I've always been happy to go wherever Ray Davies's writing led me, and "Soap Opera" is one of The Kinks LPs that I've enjoyed listening to. I'm glad that you like it, too.👍
One that comes to mind is Jackson Browne Hold Out. I see it right at the bottom of some of the album rankings and it's a cool melodic AOR album with a particularly good second side....
Your connection of It's All Too Much and rave makes complete sense. It sounds like something that could have been done by bands like Jesus Jones or World of Twist in the late '80s/early '90s.
Hi Tom: I remember when I was four years old, and my oldest sister came home from the store one day with The Kinks Greatest Hits! I was immediately hooked. In the early '80s I bought up all the Kinks albums I could get my hands on. Except for Schoolboys in Disgrace, I wasn't real big on their RCA albums. But that's changed drastically over time. I very much like Soap Opera! I agree also on The Juliette Letters; that is my most preferred album from his Warner Bros. period! I too enjoy his Columbia era the most. When you talked about the Yellow Submarine album, asking why It's All Too Much isn't talked about more, it made me think of the Percy soundtrack. I always wonder why Moments isn't better known! Waterloo Sunset is highly regarded - and rightly so - but Moments is, to me, his most beautiful, moving and touching piece! It doesn't sound post Lola vs. Powerman. Thank you for the video Tom, this is a great topic!
Thanks 😉 I think the Percy soundtrack has some incredible tunes. Moments, God’s Children, The Way Love Used To Be, Dreams, etc. Had it not been for the sporadic incidental tracks it would be almost perfect.
Yes! All of The Kinks' RCA albums are amazing, yet we are continually told to avoid them. I love everything they ever did. So did Bowie, haha. "There are no bad Kinks songs," or whatever the exact quote is. Death Of A Ladies Man is a very cool album. I think the critics hated it because Cohen himself hated it so much because Spector drove him nuts, haha. But Spector worked his crazy magic as usual. You are very right about Rolling Stone. They panned so many classics at the time, but now feature them in their greatest album lists.
@@tkingsley5761 Always loved it, it's one of the best sounding of their albums, the bass and drums sound brilliant. Remember that Worried about You and Slave from Tattoo You came from these sessions as well. Some Girls got all the kudo's, but B&B is a much better record IMO.
I would chime in with a couple of albums I love that are mostly panned but occasionally praised: Smiley Smile and Love You by the Beach Boys. Both feature Brian Wilson's brilliant musical mind and very sadly fractured psyche. Smiley Smile is more psychedelic drug infused, while Love You's bizarre lyrics can be a distraction from Wilson's composition and innovative use of synthesizers. They are both love it or hate it records.
I'll add Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded into the mix which contains some great tracks and imagery. Interesting comments about It's All Too Much, i have a feeling that ironically it might actually prove to be some of Harrison's tracks that survive the test of time and are the Beatles songs still being played in a 100 years time (for instance Something, & Here Comes the Sun), while others more popular now will prove ephemeral.
As a Wishbone Ash fan myself I found Locked In shockingly bad I must admit! The fact that it's sandwiched between two of their best albums, There's The Rub and New England is a real head scratcher ... what am I missing? 😮
I agree that "Soap Opera" is a great album! The concept is deep. I think it can be taken several ways, and that's the beauty of it. Is he just a bored husband and office worker who temporarily lost his mind and imagined he was a rock star? Is it a twilight zone situation where a rock star merges with a normal person, then forgets he was a rock star? Cool stuff! Regardless, the music and songwriting is top-notch Kinks.
His lyrics are full of empathy for the Everyman that is Norman, and self-awareness and self-deprecating humor for the character of the Star, who I think are alter egos . The theatricality and showmanship are so much more mature, tasteful and brilliant than other albums of the time. It is such a blast and I regret I didn’t see the band tour the album,.
I was disappointed by The Soft Parade, in July 1969, but the album grew on me, as I listened more. Two recent singles, and a couple B-sides made for a lean album, from a group like the Doors. Waiting for the Sun had been more topical, and more creative, if not as accessible. I had always liked the song titled The Soft Parade, for some odd reason, easing me into the other tracks. Touch Me was in response to the problems Jim was having with the law, and the Puritans, but Tell All the People spoke to the album's themes. By the time of LA Woman, and Jim's death, I'd realized what a powerful album TSP was, equal to the first album, slightly better than the third, and the last, almost as good as the fifth. We only got six, and the light was extinguished. Janis Joplin's Kozmik Blues LP was a keeper, if not quite the follow-up to Cheap Thrills I had hoped for, but still a very good album, by an artist with a shaky, if certain, grasp on her vision for the music she wanted to make. It took a few listens for a few tunes, but Kosmik Blues was a keeper from first listen. A companion track for the Beatles In My Life, Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes, the Stones' Time Waits for No One, Al Stewart's Roads to Moscow, Cyndi Lauper's Time after Time, Dire Straits Brothers' in Arms, and Pink Floyd's Lost for Words, Rock's contribution to mankind's penchant for belly-gazing and speculating about the Meaning of It All. Rolling Stone panned all the Led Zeppelin albums, and the first is one of the greatest Rock albums of all time, from the 'Sixties. Jimmy Page had picked up bowing his guitar, in the latter years of the decade, performing Dazed and Confused with the New Yardbirds. The album cooks from beginning to end, setting the standard for all Led Zep albums to come. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Your Time Is Gonna Come, Communication Breakdown, How Many More Times, launched a new genre in Rock.
I will vehemently dispute you about Radiohead's the King of Limbs. I like it so much it was one of the first records l bought when l finally got another phonograph last year. It's a mood piece, sure, and it's not everybody's mood, l'll concede. But the last two tracks--"Give Up the Ghost" and "Seperator" are just sublime. We all have songs that speak to us personally, and what would loving music be without a little subjectivity? And let's give all the lysergic love in the known Universe to Their Satanic Majesties Request by the Rolling Stones. Written off as a clumsy opportunistic attempt to cash in on 1967 psychedelia, it is, in fact an explosion of tone color and dynamics from the Day Glo twilight zone. I love every note of it. EVERY NOTE. "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)"? Check. "Gomper"? Check. I even love the Bacharach/David on acid with a Farfisa organ jam at the end that even other fans of the album can't stand. But what do l know. I have listened to Metal Machine Music. All the way through. More than once! You know what Lou said about that one. "Anybody who gets to Side Four is dumber than l am..." Guilty as charged. Hotcha!
Satanic Majesties is a cool album. A lot of great gems. Always loved The Lantern. Such a cool vibe. I’ve noticed this album over the years becoming a fave among many. I remember buying it at a garage sale back in ‘79 for 50 cents with the original 3d cover intact. The Stones 67 period is awesome. Never made it past side 1 on Metal Machine. 😉
I listened to Bark by Jefferson Airplane back in 1971/72 quite a bit. It really is sort of a mixed bag. The production is a bit murky compared to the preceding albums. It is sort of a mash up of songs by the individual members. Jorma and Jack have three pretty strong songs. Paul and Grace are doing their songs. The most unusual song is Grace's "Never Argue With German If You Are Tired" with her use of the mellotron vocal loops. When The Earth Moves Again is good but would benefit from better production and the same for War Movie.. Still, you could tell that the band was coming unraveled.
When your video popped up, my first thought was that you'd never mention the album that immediately came to my mind. But there it was at #1! You have an autographed copy, too. We must be kindred spirits. I love "Soap Opera," and I don't care what the critics say. Even if it had nothing but "Holiday Romance," it would still be better than most albums. When I got the chance to briefly meet Ray and ask him to autograph one thing, I could have picked any Kinks album (I have them ALL), but I took one of my two copies of "Soap Opera." If I had to name one you missed, I'd choose "Stick to Me" by Graham Parker & The Rumour. Critics claimed that after two great albums, he was running on fumes and the songs weren't as good. They're nuts: every song on it is great, and the title track is up there with Deep Purple's "Burn" as one of the hottest album openers in history. I listen to that album in the car at least once a month and never get tired of it.
I was sure you would have early Grand Funk Railroad albums on mind since the critics hated them big time but their fans as in me and you, loved them! That RUSH album is fuckin awesome, I saw them in a bar on Yonge St. Toronto before that album was released. I was drinking in that bar before I was legal lol... it was at the Piccadilly Tube in 1973, I was 16
I gotta check out Soap Opera. I dont own anything after Muswell. They got some albums from the Arista period that are good too. Juliet Letters? Man, I don't know. 20 tracks. I've tried. The track you mentioned is very good. I Almost Had A Weakness and a few others are cool too. I saw him with the Attractions a year later @ Santa Barbara Bowl and they tore it up
I've never understood the dislike for True Stories by Talking Heads. Even the band chimes in, which surprises me, because if you listen to the album they all sound committed to the music. True Stories continues in the same style as Little Creatures but with much better songs, especially Papa Legba which would be in my top ten Heads tracks. The band's first four albums are insuperable as far as I'm considered, but True Stories is my fifth favorite Heads record. As for Load by Metallica, the reaction of others goes beyond dislike into actual disdain, but I love it. If all you listen to is thrash, then I can see why you might be disappointed, but a lot of the people who trash this album are big fans of heavy, nasty, grungey rock and roll, a category Load falls into. I swear, if Load were the debut album of a brand new band, a lot of these haters would think it's great, but because it's Metallica they turn their noses up at it. Their loss. Reload is also terrific, though it's mostly more of the same, but Load is a masterpiece, my third favorite Metallica after ...And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning. And what about A Date With the Smithereens? This is my second favorite album by them after Especially For You, but most, the band included, think it's subpar. Again, why? Because it has a darker, heavier, grungier sound to it? Maybe Pat Di Nizio was having a bad day. Anyway, they needed to change things up a little bit, and it works really well. Anyone who says this album is Miles From Nowhere and then a bunch of forgettable tracks...I don't know what to say. Afternoon Tea, Everything I Have Is Blue, Long Way Back Again, Can't Go Home Anymore forgettable? Not in the universe I live in. A few others: Undercover by the Stones, Mirror Ball by Neil Young, Face Dances by the Who, Panorama by the Cars, Packed! by Pretenders and Autoamerican by Blondie. As for Lou Reed, there are probably five or six that are unfairly maligned, the best of them being The Bells. I would say Berlin but I think it's been reassessed in recent years, even by Rolling Stone! Thanks, Tom!
Great topic...the spoken word stuff on Soft Parade helped open my eyes and ears to the many poetic influences of songwriters we were all listening to. Rating or ranking albums is a fun way to make a 15 min video, but not really how albums were listened to back in the day...even for those of us who read Rolling Stone or Creem.
Great video topic-“Soap Opera” is a top three Kinks album for me as well. Here are some of my favorite panned albums: The Rolling Stones - “Their Satanic Majesties Request” Led Zeppelin - “In Through The Out Door” Pink Floyd - “The Final Cut” Paul McCartney & Wings - “Wild Life” The Who - “Face Dances” and “It’s Hard” The Doors - “The Soft Parade”
YESS!!!! Wings Wild Life is my favorite Wings album, rough edges and all, because it's honest and biographical. Side One rocks hard, Side Two is for mellowing out. LOVE that album. Good pick.
@@melodyfinder101 I stumbled upon an album a while back Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, a neo-psychedelic band who made that album as an homage to the Stones in that era. Pretty cool album. Either way 2000 Man is one of my top ten Stones songs.
I can add a trio of Stones albums: Goat's Head Soup, It's Only Rock & Roll, Black & Blue. These 3 in a row were trashed by critics, and unfairly, I feel. How do you follow up the masterpiece that is Exile? You can't! These are strong records with a lot of classic tunes on them, and they're among my favorite Stones records.
Absolutely, John, Paul, and George panned George because of the lyrics of “It’s Only A Northern Song”. She’s Leaving Home” is Paul insisting on Eleanore Rigby Redux. Northern could have had new lyrics and Too Much should have been worked on. It would have reduced the camp and pretension element of the album. Good Morning is an example of Paul not arranging a John composition. Yes, I listen to Yellow Submarine for the second side as well 👍🏻
I was looking into some of the Kinks' catalog that I'd missed over the years and gave Soap Opera a try. I gotta say, when I saw it was given one star on AllMusic, I was really surprised. I enjoyed it quite a bit, personally. Oh, I'm also a big fan of The Juliet Letters. Final Word: It's not on your list, but I've always liked the much-panned Yes album, Tormato. Not the greatest Yes album, but I still think there's a lot there to enjoy. Even some of the "bad tracks" aren't as bad as everyone says.
@@tomrobinson5776 I like Drama quite a bit and even saw Yes (in the round) on that tour. It's a more muscular sound from Yes. I do tend to think of it as a stand-alone without Jon Anderson on vocals, even though Trevor Horn did a fine job. But that's just me.
Very enjoyable video, Tom: so much so that you're now my third subscription to one of the countless 'old bloke talks about rock' channels that pop up as recommendations. Agree with nearly all of your selections, especially The Soft Parade which was sold criminally short back in the day and remains incredibly fresh 55 years on. A genuinely unique sound which, apart from anything else, reminds us that Jim wasn't the only great songwriter in the band.
A lot of Morrissey’s solo stuff gets panned, but I like most of it. The sound might be a bit worn by the later 2000s albums but always something interesting to grab onto, at least lyrically.
Soft Parade has always been my favorite Doors album. It was also the first one I owned, so I didn't have the preconceived notion that the Doors weren't "supposed" to have the added instrumentation. Love Bark, Soap Opera, Juliet Letters, and of course Yellow Submarine. Now I have to re-listen to King of Limbs; I don't remember it being that bad!
The Soft Parade lacked flow. The individual songs are mostly solid, but it always felt like a bunch of good leftover tracks thrown together for an album. L A Woman was the opposite of that. Love The Doors though. One of the most unique sounds from the 60's 70's era. That could be a good subject for a video, if you haven't already done one. Bands that blazed a new trail.
Interesting theme, Tom. I would include a couple from Dylan's "Gospel Period" that were reviled by critics, namely *Saved* and *Shot Of Love* ... I'm not remotely religious but personally have no issue at all with the these fascinating albums, Dylan is as engaging and enigmatic as ever and pushing himself artistically. Shot Of Love does have a couple of clunkers when you consider what was left off (Caribbean Wind being the most obvious example) but still an album that captivates, and includes the truly exquisite *Every Grain Of Sand*
EXCELLENT post! Okay, now you got me coming to visit often. My favorite albums consist of unsung heroes like Tom Rapp/Sunforest, David Pomeranz/Time to Fly, Arthur Gee, M/Official Secrets Act, The Naked Carmen, Toe Fat Two...etc... keep up the good work! Now I gotta go find me that Janis Joplin that I never heard. This quote from Ian Anderson ' I've got no time for Time Magazine, or Rolling Stone' ... 🤔
i truly enjoy nearly every album you've selected here so i'll go with U2's "the unforgettable fire" or "the joshua tree" as records that otherwise good music critics (i'm not naming names) pan or just don't like. "soap opera" and "death of a ladies man" are especially memorable records.
you may be the only rock historian on youtube who has even acknowledged the juliet letters. costello played “jackson, monk, and rowe” on the tonight show. that’s where i first heard it and i thought it was so good that i right away bought the cd because i didn’t think it would get any airplay and i didn’t want to forget it down the road. re: jefferson airplane/starship, i don’t remember critics having much to say about “spitfire”, released a year after “red octopus” but it was a very worthy follow up album, with songs like “st. charles” and “don’t let it rain”.
Mine in this category would be “But The Little Girls Understand” by The Knack, their second effort from 1980. I definitely put it above the overplayed “Get the Knack”. I try to turn off or change the radio whenever “Sharona” is spun. And by the way… they were NOT a “one hit wonder”.
Northern Song and Hey Bulldog are killers, but It’s All too much is deliriously great, one of the greatest Psych songs ever. If only I could remember my name by David Crosby got slammed on release, it’s a masterpiece, pretty sure Replicas by Tubeway Army was derided on release, also a brilliant album.
I guess when youve been to the top of the mountain there nowhere to go but down Take Transformer out of the mix and I think the critics and public were brutal to Lou Reed
I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull's Catfish Rising, my favorite of any of their post 1985 albums. I also really like The Monkees Justus second reunion album. Fans didn't think it pop enough, but I really dug it. I totally agree about Radiohead's Pablo Honey, but I don't much like electronica, so you could call that the Radiohead album for people that really aren't that into Radiohead.
Thank you so much for starting off with my all time favourite Kinks album, Soap Opera. I saw them do this on tour in 1975, and it was outstanding. I also love their other RCA theatrical albums like Preservation Act 1 & 2 (2 in particular because it reminds me of one of the people running for President this year to avoid going to prison ). You have great taste, keep up the great work!
How were you buying albums at 10 years old? You must've been from a well off family. I'm around your age but never had more than a dollar, and most days, no money at all. My pick for SONG no one ever talks about, ever, ever, is Elvis Presley's "If Every Day Was Like Christmas". I've played it to others and the reaction is always incredibly positive. (By the way I'm not much of an Elvis fan outside of a couple of songs so I don't have stars in my eyes for Elvis).
I had a paper route and everything was spent on records or slurpees. Indie stores back then sold albums for less than the chains. $3.99 or $4.99 was the average for a single release.
That explains it, then. My parents plunked us down in horrible suburbs with no book or record stores. Also, I had no bicycle, and was a tiny lad who couldn't be trusted with a lawnmower, so the only way of getting money was to scavenge for pop bottles, which would just about cover the cost of a couple of 12¢ comics books and a candy bar.
When the Soft Parade was released several of the tracks had been already released as singles. This might be the cause of the low opinion people had then.
I agree on a few points here. The Leonard Cohen album here was one of his best, except a couple of weaker tracks. I love the Spector production on some of the tracks. One track Fingerprints sounds like Spector meets Country. The title track is a masterpiece. That Doors' album is one of their best except for one weaker track. I liked it because it was so different from their other albums, with strings and brass on some of the tracks. But better still was the CD reissue with bonus tracks. A lot of their fans slammed this album. I never bought it on vinyl. A lot of people think The Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties' Request album was their worst, as it was different from their other albums, as it was their one-off trip into Psychedelia. But I thought the album was great and very different, apart from the two really dreadful Sing This Altogether tracks. As for The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, I liked the original, as I liked most of side two which were instrumentals by George Martin And His Orchestra. On the second CD reissue,, they were replaced by more Beatles' tracks, all previously released. But with all tracks here, the stereo separation was alterd with different instrumental separation between the channels, including the tracks from the original album. Both releases of it are available on CD.
Soap Opera does sound an interesting con-cept. I'll add Waiting for the Sun. Theyre not hit$. Maybe one. I love when a band jumps and then somersaults. Who cares if it's not perfect. Not I.
@@tomrobinson5776 yeah was great saw both Preservation Shows and School Boys in Disgrace and three more times they would play an outdoor concert in Central Park. Ray would take out a mirror during Mirror of Love and light up the audience. He would also balance a beer glass on his head.
Welp, Tom, I agree with the critics on most of these things (I'm not familiar with the Rush catalog, and I think Pablo Honey is one of Radiohead's better records, and I've never heard that Costello album (and Goodbye Cruel World is hideous)). Most of these things are terrible, with one or two good tracks at best. Yellow Submarine does have a whole good side. Hole's Celebrity Skin is abysmal except for the title track and one other song. I did grow up with a lot of Zappa and Beefheart records that the critics treated like dog crap and I loved, but that sorta goes with the territory.
If CREEP is annoying to you by now, does that mean you live THE AIR THAT I BREATHE more? Some have said GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD by Elvis Costello is his worst album, but he was always trying different things.
Rolling Stone was important to the counterculture during its first 2-3 years but the paper did have some reviewers who, at times, had their head up their ass!
Original review of Led Zepplin II "Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, is, admittedly, an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs." "Plant's strained and unconvincing shouting (he may be as foppish as Rod Stewart, but he's nowhere near so exciting, especially in the higher registers)." "It would seem that, if they're to help fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer (and editor) and some material worthy of their collective attention." Fuck Rolling Stone Magazine!!!
Just found my replacement 'Bark' over here in France.. Don't like the 'German' song at all... WAR movie is a fantastic harbinger of Blows Against the Empire. Love me some BARK!!
Weren't all Grand Funk albums trashed by the critics? (I mean, I've got all their albums from the original run, but they were never exactly critics darlings).
My list would include The Byrds reunion album and Commander Cody's Warner Brothers debut. 'The Devil and Me' is a hoot. Hard to find, but lots of fun, 'Ellis Island' by The Paupers is worth seeking out.
I saw Commander Cody at the Fillmore East, they were pretty drunk but it didn't prevent them from putting on a damn good show, they had a good time and so did the audience!
It’s All Too Much is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Steve Hillage does a great cover of it too.
So does The Church. One of the Beatles best songs but gets no love.
I've always been happy to go wherever Ray Davies's writing led me, and "Soap Opera" is one of The Kinks LPs that I've enjoyed listening to. I'm glad that you like it, too.👍
One that comes to mind is Jackson Browne Hold Out. I see it right at the bottom of some of the album rankings and it's a cool melodic AOR album with a particularly good second side....
Your connection of It's All Too Much and rave makes complete sense. It sounds like something that could have been done by bands like Jesus Jones or World of Twist in the late '80s/early '90s.
Hi Tom:
I remember when I was four years old, and my oldest sister came home from the store one day with The Kinks Greatest Hits! I was immediately hooked. In the early '80s I bought up all the Kinks albums I could get my hands on. Except for Schoolboys in Disgrace, I wasn't real big on their RCA albums. But that's changed drastically over time. I very much like Soap Opera! I agree also on The Juliette Letters; that is my most preferred album from his Warner Bros. period! I too enjoy his Columbia era the most. When you talked about the Yellow Submarine album, asking why It's All Too Much isn't talked about more, it made me think of the Percy soundtrack. I always wonder why Moments isn't better known! Waterloo Sunset is highly regarded - and rightly so - but Moments is, to me, his most beautiful, moving and touching piece! It doesn't sound post Lola vs. Powerman. Thank you for the video Tom, this is a great topic!
Thanks 😉 I think the Percy soundtrack has some incredible tunes. Moments, God’s Children, The Way Love Used To Be, Dreams, etc. Had it not been for the sporadic incidental tracks it would be almost perfect.
Yes! All of The Kinks' RCA albums are amazing, yet we are continually told to avoid them. I love everything they ever did. So did Bowie, haha. "There are no bad Kinks songs," or whatever the exact quote is.
Death Of A Ladies Man is a very cool album. I think the critics hated it because Cohen himself hated it so much because Spector drove him nuts, haha. But Spector worked his crazy magic as usual.
You are very right about Rolling Stone. They panned so many classics at the time, but now feature them in their greatest album lists.
Two others I would add, both by The Stones: Satanic Majesties Request & Black & Blue, both panned, both fantastic albums.
A lot of nonsense has been written about Black & Blue. It is superbly performed and engineered and is stylistically courageous.
@@tkingsley5761
Always loved it, it's one of the best sounding of their albums, the bass and drums sound brilliant. Remember that Worried about You and Slave from Tattoo You came from these sessions as well. Some Girls got all the kudo's, but B&B is a much better record IMO.
I would chime in with a couple of albums I love that are mostly panned but occasionally praised: Smiley Smile and Love You by the Beach Boys. Both feature Brian Wilson's brilliant musical mind and very sadly fractured psyche. Smiley Smile is more psychedelic drug infused, while Love You's bizarre lyrics can be a distraction from Wilson's composition and innovative use of synthesizers. They are both love it or hate it records.
Indeed they are. 😉
I'll add Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded into the mix which contains some great tracks and imagery. Interesting comments about It's All Too Much, i have a feeling that ironically it might actually prove to be some of Harrison's tracks that survive the test of time and are the Beatles songs still being played in a 100 years time (for instance Something, & Here Comes the Sun), while others more popular now will prove ephemeral.
I think you’re right. 😉
Beatles "For Sale" album is one of my top most played Beatles record. IMO 1964 was the last year they played as a tightly-knit group.
SPIRIT / FEEDBACK I saw/heard this line up (circa 1973) at the Aragon Ballroom, Chicago. Excellent show.
Nice! Spirit is so underrated these days.
I love the concept of paned Albums. A couple that come to mind are: Locked In by Wishbone Ash, Home by Procol Harum, Barabajagel Donovan Leitch.
As a Wishbone Ash fan myself I found Locked In shockingly bad I must admit! The fact that it's sandwiched between two of their best albums, There's The Rub and New England is a real head scratcher ... what am I missing? 😮
Home is one of Procol’s greatest.
I agree that "Soap Opera" is a great album! The concept is deep. I think it can be taken several ways, and that's the beauty of it. Is he just a bored husband and office worker who temporarily lost his mind and imagined he was a rock star? Is it a twilight zone situation where a rock star merges with a normal person, then forgets he was a rock star? Cool stuff! Regardless, the music and songwriting is top-notch Kinks.
His lyrics are full of empathy for the Everyman that is Norman, and self-awareness and self-deprecating humor for the character of the Star, who I think are alter egos . The theatricality and showmanship are so much more mature, tasteful and brilliant than other albums of the time. It is such a blast and I regret I didn’t see the band tour the album,.
Love that you show records AND cds!
How about the flip side: albums critics adore but you just don’t get?
Great topic. I’ll keep it in mind. 😉
Bruce Foxton wrote "Smithers-Jones" for The Jam. .The Jam even covered "David Watts" ...So they knew "Soap Opera"....Peace and Love, Terry Tutor
I was disappointed by The Soft Parade, in July 1969, but the album grew on me, as I listened more. Two recent singles, and a couple B-sides made for a lean album, from a group like the Doors. Waiting for the Sun had been more topical, and more creative, if not as accessible. I had always liked the song titled The Soft Parade, for some odd reason, easing me into the other tracks. Touch Me was in response to the problems Jim was having with the law, and the Puritans, but Tell All the People spoke to the album's themes. By the time of LA Woman, and Jim's death, I'd realized what a powerful album TSP was, equal to the first album, slightly better than the third, and the last, almost as good as the fifth. We only got six, and the light was extinguished.
Janis Joplin's Kozmik Blues LP was a keeper, if not quite the follow-up to Cheap Thrills I had hoped for, but still a very good album, by an artist with a shaky, if certain, grasp on her vision for the music she wanted to make. It took a few listens for a few tunes, but Kosmik Blues was a keeper from first listen. A companion track for the Beatles In My Life, Sandy Denny's Who Knows Where the Time Goes, the Stones' Time Waits for No One, Al Stewart's Roads to Moscow, Cyndi Lauper's Time after Time, Dire Straits Brothers' in Arms, and Pink Floyd's Lost for Words, Rock's contribution to mankind's penchant for belly-gazing and speculating about the Meaning of It All.
Rolling Stone panned all the Led Zeppelin albums, and the first is one of the greatest Rock albums of all time, from the 'Sixties. Jimmy Page had picked up bowing his guitar, in the latter years of the decade, performing Dazed and Confused with the New Yardbirds. The album cooks from beginning to end, setting the standard for all Led Zep albums to come. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Your Time Is Gonna Come, Communication Breakdown, How Many More Times, launched a new genre in Rock.
I will vehemently dispute you about Radiohead's the King of Limbs. I like it so much it was one of the first records l bought when l finally got another phonograph last year. It's a mood piece, sure, and it's not everybody's mood, l'll concede. But the last two tracks--"Give Up the Ghost" and "Seperator" are just sublime. We all have songs that speak to us personally, and what would loving music be without a little subjectivity?
And let's give all the lysergic love in the known Universe to Their Satanic Majesties Request by the Rolling Stones. Written off as a clumsy opportunistic attempt to cash in on 1967 psychedelia, it is, in fact an explosion of tone color and dynamics from the Day Glo twilight zone. I love every note of it. EVERY NOTE. "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)"? Check. "Gomper"? Check. I even love the Bacharach/David on acid with a Farfisa organ jam at the end that even other fans of the album can't stand.
But what do l know. I have listened to Metal Machine Music. All the way through. More than once! You know what Lou said about that one. "Anybody who gets to Side Four is dumber than l am..."
Guilty as charged. Hotcha!
Satanic Majesties is a cool album. A lot of great gems. Always loved The Lantern. Such a cool vibe. I’ve noticed this album over the years becoming a fave among many. I remember buying it at a garage sale back in ‘79 for 50 cents with the original 3d cover intact. The Stones 67 period is awesome. Never made it past side 1 on Metal Machine. 😉
@@tomrobinson5776 lf you've heard Side One of MMM, then you've heard MMM. I'm just a glutton for punishment.
I listened to Bark by Jefferson Airplane back in 1971/72 quite a bit. It really is sort of a mixed bag. The production is a bit murky compared to the preceding albums. It is sort of a mash up of songs by the individual members. Jorma and Jack have three pretty strong songs. Paul and Grace are doing their songs. The most unusual song is Grace's "Never Argue With German If You Are Tired" with her use of the mellotron vocal loops. When The Earth Moves Again is good but would benefit from better production and the same for War Movie.. Still, you could tell that the band was coming unraveled.
No doubt about it.
When your video popped up, my first thought was that you'd never mention the album that immediately came to my mind. But there it was at #1! You have an autographed copy, too. We must be kindred spirits. I love "Soap Opera," and I don't care what the critics say. Even if it had nothing but "Holiday Romance," it would still be better than most albums. When I got the chance to briefly meet Ray and ask him to autograph one thing, I could have picked any Kinks album (I have them ALL), but I took one of my two copies of "Soap Opera."
If I had to name one you missed, I'd choose "Stick to Me" by Graham Parker & The Rumour. Critics claimed that after two great albums, he was running on fumes and the songs weren't as good. They're nuts: every song on it is great, and the title track is up there with Deep Purple's "Burn" as one of the hottest album openers in history. I listen to that album in the car at least once a month and never get tired of it.
I’ll have to spin that Graham Parker album again. I’ve had it for years, but never gave it a fair chance. Thanks for the reminder. 😉
I was sure you would have early Grand Funk Railroad albums on mind since the critics hated them big time but their fans as in me and you, loved them!
That RUSH album is fuckin awesome, I saw them in a bar on Yonge St. Toronto before that album was released. I was drinking in that bar before I was legal lol... it was at the Piccadilly Tube in 1973, I was 16
I gotta check out Soap Opera. I dont own anything after Muswell. They got some albums from the Arista period that are good too. Juliet Letters? Man, I don't know. 20 tracks. I've tried. The track you mentioned is very good. I Almost Had A Weakness and a few others are cool too. I saw him with the Attractions a year later @ Santa Barbara Bowl and they tore it up
I saw Costello a few years ago and it was stellar. He still has it live.
I've never understood the dislike for True Stories by Talking Heads. Even the band chimes in, which surprises me, because if you listen to the album they all sound committed to the music. True Stories continues in the same style as Little Creatures but with much better songs, especially Papa Legba which would be in my top ten Heads tracks. The band's first four albums are insuperable as far as I'm considered, but True Stories is my fifth favorite Heads record. As for Load by Metallica, the reaction of others goes beyond dislike into actual disdain, but I love it. If all you listen to is thrash, then I can see why you might be disappointed, but a lot of the people who trash this album are big fans of heavy, nasty, grungey rock and roll, a category Load falls into. I swear, if Load were the debut album of a brand new band, a lot of these haters would think it's great, but because it's Metallica they turn their noses up at it. Their loss. Reload is also terrific, though it's mostly more of the same, but Load is a masterpiece, my third favorite Metallica after ...And Justice for All and Ride the Lightning. And what about A Date With the Smithereens? This is my second favorite album by them after Especially For You, but most, the band included, think it's subpar. Again, why? Because it has a darker, heavier, grungier sound to it? Maybe Pat Di Nizio was having a bad day. Anyway, they needed to change things up a little bit, and it works really well. Anyone who says this album is Miles From Nowhere and then a bunch of forgettable tracks...I don't know what to say. Afternoon Tea, Everything I Have Is Blue, Long Way Back Again, Can't Go Home Anymore forgettable? Not in the universe I live in. A few others: Undercover by the Stones, Mirror Ball by Neil Young, Face Dances by the Who, Panorama by the Cars, Packed! by Pretenders and Autoamerican by Blondie. As for Lou Reed, there are probably five or six that are unfairly maligned, the best of them being The Bells. I would say Berlin but I think it's been reassessed in recent years, even by Rolling Stone! Thanks, Tom!
Great topic...the spoken word stuff on Soft Parade helped open my eyes and ears to the many poetic influences of songwriters we were all listening to. Rating or ranking albums is a fun way to make a 15 min video, but not really how albums were listened to back in the day...even for those of us who read Rolling Stone or Creem.
Love your videos! Yardbirds Little Games, Herman Hermits Blaze, soft Machine Softs, James Taylor One man dog.
Great video topic-“Soap Opera” is a top three Kinks album for me as well. Here are some of my favorite panned albums:
The Rolling Stones - “Their Satanic Majesties Request”
Led Zeppelin - “In Through The Out Door”
Pink Floyd - “The Final Cut”
Paul McCartney & Wings - “Wild Life”
The Who - “Face Dances” and “It’s Hard”
The Doors - “The Soft Parade”
YESS!!!! Wings Wild Life is my favorite Wings album, rough edges and all, because it's honest and biographical. Side One rocks hard, Side Two is for mellowing out. LOVE that album. Good pick.
Yes! Stones psychedelic era gets panned as a Beatles ripoff but it’s so much more.
@@amanuensis9873 I agree! 1967 is probably my favorite year for the Stones.
@@melodyfinder101 I stumbled upon an album a while back Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, a neo-psychedelic band who made that album as an homage to the Stones in that era. Pretty cool album. Either way 2000 Man is one of my top ten Stones songs.
@@amanuensis9873 I’ll have to check that album out.
The pre-pop Journey did a cover of “It’s All Too Much.” I think it’s a great song.
Really? Need to check that out.
I can add a trio of Stones albums: Goat's Head Soup, It's Only Rock & Roll, Black & Blue. These 3 in a row were trashed by critics, and unfairly, I feel. How do you follow up the masterpiece that is Exile? You can't! These are strong records with a lot of classic tunes on them, and they're among my favorite Stones records.
The whole thing started with rock n roll. Now it's out of control. Ray Manzarek
@@ChrissHill-im7kj I have that album too :)
I love those 3 Stones albums. Great songs throughout. Goat’s Head Soup is a personal fave.
Absolutely, John, Paul, and George panned George because of the lyrics of “It’s Only A Northern Song”. She’s Leaving Home” is Paul insisting on Eleanore Rigby Redux. Northern could have had new lyrics and Too Much should have been worked on. It would have reduced the camp and pretension element of the album. Good Morning is an example of Paul not arranging a John composition. Yes, I listen to Yellow Submarine for the second side as well 👍🏻
I was looking into some of the Kinks' catalog that I'd missed over the years and gave Soap Opera a try. I gotta say, when I saw it was given one star on AllMusic, I was really surprised. I enjoyed it quite a bit, personally.
Oh, I'm also a big fan of The Juliet Letters.
Final Word: It's not on your list, but I've always liked the much-panned Yes album, Tormato. Not the greatest Yes album, but I still think there's a lot there to enjoy. Even some of the "bad tracks" aren't as bad as everyone says.
I always thought Drama was pretty good.
@@tomrobinson5776 I like Drama quite a bit and even saw Yes (in the round) on that tour. It's a more muscular sound from Yes. I do tend to think of it as a stand-alone without Jon Anderson on vocals, even though Trevor Horn did a fine job. But that's just me.
@@pkmcburroughs I agree. Trevor did a pretty good job and there’s some great tracks on there like Does It Really Happen? And Tempus Fugit.
I may have to look for another copy of Tormato. I had a used copy at one time that was too scratched. Had to purge it..
Very enjoyable video, Tom: so much so that you're now my third subscription to one of the countless 'old bloke talks about rock' channels that pop up as recommendations.
Agree with nearly all of your selections, especially The Soft Parade which was sold criminally short back in the day and remains incredibly fresh 55 years on. A genuinely unique sound which, apart from anything else, reminds us that Jim wasn't the only great songwriter in the band.
Indeed. To this day no one sounds like The Doors. Completely unique in so many ways. Thanks for subscribing. 😉
What a fantastic video have a wonderful weekend ❤😊
You as well 😊
A lot of Morrissey’s solo stuff gets panned, but I like most of it. The sound might be a bit worn by the later 2000s albums but always something interesting to grab onto, at least lyrically.
I have Your Arsenal. I think it is solid
So glad you mentioned “Jacksons, Monk and Rowe”. I think its one of Elvis’ most beautiful vocals!
Soft Parade has always been my favorite Doors album. It was also the first one I owned, so I didn't have the preconceived notion that the Doors weren't "supposed" to have the added instrumentation. Love Bark, Soap Opera, Juliet Letters, and of course Yellow Submarine. Now I have to re-listen to King of Limbs; I don't remember it being that bad!
The Soft Parade lacked flow. The individual songs are mostly solid, but it always felt like a bunch of good leftover tracks thrown together for an album. L A Woman was the opposite of that. Love The Doors though. One of the most unique sounds from the 60's 70's era. That could be a good subject for a video, if you haven't already done one. Bands that blazed a new trail.
The Final Cut by Pink Floyd. Everyone disliked it because The Wall was prior. Masterpiece.
Interesting theme, Tom. I would include a couple from Dylan's "Gospel Period" that were reviled by critics, namely *Saved* and *Shot Of Love* ... I'm not remotely religious but personally have no issue at all with the these fascinating albums, Dylan is as engaging and enigmatic as ever and pushing himself artistically. Shot Of Love does have a couple of clunkers when you consider what was left off (Caribbean Wind being the most obvious example) but still an album that captivates, and includes the truly exquisite *Every Grain Of Sand*
EXCELLENT post! Okay, now you got me coming to visit often. My favorite albums consist of unsung heroes like Tom Rapp/Sunforest, David Pomeranz/Time to Fly, Arthur Gee, M/Official Secrets Act, The Naked Carmen, Toe Fat Two...etc... keep up the good work! Now I gotta go find me that Janis Joplin that I never heard. This quote from Ian Anderson ' I've got no time for Time Magazine, or Rolling Stone' ... 🤔
I love the Kinks "soap Opera," particularly "Ducks on the Wall."
Hell yeah. 😉
Soft Parade is my favorite album by the Doors!!
Walked out on the Yellow Submarine movie when it came out and I was 11 or 12. I’ll give it another shot and play It’s all too much. Great topic!
I agree with your opinion re: "It's All Too Much."
Interesting enough, Big Brother did two albums after Janis which come on one CD!
A couple of puzzlers for me, that even the bands themselves panned ; but I love : "Monster" | R.E.M. ; "Music from 'The Elder' " | Kiss.
I'm with you regarding Death of a Ladies Man, I've always loved it. How dare he try something different and upset all those precious critics
i truly enjoy nearly every album you've selected here so i'll go with U2's "the unforgettable fire" or "the joshua tree" as records that otherwise good music critics (i'm not naming names) pan or just don't like. "soap opera" and "death of a ladies man" are especially memorable records.
Agreed about the Doors Soft Parade - love the two single releases.
Actually released 4 singles!
I personally love the Sinatra vibe of Tell All The People lol
you may be the only rock historian on youtube who has even acknowledged the juliet letters. costello played “jackson, monk, and rowe” on the tonight show. that’s where i first heard it and i thought it was so good that i right away bought the cd because i didn’t think it would get any airplay and i didn’t want to forget it down the road. re: jefferson airplane/starship, i don’t remember critics having much to say about “spitfire”, released a year after “red octopus” but it was a very worthy follow up album, with songs like “st. charles” and “don’t let it rain”.
Mine in this category would be “But The Little Girls Understand” by The Knack, their second effort from 1980. I definitely put it above the overplayed “Get the Knack”. I try to turn off or change the radio whenever “Sharona” is spun. And by the way… they were NOT a “one hit wonder”.
Northern Song and Hey Bulldog are killers, but It’s All too much is deliriously great, one of the greatest Psych songs ever. If only I could remember my name by David Crosby got slammed on release, it’s a masterpiece, pretty sure Replicas by Tubeway Army was derided on release, also a brilliant album.
I guess when youve been to the top of the mountain there nowhere to go but down
Take Transformer out of the mix and I think the critics and public were brutal to Lou Reed
Really enjoyed this. Great selection.
I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull's Catfish Rising, my favorite of any of their post 1985 albums. I also really like The Monkees Justus second reunion album. Fans didn't think it pop enough, but I really dug it.
I totally agree about Radiohead's Pablo Honey, but I don't much like electronica, so you could call that the Radiohead album for people that really aren't that into Radiohead.
Thank you so much for starting off with my all time favourite Kinks album, Soap Opera. I saw them do this on tour in 1975, and it was outstanding. I also love their other RCA theatrical albums like Preservation Act 1 & 2 (2 in particular because it reminds me of one of the people running for President this year to avoid going to prison ). You have great taste, keep up the great work!
Preservation Act 1 & 2 are masterpieces and very timely in this age of insanity.
You are correct. Biden belongs in prison!
How were you buying albums at 10 years old? You must've been from a well off family. I'm around your age but never had more than a dollar, and most days, no money at all. My pick for SONG no one ever talks about, ever, ever, is Elvis Presley's "If Every Day Was Like Christmas". I've played it to others and the reaction is always incredibly positive. (By the way I'm not much of an Elvis fan outside of a couple of songs so I don't have stars in my eyes for Elvis).
Yeah, I didn't even get to the adults-buying-records-for-me stage until I was 11! Tiny Tim's first album, as I recall.
I had a paper route and everything was spent on records or slurpees. Indie stores back then sold albums for less than the chains. $3.99 or $4.99 was the average for a single release.
That explains it, then. My parents plunked us down in horrible suburbs with no book or record stores. Also, I had no bicycle, and was a tiny lad who couldn't be trusted with a lawnmower, so the only way of getting money was to scavenge for pop bottles, which would just about cover the cost of a couple of 12¢ comics books and a candy bar.
When the Soft Parade was released several of the tracks had been already released as singles. This might be the cause of the low opinion people had then.
Perhaps…
I always liked Soap Opera, but I live Preservation Act 1 much better. I like Yellow Submarine album better than White Album and Let It Be.
I agree on a few points here.
The Leonard Cohen album here was one of his best, except a couple of weaker tracks. I love the Spector production on some of the tracks. One track Fingerprints sounds like Spector meets Country. The title track is a masterpiece.
That Doors' album is one of their best except for one weaker track. I liked it because it was so different from their other albums, with strings and brass on some of the tracks. But better still was the CD reissue with bonus tracks. A lot of their fans slammed this album. I never bought it on vinyl.
A lot of people think The Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties' Request album was their worst, as it was different from their other albums, as it was their one-off trip into Psychedelia. But I thought the album was great and very different, apart from the two really dreadful Sing This Altogether tracks.
As for The Beatles' Yellow Submarine, I liked the original, as I liked most of side two which were instrumentals by George Martin And His Orchestra. On the second CD reissue,, they were replaced by more Beatles' tracks, all previously released. But with all tracks here, the stereo separation was alterd with different instrumental separation between the channels, including the tracks from the original album. Both releases of it are available on CD.
The Soft Parade has been my favourite Doors album for a long time🎉
Great show and proof of your taste!
Soap Opera does sound an interesting con-cept. I'll add Waiting for the Sun. Theyre not hit$. Maybe one. I love when a band jumps and then somersaults. Who cares if it's not perfect. Not I.
I totally agree about Soft Parade
In fact, I don't even think it's their worst studio album.
I thought I was the only one who thinks Pablo Honey is excellent!(And,similarly, not because of Creep)
Really enjoying your videos Capo!
Thanks 😉
Their Satanic Majesty's Request - The Rolling Stones
Pop - U2
Dream Police - Cheap Trick
All great albums.
I never knew Dream Police was panned back in the day. Always thought it was a great album.
Saw the Soap Opera live. Love the record.
That’s fantastic. I wish I’d seen some of those Kinks theatrical shows. First show I saw from The Kinks was the Sleepwalker tour in ‘77.
@@tomrobinson5776 yeah was great saw both Preservation Shows and School Boys in Disgrace and three more times they would play an outdoor concert in Central Park. Ray would take out a mirror during Mirror of Love and light up the audience. He would also balance a beer glass on his head.
@@LarsPop-Tartus That is awesome 😉
Welp, Tom, I agree with the critics on most of these things (I'm not familiar with the Rush catalog, and I think Pablo Honey is one of Radiohead's better records, and I've never heard that Costello album (and Goodbye Cruel World is hideous)). Most of these things are terrible, with one or two good tracks at best. Yellow Submarine does have a whole good side. Hole's Celebrity Skin is abysmal except for the title track and one other song. I did grow up with a lot of Zappa and Beefheart records that the critics treated like dog crap and I loved, but that sorta goes with the territory.
If CREEP is annoying to you by now, does that mean you live THE AIR THAT I BREATHE more? Some have said GOODBYE CRUEL WORLD by Elvis Costello is his worst album, but he was always trying different things.
Rolling Stone was important to the counterculture during its first 2-3 years but the paper did have some reviewers who, at times, had their head up their ass!
Critics panned Asia's third album Astra, but I've always liked it.
I'm listening to XXX atm rele cool...Will have to check that one out...
Soap Opera is brilliant, as is Preservation 1, Preservation 2 and Soap Opera.
It’s too late - Schoolboys, I mean!
Schoolboys, Act 1 & 2 all equally great.
Best track on Bark-Thunk Joey's Song
Original review of Led Zepplin II
"Jimmy Page, around whom the Zeppelin revolves, is, admittedly, an extraordinarily proficient blues guitarist and explorer of his instrument's electronic capabilities. Unfortunately, he is also a very limited producer and a writer of weak, unimaginative songs."
"Plant's strained and unconvincing shouting (he may be as foppish as Rod Stewart, but he's nowhere near so exciting, especially in the higher registers)."
"It would seem that, if they're to help fill the void created by the demise of Cream, they will have to find a producer (and editor) and some material worthy of their collective attention."
Fuck Rolling Stone Magazine!!!
Hey Bulldog and It's All Too Much are great. Only a Northern Song is among the worst Beatles tracks IMO, and I could live without All Together Now.
I've never had much respect for critics of any kind.
Just found my replacement 'Bark' over here in France.. Don't like the 'German' song at all... WAR movie is a fantastic harbinger of Blows Against the Empire. Love me some BARK!!
All the Girls in the World, Beware. Grand Funk. Totally trashed by the critics but I really dig this album, even though the cover is one of the worst!
Weren't all Grand Funk albums trashed by the critics? (I mean, I've got all their albums from the original run, but they were never exactly critics darlings).
My list would include The Byrds reunion album and Commander Cody's Warner Brothers debut. 'The Devil and Me' is a hoot. Hard to find, but lots of fun, 'Ellis Island' by The Paupers is worth seeking out.
I saw Commander Cody at the Fillmore East, they were pretty drunk but it didn't prevent them from putting on a damn good show, they had a good time and so did the audience!