What's the least acclaimed album you love?

I could probably dredge up a ton of these. Starting with Basia's discography.

The most recent example I can think of is Zero 7's last album, Yeah Ghost, which was lambasted but which I thought and continue to think is fantastic.

Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers, Know Your Enemy

Tom Petty - Long After Dark

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Global a GoGo

My highest result on that RYM thing is last year's Saqqara Mastabas album by Matthew Friedberger (Fiery Furnaces guy), which I found to be charming and mad, and which literally everyone else on the planet (aka the 25 or so people who heard it) found to be baffling, scrawny and irrelevant

The Ark Work is my third highest though lol

This is a great question. I think for me, most are albums that slipped under the bar before my critical facilities were well formed (and before I cared about acclaim). Things like Dead or Alive (Sophisticated Boom Boom) or the first 3 or 4 Thompson Twins albums.

Sad to say, but my adult listening habits first filter everything through a gauntlet of received wisdom before I even give anything a chance. But this is part of the reason why I like ILM -- for encouraging me to give things like The 1975 a listen.

Billy Joel's Attila thing is a contender

that dog's "totally crushed out" is near perfect and in my top 20

that dog are great, yeah. i tried looking at the rym thing but since i stopped rating records it doesn't have much to say. maybe "everybody loves a happy ending" by tears for fears? that seems to have been roundly ignored by everyone except me.

It seems likely that the answer to this question will be 'album by artist that I continued to follow long after they fell out of critical favor'. Like latter-day Tori Amos, maybe?

How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

the Who, Endless Wire

probably these corny "global underground" mix cds from danny tenaglia from the late 90s, they are very dear to me though

Great thread idea! I'm gonna say 'Once Around The World' by It Bites.

I've never been a fan of that type of middlebrow/tasteful prog house, but those Global Underground mixes were acclaimed at the time, then fell deeply out of fashion, and I'm sure will do crazy prices in ten years, just like deep house.

yes, the ladder

Word of Mouth, the Kinks

Soap Opera by the Kinks/ concept album era Kinks in general

― soref, Wednesday, April 19, 2017 12:14 PM (five hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Word of Mouth, the Kinks

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, April 19, 2017 5:31 PM (seventeen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I won't lie, it's slightly hurtful to have been out-"least acclaimed" like this

probably the last pair of U2 albums (not to mention Rattle & Hum)

Monster by R.E.M.

oh wait:

Rift by Phish

Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night - Stereolab

i was thinking about making a thread about bands where your favorite album is not beloved/rated highly- Cobra has its fans but it always gets overlooked.

I've never been a fan of that type of middlebrow/tasteful prog house, but those Global Underground mixes were acclaimed at the time, then fell deeply out of fashion, and I'm sure will do crazy prices in ten years, just like deep house.

― Siegbran, Wednesday, April 19, 2017 12:27 PM (forty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yea most of them are boring as fuck but the two danny tenaglia ones *kisses fingers*

Goodbye Jumbo, World Party

i really dug some of those sasha and digweed mixes, especially the northern exposure series.

yea i like that xpander ep by sasha too

I've always felt that nobody gives the slightest shit about that live Tom Waits record Big Time, but it's astoundingly great and many of the tracks are rendered out much better than their studio versions.

I fucking love Asobi Seksu's last 2 albums (Hush and Fluorescence) but rym seems to think they jumped the shark after Citrus (common complaints seem to be "vocals too high in the mix, too many keyboards, doesn't sound exactly like Citrus, not shoegazey enough to appease the genre fascists"). I should probably stop defining my tastes in opposition to the rym hivemind, huh

I only like acclaimed music

For me, probably Toto IV. Although, now that I think about it, there are probably a good few critics out there who show it some love since the yacht rock revival began in earnest.

Once upon a time it was Miles Davis's On the Corner, but everybody loves that now.
So...Miles Davis's You're Under Arrest.
Oh, and Swans' The Burning World, which Michael Gira himself hates.

Ha, nomar beat me to Monster. Apart from that, probably the second Best Coast album.

Lloyd Cole - Bad Vibes. Objectively very poor but I love it for the "artist tries something outside his comfort zone and fails wonderfully" vibe.

i really dug some of those sasha and digweed mixes, especially the northern exposure series.

― nomar

the northern exposure series is totally back

I'd probably have to pay every ILM poster money to listen to this but it's one of my favorite releases of the 90s:
https://www.discogs.com/Folk-Implosion-Nothings-Gonna-Stop-The-Flow/release/1639807

this is a good question

The Fall's Middle Class Revolt album seems to be regarded as somewhat of a failure, but I love it.

Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales

i think i have affection for a lot of (what are now) critically unloved albums from the early '90s that received four stars in Rolling Stone.

"Goodbye Jumbo, World Party"

i'm always interested in the fandom that goes beyond something like goodbye jumbo which is an album people have actually heard of and even heard. is there a thread about rolling really deep with a band/artist? and how lonely that can be? did anyone buy the last prefab sprout album? lloyd cole has, like, ten solo albums.

if there is a thread, i don't know the name of it.

i bought the lloyd cole/roedelius album.

i thought about buying the last prefab sprout album and I'm sure it's really good but...

also think being a fan of preservation act 1/act 2 might be even bolder than being a fan of word of mouth.

i've also kinda been curious about what post-word of mouth albums sound like. don't think i ever heard phobia or u.k. jive.

i'm always interested in the fandom that goes beyond something like goodbye jumbo which is an album people have actually heard of and even heard.

I don't know anybody irl who likes this album. Even when it came out I didn't know anyone else who was into it. I think it's fantastic, I return to it regularly and it's Wallinger's best album imo.

i've also kinda been curious about what post-word of mouth albums sound like. don't think i ever heard phobia or u.k. jive.

― scott seward, Wednesday, April 19, 2017 2:45 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I loved U.K. Jive at the time, and considered it their best since Muswell Hillbillies. When I revisited it recently, it mostly held up, but the production is pretty bad (all-digital recording in 1989).

Phobia is garbage, with the exception of the last song, "Scattered," which is one of their best ever. Turns out it was written in 1971.

I love Maxwell's Embrya which got panned hard when it came out, but I see some people praising it now so idk

also think being a fan of preservation act 1/act 2 might be even bolder than being a fan of word of mouth.

Act 1 is not bad. Act 2 is bad.

Cybill Shepherd's Cybill Does It... To Cole Porter. I was trying to find reviews online without much luck. Christgau gave it a D-, although he did say her voice is surprisingly pleasant. The album features many of the songs from the film At Long Last Love, which was a notorious flop. The record is campy fun, though; I've listened to it way more than Ella Fitzgerald's Cole Porter Songbooks.

i kinda like the 2nd and 3rd albums by the dream academy. that is my contribution to this thread. or parts of them anyway. there is a prefab sproutishness to some of it sorta. i even liked their insane john lennon cover. also i like the solo albums by the woman from the dream academy. ambient pop stuff. she was also in a new age group with bill nelson and roger eno that you might have missed. any friend of virginia astley is a friend of mine.

also, by mentioning virginia astley i make tarfumes happy because then he thinks about pete townshend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2OcTsl7s6w

Preservation Act 2 got a 9.5 on pitchfork

https://web.archive.org/web/20011212144343/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com:80/record-reviews/k/kinks/preservation-act-2.shtml

oh and Act 1 got a 9.8

https://web.archive.org/web/20011223071609/pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/k/kinks/preservation-act-1.shtml

hahaha

I couldn't get through all of Act 2 in one sitting. I don't think I even got through it in two sittings.

Must've been a fun couple of years at RCA.

"Ugh, the Kinks want to put out TWO theatrical concept albums! One a double! This is gonna kill us. Oh well, at least Lou Reed will deliver a solid commercial follow-up to Sally Can't Dance."

I love Mariah Carey's album "Emotions", that'd have to be top for me.

I am a real big fan of the Scarlett Johannssen album!

whitesnake, self-titled

xps LOL Tarfumes

i guess i need to get into the tea party

(i already love olp and matthew good)

They were no Gandharvas imo.

Brad I can safely say that you would love both Splendour Solis and The Edges Of Twilight

The lead singer is definitely something. It felt even in the 90s like everyone was trying to take down the band for the lead singer being "lame-o" because he equal parts aped Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, was the only person I'd stoop to using the word "pseudo-intellectual" to describe, but his insufferability comes off as charming now. I remember in high school, my friends saying things about him like "lol he's from WINDSOR" and "people who went to high school with him said he only listened to New Order and only developed this guitar-mystic persona once he graduated lololol" and these "criticisms" just seem kind of charming now? idk, those first two albums are hit after hit after hit. Brad just listen to The Edges Of Twilight's first six tracks and either you'll flip out or you'll know the band is not for you

Jim Morrison and Jimmy Page, surely?

As a side note, did we ever poll Big Shiny Tunes 2?

Yep!: Favourite track from Canada's 5th biggest selling album of all-time "Big Shiny Tunes 2"

I listened to Edges of Twilight a lot, but did eventually get rid of the CD in my early 20s because I thought it looked embarrassing in my CD collection. Haven't listened to it in about 20 years but looking at the track listing right now I could remember most of the songs. Sister Awake is the one I remember liking the most. I should listen to it.

Yeah, that's her favourite.

Yes I got my Jameses confused

Me I like The Bazaar and Inanna and especially Silence... this album really got into some tightly controlled cacophony

Edges of Twilight is better than I expected tbh.

I unfortunately have The Tea Party to thank for my introduction to "what all the Indian instruments are called and what they do"

I managed to listen to half of Edges of Twilight. It's not really that bad, but I don't need or want any of this.

It's not really that bad, but I don't need or want any of this.

New board description.

TRIPtych was my intro. Some good singles off that one. I imagine some of the deep cuts are pretty dire, though.

Daughters self titled album is my favorite thing they've ever done including the new stuff. Usually is pretty forgotten.

I still love the Tomorrow, in a Year by The Knife, Planningtorock and Mt. Sims. Generally unloved.

I feel like I was shouting into the void with Self Defense Family's Have You Considered Punk Music last year. Still love it.

The Sunn/Scott Walker collab might get some more love now due to recent sad events but I was genuinely shocked at how little acclaim it got comparatively to how much i loved that thing.

For this question thought I'm going to go with the Mountain Goats - Goths. Its my favorite by them and easily one of my favorite albums of the decade. It definitely got a fair amount of love but they have a lot of acclaimed albums and this generally probably isn't considered top tier. And that is a testament to a lifetime of excellent releases. It's also very different than the others and i love it very much.

Love is a funny word to use in the case of Rick Dees' "Disco Duck" album, but hey.

can't actually remember any full albums if i look at the tracklistings but i probably really enjoy a modern talking album or two

Siegbran to thread.

Modern Talking were the best. I still play that shit now. I even wrote a musical based on their songs back in the 90s (in my head, but still).

ot unacclaimed but inexplicably underrated, I would trade Buke And Gase for the entire oeuvre of both Kate Bush and Sonic Youth

― flamboyant goon tie included, Sunday, March 31, 2019 4:48 AM

Meant to ask if you're a huge fan of Kate Bush and Sonic Youth?

Could Buke & Gase support a thread because I'm thinking of getting Riposte soon.

Daughters self titled album is my favorite thing they've ever done including the new stuff. Usually is pretty forgotten.

I only listened to it again when the new one came out, but 'The Unattractive, Portable Head' is such a great song.

i don't even know how to process my appreciation of jason falkner's _all quiet on the noise floor_ as kind of perfect statement of power pop and pop formalism, in structure, technique, and delivery. but a) i don't know if anyone outside of 100 people have ever heard it b) i am not a musician, critic or anything, i just like that genre generally and holy shit c) trying to like stuff other ppl don't know is an annoying trait.

Some bloke came in the shop. I said hello. He started singing:"Is it me you're looking for..." I added:"I can see it in your eyes." He turned around and fistbumped me saying I had top taste and asked if I knew of Paul Young.

One of the better clients. Lol. But no, I hate the song, dude. Lol

Siegbran to thread.

Modern Talking were the best. I still play that shit now. I even wrote a musical based on their songs back in the 90s (in my head, but still).

― breastcrawl, Wednesday, April 3, 2019 10:41 AM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

nice

Thomas Anders and Modern Talking Band (how they're billed) played my city on Wednesday :'(

i don't even know how to process my appreciation of jason falkner's _all quiet on the noise floor_ as kind of perfect statement of power pop and pop formalism, in structure, technique, and delivery. but a) i don't know if anyone outside of 100 people have ever heard it b) i am not a musician, critic or anything, i just like that genre generally and holy shit c) trying to like stuff other ppl don't know is an annoying trait.

― Hunt3r

fuck it i'll listen to that record, i've only heard his record with r stevie moore but it was pretty good and i like power pop

seriously that experience is just goddamn normal for me, you know what power pop i listen to? goddamn hussalonia, there are maybe about five people who know who that dude is

feel free to drop by the thread where i just post shit i love but can't actually talk about to anybody because maybe three people have heard it, the more the merrier

Some bloke came in the shop. I said hello. He started singing:"Is it me you're looking for..." I added:"I can see it in your eyes."

that song was one of my mum's favourite songs when I was a kid. for kinda sad reasons, it was her sort of theme song for a failed relationship. although I can't stand the song myself I can't hate it either

It's more that nobody has heard it, but I found out the first self-titled Autre ne Veut is on streaming services, and that might still be my album of the decade. Love it so much.

Xpost it is actually a good song. Just heard it a gazillion times way back. :-)

Co-sign all that Tea Party talk upthread, have always loved The Edges Of Twilight, especially the songs where they amplified the Zep love and Eastern elements to a huge scale, the big drum break in Sister Awake is genuinely thrilling after all these years.

I don't think it's hated or anything - it just kind of fell into a crack in the earth upon release, as one would expect, but the Cult's 2012 album Choice of Weapon is really good.

Metal Machine Music for me - glad to see it's received several mentions on this thread already. When I first heard it (the Buddha Records reissue on CD) I was quite disappointed, expecting some kind of rip-your-head-off wall of feedback. But now I appreciate it as almost a relaxing record.

It's really beautiful. It's the only Lou Reed record I ever listen to anymore (I spent years trying to get into him and the VU before finally giving up).

I still stand by my answer at the start of this thread.

i like mmm too, it is a quite soothing listen.

I just realised it's most likely 'Monsters' by Meat Puppets

Ha; I remember buying that record in high school after hearing Huevos and Up On The Sun, liking both a lot, and wanting more of that; I put it in my Walkman and was instantly like "What is this terrible pseudo-metal?" (I love metal, but that wasn't what I wanted from the Meat Puppets at all.) I turned around and returned it; luckily, my friend's family owned the store and he let me pick something else instead.

First track I heard was 'Light' on the radio, which is a kinda Grateful Dead sounding thing, but I was at home with the heavier stuff on the record, not having heard them before, I love the whole thing, Linn-Drum and all but the last track 'Like Being Alive' is absolutely beautiful.

Well, your post has me revisiting them on Spotify, for the first time in ~30 years, so maybe I'll check it out.

I guess my real answer should be Tremolo by Blue Rodeo, generally regarded (when it's regarded at all) as a generic mid-career MOR album but was genuinely mind-expanding for me as a kid, esp the closing run of songs, which include Cowboy Junkies style slowcore, intricate instrumental gorgeousness, and the closest they ever got to cutting a punk tune.