Albums You Disagree About With The Artist (Favorite/Least Favorite)

[Soot and Stars]

What is the album you are surprised to hear that is the artist favorite of theirs as well as their least favorite of theirs? Besides being surprised what are the ones you actually disagree with! I've been listening to whole studio discographies starting with Queen to the Foo Fighters and in the middle of Hall and Oates now which is where I've gotten the idea!

Surprised to hear that it's the artist favorite:

Foo Fighters-There Is Nothing Left To Lose


This is the album that when it first came out dulled me on the Foo Fighters. This was at a time when nearly every album I bought by a band was great to my ears and I liked the prior two albums a lot. In fact I loved the Colour and The Shape and it's still my favorite Foos album. When this album came out I just thought the main single "Learn To Fly" was alright. The album itself upon first listen was flat to me and upon every revisit never sparked anything for me.

Even during the most recent discography run I could get into the groove of certain songs more like "Stacked Actors" it just felt like a basic flat rock album with some good melodies! The thing is that's what the Foos do and they've done it way better. In fact they've done that basic formula better than they ever have on their last album "Wasting Light" (my second favorite). After "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" I at least really got addicted to the singles which there was at least 3 kick ass ones on each one. Recently I've really gotten into "In Your Honor" a LOt more and I feel the only reason my perception of that one was weaker was it was a double album I didn't give enough time.

So what that leads up to is this weak spot is Dave Grohls favorite album by them. Where did I find this out? In a top 50 albums of the 90's list which not only had this as the best Foo's album but the best album of the 90's period. This wasn't written by a hack. He had awesome picks in general spanning all genres and it was really well researched and written. Overall over the years this seems to be the album even the most lukewarm fans pull from. I don't get it!

Surprised to hear that it's the artist least favorite:

Daryl Hall and John Oates-Beauty On A Backstreet

This is one that baffles me and it's a reactionary pick. This album is still fresh for me like tonight fresh but having just listened to and falling in love with the album "Bigger Than Both of Us" I feel this was more than a proper follow up. In fact, I'm on multiple listens and certain songs blow away that awesome album. I grew up with the still awesome Hall and Oates hits but after hearing Hall and Oates "Abandoned Luncheonette" from purchasing it from the $5 dollar bin I really found another layer I wanted to explore. I started with the debut and six albums in I really feel this album and "Bigger...." are the peak.

Soooooo, I read that Hall and Oates BOTH hate this album. WHY!? I mean seriously, it has a perfect division of their layered soul and rock vibe. It ends with what may be my favorite non-nostalgia based track by them so far "Winged Bull" followed by another awesome track "The Girl Who Used To be"! What the Hell could they even dislike about their most epic material?

Winged Bull




So what are your examples?

 

[METALPRIEST]

There's sooo many that leave me scratching my head. Certain songs and albums that I love and the artist himself/herself/themselves knock it and consider it weak or worse yet, their least favorite work.

I guess I'll join the thread and contribute....

Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley not liking Beth and considering it a "throw away"....not sure how they couldn't like the song or the final outcome and mix by Bob Ezrin...or if it was just jealousy. However there are many KISS fans that don't like it all that much either.

I thought it was an adventurous and wonderful track that deserved the hit status that it gained.

Gene and Paul....get your listening ears on and turn them up

 

[LG]

Sooty I think "Abandoned Luncheonette" is my favorite Haulin' Oats album...I liked their early material better than their 80's output.

Can't speak to the Foos, I don't have one of their records.

Beth had novelty value MP, but it's never charted as one of my fave KISS songs I could go the rest of my life without hearing it again and be content.

I have a band in mind for Sooty's thread, but will have to see if I can find out which album they liked the most...I already know the one they didn't like at all.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Sooty I think "Abandoned Luncheonette" is my favorite Haulin' Oats album...I liked their early material better than their 80's output.

Can't speak to the Foos, I don't have one of their records.

Beth had novelty value MP, but it's never charted as one of my fave KISS songs I could go the rest of my life without hearing it again and be content.

I have a band in mind for Sooty's thread, but will have to see if I can find out which album they liked the most...I already know the one they didn't like at all.

I'm tellin' ya...not many people get into that one.....I don't know what it is I'm hearing but I always liked it

 

[LG]

^^I can respect them for having a ballad be so successful but I don't really like Criss's voice MP...and that always makes or breaks a song for me. It's not terrible or anything but it's not what I want to hear when I reach for a KISS album.

 

[METALPRIEST]

...yeah I understand...what do you think of him on rougher tracks like Baby Driver? Still nothing?

 

[LG]

^^He's better on that one than Beth.

 

[Khor1255]

Or Black Diamond? As for Beth, I didn't really like it when I was a Kiss army commissar but it is a good song and I can see why it is played so often.

 

[METALPRIEST]

^^He's better on that one than Beth.

Or Black Diamond? As for Beth, I didn't really like it when I was a Kiss army commissar but it is a good song and I can see why it is played so often.

Yeah Black Diamond is another one....Strange Ways I almost said as well.

OK I don't want to hijack Sooty's thread here. So if anyone would like to keep it rolling I think we're done now

 

[Khor1255]

I have to chime in one more time here since you mentioned Strange Ways. For years I thought this was Ace singing and this was only reinforced by hearing his actual vocals on later albums. I mean Criss does such a bang up job at singing in Ace's sort of nasally monotone that you can clearly imagine him studying the way Ace sang to try to create this on vinyl for possible future renditions by Ace himself. It is a cool act of respect as well as being an impressive musical achievement in my opinion.
This is one of the reasons I really can't accept any Kiss line up that lacks Criss or Frehley. They might not be the very best at their instruments but are just too integral to the sound. It would be like replacing Roger Waters bass or Nick Mason's drums. Sure, there are folks who could technically do it better but who could provide this chemistry other than the guy who already did?