 2004 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

http://candysroom.freeservers.com/rs82202.jpg
oh, I think we can argue that there's still some critical reverence for the guy (who I only really dig when he's doing synth-pop)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 20 March 2004 19:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 8 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I'll second "Pet Sounds" - four absolute solid gold classic tracks (Caroline No, Sloop John B, God Only Knows, Wouldn't It Be Nice) but the rest is dippy bollocks.

Plus: The White Album, Berlin (actually made me feel ill), Dark Side of The Moon, Remain In Light (Fear of Music is soooo much better), Blonde on Blonde (not as good as Highway 61), about half of London Calling, Purple Rain (and I love Prince).

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Saturday, 20 March 2004 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

LondonLee, with you on DSOTM, though I'm not sure that's as critically revered as it is by classic rock fanz. Also, with you on Purple Rain (and I, too, love das Prince).

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Saturday, 20 March 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Somebody mentioned the Stone Roses upthread. Were they actually a band, or just a Shaggy lookalike contest that got out of control?

Anyway, here's the merest beginnings of my list:

The whole Beatles catalog
The whole U2 catalog except for the noisy beginnings of "Zoo Station" (when I heard that I thought all the hype was true and they really had gone in a new, cool direction on Achtung Baby, but, of course, they hadn't)
The whole Springsteen catalog except for Nebraska, which is great
All of Nirvana
All of Hole/Courtney Love solo
Soundgarden's latter albums (seems like the critical stroke-fest began just when they started to suck - Ultramega OK was very good, Louder Than Love was a decent place-holder with one killer track, "Hands All Over," and Badmotorfinger was great, but Superunknown was total shit and everybody loved 'em for it, and it was downhill from there)
All of 2Pac
All of Biggie
All of Jay-Z (though I've never heard Reasonable Doubt)
All of Eminem
Everything by Patti Smith except Horses (and one or two songs off Radio Ethiopia)
All of the Velvet Underground
All of Lou Reed solo except The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts
All of Van Morrison
All of Richard fucking Thompson
All of Lucinda Williams, the White Stripes, Bonnie Raitt...shit, I could be here all day. Someone else go for awhile.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 21 March 2004 00:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Silliness aside (how could I possibly trust any recommendation, ever, from someone who can't hear the Beatles or Nirvana?), what's with people naming "Remain in Light"? The thing never lets up until the last track, every track as catchy as fuck, polyrhythms!, David Byrne had control of his nerd internationale persona at that point. Praps you guys shld turn er up a bit?

― plebian plebs (plebian), Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Most of them, but I was particularly dissapointed with the entire discography of David Bowie, especially his 'Berlin' albums.

― Stupid (Stupid), Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

y'all're asshats

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Sunday, 21 March 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The real answer: The Residents, Eskimo.

This is true and if there's a bigger Residents' fan in the world than me then I've yet to meet them - this is their "Pet Sounds".

In general, there are a whole lot of critically revered artists who leave me cold: Dylan, Van Morrison, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello blah blah blah....

― Dadaismus (Dada), Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread would be more interesting if these opinions didn't already get expressed on ILM a thousand times.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

What you mean people are always saying The Residents' "Eskimo" is their "Pet Sounds"? Appy polly loggies.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:32 (twenty-two years ago)

every riot-grrl song ever recorded. I will NEVER understand why that genre is so critically adored. The songs are SO STUPID AND IRRITATING!!

― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Green Onions - Booker T and the MGs
Murmur - REM
Crosby Stills and Nash

― pete s, Sunday, 21 March 2004 02:53 (twenty-two years ago)

The real answer: The Residents, Eskimo.

This is true and if there's a bigger Residents' fan in the world than me then I've yet to meet them - this is their "Pet Sounds".

Actually, I've never heard it in full. (See the thread title.)

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 21 March 2004 04:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Only a few of the few albums that I own that were purchased on the strength of another's musical wisdom are classics to me. I enjoy my friends, but it is difficult, at best, to share their musical tendencies to their own extent.

In the spirit of this thread, however, Astral Weeks never did much for me either.

― jim wentworth (wench), Sunday, 21 March 2004 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread would be more interesting if these opinions didn't already get expressed on ILM a thousand times.

this thread would be a lot more interesting if people gave reasons for disliking something instead of just listing a bunch of popular albums and sitting back and waiting for us to applaud their good taste.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Sunday, 21 March 2004 06:34 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread would be a lot more interesting if it didn't exist

(my explanation vis a vis WL/WH: "The Gift" is icky. "Sister Ray" gets old after six minutes. The rest is mostly okay.)

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Sunday, 21 March 2004 06:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm with plebian...to an extent. Remain In Light was one of the FIRST Talking Heads records that really stuck. Though I do understand the "it sounds like a white guy's idea of black music" argument that's become trendy to toss around, that's actually part of the charm, I think. Plus, as plebes points out, as pop songs go, those are pretty ace.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 21 March 2004 07:07 (twenty-two years ago)

As for Richard Thompson, I actually clicked with him on one of the Linda songs on Shoot Out the Lights. His voice can be a little off-putting at first, but he's actually got a pretty astute pop sensibility. Also, that track about the motorcycle from Rumor and Sigh should be just totally hackneyed and predictable. It is, but it's also great.

BTW, what do people do here when they get a record they're supposed to like, but don't really click with? Do they keep coming back to them over and over or do they sit on their shelf for eternity after that first couple of listens? And I'm not talking about some supposedly good record that your friend gave you -- I'm talking about reasonably canonical stuff...

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 21 March 2004 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

thank god i don't have this problem.

― twelve, Sunday, 21 March 2004 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry to be irritable upthread. I think the question you just asked (what do people do here when they get a record they're supposed to like, but don't really click with?) is actually an interesting one. I do think that I'm more likely to return to canonical albums that I didn't quite click with than non-canonical albums that didn't do much for me. But I don't listen to it over and over again, trying desperately to get it. It's more like, a couple times a year I'll put that Beatles album on, see if it does anything for me, and move on. And oftentimes the impetus is having read something about the album recently, and my listening is part of keeping up with the ongoing dialogue.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 21 March 2004 09:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, I've never heard it in full. (See the thread title.)

Well it works as joke AND fair comment

― Dadaismus (Dada), Sunday, 21 March 2004 09:37 (twenty-two years ago)

this "ongoing dialogue" is what distinguishes being left cold by a critically revered album from just not liking it. Feeling compelled to keep trying, once in a while, rather than just filing away the offending object or trashing it. The opposite of this thread would be an upcoming book anthology: negative assesments of the rock-critic canon. Take a wild guess who the editor is...(sigh)

― lovebug starski, Sunday, 21 March 2004 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread would be a lot better without Nate in ST.P and J.D. on it.

― If You Don't Like The Thread, Fuck Off Eh?, Sunday, 21 March 2004 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

RADIOHEAD RADIOHEAD RADIOHEAD RADIOHEAD RADIOHEAD RADIOHEAD

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Album 1: bad cover versions of Adorable
Album 2: pretty damned good
Album 3: four great singles, a whole lot of stuff Pink Floyd got embarrassed about by 1976
Album 4: dippy, meandering electronica sold to the world as a rock band drastically opening new avenues for music, and the world somehow bought it.
Album 5: the good: stuff that sounds like Autechre. The bad: everything else
Album 6: haven't heard enough to really judge, but it sounds like a pointless retread of #2 and #3 to me.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Sunday, 21 March 2004 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

The Verve - Urban Hymns

I really loved A Northern Soul but find this record an unbearable dirge.

Happy Mondays - Pill, Thrills'n'Bellyaches.

Again, the first two records are absolute classics, but the one that the critics laud is just sloppy. The rot had already set in here.

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Just don't get it at all. Horrible.

― holojames (holojames), Sunday, 21 March 2004 14:23 (twenty-two years ago)

this thread is useful.

― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 21 March 2004 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

This thread would be a lot better without anonymous bitch-ass cockfarmers on it

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Sunday, 21 March 2004 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, I was the first one to bitch about the thread, and I didn't get called out.

― jaymc (jaymc), Sunday, 21 March 2004 19:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Dear Bruce - You are amazingly misinformed by your own reactions against the critical support given to nearly every Radiohead album. I don't care if you really, really don't like this albums - but use some original criticisms, not tired retreads of every other critic. It's lazy. I thought the Pink Floyd angle on Ok Computer got played out years ago, because it's pretty wrong. Yeah, of course Pink Floyd is a reference point, but never have I, nor any person I've ever talked about this album with, ever mentioned Pink Floyd. It's just not that overwhelming of an influence. Your summation of Amnesiac is also inacurate: There isn't anything that sounds like Autechre, just as there isn't much on Kid A that really sounds like Aphex Twin. They're the two electronic acts most rock critics will name drop as references, whether or not they're correct. Just do your homework.

― ienjoyrockcritics, Monday, 22 March 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry - I meant that directed at Barry - my apologies.

― ienjoyrockcritics, Monday, 22 March 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

"This thread would be a lot better without anonymous bitch-ass cockfarmers on it"

Ha Ha No THIS THREAD WOULD BE BETTER WITHOUT NATE IN ST.P AND J.D ON IT.

― I'll Say It Again, If You Want, Monday, 22 March 2004 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Story on my eventual obsession w/ Tim Buckley: had a friend whose taste I trusted immensely, so immensely that I actually bought almost all of his records (Buckley's) before ever even liking him. But for whatever reason, I kept buying them. Every now and then, I'd put one on -- if I found a rare one (Greetings, back then, was hard to find), I'd snatch it. Still, didn't really click for me. It was this cold, weird feeling, like I was aware something was going on, but it was as if it was in a different language or something.

Then, one day, I had to meet my dad at a restaurant here in DC -- had to have been 3 years after I started buying Buckley. It was rush hour, so I grabbed Dream Letter, the 1968 live record. Got stuck in traffic and started to go completely mental -- lost it entirely, screaming at cars, beating the piss out of my steering wheel. Just then "Buzzin' Fly" got going, and I was...COMPLETELY FUCKING LOST. Suddenly, it all clicked, for whatever reason. I didn't care. It must've taken me 45 minutes to go 2 miles, but I listened to most of that first disc and was just totally floored, captivated, whatever. After that, I could put on any record by Buckley and just get it. All of them made sense, so much so that his stuff is among my very favorite now. I can't explain it. But I wish I could.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 05:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyway, here's the merest beginnings of my list:

The whole Beatles catalog
The whole U2 catalog except for the noisy beginnings of "Zoo Station" (when I heard that I thought all the hype was true and they really had gone in a new, cool direction on Achtung Baby, but, of course, they hadn't)
The whole Springsteen catalog except for Nebraska, which is great
All of Nirvana
All of Hole/Courtney Love solo
Soundgarden's latter albums (seems like the critical stroke-fest began just when they started to suck - Ultramega OK was very good, Louder Than Love was a decent place-holder with one killer track, "Hands All Over," and Badmotorfinger was great, but Superunknown was total shit and everybody loved 'em for it, and it was downhill from there)
All of 2Pac
All of Biggie
All of Jay-Z (though I've never heard Reasonable Doubt)
All of Eminem
Everything by Patti Smith except Horses (and one or two songs off Radio Ethiopia)
All of the Velvet Underground
All of Lou Reed solo except The Blue Mask and Legendary Hearts
All of Van Morrison
All of Richard fucking Thompson
All of Lucinda Williams, the White Stripes, Bonnie Raitt...shit, I could be here all day. Someone else go for awhile.

uhhhh DO YOU LIKE MUSIC?!

― djdee2005, Monday, 22 March 2004 07:00 (twenty-two years ago)

well, then, welcome to ILM, 87532. You pissant dickwrangler.

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Monday, 22 March 2004 07:32 (twenty-two years ago)

The Beatles
Can - Tago Mago
Wire - Pink Flag
DFA (Some OK moments, but mostly they leave me cold)

― Mil, Monday, 22 March 2004 07:46 (twenty-two years ago)

A week ago I would have said Love's Forever Changes. Been force-feeding myself this one for over two years and just have not been feeling it, apart from digging Alone Again Or, the last minute of House is not a Motel, and some of the clever lyrical phrasing, like on Clark and Hilldale. Then finally, FINALLY, last night it struck me as one of the greats. Like indisputable classic pedestal status. Chalk it up to going through a very sour patch in my relationship right now, but the coldness and distance of my life was echoed in my ties to this record, and I realized just how completely negative and sarcastic the whole album is, relaying the idea behind the core of human confusion in a tight and astonishingly melodic display of betrayal to rock's canonical "we are the champions, come get some" attitude. Then I played Minor Threat and felt like Ahura Mazda.

I've never understood the appeal of "The Joshua Tree". With or Without You I can get behind, but the rest is so turgid. Whoever mentioned Massive Attack is otm - throwaway boutique music.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Monday, 22 March 2004 09:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Ienjoyrockcritics -- who said this was about spouting "new" criticisms? I briefly outlined the (considerable) weaknesses of Radiohead, and that was that. The fact that these criticisms are not new doesn't make them any less true.

And if you don't think that anything on Amnesiac sounds like Autechre, then you need to listen to more Autechre (how do you think Radiohead got their record to sound that way?)

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Monday, 22 March 2004 10:24 (twenty-two years ago)

a realise this is sanctomount (sp??) to an ILM crime .. and i know its an Age thing .. but i just dont get Bob Dylan. i have tried.
at one time i too agreed re Horses .. but have come to realise thaty the album is a Mood Album .. wrong mood and i hate it, right mood and i love it.

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 22 March 2004 10:41 (twenty-two years ago)

God, I hate Bob Dylan.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Monday, 22 March 2004 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

sanctomount (sp??)

tantamount. i love vhocabularie.

i'm not going to try to convert you, mark, as i'm not grooving on dylan fully, either, but i do recommend Bringing it all back Home. it's got one side electric, one side acoustic, and all the songs are extremely passionate, especially It's allright Ma i'm Only Bleeding. If you give this a try and feel it's not a home run, then you can safely give up on dylan for good, and no hard feelings. i've only got two records of his beside this one, that i never listen to anyhow. (highway 61 and blonde on blonde) but Back Home gets frequent airings in my place - pantheon enshrinement, at least for 45 minutes.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Monday, 22 March 2004 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

nowt like a good Cr*p Word is there .. mixed up with "tantamount" .. i am useless. ta for the pointer re Dylan ..

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 22 March 2004 11:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Broken Social Scene, "You Forgot It In People"

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Monday, 22 March 2004 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Pissant Dickwrangler

Wow.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 March 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Received Wisdom: Albums generally regarded as great masterworks that you found to be actually be horrid crap...
Critical darlings you can't stand
Ten cannonical albums that are closer to dud than classic
Name a so-called classic album which you think really is a stinker
Most overrated band ever

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 22 March 2004 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

(I am to threads like this as N. is to threads about guilty pleasures)

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 22 March 2004 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry - thought I was making myself clear. I wasn't under the impression that this was a "new" criticisms forum Barry - I was merely saying your stance on the weaknesses of Radiohead - and I know they do exist - was just regurgitated piffle from mainstream rock critics. And no, I don't hear much that actually sounds like Autchere on Amnesiac. Where are you hearing it? Pyramid Song? Morning Bell? Any other song? I guess maybe it's Push/Pulk and maybe Packt like Sardines - but there's my point. Those songs sound nothing like Autechre. Go listen to Confield or Tri Repetea ++ and see if you really hear anything there. Don't mean to be bitchy here, but I'm just tired of the lazy and incorrect name dropping.

― ienjoyrockcritics, Monday, 22 March 2004 14:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I love this Autechere/Radiohead debate. I'll admit to only having heard about 3 songs of the former. The funny part is how you two go back and forth w/no arguments whatsoever. Its just, "Radiohead sounds like Autechere", then "no it doesn't", then "yes it does", etc. Its like kids playing cops and robbers and going, "I shot you!" "No, you missed!" "No, I shot you, yr dead!"

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Monday, 22 March 2004 14:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Am I the first one on this thread to say I really don't like the Pixies?

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Monday, 22 March 2004 16:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Ever, yes.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 22 March 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

in the words of half man half biscuit, james dean was just a careless driver, and marilyn monroe was just a slag

― fishcox, Monday, 22 March 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

The Clash's London Calling. I mean, it has a bunch of great songs on it. But compared to their first album it leaves me cold. I fucking LOVE the first Clash album. Also anything by Oasis. I sooo do not care for them at all.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 23 March 2004 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

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