The most disappointing live act I've ever seen. His security must have been sweating as he spent the whole night abusing the audience, the country and its whole population - he wasn't a happy chappy. A lesser artist would have been lucky to get off the stage in one piece. A truly obnoxious individual.
I know the street in Bath where he lives. I used to jog along that route and once seen Van The Man come out of his house. All I said was that found his then new release Avalon Sunset (it was 1989) a brilliant Album and loved the song Coney Island. The grumpy git told me to Feck Off.
My introduction to Bob Dylan was listening to almost all of his 60's records in the course of three or four days. A friend of mine insisted I do this, and brought a shopping bag full of his records to school, and lent them to me. The first new record that came out after that was Knocked Out Loaded. It was quite a contrast. I should add that I was also listening to a lot of Rolling Stones, and then Dirty Work came out.
I have to say, regarding Dylan's 80's output or influence (and I tried to make this a stand alone comment but comments are maybe turned off?). I take offense that the 80's weren't kind to Bob (paraphrasing). I saw Dylan in concert a number of times. And no concerts I ever saw before or after...I won't say "compared to" but nothing surpassed the half dozen shows I saw Dylan perform with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. These are, no question, the best shows I ever saw. I realize this is probably more in regards to recorded output but Dylan was ON FIRE in the 80's. Dispute or argue about his albums all anyone wants...and it's certain not my favorite era of his. But Dylan was rejuvenated and on fire playing with the Heartbreakers. I still have my ticket stubs and tour programs in the garage and i will cherish them forever. I only wish they had collaborated on, at least one album but I guess I should be happy they recorded new music as 2/5 of the Traveling Willburys
I'm really OCD about my vinyl and CD collection and not only have them alphabetical and by genre, I also have several shelves for specific albums; the ones I love the best, broken down by the mood I am in... And I have one box/shelf that is for the worst albums, the one I can't listen to but have to have because I am a Completist Collector... So far every album on this list I own and is on that shelf. Can't wait to get to part two.
Let's talk about albums that are ruined by one side - Live Peace in Toronto. I don't think I need to go any further on that one. When Double Fantasy came out, all my friends made tapes of the album...but ONLY of the Lennon songs (since Lennon had it so every OTHER song was "her") - hence, those albums are still probably near-pristine condition. Enough said...
Great video per usual, it must’ve been difficult for a lot of those bands/musicians from the 60’s & 70’s to still keep that winning streak in the 80’s. People like to fool heartedly imagine the Beatles would still be making great albums through the 70’s/80’s & beyond if they were still together but realistically music tastes and trends change and most likely they would’ve been panned at some point by the masses
Well apart from John (dying in 1980) who also retired for a short time; they were all still active in the 1970s and 1980s and they made solo material that was also acclaimed, even Ringo! But it helps that 3/4 of the band were prolific songwriters. They would have made a dud eventually but Paul and George too had strong 1980s records. One of my favourite things was to blend their solo albums up to at least 1980 together to create ‘lost’ Beatles albums.
Bad 80s was indeed all those establishment stadium rock bands trying to sound modern and looking tired against the post punk explosion. Most of those post punk acts were writing better songs if we're honest.
For us older folks learning guitar Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love) from Queen's Hot Space is a really nice song to play. Most people I play it to have never heard it and admittedly it is pretty soft but IMO pretty good too. Enjoying your channel 👍.
If you have a graphic equalizer with your system, you can "play" the record. Just put on Metal Machine Music, move the control levers on your equalizer to alter the sounds. I also do this with Pete Shelley's "Sky Yen."
Great video! As a very long time Neil Young fan, who finds too many of his post ‘70s records to be spotty, I really like Americana for some reason. I’d maybe give it 3 stars out of 5, but I absolutely love several of the songs on the album and have played the album countless times. And that what’s so strange about Neil’s albums. Even at their worst, there is usually at least one over the top outstanding song on it that makes me happy to own it.
I'm grateful for Queen's Hot Space. Only because their tour to support the album gave me the opportunity to see them in concert, as I had missed previous tours. It was a great show and Billy Squire opened for Queen.
Stones uber-fan that I am, I agree with the inclusion of 'Dirty work' - it's the only one I wish they'd never released. I can't believe they even released 'Winning ugly' as a single - it's awful.
It's interesting to observe how many of our 60's and 70's heroes had such a rough time in the '80s. Some came back and produced great stuff later, but the 80's was not their decade for whatever reason.
More likely that the groups failed to actually understand and embrace that most people, most listeners don't give a damn if the instruments played are organic@@martienvanderhof6696
When I was backpacking around Europe in the 80s I picked up a cassette of Bob Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded while I was in Yugoslavia. It became my Walkman favourite on my travels. I think maybe because I was listening to it on headphones while I was gazing out the train window gave it a different, intimate feel and perspective, but I love that album.
You could have killed two birds with one stone, Lou Reed AND Metallica, by going with Lulu! Also, I don't think I've ever heard Americana, but if it's worse than Landing on Water and Living With War, well, count me out.
Neil is definitely one of the all-time great American songwriters but I'm pretty sure he could have had all 10 spots on this list. lol. And yes, Americana is as bad as he said I still think Neil's albums Trans and Everybody's rockin are worse though.
A decent effort and combo. It was really Lou Reed's music and lyrics but Metallica managed to interpret it well considering how out there it is, even for Reed... I really appreciate anti-Authoritarian, anti-Trendy moaners like Van Morrison, if not all their music.. Progressive nonsense is worth battling. -- You'd probably hate David Bowie's metal album and tour. I saw it performed at a festival and was quite shocked. Very heavy, death-metal style guitar with Bowie going more raw.. Certainly could have alienated some of his fans for a bit. He had a go at doing metal so respect for trying.
I really like Americana, it's rough and ready but meant to be that way, if you like Neil's stuff with Crazy Horse it's like being in an informal session with them. Le Noise is a harder album to get into, I'd say.
Och, I think your fab. Your meanderings resonate like a battered old Gibson. Probably because I'm 60 and made a few records. Plus your twinkle tempers the occasional harsh, yet honest appraisal. Thank you man.
My favorite album of all time is Metal Machine Music, I own a noise/experimental label, this was y gateway drug to it! Not for everyone, but for some, we love it!
@@louise_rose I think that is a very good Lou Reed album, and a very bad Metallica album. I like it a lot. If you see everything Lou Reed was doing, specially The Raven, he was doing a lot of spoken word, poetry with different people (Anthony and the Johnsons, Bowie, etc.) it was a very natural progression to what he had been doing. Metallica fans hated it because of course they didn't understand it was not a Metallica album, it was Lou and it just so happen to be Metallica playing in the background. If Lou had done that record with another band, or had it came out without Metallica being so upfront in the title, no one would had gone out to hate it. Lyrics are good, music is good, James Hetfield's vocals are crap. I love Lou, he did whatever he wanted, how he wanted.
One of my all time favourite albums is 'Back to the egg' by Wings. Even Paul McCartney is not keen on it, but we have paintings hanging in galleries done by Artists who hated them but they still go for millions. Taste will always be debated and usually derided, but ultimately we all have taste of our own.
@@siroswaldfortitude5346 I loved "Back To the Egg" too, bought the LP and CD of it. I hoped it'd be reissued with bonus tracks; if McCartney dislikes it too much for that, why not "London Town"?
My two Lou Reed CDs are "Metal Machine Music" which I really enjoy, and "New Sensations"...among his most pop and definitely least pop. Not respectively, irrespectively, haha.
I don't mind dirty work, its the cover that makes it more off putting towards stones fans. I also like undercover from 1983, again the cover isn't all that appealing, but the music is pretty good. These stones albums often get overlooked, its a bit like goats head soup. late discovered loved stones albums!
Yep. I love you Bob, but come on. “It’s honest and makes you like it.”? Seriously? Like, even though there’s fundamentally no difference between Undercover and Dirty Work because they’re both abysmal, he rightfully gave Undercover a C+ but gave fucking gave Dirty Work an A. SMH.
I always liked hot space by Queen, one of the very few bands/artists who successfully moved with the times without ailianating (not even spell check can sort that out) their past work. Great album, often overlooked because they dared to get a bit funky.
True, Hot Space belongs to the better half of their catalog, just a good vibrant album and something different. I think most people dont really listen to it anymore and just repeat that it is a bad album, well it is certainly not.
@@martijnmeijers7815 i agree. Queen's body of work is second to none. It's an artists right, collectively or individually to produce what they want. Look at David Bowie, he has created some of the greatest music of all time and yet he never stood still, he was forever changing. I personally think it's an artists strength to embrace different things. That's what artists do, regardless of their particular fields, thay create. Critics often look at the work produced and compare it to something previous. I know many Queen fans that love 'Hot Space' and see it as part of a body of work. It is nothing like 'A Night At The Opera', and for me, that's one of Queen's many strengths.
Enjoyable listen! Agree on the Elton John Album & Queens Hot Space! Unfortunately I have the dreadful Open your Eyes & Heaven and Earth by Yes also ELPs Love Beach! A Local Cover Band in NE Pennsylvania used play Put Out the Fire in the 80’s!
Hello Sir, I love a lot of pop music but I love “Metal Machine Music” too, perfect for college radio where I played it several times. You said it was from 1975, yes, but then you said it was from 1978. “Hot Space” is one of my favorite Queen albums especially as parts are almost disco. But I think we agree on Santana in general being great.
I would like to know about great albums by otherwise terrible artists. The magical flukes. It's true that 80s sent a lot of great 70s artists off the rails.
Can't think of any great albums by terrible artists. But what happens frequently is getting great songs out of terrible artists. Lot's of one hit wonders out there.
I think Clapton made a couple of those--Layla and 461 Ocean Blvd are both great albums, while most of the rest of his solo career is snooze-inducing, paint-by-numbers white blues.
The detail I liked most on the Stones' 'Dirty Work' LP sleeve - if your eyes don't evaporate in the glare of their lurid jackets - is that it looks like Richards is kneeing Jagger in the nuts.
Great video; I think you could easily make one of these videos for each decade - starting with the 1960s... some suggestions: 1960s (Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request), 1970s (10cc - minus Godley & Creme - Live and Let Live), 1980s (Duran Duran - Big Fun), 1990s (Genesis - Calling All Stations)... enough for now.
Love Queen and Dylan. Can’t disagree on what you said about HS and KOL. My first reaction to hearing both albums was “Oh Dear!” Well, that’s putting it politely. 😁
Just had a nosey at Lou Reeds Metal something album. Its almost like the sound of a galactic refrigerator. But one that you wish was running out of electricity very soon PLEASE
Your video actually and me laugh at times, highly entertaining, I must admit I was expecting David Bowie’s Tonight album, perhaps the brilliant Loving The Alien saved it!!! I have never played the album from start to finish, can never get past Tina Turner without saying out loud WHY? ⚡️
Great list Barry & off the top of my head.... John Lennon - Sometime In New York City Wings - Wild Life Paul McCartney - McCartney II Elton John - Victim Of Love Pink Floyd - The Final Cut Dylan - Self Portrait David Bowie - Never Let Me Down Sparks - Introducing George Harrison - Gone Troppo Genesis - Calling All Stations Phil Collins - Testify Blondie - The Hunter Fleetwood Mac - Mirage The Clash - Cut The Crap OMD - Dazzle Ships XTC - Wasp Star.....
Still playing it 39 years on! Love every track, every lyric, cant understand why so many deride it, maybe if it was relabelled as a RW album rather than PF album it would be viewed differently.
I'm a huge Beach Boys fan, and I bought "Summer in Paradise" on cassette when it came out in 1992. I don't hate it as much as some people do, but I listen to it only once every five years or so. I very much agree with the dated sound of the production, especially when it comes to the use of a drum machine. Their modern-sounding remake of "Surfin'" is a low point, as is the unnecessary remake of "Forever" with guest vocalist John Stamos. The album was a dismal commercial failure, and it's been out of print for almost 30 years, with the ironic result of it becoming a collector's item. I didn't realize until a few years ago that much of the album was rerecorded/remixed a few months later for British release. I think you mean South Korea and not North Korea for its only release on vinyl.
WHY don’t you hate it as much as other people do? It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard, and Mike Love and his creepiness and cringy-ness and toxic douchebaggery is the worst thing about it.
Least we not forget that this is in the period of time when The Beach Boys fractured down the middle. There were actually two Beach Boys bands co-existing at the same time. Two very different bands indeed. One headed by Mike Love which was abysmal and the other with the remaining members with Brian Wilson. This album should not even be considered apart of the library of the original Beach Boys archive. A sad situation that was sparked by Mike Love in jealousy of Brian Wilson.
@@curly_wyn Agreed! If you love the original Beach Boys you should despise this album. And your points about Mike Love is fully on target. He is a terrible person who is jealous of the genius of Brian Wilson and intensely vindictive.
I did buy the Springtime in New York box set last year, there's plenty of good stuff on there, and none of that sounded like some hideous drum machine 80s type stuff. Later in the decade I think Dylan had struggles being relevant or finding a decent sound for a long time. Finally with Time Out of Mind and Tempest Dylan would regain a grip!
Similar to Roger Waters, Van is one to voice his opinion. On 'Latest Record Project' (a No.5 UK album) he poses a great question - "Where Have All The Rebels Gone?" which for me is a timely, pointed and melodic romp. It used to be our rock and roll fave's would love sticking it to 'The Man' but nowadays most simply whimper under corporate controlled narratives. A double album with alot to offer, including 'Breaking The Spell' and 'Up County Down" - 2 classic Van songs. It's my opinion that some of these song titles and messages/lyrics are so tongue in cheek obvious (which seems to me is required these days), that he's actually having a bit of fun with all the proceedings. His next album, 'What's It Gonna Take' is more of the same and possibly even more ascerbic. Van has many albums dealing with the spirit and mellower things - but it's the right time for me, for a rock and roll rebel.
@@classicalbum I actually didn't want to like it; because of the potentially silly album title, the simplistic graphic design and the total length, but it won me over, LOL :) Cheeeeers!
much prefer Dirty Work to the preceding album, Undercover. Actually prefer it to the subsequent album too, Steel Wheels. The Production is a little hard to deal with but judged just on the strength of songs I think it's clearly the Stones 2nd best of the decade.
I always think of Eye II Eye by The Scorpions. Though they haven't released a good album since 1984, Eye II Eye makes all the other turds since then seem a little better. Except for "Winds Of Change". That is the bottom of the barrel. There should never be whistling in a rock song. I'm looking at you, GnR "Patience".
yeah...what the hell were they thinking? Aerosmith's "Music From Another Dimension" is so boring and interesting that it makes their 90's output look like masterpieces (I think those albums have some merit as there is at least a song or two on each one).
My first time watching one of your vids. I see you're wearing a Santana t-shirt. Wonder what you think of that song he did with Rob Thomas, "Smooth"? Pure shite, imho...I literally can't change the radio dial fast enough. Anyone else feel the same way? Looked through your vids, liked what I saw, so I subscribed! Cheers!
John Fogerty's _Eye of the Zombie_ is both awful and great! Actually, I like 'off' albums such as ZZ Top's _Recycler_ and Dire Straits' _On Every Street._ The critics and audience say "these don't meet expectations," but the playing is still great and there are a few gems in the slag.
My three favourite bands ever are Genesis 1971-1977, the Ramones and After Crying 1990-1996. The latter probably made the best music of the Nineties (1996's 'De Profundis' remains my favourite album of the last 26 years). When they put out 'Show' (2003) I couldn't believe how awful it was. It's one of the worst albums I've ever heard. It makes Genesis' '...Calling All Stations...' or the Ramones' 'Halfway to Sanity' sound memorable.
Good list.The 80,s produced some good "pop" bands but equally was not good for more established commercial bands getting caught up in it all.The Stones,Dire Straights,ZZTop ,ACDC ......Only the granite bands like Motorhead ignored the over compressed production that I think is still held to the likes of Michael Jacksons Thriller which shifted how a piece of vinyl played.OMD and countless new bands of the early 80,s used that heavily synthetic sound.If you were a 70,s outfit with a couple of guitars a bass and a drumkit you were knackered.
agree completely. I loved the 80's British invasion (as we called it in The States) but the established bands that tried to sound "contemporary" should have just stuck to what they did best.
Happy to see The Beach Boys Number One! I think there are two songs where I can listen to about 10 seconds of without getting a horrible pain in my groin. Biggest BB/BW fan out there (or at least tied for #1), but I wholeheartedly agree with your choice. I would put DIRTY WORK a little higher, if only because it's The Rolling Stones and they shouldn't have released such crap. Somebody gave me a copy of METAL MACHINE MUSIC when it was released. That person ceased to be my friend shortly after that. I only listened to about five minutes of it, but I can still hear the cacophony in my brain to this very day.
Great Edith Sitwell quote at the beginning. Enjoyable post. I try to understand the reasons behind such messes. Usually, it's because of needing to fulfill a contract, get any product -- songs that were recorded & rejected in the past -- in the stores because of a holiday, the writing was not inspired, on tour & need to squeeze out an LP. An album with varied musicians who haven't worked together before or there's no consistent band to flesh out an artist's style is tightrope walking. Elton John doing disco music ("Victim of Love") -- ill-advised. Many have issued many great albums that their ability to sustain quality becomes a challenge (King Crimson/Jethro Tull). An artist who "claims" to be prolific -- Neil Young is a great example but much at one time was misguided & the late Jackie Leven is another. Leven had so many Cooking Vinyl albums, so many songs, that they issued some under a different name. I don't blame Elvis Presley for his drek -- he seldom got involved with what RCA planned to release & over the years they have concocted some disasters. "Having Fun With Elvis On Stage?" Are you kidding? Songs on an album that between 2 sides didn't add up to 15 minutes. An entire album of second-rate songs built around a hit single ("Burning Love"). One song with 20 false takes. Who needs this? The Grateful Dead can be forgiven for their inferior releases because they endorsed such things & fans craved them (especially live albums & "Dylan & the Dead" which were ill-conceived). But the marketing department wants a product. "Knocked Out Loaded" by Dylan was poor but he had far worse albums -- that "Self Portrait" double LP & the single LP "Dylan" -- some artists can record covers effectively (Elvis) & others can't (Dylan). Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music LP was pulled from shelves by RCA but it did play a role in the formation of industrial rock music that followed years later. Atilla on Epic was two guys playing bad heavy metal -- one was Billy Joel. Bands should be more careful with their output -- it becomes their legacy. If I owned a radio station I'd have you do a program once or twice a week. Interesting, well-paced & accurate. I don't like blaming artists for weak LPs but if it's someone famous & it's a blatant "product" grab of rehashed songs, alternatives, or poor live cuts just to make a buck -- that I'd criticize. I reviewed tons of John Mayall reissues recently & some of the live albums were unbearable. Not the performances but the quality.
If only he could include the music without copyright infringement claims and his videos thus not being eligible for monetization, if not violating some terms of service, these videos would be even more informative and fun. As it is we can just do a separate search of hear what something sounds like. But it is a sad state of affairs when videos about music can't include any of the music in question.
@@shiroibasketshoes I doubt he gets away with it. He may just keep his clips super short, and may just lump having his video demonetized. I've had a few videos I made demonetized for seconds of music I used in the background. Just tiny amounts.
@@artvsmachine You could be right, which could be one reason people like him are pushy about Patreon donations. I'm no expert on monetizing, as my goal since 2006 was always to pay to have a couple of Flickr pro accounts and I never got set up to make my own youtube videos. One thing to consider though is if we were making hit songs ourselves, would we want it to be free for anyone at all to use parts of our songs in their videos?
I am one of the few that likes most of Hot Space lol. But I draw the line at Body Language. To add insult to injury (as far as I can remember without looking it up) it was the lead single for the album.
Technically "Under Pressure" was the first single, but considering that UP was released long before Hot Space and even was on some editions of Greatest Hits, released late 1981, I'd say in practicality Body Language was the leading single. It was also the reason I didn't buy Hot Space until about 35 years later on CD lol.
In my teens I liked Rick Wakeman, but his album no Earthly Connection was truly dreadful. Now in my 60s it was all pretty dire although I still listen to Six Wives occasionally. Good video. Thank you.
10 Rolling Stones Dirty Work- Keith felt that Mick was holding back his better songs for his own solo album ...6 Bob Dylan Knocked Out Loaded- There was one worthwhile track on the album Brownsville Girl ...
Probably the most remarkable thing about Eric Clapton's Pilgrim is that the album art was created by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the manga artist who co-created and did the character designs for the famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion
Gave this video a chance as it came up in my home feed for some reason. Its hit every beat I've heard from 60s an 70s rock fanatics that kind of scared me from buying albums I enjoyed as a teenager. Its all here: "80s bad-too many cheesy synths", "the Beach Boys cannot exist independent of Bryan Wilson", "sarcasm is the highest form of humor" and "music has to be dark and traumatic to be of quality. Oddly enough, totally agree on the Van Morrison album. His music is always wonderful, just get annoyed at his angry old man persona. Am not a big Metallica fan, so never cared about St. Anger.
ELP were part of my growing up in the 1970s. They were then and still are now at the top of my list. “In the Hot Seat” is however the biggest pile of sh*te. Your “dishonourable mention” is without a doubt my number 1. Quite how 3 of the most gifted musicians ever born could put together such a dire album is in comprehensible. Despite my love for the band, the late John Peel’s infamous comment does indeed apply to this album!
Frankly everything after and possibly including Works 2 are trash . From what they put out earlier those albums are a real head scratcher( although ELPowell was not terrible.
I don't mind 'Hand of Truth' and 'One by One' and the truncated 'Pictures' but the rest is pretty shabby. I think Emerson was having nerve issues and problems playing. 'Memoirs' from Love Beach isn't that bad, although the esprit de corps of gentlemen military officers wasn't exactly cutting edge social commentary for 1978. Should've stuck with psychotic future AI and cybernetic armadillos.
@@Frank_nwobhm Can’t agree more, Frank! I still put Love Beach on the turntable (trying not to look at the dire “Bee Gees” cover, of course!) but my CD of In the Hot Seat hasn’t seen the light of day for probably 25 years.
I really enjoyed your humorous critique of these albums and to be honest, a couple of these albums I have never heard of. I love Bob Dylan and had never even heard of this album you reviewed. Being a big Neil Young fan I actually liked a couple of songs on Americana but I have to agree that listening to Tom Dula is almost impossible, Billy Talbot's yelling TOM DULA is so annoying! I have sampled bits of Metal Machine Music in the past and all it sounded like was noise. Four 20 minute sides of the same garbage? Terrible! This was fun, new subscriber here.
The idea of Neil Young and Crazy Horse doing the British National Anthem made me think of Sheldon Cooper singing My Country Tis Of Thee on the karaoke on The Big Bang Theory! I think it was Mojo magazine's review that brought up memories of Huckleberry Hound in regard to their version of Clementine.
Infidels, in my opinion, is Dylan's greatest 1980s album - absolutely solid, imaginative, and with great playing, production, lyrics and singing...during an otherwise very choppy stretch of his career.
Brownsville Girl is an incredible song, which is like 1/3 the album. Maybe someday and under your spell are stand-out tracks. Yes, the album production sucks. Yes, the album is short . But far from terrible
Roxy Music's Flesh + Blood is a pretty dreadful record. It fully reflects the bloodless quality of some of Bryan Ferry's work, particularly when he's doing covers, and is a terrible representation of a great band. Said as an admirer of both the band and some of Ferry's solo output.
Good shout. I often see reviewers place it above its predecessor “Manifesto” - which I really love (not just the music, but it has an association with a particular time in my life). I played Roxy’s “Eight Miles High” from Flesh + Blood to a mate at university and he nearly threw up!
Well done. I suppose even the great are not great all the time and experimentation can just as easily fail as succeed. I threw Bowie's Alien in the rubbish where it could not pollute his other works
Clapton actually had one album of new material in the 90’s before Pilgrim. From the Cradle in 1994. I remember motherless child being a pretty big hit off that album.
Clapton-some classics but a lot of mediocrity. Mcartney and Waters-genius but egotistisim almost stomach churning. Metallica-annoying "singing." Lou Reed- a few good songs but a reportedly an unbearable creep. Springsteen-loved BITUSA,Nebraska about a murderer(why on earth?),the rest doesn't go anywhere for me. At least I wouldn't spend money on it.
The eighties in general might deserve the honor of a dedicated feature vid. What an abominable and sad age for music... The SSL studio mixer, the sickening overuse of gated drumming, that tinny and harsh guitar sound, the pop-crime syndicate of Stock/Aitken/Waterman, the Roland Juno Synths- and former legends desperately trying to fit in this somehow. No wonder Kate Bush is a celebrated sensation today - somebody finally found the, as you put it, diamond in the turd.... Gave up on the eighties around '86, just standing by awaiting the 90's and exploring the creative explosions of former decades instead... Nuggets, Pebbles, Kent Soul, Bam Caruso, Edsel, etc. happened at that time for very good reasons for us young 'uns.
I just wanted to write something about the 80' s studiosound. You just did it for me, thank you. Just like to mention two albums by a very successful artist to explain what I mean. Listen to the wonderful warm sound of " The wild, the innocent & the E-Street shuffle" and then compare it to "Born in the USA". Everything you' re describing you will hear on this album, gated drums, harsh guitar sounds and much too many reverb. And not to forget f.... Bradshaw guitar rack systems.
Queen's Hot Space appeals to a wide broad audiences due to its genre of music. You have the monster rock track "under pressure", the dance/funk/techno song "body language", and the disco track "back chat". You even have a fusion of disco and rock with "Dancer". The album does not focus on one specific audience necessarily and includes Queen's exploration of music thus you have a wide range of criticism.
Nah. Queen were masters at adopting different styles of music and making it their own, but Hot Space just fails to hit any of its marks. There are some good ideas on there but the execution is simply lackluster. Even a throwback Brian May rocker like Put Out The Fire is mediocre by Queen’s standards. I do admit I have a soft spot for John and Roger’s songs on the album, and Under Pressure is a timeless classic of course, but overall I’d say Hot Space’s poor reputation is well deserved.
I grew up listening to Queen. Along with Flash Gordon, my least favourite Queen album. Maybe because they went down the disco/funk route and tried to appeal to a broader audience. They were a rock or pop rock band and my humble opinion should have avoided that route.
Maybe it wore me out through the years, but I kinda like Dirty Work nowadays 😂 One Hit (To The Body), Sleep Tonight, Winning Ugly, and the title track are fine in my book. That being said, it’s still their worst album.
I absolutely love Patrick Moraz' "The Story of i" (original title just "i") ever since I first heard it at age fourteen. Moraz is a deeply original keyboard man and songwriter, and I had been turned on to him through his stint with Yes on Relayer (still a favourite album of mine). Moraz' debut album is great, and very fun and exciting listening (it was voted "Keyboard album of the year" for 1976 in a magazine readers poll) - but when I checked out his album "Out in the Sun", recorded just two years later and with a few of the same musicians, I just found it really boring and lightweight. Last year I revisited it here on RUclips;this time around I could hear that some of the elements of the sound are similar to "Story of i" but it still feels boring. What's missing is the dramatic power, the cinemascope quality and the amazing fusions between different styles of music - and that, I think, is something he learnt about from working with Yes.
You missed tales of 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'.... Oh wait.... lol Gawd, absolute dreck, that one. That IS why Lou put that ... thing... out, and why there are two records.... you see, he owed RCA two records.... So yes. It's a concept album! (with the 'cept' left off)....
Now I supported Metallica during the whole Napster case but after hearing St. Anger, I want MY money back. I don't wanna talk anymore about what's wrong with Queen's 1982 petroleum bi-product known as Hot Space!
A friend of mine who passed away quite recently had a standing offer: if you could listen to ALL of "Metal Machine Music" through old-skool stereo headphones ("cans") in one sitting, he'd give you a crisp $50 bill. I only knew one person who earned that $50...but earn it, he did!
Agree with all your picks except Americana, I quite like a few of the renditions on this album and think there were much better Neil stinker choices like Landing On Water, Letter Home, The Monsanto Years and Life.
@@Shah-of-the-Shinebox I agree with you on Bridges to Babylon. The album certainly captures the familiar Rolling Stones sound, but all of the tracks are very forgettable. It's like the band was simply going through the motions without any real inspiration behind it. I was somewhat disappointed when I first heard the album. I expected at least a few killer tracks worth listening to over and over again.
Knocked out Loaded is terrible but Brownsville Girl (whatever its provenance) is its sole saving grace. I agree with pretty much everything else you said ;)
Big Beach Boys fan, Summer in Paradise was the new album when I got into them. I have a real soft spot for this album some amazing songs, a few clunkers but a fun album when we were young enough to really enjoy the summer.
Surprised to see Van's LRP here. The music is better (just) than any of his preceding albums for a while - as for the lyrics: well in these times, lyrics are regaining their utmost importance. You can keep putting out the same stuff but please - SAY SOMETHING! And Van does just that. The Future will view him kindly as someone who vigorously 'spoke out/sang out'. 'Where have all the rebels gone?' Indeed. Takes Van and Eric (coincidentally) to become 'Rebels with a Cause'. The lyrics alone make LRP worth buying.Cheers! :)
'Lipstick, Powder and Paint' by Shakin' Stevens. A terrible album. I had always hoped that 1983's 'The Bop Won't Stop' was merely a misstep but, alas, it was a signpost to new lows. I like his new stuff though. 'Re-set' is worth a listen. Only joking..... 'Landing on Water' - Neil Young (1986). What was that all about?
I actually loved "Love Beach" when it came out. You have to understand that ELP wanted to make a grand attempt at making a Pop Rock album. I think the band pulled it off nicely. The truly great bands are versatile, and they try to do different (and maybe even unusual) things to satisfy their listeners.
@@maxslamer Now..that's a freaky thought! Ha! Happily I saw Palmer when he played with Asia, ELP with Powell (helluava show), and ELP period when they were a dual bill with Jethro Tull (fantastic show by BOTH groups). Emerson did this great schtick with his moog and a big bowie knife. Cool as hell.
As Freddie said about Hot Space at Milton Keynes Bowl “it’s only a bloody record”. This is the only time I’ve heard an artist kind of try and justify their latest album. Better than Lars Ulrich’s Quality Street tin though (I loved your explanation of this shocking drum sound).
I was just about to type a comment absolutely disagreeing with you. I liked a lot of REM back in the day but mostly earlier stuff. But after Green was released I kind of lost interest and liked the odd tune. So I googled Automatic for the people to refresh my memory and…well…er. You have a point.
I have three of these in my collection: Stones, Clapton and Queen. Though being a completist to a degree I have managed to avoid the Van Morrison, Elton John and Beach Boys albums on the list despite owning loads of their albums, good or bad. Todd Rundgren's "No World Order" is forever on my list.
I have the Stones also. It was a monthly offer from a record club I was in during the late 80s. I failed to return it in time so I had to pay for it. Its a 30 + year old vinyl played only once.
My favorite comment “Van Morrison sounds like he’s been boiled in his own piss” 🤣
As Mark Ellen once said" There are two kinds of people in this world, people who like Van Morrison, and people who've met him..."
I've heard he is a Grumpy Bugger.
The most disappointing live act I've ever seen. His security must have been sweating as he spent the whole night abusing the audience, the country and its whole population - he wasn't a happy chappy. A lesser artist would have been lucky to get off the stage in one piece. A truly obnoxious individual.
Mr. Grumpy Pants
lol
I know the street in Bath where he lives. I used to jog along that route and once seen Van The Man come out of his house.
All I said was that found his then new release Avalon Sunset (it was 1989) a brilliant Album and loved the song Coney Island. The grumpy git told me to Feck Off.
My introduction to Bob Dylan was listening to almost all of his 60's records in the course of three or four days. A friend of mine insisted I do this, and brought a shopping bag full of his records to school, and lent them to me. The first new record that came out after that was Knocked Out Loaded. It was quite a contrast. I should add that I was also listening to a lot of Rolling Stones, and then Dirty Work came out.
I have to say, regarding Dylan's 80's output or influence (and I tried to make this a stand alone comment but comments are maybe turned off?).
I take offense that the 80's weren't kind to Bob (paraphrasing). I saw Dylan in concert a number of times. And no concerts I ever saw before or after...I won't say "compared to" but nothing surpassed the half dozen shows I saw Dylan perform with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
These are, no question, the best shows I ever saw. I realize this is probably more in regards to recorded output but Dylan was ON FIRE in the 80's.
Dispute or argue about his albums all anyone wants...and it's certain not my favorite era of his.
But Dylan was rejuvenated and on fire playing with the Heartbreakers. I still have my ticket stubs and tour programs in the garage and i will cherish them forever.
I only wish they had collaborated on, at least one album but I guess I should be happy they recorded new music as 2/5 of the Traveling Willburys
I'm really OCD about my vinyl and CD collection and not only have them alphabetical and by genre, I also have several shelves for specific albums; the ones I love the best, broken down by the mood I am in... And I have one box/shelf that is for the worst albums, the one I can't listen to but have to have because I am a Completist Collector... So far every album on this list I own and is on that shelf. Can't wait to get to part two.
My area for my most hated albums.......ebay or a trash can.
Great video! I found your descriptions of the albums absolutely hilarious! Thanks for posting!
Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins by John Lennon and Yoko Ono… has to be on this list.
calling it music is a stretch
@@themediumcheese Agreed. We can call it an album, but beyond that, not much else.
Let's talk about albums that are ruined by one side - Live Peace in Toronto. I don't think I need to go any further on that one.
When Double Fantasy came out, all my friends made tapes of the album...but ONLY of the Lennon songs (since Lennon had it so every OTHER song was "her") - hence, those albums are still probably near-pristine condition. Enough said...
Never use 'music' and 'Yoko' in the same sentence. Best to not ever mention 'Yoko'.
@@c.s.mcleod7383 Agree whole-heartedly....talk about a sponge. She found a Beatle ($$$$$) and clung on to him.
Great video per usual, it must’ve been difficult for a lot of those bands/musicians from the 60’s & 70’s to still keep that winning streak in the 80’s. People like to fool heartedly imagine the Beatles would still be making great albums through the 70’s/80’s & beyond if they were still together but realistically music tastes and trends change and most likely they would’ve been panned at some point by the masses
Well apart from John (dying in 1980) who also retired for a short time; they were all still active in the 1970s and 1980s and they made solo material that was also acclaimed, even Ringo! But it helps that 3/4 of the band were prolific songwriters. They would have made a dud eventually but Paul and George too had strong 1980s records.
One of my favourite things was to blend their solo albums up to at least 1980 together to create ‘lost’ Beatles albums.
Bad 80s was indeed all those establishment stadium rock bands trying to sound modern and looking tired against the post punk explosion. Most of those post punk acts were writing better songs if we're honest.
wrong
I think the Beatles would have led the trend rather than follow had they kept going, considering how innovative they were up to the break up.
@@michaelmcdonald2348 The Beatles more than likely would've gone down the Kraftwerk / electronic route I think had they not broken-up.
For us older folks learning guitar Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love) from Queen's Hot Space is a really nice song to play. Most people I play it to have never heard it and admittedly it is pretty soft but IMO pretty good too. Enjoying your channel 👍.
Las Palabras and Under Pressure are great...but unfortunately these are only quality tunes on the album.
Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" works wonderfully as a white-noise generator. I put it on for meditation! It's actually damn good!
I've never heard it, but the description given in this video actually fits my taste in noise, Avant Garde and experimental music.
What a great story. I meditate to railroad spikes being run across a chalkboard.
@@RythymBeast this made me laugh hardily.
@@InsaneCarville Hahahaha
If you have a graphic equalizer with your system, you can "play" the record.
Just put on Metal Machine Music, move the control levers on your equalizer to alter the sounds.
I also do this with Pete Shelley's "Sky Yen."
Great video! As a very long time Neil Young fan, who finds too many of his post ‘70s records to be spotty, I really like Americana for some reason. I’d maybe give it 3 stars out of 5, but I absolutely love several of the songs on the album and have played the album countless times. And that what’s so strange about Neil’s albums. Even at their worst, there is usually at least one over the top outstanding song on it that makes me happy to own it.
Neil releasing about an album a week.....ya got a lot to choose from. ha.
Although "Leather Jackets" is pretty crappy, "Victim Of Love" is embarrasing.
Victim is far worse
i agree . John thought using one of disco's top producers was a good idea but the songs are sterile and lifeless. And why "Johnny B Good"?
@@TooSkinnyKenny that Johnny B Goode is horrendous
I'm grateful for Queen's Hot Space. Only because their tour to support the album gave me the opportunity to see them in concert, as I had missed previous tours. It was a great show and Billy Squire opened for Queen.
Saw Queen twice, night at the opera tour, best concert ever. Fet bottom girls tour, was hurried, not great. Wish I would've bought girls shirt
Stones uber-fan that I am, I agree with the inclusion of 'Dirty work' - it's the only one I wish they'd never released. I can't believe they even released 'Winning ugly' as a single - it's awful.
Well done 👍 as Always, my friend. Cheers from 🇺🇸 States
It's interesting to observe how many of our 60's and 70's heroes had such a rough time in the '80s. Some came back and produced great stuff later, but the 80's was not their decade for whatever reason.
Years of drug abuse and infighting took its toll but they would clean up later
The switch from analog to digital recording had something to do with that
More likely that the groups failed to actually understand and embrace that most people, most listeners don't give a damn if the instruments played are organic@@martienvanderhof6696
Gotta say your descriptive takes are wonderfully hilarious. Especially the one on Van Morrison.
@7:50; "Lars banging away on a couple of Quality Street tins" 😂😂
When I was backpacking around Europe in the 80s I picked up a cassette of Bob Dylan's Knocked Out Loaded while I was in Yugoslavia. It became my Walkman favourite on my travels. I think maybe because I was listening to it on headphones while I was gazing out the train window gave it a different, intimate feel and perspective, but I love that album.
You could have killed two birds with one stone, Lou Reed AND Metallica, by going with Lulu! Also, I don't think I've ever heard Americana, but if it's worse than Landing on Water and Living With War, well, count me out.
Lol! I agree!!!!
Neil is definitely one of the all-time great American songwriters but I'm pretty sure he could have had all 10 spots on this list. lol. And yes, Americana is as bad as he said I still think Neil's albums Trans and Everybody's rockin are worse though.
A decent effort and combo. It was really Lou Reed's music and lyrics but Metallica managed to interpret it well considering how out there it is, even for Reed... I really appreciate anti-Authoritarian, anti-Trendy moaners like Van Morrison, if not all their music.. Progressive nonsense is worth battling.
--
You'd probably hate David Bowie's metal album and tour. I saw it performed at a festival and was quite shocked. Very heavy, death-metal style guitar with Bowie going more raw.. Certainly could have alienated some of his fans for a bit. He had a go at doing metal so respect for trying.
I really like Americana, it's rough and ready but meant to be that way, if you like Neil's stuff with Crazy Horse it's like being in an informal session with them. Le Noise is a harder album to get into, I'd say.
Eric Clapton and Neil Young's Grammy grabs, no!
Och, I think your fab. Your meanderings resonate like a battered old Gibson. Probably because I'm 60 and made a few records. Plus your twinkle tempers the occasional harsh, yet honest appraisal. Thank you man.
A lot of stinkers here for sure, but that Queen album...we were pissed when that turd dropped. Hated to this day. Total complete garbage.
My favorite album of all time is Metal Machine Music, I own a noise/experimental label, this was y gateway drug to it! Not for everyone, but for some, we love it!
How do you feel about Lulu, his final collaboration with Metallica?
@@louise_rose I think that is a very good Lou Reed album, and a very bad Metallica album. I like it a lot. If you see everything Lou Reed was doing, specially The Raven, he was doing a lot of spoken word, poetry with different people (Anthony and the Johnsons, Bowie, etc.) it was a very natural progression to what he had been doing. Metallica fans hated it because of course they didn't understand it was not a Metallica album, it was Lou and it just so happen to be Metallica playing in the background. If Lou had done that record with another band, or had it came out without Metallica being so upfront in the title, no one would had gone out to hate it. Lyrics are good, music is good, James Hetfield's vocals are crap. I love Lou, he did whatever he wanted, how he wanted.
One of my all time favourite albums is 'Back to the egg' by Wings. Even Paul McCartney is not keen on it, but we have paintings hanging in galleries done by Artists who hated them but they still go for millions. Taste will always be debated and usually derided, but ultimately we all have taste of our own.
@@siroswaldfortitude5346 I loved "Back To the Egg" too, bought the LP and CD of it. I hoped it'd be reissued with bonus tracks; if McCartney dislikes it too much for that, why not "London Town"?
My two Lou Reed CDs are "Metal Machine Music" which I really enjoy, and "New Sensations"...among his most pop and definitely least pop. Not respectively, irrespectively, haha.
Don’t forget that during Dirty Work, they also lost Ian Stewart, who they pay tribute to with a short unlisted piano instrumental.
As far as Knocked Out Loaded, the standout track, in my opinion, is They Killed Him , written by Kris Kristoffersson.
The best song on the album. 😒
I don't mind dirty work, its the cover that makes it more off putting towards stones fans.
I also like undercover from 1983, again the cover isn't all that appealing, but the music is pretty good.
These stones albums often get overlooked, its a bit like goats head soup. late discovered loved stones albums!
@@georgeprice4212 I need to get this one, at least on cd. Saved is not well liked but I dig it.
Always happy to revisit some of Christgau’s comments. His high gradings for Dirty Work and Americana remain a mystery though.
Yep. I love you Bob, but come on. “It’s honest and makes you like it.”? Seriously?
Like, even though there’s fundamentally no difference between Undercover and Dirty Work because they’re both abysmal, he rightfully gave Undercover a C+ but gave fucking gave Dirty Work an A. SMH.
@@curly_wyn Yes, Jagger links those two albums also and thought it was time to try something else.
Great stuff Barry,I never got Mike Love.keep er lit Sir 👍
Dude! I look forward to the day you man up and say what you really think and feel.
I always liked hot space by Queen, one of the very few bands/artists who successfully moved with the times without ailianating (not even spell check can sort that out) their past work. Great album, often overlooked because they dared to get a bit funky.
The word you were looking for is "alienating"
True, Hot Space belongs to the better half of their catalog, just a good vibrant album and something different. I think most people dont really listen to it anymore and just repeat that it is a bad album, well it is certainly not.
@@martijnmeijers7815 i agree. Queen's body of work is second to none. It's an artists right, collectively or individually to produce what they want. Look at David Bowie, he has created some of the greatest music of all time and yet he never stood still, he was forever changing. I personally think it's an artists strength to embrace different things. That's what artists do, regardless of their particular fields, thay create. Critics often look at the work produced and compare it to something previous. I know many Queen fans that love 'Hot Space' and see it as part of a body of work. It is nothing like 'A Night At The Opera', and for me, that's one of Queen's many strengths.
I agree. I take it over the boring Made In Heaven any day
Except they DID alienate their past work with Hot Space. Smh.
Enjoyable listen!
Agree on the Elton John Album & Queens Hot Space!
Unfortunately I have the dreadful Open your Eyes & Heaven and Earth by Yes also ELPs Love Beach!
A Local Cover Band in NE Pennsylvania used play Put Out the Fire in the 80’s!
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Mardi Gras album should have a dishonourable mention as well...
Hello Sir, I love a lot of pop music but I love “Metal Machine Music” too, perfect for college radio where I played it several times. You said it was from 1975, yes, but then you said it was from 1978. “Hot Space” is one of my favorite Queen albums especially as parts are almost disco. But I think we agree on Santana in general being great.
I quite enjoy Americana. Tracks like Oh Susannah, Travel On, Get A Job and others are good fun to play loud. Just my opinion though. Cheers!
Agreed
Always love your work . This one is a subject that always interests me. Dirty Work is a surrender by Keef that always surprised me .
Thanks. And thank you for your emails and music
Cadbury’s milk flake advert . A great 2022 new phrase to replace the over used Muzak.
Man, I really want to add “The Soft Parade” to this list but it still has some gems. Weak effort by the Doors tho
I would like to know about great albums by otherwise terrible artists. The magical flukes. It's true that 80s sent a lot of great 70s artists off the rails.
Great idea!
Can't think of any great albums by terrible artists. But what happens frequently is getting great songs out of terrible artists. Lot's of one hit wonders out there.
I think Clapton made a couple of those--Layla and 461 Ocean Blvd are both great albums, while most of the rest of his solo career is snooze-inducing, paint-by-numbers white blues.
@@rockturtleneck James Mtume's Rebirth Cycle was wild, like a cross between Pharaoh Saunders and Sun Ra, but from there it was all RnB hits.
What about "easy" third albums?
The detail I liked most on the Stones' 'Dirty Work' LP sleeve - if your eyes don't evaporate in the glare of their lurid jackets - is that it looks like Richards is kneeing Jagger in the nuts.
Talk about symbolism!
Leonard Cohen's "Death of a Ladies Man" is, I believe, the album for which producer Phil Spector went to jail for.
😅
And they made sure he STAYED THERE!😅
Great video; I think you could easily make one of these videos for each decade - starting with the 1960s... some suggestions: 1960s (Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request), 1970s (10cc - minus Godley & Creme - Live and Let Live), 1980s (Duran Duran - Big Fun), 1990s (Genesis - Calling All Stations)... enough for now.
I have done a few of these now
Love Queen and Dylan. Can’t disagree on what you said about HS and KOL. My first reaction to hearing both albums was “Oh Dear!” Well, that’s putting it politely. 😁
Just had a nosey at Lou Reeds Metal something album.
Its almost like the sound of a galactic refrigerator. But one that you wish was running out of electricity very soon PLEASE
Your video actually and me laugh at times, highly entertaining, I must admit I was expecting David Bowie’s Tonight album, perhaps the brilliant Loving The Alien saved it!!! I have never played the album from start to finish, can never get past Tina Turner without saying out loud WHY? ⚡️
Glad you enjoyed it
Great list Barry & off the top of my head....
John Lennon - Sometime In New York City
Wings - Wild Life
Paul McCartney - McCartney II
Elton John - Victim Of Love
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
Dylan - Self Portrait
David Bowie - Never Let Me Down
Sparks - Introducing
George Harrison - Gone Troppo
Genesis - Calling All Stations
Phil Collins - Testify
Blondie - The Hunter
Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
The Clash - Cut The Crap
OMD - Dazzle Ships
XTC - Wasp Star.....
I love love love The Final cut....assorted meat packing gliterati and all.
Yeah, that's a good "worst ever" list. ;)
McCartney II is not McCartney's best work, but it is not a bad album in my opinion, far from it...
@@watchhiddenside True, and it is actually considered as a cult classic by many
Still playing it 39 years on! Love every track, every lyric, cant understand why so many deride it, maybe if it was relabelled as a RW album rather than PF album it would be viewed differently.
I'm a huge Beach Boys fan, and I bought "Summer in Paradise" on cassette when it came out in 1992. I don't hate it as much as some people do, but I listen to it only once every five years or so. I very much agree with the dated sound of the production, especially when it comes to the use of a drum machine. Their modern-sounding remake of "Surfin'" is a low point, as is the unnecessary remake of "Forever" with guest vocalist John Stamos. The album was a dismal commercial failure, and it's been out of print for almost 30 years, with the ironic result of it becoming a collector's item. I didn't realize until a few years ago that much of the album was rerecorded/remixed a few months later for British release. I think you mean South Korea and not North Korea for its only release on vinyl.
WHY don’t you hate it as much as other people do? It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever heard, and Mike Love and his creepiness and cringy-ness and toxic douchebaggery is the worst thing about it.
The album has been out of print for almost 30 years? Dang, what a bummer! Our loss.
Least we not forget that this is in the period of time when The Beach Boys fractured down the middle. There were actually two Beach Boys bands co-existing at the same time. Two very different bands indeed. One headed by Mike Love which was abysmal and the other with the remaining members with Brian Wilson. This album should not even be considered apart of the library of the original Beach Boys archive. A sad situation that was sparked by Mike Love in jealousy of Brian Wilson.
@@curly_wyn Agreed! If you love the original Beach Boys you should despise this album. And your points about Mike Love is fully on target. He is a terrible person who is jealous of the genius of Brian Wilson and intensely vindictive.
@@davidl570 😄
I did buy the Springtime in New York box set last year, there's plenty of good stuff on there, and none of that sounded like some hideous drum machine 80s type stuff.
Later in the decade I think Dylan had struggles being relevant or finding a decent sound for a long time. Finally with Time Out of Mind and Tempest Dylan would regain
a grip!
100% correct.
Couldn’t agree more with your re view of Pilgrim. I love Clapton’s music but this album was miserable crap. Peter Hamill couldn’t depress anyone more.
Similar to Roger Waters, Van is one to voice his opinion. On 'Latest Record Project' (a No.5 UK album) he poses a great question - "Where Have All The Rebels Gone?" which for me is a timely, pointed and melodic romp. It used to be our rock and roll fave's would love sticking it to 'The Man' but nowadays most simply whimper under corporate controlled narratives. A double album with alot to offer, including 'Breaking The Spell' and 'Up County Down" - 2 classic Van songs. It's my opinion that some of these song titles and messages/lyrics are so tongue in cheek obvious (which seems to me is required these days), that he's actually having a bit of fun with all the proceedings. His next album, 'What's It Gonna Take' is more of the same and possibly even more ascerbic. Van has many albums dealing with the spirit and mellower things - but it's the right time for me, for a rock and roll rebel.
I like Van's later stuff, and enjoy the political stance on here, but I really didn't enjoy this album.
@@classicalbum I actually didn't want to like it; because of the potentially silly album title, the simplistic graphic design and the total length, but it won me over, LOL :) Cheeeeers!
much prefer Dirty Work to the preceding album, Undercover. Actually prefer it to the subsequent album too, Steel Wheels. The Production is a little hard to deal with but judged just on the strength of songs I think it's clearly the Stones 2nd best of the decade.
Love your material and your delivery!
I didn't like knocked out Loaded when I first heard it, but over time it grew on me.
Fantastic list and a great laugh as ever. Seems that 1986 is the annus horribilis in music (apart from maybe Talk Talk, Prince and Dexys).
Prince. Never got it. Must have missed something. Your columns are great though.
I always think of Eye II Eye by The Scorpions. Though they haven't released a good album since 1984, Eye II Eye makes all the other turds since then seem a little better. Except for "Winds Of Change". That is the bottom of the barrel. There should never be whistling in a rock song. I'm looking at you, GnR "Patience".
yeah...what the hell were they thinking?
Aerosmith's "Music From Another Dimension" is so boring and interesting that it makes their 90's output look like masterpieces (I think those albums have some merit as there is at least a song or two on each one).
70s scorpions were great rock album's
@@brucedickinson12 Love their 70's stuff - nothing like it since.
My first time watching one of your vids. I see you're wearing a Santana t-shirt. Wonder what you think of that song he did with Rob Thomas, "Smooth"? Pure shite, imho...I literally can't change the radio dial fast enough. Anyone else feel the same way?
Looked through your vids, liked what I saw, so I subscribed! Cheers!
I love Santana, but some of his later albums are a bit dodgy
John Fogerty's _Eye of the Zombie_ is both awful and great! Actually, I like 'off' albums such as ZZ Top's _Recycler_ and Dire Straits' _On Every Street._ The critics and audience say "these don't meet expectations," but the playing is still great and there are a few gems in the slag.
Eye Of The Zombie has "Change In The Weather" that sounds a lot like his Creedence songs.
Great reviewing.. Subscribed to check out your other reviews..
My three favourite bands ever are Genesis 1971-1977, the Ramones and After Crying 1990-1996. The latter probably made the best music of the Nineties (1996's 'De Profundis' remains my favourite album of the last 26 years). When they put out 'Show' (2003) I couldn't believe how awful it was. It's one of the worst albums I've ever heard. It makes Genesis' '...Calling All Stations...' or the Ramones' 'Halfway to Sanity' sound memorable.
Hi there - I did enjoy your video! Agree to 90/95%. Disagree only on the mentioned Van Morrison one really!
Good list.The 80,s produced some good "pop" bands but equally was not good for more established commercial bands getting caught up in it all.The Stones,Dire Straights,ZZTop ,ACDC ......Only the granite bands like Motorhead ignored the over compressed production that I think is still held to the likes of Michael Jacksons Thriller which shifted how a piece of vinyl played.OMD and countless new bands of the early 80,s used that heavily synthetic sound.If you were a 70,s outfit with a couple of guitars a bass and a drumkit you were knackered.
@@thevoid6818 names please!
@@thevoid6818 FGTH?
agree completely. I loved the 80's British invasion (as we called it in The States) but the established bands that tried to sound "contemporary" should have just stuck to what they did best.
@@sirlawrence9161 maybe it's Fking Gone To Hell... ?
Happy to see The Beach Boys Number One! I think there are two songs where I can listen to about 10 seconds of without getting a horrible pain in my groin. Biggest BB/BW fan out there (or at least tied for #1), but I wholeheartedly agree with your choice. I would put DIRTY WORK a little higher, if only because it's The Rolling Stones and they shouldn't have released such crap. Somebody gave me a copy of METAL MACHINE MUSIC when it was released. That person ceased to be my friend shortly after that. I only listened to about five minutes of it, but I can still hear the cacophony in my brain to this very day.
Seems like the mid-80s especially was a dire time for classic artists.
Always underrated Warrior Soul with Chill Pill. Also a raspberry towards Geffen.
Dylan's 'Good As I've Been To You' is far worse than Knocked Out Loaded.
Great Edith Sitwell quote at the beginning. Enjoyable post.
I try to understand the reasons behind such messes. Usually, it's because of needing to fulfill a contract, get any product -- songs that were recorded & rejected in the past -- in the stores because of a holiday, the writing was not inspired, on tour & need to squeeze out an LP.
An album with varied musicians who haven't worked together before or there's no consistent band to flesh out an artist's style is tightrope walking. Elton John doing disco music ("Victim of Love") -- ill-advised. Many have issued many great albums that their ability to sustain quality becomes a challenge (King Crimson/Jethro Tull).
An artist who "claims" to be prolific -- Neil Young is a great example but much at one time was misguided & the late Jackie Leven is another. Leven had so many Cooking Vinyl albums, so many songs, that they issued some under a different name.
I don't blame Elvis Presley for his drek -- he seldom got involved with what RCA planned to release & over the years they have concocted some disasters. "Having Fun With Elvis On Stage?" Are you kidding? Songs on an album that between 2 sides didn't add up to 15 minutes. An entire album of second-rate songs built around a hit single ("Burning Love"). One song with 20 false takes. Who needs this?
The Grateful Dead can be forgiven for their inferior releases because they endorsed such things & fans craved them (especially live albums & "Dylan & the Dead" which were ill-conceived). But the marketing department wants a product.
"Knocked Out Loaded" by Dylan was poor but he had far worse albums -- that "Self Portrait" double LP & the single LP "Dylan" -- some artists can record covers effectively (Elvis) & others can't (Dylan).
Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music LP was pulled from shelves by RCA but it did play a role in the formation of industrial rock music that followed years later. Atilla on Epic was two guys playing bad heavy metal -- one was Billy Joel.
Bands should be more careful with their output -- it becomes their legacy.
If I owned a radio station I'd have you do a program once or twice a week. Interesting, well-paced & accurate. I don't like blaming artists for weak LPs but if it's someone famous & it's a blatant "product" grab of rehashed songs, alternatives, or poor live cuts just to make a buck -- that I'd criticize.
I reviewed tons of John Mayall reissues recently & some of the live albums were unbearable. Not the performances but the quality.
If only he could include the music without copyright infringement claims and his videos thus not being eligible for monetization, if not violating some terms of service, these videos would be even more informative and fun. As it is we can just do a separate search of hear what something sounds like. But it is a sad state of affairs when videos about music can't include any of the music in question.
Lots of youtube music channels are getting away with using the actual music too; Professor Of Rock for example.
@@shiroibasketshoes I doubt he gets away with it. He may just keep his clips super short, and may just lump having his video demonetized. I've had a few videos I made demonetized for seconds of music I used in the background. Just tiny amounts.
@@artvsmachine You could be right, which could be one reason people like him are pushy about Patreon donations. I'm no expert on monetizing, as my goal since 2006 was always to pay to have a couple of Flickr pro accounts and I never got set up to make my own youtube videos. One thing to consider though is if we were making hit songs ourselves, would we want it to be free for anyone at all to use parts of our songs in their videos?
You hit the nail on the head with Hot Space, what a disaster, what were they thinking....?
I am one of the few that likes most of Hot Space lol. But I draw the line at Body Language. To add insult to injury (as far as I can remember without looking it up) it was the lead single for the album.
Technically "Under Pressure" was the first single, but considering that UP was released long before Hot Space and even was on some editions of Greatest Hits, released late 1981, I'd say in practicality Body Language was the leading single. It was also the reason I didn't buy Hot Space until about 35 years later on CD lol.
In my teens I liked Rick Wakeman, but his album no Earthly Connection was truly dreadful. Now in my 60s it was all pretty dire although I still listen to Six Wives occasionally. Good video. Thank you.
Rapping on a Beach Boys album?.....dear heaven.
10 Rolling Stones Dirty Work- Keith felt that Mick was holding back his better songs for his own solo album ...6 Bob Dylan Knocked Out Loaded- There was one worthwhile track on the album Brownsville Girl ...
Probably the most remarkable thing about Eric Clapton's Pilgrim is that the album art was created by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the manga artist who co-created and did the character designs for the famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion
The album art is the ONLY good thing about that album.
Gave this video a chance as it came up in my home feed for some reason. Its hit every beat I've heard from 60s an 70s rock fanatics that kind of scared me from buying albums I enjoyed as a teenager. Its all here: "80s bad-too many cheesy synths", "the Beach Boys cannot exist independent of Bryan Wilson", "sarcasm is the highest form of humor" and "music has to be dark and traumatic to be of quality. Oddly enough, totally agree on the Van Morrison album. His music is always wonderful, just get annoyed at his angry old man persona. Am not a big Metallica fan, so never cared about St. Anger.
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ELP were part of my growing up in the 1970s. They were then and still are now at the top of my list. “In the Hot Seat” is however the biggest pile of sh*te. Your “dishonourable mention” is without a doubt my number 1. Quite how 3 of the most gifted musicians ever born could put together such a dire album is in comprehensible. Despite my love for the band, the late John Peel’s infamous comment does indeed apply to this album!
I’m glad someone agrees with me on In the Hot Seat Just miserable from a band with so many jewels
Frankly everything after and possibly including Works 2 are trash . From what they put out earlier those albums are a real head scratcher( although ELPowell was not terrible.
I don't mind 'Hand of Truth' and 'One by One' and the truncated 'Pictures' but the rest is pretty shabby. I think Emerson was having nerve issues and problems playing. 'Memoirs' from Love Beach isn't that bad, although the esprit de corps of gentlemen military officers wasn't exactly cutting edge social commentary for 1978. Should've stuck with psychotic future AI and cybernetic armadillos.
In The Hot Seat is dreadful start to finish. I can't think of a single memorable moment on it. Makes Love Beach sound like Tarkus by comparison.
@@Frank_nwobhm Can’t agree more, Frank! I still put Love Beach on the turntable (trying not to look at the dire “Bee Gees” cover, of course!) but my CD of In the Hot Seat hasn’t seen the light of day for probably 25 years.
I really enjoyed your humorous critique of these albums and to be honest, a couple of these albums I have never heard of. I love Bob Dylan and had never even heard of this album you reviewed. Being a big Neil Young fan I actually liked a couple of songs on Americana but I have to agree that listening to Tom Dula is almost impossible, Billy Talbot's yelling TOM DULA is so annoying! I have sampled bits of Metal Machine Music in the past and all it sounded like was noise. Four 20 minute sides of the same garbage? Terrible! This was fun, new subscriber here.
The idea of Neil Young and Crazy Horse doing the British National Anthem made me think of Sheldon Cooper singing My Country Tis Of Thee on the karaoke on The Big Bang Theory! I think it was Mojo magazine's review that brought up memories of Huckleberry Hound in regard to their version of Clementine.
I love that Dylan album. It’s brilliant. Live his 80’s stuff starting with Shot of Love
All it needed was more songs,,,Dylan sings great on it....
Nope, it’s garbAge.
Infidels, in my opinion, is Dylan's greatest 1980s album - absolutely solid, imaginative, and with great playing, production, lyrics and singing...during an otherwise very choppy stretch of his career.
Brownsville Girl is an incredible song, which is like 1/3 the album. Maybe someday and under your spell are stand-out tracks. Yes, the album production sucks. Yes, the album is short . But far from terrible
This reviewer is so accurate and spot on with his reviews that i will noe treat these 10 albums like superman treats green kryptonite
Roxy Music's Flesh + Blood is a pretty dreadful record. It fully reflects the bloodless quality of some of Bryan Ferry's work, particularly when he's doing covers, and is a terrible representation of a great band. Said as an admirer of both the band and some of Ferry's solo output.
Good shout. I often see reviewers place it above its predecessor “Manifesto” - which I really love (not just the music, but it has an association with a particular time in my life). I played Roxy’s “Eight Miles High” from Flesh + Blood to a mate at university and he nearly threw up!
Love his hard rains a gonna fall though
@@malcolmmitchell4709 Me too. They could do great covers, just not on Flesh + Blood.
Well done. I suppose even the great are not great all the time and experimentation can just as easily fail as succeed. I threw Bowie's Alien in the rubbish where it could not pollute his other works
Clapton actually had one album of new material in the 90’s before Pilgrim. From the Cradle in 1994. I remember motherless child being a pretty big hit off that album.
Pilgrim sucked. From the cradle was great, but not original songs
Clapton-some classics but a lot of mediocrity. Mcartney and Waters-genius but egotistisim almost stomach churning. Metallica-annoying "singing." Lou Reed- a few good songs but a reportedly an unbearable creep. Springsteen-loved BITUSA,Nebraska about a murderer(why on earth?),the rest doesn't go anywhere for me. At least I wouldn't spend money on it.
The eighties in general might deserve the honor of a dedicated feature vid. What an abominable and sad age for music... The SSL studio mixer, the sickening overuse of gated drumming, that tinny and harsh guitar sound, the pop-crime syndicate of Stock/Aitken/Waterman, the Roland Juno Synths- and former legends desperately trying to fit in this somehow.
No wonder Kate Bush is a celebrated sensation today - somebody finally found the, as you put it, diamond in the turd....
Gave up on the eighties around '86, just standing by awaiting the 90's and exploring the creative explosions of former decades instead... Nuggets, Pebbles, Kent Soul, Bam Caruso, Edsel, etc. happened at that time for very good reasons for us young 'uns.
I just wanted to write something about the 80' s studiosound.
You just did it for me, thank you.
Just like to mention two albums by a very successful artist to explain what I mean.
Listen to the wonderful warm sound of " The wild, the innocent & the E-Street shuffle" and then compare it to "Born in the USA".
Everything you' re describing you will hear on this album, gated drums, harsh guitar sounds and much too many reverb.
And not to forget f.... Bradshaw guitar rack systems.
Another great episode,one of your best ! Can't agree more and thanks again !
Thanks
Queen's Hot Space appeals to a wide broad audiences due to its genre of music. You have the monster rock track "under pressure", the dance/funk/techno song "body language", and the disco track "back chat". You even have a fusion of disco and rock with "Dancer". The album does not focus on one specific audience necessarily and includes Queen's exploration of music thus you have a wide range of criticism.
Nah. Queen were masters at adopting different styles of music and making it their own, but Hot Space just fails to hit any of its marks. There are some good ideas on there but the execution is simply lackluster. Even a throwback Brian May rocker like Put Out The Fire is mediocre by Queen’s standards. I do admit I have a soft spot for John and Roger’s songs on the album, and Under Pressure is a timeless classic of course, but overall I’d say Hot Space’s poor reputation is well deserved.
I grew up listening to Queen. Along with Flash Gordon, my least favourite Queen album. Maybe because they went down the disco/funk route and tried to appeal to a broader audience. They were a rock or pop rock band and my humble opinion should have avoided that route.
Maybe it wore me out through the years, but I kinda like Dirty Work nowadays 😂 One Hit (To The Body), Sleep Tonight, Winning Ugly, and the title track are fine in my book. That being said, it’s still their worst album.
I absolutely love Patrick Moraz' "The Story of i" (original title just "i") ever since I first heard it at age fourteen. Moraz is a deeply original keyboard man and songwriter, and I had been turned on to him through his stint with Yes on Relayer (still a favourite album of mine). Moraz' debut album is great, and very fun and exciting listening (it was voted "Keyboard album of the year" for 1976 in a magazine readers poll) - but when I checked out his album "Out in the Sun", recorded just two years later and with a few of the same musicians, I just found it really boring and lightweight. Last year I revisited it here on RUclips;this time around I could hear that some of the elements of the sound are similar to "Story of i" but it still feels boring. What's missing is the dramatic power, the cinemascope quality and the amazing fusions between different styles of music - and that, I think, is something he learnt about from working with Yes.
Patrick's first 3 albums the story of Eye out of the sun and a self-titled album I think we're all fantastic.
Thank you! I really like most of those artists but never heard of half of those albums. So I will keep away from them.
Freddie Mercury actually said sorry for hot space none of the band were happy with it it was a big change in direction for them
Your description of Under Pressure on the Queen album Hot Space as a Diamond on a Turd -LOL!!! !!!
i would not call "Hot space" bad or terrible album. It is just untypical to Queen. but in general it is fun to listen to.
You missed tales of 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'.... Oh wait.... lol Gawd, absolute dreck, that one.
That IS why Lou put that ... thing... out, and why there are two records.... you see, he owed RCA two records.... So yes. It's a concept album! (with the 'cept' left off)....
Now I supported Metallica during the whole Napster case but after hearing St. Anger, I want MY money back. I don't wanna talk anymore about what's wrong with Queen's 1982 petroleum bi-product known as Hot Space!
Circus by EC is straight from the heart & cannot be touched in my opinion as a mum who lost a child
A friend of mine who passed away quite recently had a standing offer: if you could listen to ALL of "Metal Machine Music" through old-skool stereo headphones ("cans") in one sitting, he'd give you a crisp $50 bill. I only knew one person who earned that $50...but earn it, he did!
Wow...that guy owes me about $7000!
There are easier ways to make money. That’s not even minimum wage
@@FranssensM Uh, that was right at 50 years ago. My rent was only $175 a month. $50 cash was a decent spiff.
Agree with all your picks except Americana, I quite like a few of the renditions on this album and think there were much better Neil stinker choices like Landing On Water, Letter Home, The Monsanto Years and Life.
Dirty Work is obviously no masterpiece, but what came afterwards is even worse. Completely irrelevant.
Like Bridges to Babylon, that album was garbage. I liked Steel Wheels.
@@Shah-of-the-Shinebox I agree with you on Bridges to Babylon. The album certainly captures the familiar Rolling Stones sound, but all of the tracks are very forgettable. It's like the band was simply going through the motions without any real inspiration behind it. I was somewhat disappointed when I first heard the album. I expected at least a few killer tracks worth listening to over and over again.
@@rookmaster7502 and the production is horrible. Anybody Seen My Baby is an ok track.
Knocked out Loaded is terrible but Brownsville Girl (whatever its provenance) is its sole saving grace. I agree with pretty much everything else you said ;)
Knocked Out Loaded has 3 maybe 4 good songs which is better than a lot of artists
Big Beach Boys fan, Summer in Paradise was the new album when I got into them. I have a real soft spot for this album some amazing songs, a few clunkers but a fun album when we were young enough to really enjoy the summer.
Lmao.
Surprised to see Van's LRP here. The music is better (just) than any of his preceding albums for a while - as for the lyrics: well in these times, lyrics are regaining their utmost importance. You can keep putting out the same stuff but please - SAY SOMETHING! And Van does just that. The Future will view him kindly as someone who vigorously 'spoke out/sang out'.
'Where have all the rebels gone?' Indeed. Takes Van and Eric (coincidentally) to become 'Rebels with a Cause'. The lyrics alone make LRP worth buying.Cheers! :)
Rebels for white supremacy and/or anti-wokeness? Sounds pretty shit to me.
'Lipstick, Powder and Paint' by Shakin' Stevens. A terrible album. I had always hoped that 1983's 'The Bop Won't Stop' was merely a misstep but, alas, it was a signpost to new lows. I like his new stuff though. 'Re-set' is worth a listen. Only joking..... 'Landing on Water' - Neil Young (1986). What was that all about?
You should mention "Love Beach"...I loved ELP, how could they do this to us?
I have spoken quite a bit about that album in other videos, so I thought I'd retire it.
Maybe the Bee Gees should have done an ELP-type album to respond in-kind.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 Yes, a Saturday Night Brain Salad would have been interesting...
I actually loved "Love Beach" when it came out. You have to understand that ELP wanted to make a grand attempt at making a Pop Rock album. I think the band pulled it off nicely. The truly great bands are versatile, and they try to do different (and maybe even unusual) things to satisfy their listeners.
@@maxslamer Now..that's a freaky thought! Ha! Happily I saw Palmer when he played with Asia, ELP with Powell (helluava show), and ELP period when they were a dual bill with Jethro Tull (fantastic show by BOTH groups). Emerson did this great schtick with his moog and a big bowie knife. Cool as hell.
As Freddie said about Hot Space at Milton Keynes Bowl “it’s only a bloody record”. This is the only time I’ve heard an artist kind of try and justify their latest album.
Better than Lars Ulrich’s Quality Street tin though (I loved your explanation of this shocking drum sound).
Automatic For the People by REM absolutely awful apart from Drive. Inexplicably sold millions .
The string of massive hit singles would explain it, maybe.
I was just about to type a comment absolutely disagreeing with you. I liked a lot of REM back in the day but mostly earlier stuff. But after Green was released I kind of lost interest and liked the odd tune. So I googled Automatic for the people to refresh my memory and…well…er. You have a point.
I have three of these in my collection: Stones, Clapton and Queen. Though being a completist to a degree I have managed to avoid the Van Morrison, Elton John and Beach Boys albums on the list despite owning loads of their albums, good or bad. Todd Rundgren's "No World Order" is forever on my list.
I have the Stones also. It was a monthly offer from a record club I was in during the late 80s. I failed to return it in time so I had to pay for it. Its a 30 + year old vinyl played only once.