More on overrated albums
The Guardian asked a few pop musicians to pick an album they think it is overrated and comment. As I said in the post below these things don't matter much anymore but just for the sake of reading Ian Rankin's comment (on the first Velvet album) that "this is a sacred cow but that doesn't mean it can't be turned into hamburger" it is worth checking it.
Well, actually most comments show enough wit to make this er... a rewarding waste of time.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2102991,00.html
Well, actually most comments show enough wit to make this er... a rewarding waste of time.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/rock/story/0,,2102991,00.html
posted by Nunes | 7:37 PM
6 Comments:
Mostly, I disagree with these people. But, funnily, I think all of these writings say something true at some point.
Exceptions: I fully disagree with Wayne "Jon Anderson" Coyne on Nevermind. Totally agree on Pet Sounds.
I enjoyed reading some of the comments. Besides Rankins', also Green Garthside diatribe on Neon Bible is amazing and has some potential persuasive effect - he may be right after all. Alex Kapranos' comment on Marquee Moon is cleverly written although I fully disagree with him. I disagree at all levels with Wayne Coyne and Luke Pritchard and reckon the Sugababe was not up to the job - Abba were a singles more than an albums' band and dismissing Arrival seems a bit pointless.
Arrival and The Neon Bible are casting mistakes. These are not sacred cows at any level. As you say ABBA were singles band and ranking any album on any best of list is delirium. One could do some interesting observations on Funeral but never on The Neon Bible (so average, I can't remember any of it except that there was a mandolim at some point).
I would suggest: Horses (Patti Smith), Nevermind the Bolocks (Sex Pistols), After The Gold Rush (Neil Young), White Album (Beatles), Astral Weeks (Van Morrison), Psycocandy (J&MC) and Disraeli Gears (Cream) – but I'm sure there are a lot more.
There's quite a long list in the BritPop canon... goes back to Sgt. Peppers, The White Album. Later Never Mind the Bollocks and London Calling. More recently the first Oasis, the Arctic Monkeys and the first Franz Ferdinand.
I think Nevermind is a good album but not a classic - among the same genre the Pixies and Husker Du did better. The White Stripes are overrated - great live act but their albums are just fine.
Indie-pop has plenty of sacred cows - Belle and Sebastian, Silver Jews, Wilco, Ryan Adams...
The list is endless as these are just the one who came to mind.
I loved the Wayne Coyne comments, if only because they made me laugh. Billy Childish's comments on Sgt. Pepper also made me laugh. I agreed on Arcade Fire, the Strokes, Pink Floyd. Pet Sounds is not as great as people say (5 cd box set!!) but better than what is written here. Disagreed with Alex's Marquee Moon comments and he may find his band on a similar list in 10 years. The VU review I disagree with as I particularly like Black Angel's Death Song and even European Son. I think he missed the point. The Doors - I see his point and agree that Morrison is more of a drunk than a poet.
Worthy candidates for this would be:
Radiohead - OK Computer
Oasis - What's the story morning glory
Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers
Beck- Odelay
Anything by Smashing Pumpkins
David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust
Bjork - that annoying 2nd album
Led Zeppelin - 4
Wilco - pick whichever bland album of theirs you want
Yes, the VU review is almost completely bullshit. The part about production values and modern hi-fi makes me think that the author should try some Chris Rea on his hi-fi – that will sound good. I think that the album is poorly mixed – which is something very different. But I can live with that. The production I think its good, though I doubt that Warhol had much to do with it. As for the flat, German-accent singing of Nico, I think that's one of its charms.
The well made point in this review is the one about having Andy Warhol written all over it, including the front cover. That's VERY annoying.
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