Controversial, moi?

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

From today's Graniaud, a load of famous musicians discussing which "classic" albums they consider to be overrated.

Eddie Argos is a legend, that bloke from the Kooks is an idiot

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Some of those popstars are idiots but they are ALL - w/ one exception - correct about those dreadful albums.

(exception = Mark Ronson whose comments on 2pac are borderline retarded)
(oh and Siobhan's prob wrong about Abba but I don't really care about either)

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

For me, the three that are completely wrong are Ronson ('All Eyez On Me' is a masterpiece, one of the great rap albums of all time), Pritchard ("'Pet Sounds' is overrated" says writer of 'Naive'!!) and Wayne Coyne. I won't hear a bad word said against 'Nevermind', not even by someone as talented as Coyne.

Which other albums would you say are overrated?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

The only albums I like from that list are 2Pac and Rhe Velvet Underground! I've heard music by most of the others, and in some cases even the whole album, and they're all awful. Beach Boys are sterile and dead-hearted. Nirvana whiny boy drivel which is completely redundant in the face of Courtney L. Strokes = whatever, if ONLY they were the fashion victim trust fund kids they get painted as. The Smiths, you have probably seen me hate on a thousand times. Beatles too. And the Stone Roses are like the worst band ever, my friend Anna was once DJing and this girl came up to her and requested them; she fixed the offender with a gaze of pure contempt and, without speaking, turned away; this is my attitude precisely.

[(Anonymous)]

"The Beach Boys are sterile and dead-hearted?" Lex, that is the wrongest thing I've ever heard you say. Maybe the experience of shy, early-60s California boys is too far from your own to appreciate, but there's joy, introspection, love in the Beach Boys' best stuff. Yes, there's some crap and some weird psychobabble, too. If you don't like them, fine, but make sure you've listened before you dismiss them out of hand.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

I can't understand how anyone could find a song as wonderful as God Only Knows (which is of course on Pet Sounds) sterile. Do give that one a try, if you don't know it, Lex - I'm wondering if you have only heard the bouncy California Girls-type stuff. The opening line of GOK is one of the most breathtaking ever, for me - starting a love song with "I may not always love you", especially back then, is very audacious.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

haha Green playing safe there. 'Neon Bible' is hardly canon is it?

[catsgomiaow.livejournal.com]

EXACTLY! And Funeral's much better anyhoo.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I dunno people do go apeshit about the whole thing- a lot of my more indie friends treat it as a religious experience and anything said against it as SERIOUS BLASHPHEMY OH MY GOD without realisingt that they have all prematurely turned into Paul Morley.

Personally I have never got through the whole album and 'Antichrist Television Blues' < 'She Drove Me To Daytime TV.'

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

green should have picked UMBER by MONSTER MAGNET, when oh when will its satanic reign by ended?

i would entirely ban the word overrated -- i don't see the use of it, it just produces crappily resentful whingeing

(dark side of the moon and kind of blue are both records i don't understand the love for -- also everything by u2 EVAH -- but i want someone to challenge my smug hip hate not be bulldozed by it)

[zenith.livejournal.com]

i would entirely ban the word overrated -- i don't see the use of it, it just produces crappily resentful whingeing

So true! Also on the list: "trendy/hipster" as a pejorative refering to music; "hype" (except when used by Dizzee etc).

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

yes, i mean, do we RLY need yet another piece like this. would've been better if they'd got ppl who could actually write about music to do it, rather than just having lester interview a bunch of popstars, i mean who cares what pop stars think ;)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I wonder what Tanya Headon would have to say about all this h8toring. She'll be out of a job soon.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Hang on, why is Eddie implicating Oasis? I thought they were all best chums now after supporting them on tour?

[worldofagwu.livejournal.com]

much as it pains me to say so, the gentleman or lady who took to task meat is murder by the smiths at least had a point or two ( - esp abt barbarism begins at home* & the ttl track ) - tho well i wonder, what she said & i want the one i can't have = still great

* this is obv johnny marr's fault tho - not mozza's

- the twits who slagged off this is it by the strokes & marquee moon by televison annoyed me the most - as for the kook slagging off pet sounds, well that's just a joke isn't it...? ( - tho it isn't funny anymore )

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

What's your defense of Marquee Moon? I thought the Frank Ferguson's bloke made a good case for how ridiculous it is to have it as such a 'bow down and worship' album when there's nothing really there.

[giddyoldgoat.livejournal.com]

defense; one of the v. v. few recs to successfully apply/adapt post-Coltrane modal interplay/blat to rock-as-rock; the title track is one of the greatest song-vehicle tunes for improvisation ever writ (along w/ Dark Star, obv).

franz ferdinand are almost as contemptible as the pixies.

[worldofagwu.livejournal.com]

- my hero...!

- it's yonki time...!

[worldofagwu.livejournal.com]

- the gase for the defence m'lud:
http://www.marquee.demon.co.uk/nme77.htm

( - tho if you honestly think "there's nothing really there" then i doubt if anything will change yr mind )

i know all of f.ferdinand's awful records don't automatically make m.moon a goob alb but i can't help feeling that the kapranos greature doesn't have "the right" to express an opinion on music or ham sandwiches* or anything else really

* after his awful bluddy food golumn in the grauniad

the worst thing i can think of to say abt marquee moon is that the ttl track might be a little "overexposed" ( tho it sounded gr8 on my headphones the other day ) - my fave tracks = prove it, torn gurtain, venus & see no evil - full disclosure: i like solo tom verlaine stuff as well

Re: - it's yonki time...!

[(Anonymous)]

I love MM, and while I was initialized incensed a bit by Kapranos' comments, after thinking about it, I felt like it he was mostly just saying "It doesn't do anything for me." Live and let live (although saying the Strokes are like Television with all the bad bits excised is not an easy position to defend).

Re: - it's yonki time...!

[worldofagwu.livejournal.com]

"live and let live": you = the voice of reason

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

Complaining about how Sgt. Pepper is overrated is the new Sgt. Pepper. In the bad sense.

[whalefish.livejournal.com]

That bloke from The Kooks is an idiot - Pet Sounds is a beautiful record. Velvet Underground & Nico and Trout Mask Replica are two other favourites of mine also, I know that probably makes me sound like the kind of person who only buys records Mojo likes but meh.

Though some of the others do have points. For example, although I do love Marquee Moon, it is all about the title track really. And Wayne Coyne is right about Nevermind too - In Utero is a much better album.

I didn't realise Neon Bible was supposed to be a classic? It's not much use at all, nowhere near as good as Funeral.

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"The battle against unreconstructed rock music continues."