Quality, taste or nostalgia? Favoring an artist's less popular albums

I love "The Final Cut" by Pink Floyd. I love "Pipes of Peace" by Paul McCartney. I'm not sure if it's to do with memories of hearing them first or whatever else... but I read a lot about how these albums should be shunned and I even saw a Paul McCartney forum where they said that he should ignore that album completely when he's issuing his remaster series... Do you have albums that fall into this category? The less popular releases, critically panned even, that you really enjoy? Which ones?

 

I can't think of any off the time of my head that I REALLY enjoy. There are some that I can find merit in. There was a time when I liked Van Halen 3 enough to buy it even after hearing it many times. That was during its first year of release. I don't listen to it much anymore. St. Anger is one I can listen to every once in a while. But I wouldn't say I "like" it, per se. I guess I do like The Final Cut, but it's not one I can listen to often. It's not as easy a little as the other big Floyd albums from the 70s.

 

There is so much music and so little time.
So why waste that time with an album you don't like from an artist you like? Just think about the fact, that most artists do not listen to their own albums at all - even the good ones. So why should we listen to their "bad" ones ?

 

I think a lot of it has to do with how much you've heard the good ones. The less popular ones seem like a breath of fresh air, because the good ones are overplayed. So, I'd have to say taste...because you love the artist so much you find a way to appreciate their deeper material.

BTW...No Code is my favorite Pearl Jam album

 

• Zooropa is one of the better U2 albums - I don't care what the naysayers say.

• Go to Heaven - Grateful Dead: Sometimes I'll rock with the Dead on their yacht - sue me.

• Byrdmaniax - I like the production on "Pale Blue" & "I Trust"
• Self Portrait - Dylan is having fun and goofing off - which is fun for me to listen to. "Wigwam" is my jam.
• McCartney II = Paul does Devo = a score
• Pearl Jam's No Code & Binaural are challenging and excellent.

 

The problem is that people let the critics and other 'fans' tell them what to like.

Many underrated albums are great, they just didn't score any hits. They could be underrated for the pettiest of reasons - like who played on them, if they were a slight deviation in style, if the production wasn't as good as it could have been, if they just didn't sell well.

Some bands' most popular albums (such as Muse's Absolution and The Beatles' Abbey Road) are ones I listen to less often than others. Some bands' less popular albums (like Red Hot Chili Peppers' s/t and One Hot Minute) I couldn't live without.

Yeah there is a hipster thing of 'cult album, you've probably never heard of it' but that's not the reason people like lesser albums. It's all down to personal preference.

 

As I mentioned somewhere in this forum, Dog Eat Dog is my favorite Joni Mitchell's album. Put Blue on the record player and after 3 songs I'm asleep.
Hold Out by Jackson Browne is another one.

 

I don't think that people are so easy to influence, especially by critics. The list is endless when critics tore albums to pieces that became huge favorites. While highly praised albums didn't find any success. And I do not understand this obsession on this forum with declaring everything, that didn't went to No 1, as "underrated". As there is nothing like an official rating system. Some things are liked more, some are liked less, that's all. And the things that are liked less may also be a highlight for some, that's the nature of art.
But for the artist it's only important, how many people buy the record. Everything else doesn't matter.

 

My favorite of his by a wide margin. His only solo release where it sounds like he's pushing himself, albeit in a holed-up-in-the-studio-with-a-big-bag-of-weed direction.

 

Some people really got the thread, some must have misunderstood the question. Example: "Why listen to the bad albums?"
What I was saying was, when released, I had no idea it was "bad", I really liked it, and later read how bad it was.
I disagree with this statement. I love many Pink Floyd albums, for example, yet we've had DARK SIDE rammed down our throats. We've had Led Zep IV rammed down our throats. "Like THIS one.. THIS is the one to like!" I even think "Abbey Road" falls into this camp. The Beatles could do very little wrong, but this album misses my top 5 by them for sure.

I remember when Weezer's Pinkerton came out. I liked it, Rolling Stone gave it 1 star out of 5... because it didn't sound exactly like their debut.

I'm really pointing out that there are records I liked a lot that on paper you arent supposed to like. I think the person who mentioned Dylan's "Self Portrait" gets it.

 

Sometimes I think I like certain artist's "lesser" efforts because I am not a true fan of that artist, thus the things about them that their true fans like are the things I kinda dislike and thus I like it when the release a departure of sorts. Thus....my favorite U2 album is 'POP'.

This is not always the case. Sometimes one person's trash can be another person's treasure. It all depends on what resonates with the individual.

 

Built to Spill - Ancient Melodies from the Future

Even Doug Martsch isn't overly fond of this album.

 

All my favorite Bowie albums were AFTER his stint doing Tin Machine.

Sometimes it's overexposure to the earlier material (on the radio), but in the case of Bowie -- I really just think he's a much better singer in the 90's and early 2000's -- and I prefer the more modern context.

 

For the artists I like the most (maybe the top 20 or 25?), I value the entirety of their catalog. I don't place any albums on the virtual eternal shelf. Trying to think of a "panned" album that I enjoy is easy. Trying to think of a "panned" album that I enjoy more than the most lauded album in that artist's catalog is a definite challenge. Two that come pretty close would be "Psychoderelict" by Pete Townshend and "One Trick Pony" (do people still call it a failure?) by Paul Simon. I also like "Songs From The Capeman", though it can make for an uncomfortable listen.

 

Like MOST Bowie post-Tin Machine, but "HUNKY DORY" is a top 10 album of all time for me. For me, the Bewlay Brothers is my favorite song. Post-Tin Machine, I couldn't do "Outside" and I'm iffy on "Black Tie White Noise", but I loved Earthling, Reality. Heathen, The Next Day, and more than any of those, I loved HOURS.

 

If i really like an artist, i try to listen to their complete (if posible) discography, even the lesser known albums or the critically panned ones. I like to make the decision if i like an álbum or not based on what i listen to, not what the critics say.

 

Exposure. I have one Taj Mahal album, of which I only love two songs. I never bothered listening to the rest of the album.

Totally depndent on the band, the listener, the listeners audio habits (always listen to a new LP all the way through?...no, I do not, normally...I have albums from the 60s I've owned for 50 years I haven't heard the whole LP, just the hits or the songs I did hear and liked).

Personal taste.

 

Speaking of Sir Paul, Wild Life is in my top three for his post-Beatles catalog. But although that one was critically panned, I've noticed it's reasonably popular among fans all the same.

 

When you really, really love an artist, naturally, you want to explore everything they did. Over time, it's not uncommon for a certain amount of burnout to set in with the most acclaimed releases, particularly if they got a lot of airplay or overexposure, so at some point, hardcore fans might be likely to dig deeper and treasure the more obscure gems. Though I still recognize it as a masterpiece, I'm pretty well burnt out on DSOTM at this point, whereas the more obscure Pink Floyd albums from the late 60's and early 70's sound a lot fresher to me. I'm not saying that I necessarily prefer More to DSOTM, but I've been listening to it a lot more lately. Some fans might take it further by reacting against the big blockbuster favorites as being some sort of "sell out" favored by johnny-come-lately trend hoppers.

 

The Final Cut is a masterpiece, certainly the most mature and poignant Waters lyrics ever. The musical part is perfect for its concept, Gilmour's solos are amazing and very fitting and Michael Kamen adds another dimension to the Floyd. And also, Kudos for releasing an album with "electronic-free" music and gritty lyrics in the middle of the very commercial and soulless pop scene in the early eighties. It's easy to understand why it was a failure but I can't see any better way to Waters say goodbye to Pink Floyd.

One Hot Minute is a great, great, great Chili Peppers record. It's heavy, it's dark, it's funky but the only problem with it (and the sole reason for the dismissal of the fans) is that there's no Frusciante there. While John was getting thinner and crazier in his apartment, Navarro was rocking the Chili Peppers with great riffs and killer guitar tone. But this is the worst thing about fans; many times they will judge music based on gossips and internal fights. I don't care if Navarro and Kiedis traded punches (I hope Navarro was the one that hit hehe), all I care about is his guitar work on the record. He deserves to be side by side with Hillel and John in the Chili Pepper's pantheon.

 

I like what I like. If if happens to be a less-favored album by an artist, then that's the way it is then.

No idea why - could be nostalgia, or it could just be that I enjoyed a change of direction (if that was the case). Example that comes to mind is "Don't Tell a Soul" by The Replacements, I find myself playing that more than some of their other more acclaimed albums. Another would be "Magical Mystery Tour" that, for whatever reason, I have a soft-spot for.

 

The Cars Panorama is one of my favorites

 

I'm trying to think of some examples but I'm not sure these are exactly albums that have been panned but maybe not as well thought of as others in their catalogs but are my favorites.

• Roy Buchanan - Second Album
• Jeff Beck - Jeff Beck Group (Orange)
• Jimi Hendrix - Cry Of Love

This is pretty difficult for me. Maybe my tastes for most well know artists are just too down the middle.

 

These are great albums that are not amongst the normally listed favorites by these artists. I love them all.

Rolling Stones - Black and Blue
Neil Young - Greendale
White Stripes - De Stijl
Nirvana - Bleach

 

My top 3 favourite U2 albums are Zooropa, October and Rattle And Hum. So, I don't go with the flow with them, or a lot of artists. In their case, it's because I got the albums for myself and didn't know anyone to have them- I just got heavily into them on my own terms. Played them to death and still listen to them with fondness that's not nostalgia as I would call it.

I used to think I was in a BIG minority when I'd play The Who Sell Out to people and they'd think I was mad.. But I see on here, that many people rate the album as one of their best - and that was a pleasant surprise.


But I do have a few that people seem to usually dislike or dismiss- or at least it's something way down their list when they discuss them. And these (and others) are for nostalgic reasons- but I love the music on them too. Just a small taster...

Wings At The Speed Of Sound (and London Town!)
Elton John- A Single Man
Joe Jackson's Jumping Jive
Electric Light Orchestra- Discovery
The Rolling Stones- Tattoo You (the first LP I bought of theirs.)
Genesis- From Genesis To Revelation

All apart from the Stones and Genesis ones, I first had copies of had when I was very young. Again, not counting them- the others, I favour over most (but not all) the artist's other albums. And the ELO, my brother had that- I like it FAR more than OOTB.