Heartland

An old newspaper article from 16 years ago. 10 min read for all those that surf on the bog.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/ ... popandrock

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated? It's meant to be a classic album, but all you can hear is a load of boring tripe ... we've all felt that way. And so have the musicians we asked to nominate the supposedly great records they'd gladly never hear again".

I think a lot of the reviews are written from the days perspective (16 years ago) of the album rather than what it was like on the day it was released.

Definitely agree, there's some in that list that I remember coming out and the effect they had at the time - Nevermind was like something that had never been heard before at that level of popularity. Some on the list that are well-established in the rock 'n' roll canon but I'll never get tired of listening to - I could live inside the grooves of Marquee Moon for a very long time, for example.

I'd add to it anything by The Ramones, the Clash (their best songs were covers) Thin Lizzy (terrible) Horslips (likewise) Bob Dylan (great songs when sung by other people), Neil Young (ditto) plus (for goth's sake) Bauhaus (great singles, terribly dull albums) and none of the post Sisters copyists have been any good. Now he runs away...

Cheers Guys, I remember the excitement around Nevermind at the time as well there was nothing to touch it . Can't understand the expensive reissues that are about now though. Never got The Clash but I know a few people who love them. I loved Thin Lizzy back in the day , seen them live and have quite a few of their albums but can't listen to them now . GnR's Appetite for Destruction is considered a classic album by many, it sold bucket loads and reignited an interest in Rock/Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal for a lot of people including me but I wouldn't call it a great album today.

Pat wrote: ↑28 Mar 2024, 00:06 Cheers Guys, I remember the excitement around Nevermind at the time as well there was nothing to touch it . Can't understand the expensive reissues that are about now though. Never got The Clash but I know a few people who love them. I loved Thin Lizzy back in the day , seen them live and have quite a few of their albums but can't listen to them now . GnR's Appetite for Destruction is considered a classic album by many, it sold bucket loads and reignited an interest in Rock/Heavy Rock/Heavy Metal for a lot of people including me but I wouldn't call it a great album today.

Never liked Nirvana when "Nevermind" was released and never have since, but it wasn't aimed at me. By then I was in my mid twenties and didn't have any angst and teenage issues. GunsNRoses though was fantastic when it came out, I saw them at Rock City on that tour and it's still one of my favourite gigs. It certainly wasn't lauded as an instant classic at the time, it took a couple of years to get traction. Of their catalogue now it's the only one I would go back to. For me it didn't "reignite" anything, in 1987 when "Appetite " was released it was the golden time for music but I imagine all these things will be affected by your age at the time of their release.

I didn't see Guns & Roses as being anything other than part of the trajectory of mainstream rock tradition. They had the squealy vocalist, the squealy guitar solos, the slightly heavy song, the big ballad, and they weren't doing anything that a billion other US heavy metal bands hadn't already done. I'd already heard Mötley Crue and WASP, why do I need Guns & Roses?

Likewise Nevermind wasn't really anything new either. By the time it came out I'd already heard Pixies, Big Black, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, a lot of the punk bands that influenced it, and was becoming aware of other bands like Mudhoney. What Nevermind did that was different was that it broke through, which nobody expected at the time, and that genuinely was a revelation. It can be easy to forget that 30+ years of hindsight later. Music that's part of today's pedestrian mainstream was once shocking and new for most of the millions who bought it but had never heard anything like it before.

mh wrote: ↑28 Mar 2024, 08:37 Music that's part of today's pedestrian mainstream was once shocking and new for most of the millions who bought it but had never heard anything like it before.

Yeah, this. Well said.

Much music follows the underground/obscure -> niche/cult following -> breakthrough -> mainstream -> old skool -> obscure pathway.

Listening to those old "breakthrough" albums today after years of exposure to the mainstream descendants can leave one a bit cold and wondering what all the hype was about.

So a great album depends on your musical journey? Are there any great albums that don't depend on your journey?

Actually wouldn't mind a few hints, I'm sick of buying reissues of blatently overhyped crap albums.

There's no quantifiable " great album " criteria. I think FALAA is a great album. People outside this forum may very well beg to differ.

ribbons69 wrote: ↑29 Mar 2024, 15:32 There's no quantifiable " great album " criteria. I think FALAA is a great album. People outside this forum may very well beg to differ.

And some people inside this forum may beg to differ also, thus confirming the point you've already perfectly made, a great album is great if your own ears and brain think it's great. No further criteria whatsoever. I'm sure I'm the only bloke on the planet whose favourite Metallica albums are Load and Hardwired.

...

Planet Dave wrote: ↑29 Mar 2024, 15:51

ribbons69 wrote: ↑29 Mar 2024, 15:32 There's no quantifiable " great album " criteria. I think FALAA is a great album. People outside this forum may very well beg to differ.

And some people inside this forum may beg to differ also, thus confirming the point you've already perfectly made, a great album is great if your own ears and brain think it's great. No further criteria whatsoever. I'm sure I'm the only bloke on the planet whose favourite Metallica albums are Load and Hardwired.

This so much. You either like it or you don't.
I gave up reading reviews years ago because they are just someone else's opinion.
The list in the OP is just a collection of other peoples' opinions. These "best/worst of" lists are all just that & nothing more.

Ok, away to browse the gooving to thread, got to be better than bandcamp.

Kutan wrote: ↑30 Mar 2024, 01:13...

No need to have reduced your reply, it was fair comment given it was your opinion, it's just music innit, everyone's opinion is correct, to them. No offence taken, it'd be moronic to do so!

Bleach is a better album than Nevermind but its not overrated in my opinion. Sgt Peppers has some dross like "when i'm 64" but it has "A Day In The Life" & "Lucy in the Sky" so its pretty f**king ggood. Prefer "Revolver " myself. thats near perfect.
"Dark Side Of The Moon" is nowhere near as good as "Wish you were here". dont think anyone has ever claimed "LA Woman" was the best Doors album eithrer,.