Albums that became heralded as masterpieces years after release

The Seeds - Web of Sound
Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left (of his LP releases the first one was probably the most inexplicable flop for Island records)
The Remains - The Remains
Rowland S Howard – Teenage Snuff Film

 

Absolutely agree with your comments. It was highly regarded by most on its release was number 1 in the UK for 11 straight weeks, but maybe not seen as dimension changing as Pepper was. Just like all Beatles releases, it was the event of the season.

 

loveless was nr. 7 in the melody maker album of the year 1991 and number 9 in the nme version

 

Maybe. But still not close to being a masterpiece. Just not considered a dog anymore.

 

There, I fixed that for you. No thanks necessary.

 

Thanks for your opinion.

 

Likewise!

 

4 1/2 stars? (ROLLING STONE)
5 stars? (ALLMUSIC)
9.2 out of 10? (PITCHFORK)


I'd say they considered it masterpiece (at least some). I'd say the "not considered a dog any more" would apply to lesser albums "Red Rose Speedway", "Wild Life"--albums that were also critically derided but are now considered better than they were when released.

You know not ALL masterpieces have to be five star either nor flawless. Christgau seems the only person that hasn't changed his mind but he's a bit of an ******* as well.

Now to be fair there are those who don't like it or consider it a five star album. There are also those who don't consider "Vertigo" and "Citizen Kane" masterpieces or the Sunflowers painting.

I'm not saying you have to like it or consider it a masterpiece but the thread is about albums that were derided that are now generally considered masterpieces. I think this qualifies.

 

It must be bizarro day on the old SH forums, long time members coming out of the woodwork and slagging off Ram.

 

All my own albums, one can hope ;p

 

the soft parade-the doors
load-metallica
black sabbath-black sabbath

 

Lots of sales and radio airplay at the time of release.
Fairly positive reviews overall. These don't qualify.

 

Was Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy lauded as masterpieces upon release? I know they were popular. But for a long time it seemed that E.J. wasn't in good standing, critically and aficionadoally (that a word?) speaking.

 

I think Blind Melon's Soup now fits this thread.

 

Almost anyone that died young from just outside of the spotlight, to be honest. Nick Drake's already been mentioned, I would say Jeff Buckley is another, he was appreciated when he was alive but he wasn't the star he is posthumously.

Amy Winehouse's Back In Black is a good example as well. It was well-received soul pop album but nobody was really calling it the album of the decade, people only talked about her personal issues until she died. Now it's lauded as a classic.

Eva Cassidy may be another, although I think that's rebounded back to people not speaking of her much again (I've posted her in both threads).

If Viola Beach had finished and released their album before dying, they might've been given this treatment too. (The makeshift album still ended up selling well but some of the tributes seemed like people jumping on a bandwagon.)

 

I have to disagree with this one. I remember a lot of people were disappointed when Herbie Hancock won Album Of The Year over Amy, since a lot of people thought she deserved Album Of The Year. Granted, we are talking The Grammys, the award show where Taylor Swift has two AOTY's and Beyonce has more Grammys than Michael Jackson and Prince combined, so they're not that prestigious anymore, but it seemed like Back To Black was seen as an instant classic upon its release and people were waiting and waiting for a followup that of course sadly never came.

 

Hmm, OK. I feel like it really only ended up plastered absolutely everywhere when she died. Maybe the fact that in the UK she was always being covered for the wrong reasons obscured that to me a bit; It was already a classic in some ways, but it seemed to be elevated again by her death.

 

Must be a US/UK thing. I know she was seen as a trainwreck in the press stateside but it was balanced out by all the "music's new saviour" critical salivation she was receiving. It was almost expected she was going to sweep the Grammys that year (much like how Beyonce's Lemonade was projected to win and Adele was a shocker) and Herbie Hancock winning over her was a major upset. People were really having high hopes for her future and then of course nothing except an early death.

 

That came after Cpt. Fantastic, but some see Caribou as the start of his decline.
As far as I can see I don't have much of a problem with any of his work so far.

 

What's this sudden obsession with what is on isn't a "masterpiece"?

 

Pablo Honey?
I think it's still regarded as something of a false start, although I like it a great deal better than much of their later output.

 

I was thinking the same thing. It seems like Pablo Honey is actually underrated and not really considered a masterpiece because of how much the following albums' statures overshadow it.

 

Rumours. It was a big selling album but now it's seen as some sort of definitive statement about something.