The "Canon" generally considers it their worst album

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Steely Dan - Gaucho

― whenuweremine (whenuweremine), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:03 (twenty years ago)

The Doors-The Soft Parade

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:05 (twenty years ago)

metal machine music

― white hole (white hole), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:17 (twenty years ago)

At some point Sandinista will be mentioned.

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:19 (twenty years ago)

Midnight Oil - Place Without A Postcard

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:21 (twenty years ago)

Dan, do you really think The Soft Parade is the best Doors album? There are moments on there that are some of my favorite Doors moments - "Touch Me," "Runnin' Blue" - but isn't there better material, on the whole, on numerous other albums: the first album, Strange Days, Morrison Hotel, L.A. Woman?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:24 (twenty years ago)

Here Today Tomorrow Next Week.

― robert in SLC, Monday, 2 January 2006 05:26 (twenty years ago)

Meat is Murder

― ajlee, Monday, 2 January 2006 05:35 (twenty years ago)

neil young's soundtrack to 'dead man'

― white hole (white hole), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:37 (twenty years ago)

Virgin Suicides soundtrack.

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:41 (twenty years ago)

Neil Young - Trans

― shieldforyoureyes, Monday, 2 January 2006 05:58 (twenty years ago)

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

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 2 January 2006 06:05 (twenty years ago)

I thought The Royal Scam was considered the "worst" Dan record. At least, it is according to allmusic.com.

They're not my favorites by said bands, but I will make a case for the Roots' The Tipping Point and Can's s/t 1979 album not being all that bad.

― disco violence (disco violence), Monday, 2 January 2006 07:16 (twenty years ago)

It's the Can album before that, Out of Reach, that is probably more widely considered to be their worst. I also like the '79 album quite a bit, probably more than Saw Delight.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 January 2006 07:29 (twenty years ago)

Presence

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 2 January 2006 07:50 (twenty years ago)

Metal Machine Music seconded.

― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Monday, 2 January 2006 08:11 (twenty years ago)

"gaucho" seconded

"death of a ladies man" by leonard cohen proposed.

― ranchdipset, Monday, 2 January 2006 08:15 (twenty years ago)

REM - Monster

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Monday, 2 January 2006 08:58 (twenty years ago)

heads & hearts - the sound

― corey c (shock of daylight), Monday, 2 January 2006 09:01 (twenty years ago)

Cop Shoot Cop - Release

― StanM (StanM), Monday, 2 January 2006 09:46 (twenty years ago)

"Neil Young - Trans" seconded

― snowballing (snowballing), Monday, 2 January 2006 09:57 (twenty years ago)

http://www.rollingstonesnet.com/images/SatMajesties.jpg

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Monday, 2 January 2006 10:09 (twenty years ago)

High Llamas - Buzzle Bee this is one album where I absolutely don't get the derision, it's sublime.
Belle and Sebastian - Fold your Hands...
this I get, cause I hated it at first, but it grew on me a few hundred times over

They're not my favorites by said bands, but I will make a case for the Roots' The Tipping Point

ditto, I like TP much better than their debut

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 2 January 2006 10:35 (twenty years ago)

Bah. I came here to post Neil Young and Trans, too. Well... thirded, then.

― emil.y (emil.y), Monday, 2 January 2006 14:29 (twenty years ago)

I agree about Meat is Murder, except I'm not sure about the premise that it is commonly thought of as the wrost Smiths album. And I also think Their Satanic Majesties Request is pretty good.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 2 January 2006 14:54 (twenty years ago)

"Wha'ppen" The English Beat

― novamax (novamax), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:49 (twenty years ago)

Manic Street Preachers: Know Your Enemy

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:51 (twenty years ago)

i think the album commonly thought as the worst smiths album is the first one.
i don't think it's their worst... or their best !
their satanic : i don't consider it's their best...by far !

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:04 (twenty years ago)

Thought IV and Physical Graffiti were your faves, Stormy?;) Presence is good, and "Achilles' Last Stand" is one of their best songs IMO and possibly my favourite Plant performance, but do you really think it's the peak of Zeppelin's catalogue? It seems like the most limited in scope to me. I think dave q said it was his favourite once too.

Anyway, yeah, I really like The Tipping Point too (didn't even know it was considered bad). I like Monster more than any other major-label REM I've heard (everything leading up to that album). While I don't really put on Metal Machine Music anymore, it meant a lot to me at one time (more than any other solo Lou ever has but I haven't looked that hard).

FWIW Spin's alternative rock guide gave Meat Is Murder 2/10 compared to 10/10 for The Queen Is Dead IIRC. I think Rolling Stone ranked them similarly. Christgau also ranks it lowest but not by so wide a margin.

― Sundar (sundar), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:07 (twenty years ago)

http://www.keeslau.com/TomWaitsSupplement/Images/ImagesDiscography/86-Cover-dirtywork-rollingstones.jpg

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:14 (twenty years ago)

FWIW Spin's alternative rock guide gave Meat Is Murder 2/10 compared to 10/10 for The Queen Is Dead IIRC

really ?? it's insane... if i really had to pick a "worst" smiths album, it'be strangeways i guess. but "meat is murder" may be my favourite with "hatful" and "the queen"

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:33 (twenty years ago)

maybe it's more fair to call the Soft Parade my favorite, if not their best.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:44 (twenty years ago)

Kiss: The Elder
Rolling Stones: Their Majesties Satanic Request

I am not sure which Supergrass album the canon considers their worst, but it is likely to be among my favourite albums by them.

"Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants" is IMO the second best album ever released by Oasis, only beaten by the considerably more canonical "Morning Glory".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:46 (twenty years ago)

Beatles: Let it Be

― Elvis is Dead, Monday, 2 January 2006 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Counting Crows - This Desert Life

I totally did not just say that.

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Monday, 2 January 2006 17:48 (twenty years ago)

Kiss - Music From the Elder

― Bryan Moore (Bryan Moore), Monday, 2 January 2006 18:45 (twenty years ago)

good call on Know Your Enemy. My favorite is This Is My Truth etc., which most Manics fans find to be extra-complacent and overproduced

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:17 (twenty years ago)

Alfred is crazy :)

Regarding Steely Dan, I am pretty sure that if there is one album of their that is generally considered their worst, that would now be "Everything Must Go".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:24 (twenty years ago)

My favorite is This Is My Truth etc., which most Manics fans find to be extra-complacent and overproduced

"This Is My Truth" went down well with several non-fans though. After all, it contained their only UK #1 hit.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:25 (twenty years ago)

which holds the record for longest non-parenthetical number one song title AW CRAP I JUST AGREED WITH GEIR!!!!!

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:27 (twenty years ago)

At some point Sandinista will be mentioned.

I am pretty sure the Canon prefers "Sandinista" to "Cut The Crap". :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:30 (twenty years ago)

Not to mention "Give 'em Enough Rope."

― truck-patch pixel farmer (Rock Hardy), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:32 (twenty years ago)

U2 - Pop

― Robin Geurts (Hyperdog), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:34 (twenty years ago)

Boces is Mercury Rev's finest hour by some stretch, but is considered unlistenable and pretentious by most people for some reason. I think its the poppiest personally.

"Trompe Le Monde" and Low's "Trust" also qualify here.

― jason., Monday, 2 January 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

Pink Floyd "More sountrack"

― jonas, Monday, 2 January 2006 21:24 (twenty years ago)

Not my favorites by them, but worth mentions: Gone Troppo (George Harrison), Around the Sun (R.E.M.), Unconditionally Guaranteed (Captain Beefheart).

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

New Adventures in Hi-Fi? Perhaps Monster is generally considered to be 'worse', though.

― Mippy (Mippy), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:41 (twenty years ago)

Most reviews of Hi-Fi are wonderful; the ones published at the time of the album's release were positively ecstatic. Now it's everyone's favorite underrated REM.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 2 January 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Chemical Brothers: "Come With Us"

Depeche Mode: "Construction Time Again" (unless "A Broken Frame" or "Exciter" are generally seen as their weakest)

While my favourite album by R.E.M. is the typical canonical choice ("Automatic For The People"), "Reveal" and "Around The Sun" are both among my definite favourites by them.

Also, I like "Trans" but it's not his best IMO (plus I guess there are other Neil Young albums that are generally considered worse anyway)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:05 (twenty years ago)

Also, the correct answer to the question "Which album by The Smiths is usually considered their weakeast" is "Strangeways Here We Come", which is clearly my favourite Smiths album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:07 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I think Trans is generally considered to be underrated; stuff like Life or This Note's For You are rated lower by most people.

― whenuweremine (whenuweremine), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:31 (twenty years ago)

"Re-ac-tor" too, I guess.

"Trans" is just different but enough fans still hear something in it.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:32 (twenty years ago)

It's not my favorite Replacements album, but All Shook Down was a damn fine album.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:36 (twenty years ago)

Monster is definitely not the best REM album.
All Shook down is a damn fine album.
I think all Smiths albums are pretty canonical... Kinda like whatever the weakest VU album is (wlwh?).

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 2 January 2006 23:38 (twenty years ago)

I find it surprising that none of the many disco/R&B fans on ILM have mentioned "Hot Space" yet.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 01:44 (twenty years ago)

i'm not totally sure it's considered their worse, but Brighten the Corners is my favorite Pavement record, I guess.

― poortheatre (poortheatre), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 01:51 (twenty years ago)

XTC - The Big Express

― Dom iNut (donut), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:09 (twenty years ago)

Mouse on Mars' 'Radical Connector' is probably my fav. by them right now, and I doubt if anyone else considers it be their best -- maybe some think it's their worst.

― Freud Junior, Third Cousin to Chuck Norris (Freud Junior), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:19 (twenty years ago)

I'm reading the Peter Green bio, and I just read AMG's blurb on Green's End of the Game LP. The record seems to be considered a formless mess and far, far inferior to his work with Fleetwood Mac. But, I diasgree. I think I have listened to End of the Game more than any of the Mac's first four records, which I do dig. End of the Game, for me, is as vital a listen as Miles Davis' best fusion jams.

Also, many Neil Young fans, including my wife, are baffled by my love for Trans.

As for the Soft Parade, wow, that nails the essence of this thread. I cannot go there but props to anyone so defiantly into the Soft Parade.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:24 (twenty years ago)

who the hell sez that satanic majesties is the worst stones album? who is this canon guy! i have never heard that ever.

― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:48 (twenty years ago)

That might have been an old Rolling Stone red book record guide kind of perspective on Satanic Majesties.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:50 (twenty years ago)

People used to think it was lame. Piper at the Gates of Dawn, too.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:51 (twenty years ago)

I've seen the label applied to: Satanic Majesties, Goats Head Soup, Metamorphosis, every studio album after Undercover (except for A Bigger Bang), every live album except Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out.

― truck-patch pixel farmer (Rock Hardy), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:55 (twenty years ago)

As for the Soft Parade, wow, that nails the essence of this thread. I cannot go there but props to anyone so defiantly into the Soft Parade.

Still no mention of "Never Let Me Down", "Keeping The Summer Alive", "Sometime In New York City", "Big Generator", "Cut The Crap", "American Life", "Spaghetti Incident" nor "Empire Burlesque" though. :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 03:58 (twenty years ago)

I love Empire Burlesque, warts and all, but it's hardly Dylan's best, for god's sake.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 04:07 (twenty years ago)

Someone who actually has the Spin guide please confirm that I'm not unjustifiedly freaking out MIM fans.

― Sundar (sundar), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 04:30 (twenty years ago)

The first ed. of SPIN guide does give MIM a 2/10, the lowest rating of theirs for any Smiths album. They also give The Cure's "Seventeen Seconds" a 3/10, and "Faith" and "Pornography" 2/10, the lowest for the Cure discog. I think these are the best Cure albums.

― twoheadedboy, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 07:08 (twenty years ago)

They also give "Bad Moon Rising" a 5/10, while every album after that (up 'til 95, the publ. date) a 7, 8, 9, or 10/10.

And "nyc ghosts and flowers" is much better than it's generally given credit for.

― twoheadedboy, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 07:18 (twenty years ago)

Neu! 2

― Dom iNut (donut), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 07:18 (twenty years ago)

AMG rated "Trust" the lowest of the Low. I think it's the best of the last three (all of which I love).

and I agree about Neu!2.

― twoheadedboy, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 07:25 (twenty years ago)

The "Canon" is an art history concept that feminists and others rebelled against in the 70s, that people are now applying to rock music. It works, but ultimately Allmusic.com is still very different from like Jansens.

― Stephen C (ihope), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 07:38 (twenty years ago)

Right on Stormy - Presence is my favourite too!

(Altho I've altered that opinion over the years - only HOTH and ITTOD have never topped my list of Zep favourites.)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 08:02 (twenty years ago)

Neu! 2 thirded

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 08:03 (twenty years ago)

People hate Sonic Youth's Dirty album so much. I don't get it. I like it maybe more than any of them except Bad Moon Rising.

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 08:43 (twenty years ago)

Life's Rich Pageant is usually considered lesser REM, and was probably thought of as their worst until the post-Bill Berry years, but it's my favorite of theirs. Top three, anyway.

― phil d. (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 14:20 (twenty years ago)

I'll stick up for R.E.M. and -Monster-, which I probably listen to more than -Automatic for the People- and -Out of Time- these days. And the Spin guide gave it a 9, which is more than what any of their other albums after Murmur got.

Dylan's -Self Portrait- often gets the "worst album" award. I'm not going to suggest it's Dylan's best, but there are a few tracks I like ("Days of 49" especially). But, heck, if anyone wants to argue that it's Dylan's best album, I'd love to read the defense.

― James, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 14:23 (twenty years ago)

yeah 17 Seconds hovers near the top of my Cure list (but The Top is near the Bottom)

from the Spin guide: "Seventeen Seconds" has more art-rock fish to fry, ushering in the Cure's most glib and boring phase. The band trudges through the stagnant atmospherics of "Faith" and "Pornography" while Smith fantasizes about depressive moods that he never quite convinces you he's experienced.

uh Dave Marsh couldn't have said it better....

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 14:35 (twenty years ago)

Wowee Zowee

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Wowee Zowee

is this really considered their worst? if so, i agree, but i always 'terror twilight' was thought of as their low point.

― rajeev (rajeev), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 20:39 (twenty years ago)

Wowee Zowee is no longer considered Pavement's worst.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 20:42 (twenty years ago)

This thread needs to be strict. It's turned into "Albums which some people don't really like but I think are OK."

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:02 (twenty years ago)

Wowee Zowee is no longer considered Pavement's worst.

I've got to stop reading 2-year-old threads.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 21:41 (twenty years ago)

End of The Century. Not their *best*, but better than it's given credit for.

― mike a, Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:24 (twenty years ago)

It's not my favorite Replacements album, but All Shook Down was a damn fine album.

my fave is Don't Tell a Soul, which the dudes at Wax 'n' Facts used to call "Sell a Soul"

― Morley Timmons (Donna Brown), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:24 (twenty years ago)

Trompe Le Monde seconded!

― Dr. Gene Scott (shinybeast), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:28 (twenty years ago)

U2 - "Pop" entusiastically seconded.

Also: Pavement - "Terror Twilight," by far my favorite thing they've done.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 3 January 2006 22:31 (twenty years ago)

Trompe Le Monde thirded!!
Also, Bad Religion "Into the Unknown"

― Ron Mexico (Ron Mexico), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:03 (twenty years ago)

Didn't Wowee Zowee get like one-and-a-half stars in Rolling Stone or Spin when it first came out?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:27 (twenty years ago)

I can see the murderous rage from a mile away, but Killing Joke's "Brighter than a Thousands Suns."

I like Anathema's "Eternity" the best.

I like Patti Smith's "Wave" and "Easter" more than I like "Horses."

That's a few examples. There are probably tons more.

― James Slone (Freon Trotsky), Thursday, 5 January 2006 03:00 (twenty years ago)

I believe Wowee Zowee received two stars from Rolling Stone. The Spin write-up was a lead-in rave, as I remember it.

― James, Thursday, 5 January 2006 03:08 (twenty years ago)

I think it varies from critic to critic, and from fan to fan, which one is considered their worst, but "The Great Escape" may be the choice of several people. I consider it their best, even better than "Parklife".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 5 January 2006 04:37 (twenty years ago)

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The "Canon" generally considers it their worst album - yet you consider it their best