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"Least Glorious" to ???? - Round 17


toscanobarga
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What is your LEAST favorite album ?   

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  1. 1. Vote for your least favorite



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So impossible. This is like choosing between Revolver, Sgt Peppers, and Abbey Road. PeW, like Revolver, is perfection and just plain cool; and, the album which seems to get named "best" by hardcore devotees more than any other. MP, like Sgt Peppers, is the icon, the one album which most people most identify with the band. Abbey Road, like Hemi, is a rich and colorful aural landscape with two very distinct sides. Critics point to flaws in both, but if I could only take one disc from both bands to a desert island it would be those.

 

So, do I choose perfection, iconic status, or personal attachment? Do I go with my heart and keep Hemi, as I would Abbey Road, or my head and vote Hemi out, as I would Abbey Road? No united sphere on this one.

 

For now, going with the head as I think that both PeW and MP are stronger albums than Hemi, all things considered. Like voting against AFTK just doesn't feel right though. Subject to change as certainly my vote will decide all this :sarcastic: .

 

I don't consider Revolver near the quality of those other 2 records. If I had to add a 3rd, it'd be the White Album...but that would mess up your comparison. Either way, I'd vote for White Album/Revolver, just as I'd vote for PeW.

 

Not scientific but reflective of my experience among Beatles fans and music-intense hipsters: http://www.bestevera...hechart.php?c=2

 

Any album with Eleanor Rigby, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, For No One, Dr. Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows, etc. is a tough act to beat. But it's all personal taste; I know people who think Beatles For Sale is their best (I guess they're into country rock).

 

Half of the album is filler, and the highs don't reach the highs of Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road (or the White Album). I know it's super popular, but I think it may have something to do with not wanting to be perceived as being a casual fan. "I'm hardcore...my favorite is Revolver."

Part of my judging albums is including what is left off the album, that is, the companion single. For Revolver it's Paperback Writer/Rain. For Sgt. Pepper's it's Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane. For The Beatles it's Hey Jude/Revolution...

 

I think Revolver wins the singles argument. Here's why. George Martin has said he regrets leaving Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane off of Sgt Peppers; he thinks that Pepper is a little thin in terms of the quality of the individual songs, despite how well they all work together. The White Album uses another version of Hey Jude's b-side, and still could have used Hey Jude on side four, or anything besides Revolution 9. Revolver doesn't miss the excellent Paperback Writer and Rain at all.

 

This said, I can see an argument for any Beatles album from Rubber Soul on, excepting MMT and Yellow Submarine (expanded EPs), and Let it Be (tracks that didn't make to Abbey Road).

Edited by Rutlefan
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So impossible. This is like choosing between Revolver, Sgt Peppers, and Abbey Road. PeW, like Revolver, is perfection and just plain cool; and, the album which seems to get named "best" by hardcore devotees more than any other. MP, like Sgt Peppers, is the icon, the one album which most people most identify with the band. Abbey Road, like Hemi, is a rich and colorful aural landscape with two very distinct sides. Critics point to flaws in both, but if I could only take one disc from both bands to a desert island it would be those.

 

So, do I choose perfection, iconic status, or personal attachment? Do I go with my heart and keep Hemi, as I would Abbey Road, or my head and vote Hemi out, as I would Abbey Road? No united sphere on this one.

 

For now, going with the head as I think that both PeW and MP are stronger albums than Hemi, all things considered. Like voting against AFTK just doesn't feel right though. Subject to change as certainly my vote will decide all this :sarcastic: .

 

I don't consider Revolver near the quality of those other 2 records. If I had to add a 3rd, it'd be the White Album...but that would mess up your comparison. Either way, I'd vote for White Album/Revolver, just as I'd vote for PeW.

 

Not scientific but reflective of my experience among Beatles fans and music-intense hipsters: http://www.bestevera...hechart.php?c=2

 

Any album with Eleanor Rigby, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, For No One, Dr. Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows, etc. is a tough act to beat. But it's all personal taste; I know people who think Beatles For Sale is their best (I guess they're into country rock).

 

Half of the album is filler, and the highs don't reach the highs of Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road (or the White Album). I know it's super popular, but I think it may have something to do with not wanting to be perceived as being a casual fan. "I'm hardcore...my favorite is Revolver."

Part of my judging albums is including what is left off the album, that is, the companion single. For Revolver it's Paperback Writer/Rain. For Sgt. Pepper's it's Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane. For The Beatles it's Hey Jude/Revolution...

 

I think Revolver wins the singles argument. Here's why. George Martin has said he regrets leaving Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane off of Sgt Peppers; he thinks that Pepper is a little thin in terms of the quality of the individual songs, despite how well they all work together. The White Album uses another version of Hey Jude's b-side, and still could have used Hey Jude on side four, or anything besides Revolution 9. Revolver doesn't miss the excellent Paperback Writer and Rain at all.

Also, including Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane on Sgt. Pepper's would have made it closer to an actual concept album. Lennon and McCartney orginally envisioned Sgt. Pepper's as an album about growing up and childhood memories, instead of the flimsy fictional band angle.

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This is pathetic.

What? The Beatles album hijack or Hemispheres losing?

 

Hemispheres AND Permanent Waves losing to Moving Pictures. I find it incredible, but..... :huh:

Personally, I think Moving Pictures is the best, despite its commercial success. Honestly, on this forum, I think Permanent Wave will win. Now, I'm not too sure.

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Last Beatles comment, unless it isn't :eh: .

 

"Also, including Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane on Sgt. Pepper's would have made it closer to an actual concept album. Lennon and McCartney orginally envisioned Sgt. Pepper's as an album about growing up and childhood memories, instead of the flimsy fictional band angle. "

 

No doubt Sgt Peppers would have been a better album with those songs included but then (what would become) MMT the LP would have suffered, and though MMT isn't a real album, I think it's a great collection. Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane fit so well on that side 2.

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To encourage all here to vote for Moving pictures this round I have an offer I am guessing nobody here could possibly pass up. If you vote for Moving Pictures (assuming you already haven't) I will impart to you all of my knowledge of music post 1985 to current day. It won't take very long either which is just an added bonus.... :codger:
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This is pathetic.

What? The Beatles album hijack or Hemispheres losing?

 

Hemispheres AND Permanent Waves losing to Moving Pictures. I find it incredible, but..... :huh:

 

It's early in the voting. You don't know yet who will pull ahead down the stretch, though I'm betting PeW is the most likely to survive.

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Should i flop back to MP.......I don't freakin' care i'll keep flip flopping. Lol.

 

Mick

Yes and stay there... :madra:
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So impossible. This is like choosing between Revolver, Sgt Peppers, and Abbey Road. PeW, like Revolver, is perfection and just plain cool; and, the album which seems to get named "best" by hardcore devotees more than any other. MP, like Sgt Peppers, is the icon, the one album which most people most identify with the band. Abbey Road, like Hemi, is a rich and colorful aural landscape with two very distinct sides. Critics point to flaws in both, but if I could only take one disc from both bands to a desert island it would be those.

 

So, do I choose perfection, iconic status, or personal attachment? Do I go with my heart and keep Hemi, as I would Abbey Road, or my head and vote Hemi out, as I would Abbey Road? No united sphere on this one.

 

For now, going with the head as I think that both PeW and MP are stronger albums than Hemi, all things considered. Like voting against AFTK just doesn't feel right though. Subject to change as certainly my vote will decide all this :sarcastic: .

 

I don't consider Revolver near the quality of those other 2 records. If I had to add a 3rd, it'd be the White Album...but that would mess up your comparison. Either way, I'd vote for White Album/Revolver, just as I'd vote for PeW.

 

Not scientific but reflective of my experience among Beatles fans and music-intense hipsters: http://www.bestevera...hechart.php?c=2

 

Any album with Eleanor Rigby, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, For No One, Dr. Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows, etc. is a tough act to beat. But it's all personal taste; I know people who think Beatles For Sale is their best (I guess they're into country rock).

 

Half of the album is filler, and the highs don't reach the highs of Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road (or the White Album). I know it's super popular, but I think it may have something to do with not wanting to be perceived as being a casual fan. "I'm hardcore...my favorite is Revolver."

 

Must be a conspiracy then! :P From wikipedia:

 

In 1997 Revolver was named the third greatest album of all time in a Music of the Millenium poll conducted in the United Kingdom by HMV Group, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 2000 Q magazine placed it at number 1 in its list of the 50 Greatest British Albums Ever.[117] In 2001, the TV network VH1 named it the greatest album of all time, a position it also achieved in the Virgin All Time Top 1,000 Albums.[118] In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Revolver third on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[119] In 2006 the album was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best albums of all time.[120] In 2006, Guitar World readers chose it as the tenth best guitar album of all time.[121] In 2010, Revolver was named the best pop album of all time by the official newspaper of the Holy See, L'Osservatore Romano.[122] In 2013, Entertainment Weekly named Revolver the greatest album of all time.[123]

 

There is definitely a conspiracy among critics regarding the Beatles. Each of their studio albums receives 5-star scores from almost everyone, but those earlier works (and Magical Mystery Tour) had a ton of filler and their best works were often not nearly as good as their later stuff.

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This is pathetic.

What? The Beatles album hijack or Hemispheres losing?

 

Hemispheres AND Permanent Waves losing to Moving Pictures. I find it incredible, but..... :huh:

 

Don't forget that MP has a lot of sentimental value to many fans. It was the album that broke Rush huge and turned a lot of people on to them. To this day, classic rock stations play the hell out of those first four songs and those tunes are still getting people into the band. Plus, I think it has more musical variety than Hemispheres and overall is the better album when it comes to repeated listens.

Edited by J2112YYZ
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Narps said early on that it's a horse race. It really is; one album surges ahead, then falls behind, then catches up. Fun to watch. I ended up voting for MP but I'm fine with any of these winning; they're all worthy. It's like the NCAA Final Four or the semi-finals of a tennis grand slam tournament; you get there, you earned your merit badge for the season.
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"There is definitely a conspiracy among critics regarding the Beatles. Each of their studio albums receives 5-star scores from almost everyone, but those earlier works (and Magical Mystery Tour) had a ton of filler and their best works were often not nearly as good as their later stuff."

 

I think the general consensus among critics is, shared by Martin and The Beatles themselves, that starting with Rubber Soul, there was no more filler, at least by design or admission. Again, not counting MMT and YS, which were expanded EPs (MMT wasn't originally released as an LP in the UK, it was released as such by Capital in the U.S. and eventually the UK version followed suit with the EMI CD release).

 

Out of curiosity, what songs on Revolver do you consider filler, as opposed to songs you just don't care for particularly? I don't care for Love You To and Here, There and Everywhere but I wouldn't call them filler. HTaE is often cited as an album standout, and many I know love LYT. Every other track is a standout in its own right as far as I can see.

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This is pathetic.

What? The Beatles album hijack or Hemispheres losing?

 

Hemispheres AND Permanent Waves losing to Moving Pictures. I find it incredible, but..... :huh:

 

Don't forget that MP has a lot of sentimental value to many fans. It was the album that broke Rush huge and turned a lot of people on to them. To this day, classic rock stations play the hell out of those first four songs and those tunes are still getting people into the band. Plus, I think it has more musical variety than Hemispheres and overall is the better album when it comes to repeated listens.

 

MP has sentimental value to me too, but I didn't think we were voting on sentimental value. :unsure:

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So impossible. This is like choosing between Revolver, Sgt Peppers, and Abbey Road. PeW, like Revolver, is perfection and just plain cool; and, the album which seems to get named "best" by hardcore devotees more than any other. MP, like Sgt Peppers, is the icon, the one album which most people most identify with the band. Abbey Road, like Hemi, is a rich and colorful aural landscape with two very distinct sides. Critics point to flaws in both, but if I could only take one disc from both bands to a desert island it would be those.

 

So, do I choose perfection, iconic status, or personal attachment? Do I go with my heart and keep Hemi, as I would Abbey Road, or my head and vote Hemi out, as I would Abbey Road? No united sphere on this one.

 

For now, going with the head as I think that both PeW and MP are stronger albums than Hemi, all things considered. Like voting against AFTK just doesn't feel right though. Subject to change as certainly my vote will decide all this :sarcastic: .

 

I don't consider Revolver near the quality of those other 2 records. If I had to add a 3rd, it'd be the White Album...but that would mess up your comparison. Either way, I'd vote for White Album/Revolver, just as I'd vote for PeW.

 

Not scientific but reflective of my experience among Beatles fans and music-intense hipsters: http://www.bestevera...hechart.php?c=2

 

Any album with Eleanor Rigby, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, For No One, Dr. Robert, Tomorrow Never Knows, etc. is a tough act to beat. But it's all personal taste; I know people who think Beatles For Sale is their best (I guess they're into country rock).

 

Half of the album is filler, and the highs don't reach the highs of Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road (or the White Album). I know it's super popular, but I think it may have something to do with not wanting to be perceived as being a casual fan. "I'm hardcore...my favorite is Revolver."

 

Must be a conspiracy then! :P From wikipedia:

 

In 1997 Revolver was named the third greatest album of all time in a Music of the Millenium poll conducted in the United Kingdom by HMV Group, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 2000 Q magazine placed it at number 1 in its list of the 50 Greatest British Albums Ever.[117] In 2001, the TV network VH1 named it the greatest album of all time, a position it also achieved in the Virgin All Time Top 1,000 Albums.[118] In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Revolver third on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[119] In 2006 the album was chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 best albums of all time.[120] In 2006, Guitar World readers chose it as the tenth best guitar album of all time.[121] In 2010, Revolver was named the best pop album of all time by the official newspaper of the Holy See, L'Osservatore Romano.[122] In 2013, Entertainment Weekly named Revolver the greatest album of all time.[123]

 

There is definitely a conspiracy among critics regarding the Beatles. Each of their studio albums receives 5-star scores from almost everyone, but those earlier works (and Magical Mystery Tour) had a ton of filler and their best works were often not nearly as good as their later stuff.

The last part of your post is a little confusing. Anyway, I don't think there's a conspiracy, I think critics tend to rate album in the context of their time. The Beatles helped define what a rock album is and you see the progression and growth of the album represented in the Beatles discography. And filler doens't neccessarily mean inferior material.

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To encourage all here to vote for Moving pictures this round I have an offer I am guessing nobody here could possibly pass up. If you vote for Moving Pictures (assuming you already haven't) I will impart to you all of my knowledge of music post 1985 to current day. It won't take very long either which is just an added bonus.... :codger:

 

:laughing guy: You are on fire!! :P

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"There is definitely a conspiracy among critics regarding the Beatles. Each of their studio albums receives 5-star scores from almost everyone, but those earlier works (and Magical Mystery Tour) had a ton of filler and their best works were often not nearly as good as their later stuff."

 

I think the general consensus among critics is, shared by Martin and The Beatles themselves, that starting with Rubber Soul, there was no more filler, at least by design or admission. Again, not counting MMT and YS, which were expanded EPs (MMT wasn't originally released as an LP in the UK, it was released as such by Capital in the U.S. and eventually the UK version followed suit with the EMI CD release).

 

Out of curiosity, what songs on Revolver do you consider filler, as opposed to songs you just don't care for particularly? I don't care for Love You To and Here, There and Everywhere but I wouldn't call them filler. HTaE is often cited as an album standout, and many I know love LYT. Every other track is a standout in its own right as far as I can see.

 

I'm not sure what the distinction is between filler and songs that just aren't very good, but I don't see a way that Love You To, HTaE, She Said She Said, For No One, I want to Tell You, and Tomorrow Never Knows (sonically interesting, but a horrible, horrible song) would make it on any later albums unless they were filling out an EP like with MMT or just throwing everything out like on the White Album.

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