Albums The Critics Got Wrong?

Squonk19 wrote: As for the likes of Black Sabbath - when did the critics ever give them praise? Only with Never Say Die did they get it right by default.

This must be about the best example out there. Sabbath was resoundingly shat on by pretty much every critic throughout the seventies, whilst in their first six albums they laid down one of the greatest sequences of recordings in the history of rock.

Zappa got it of course - a man who had something memorably pithy to say about rock journalism!

Edited by Mascodagama - October 28 2017 at 08:06

Geoff Barton in Sounds here in the UK gave Hemispheres a disappointing review - which affected by view of him considerably, when he was the one who pushed Rush in the earlier years. I know the album divides some fans, but I honestly think it's their most underrated album. It just came out at the wrong time - when all the mainstream British press were wetting themselves over punk/new wave scene.

Agree about Exile and Animals from earlier posts. Always thought Crest of a Knave was over-rated by the press (and the Grammy committee) - while Songs from the Wood didn't get the credit it deserved at the time - again, because it was swimming against the tide at the time.

I remember the hammering Tusk took for not being the new Rumours. Not my favourite album, but it had its moments; was quite experimental, and only now are critics reassessing it.

As for the likes of Black Sabbath - when did the critics ever give them praise? Only with Never Say Die did they get it right by default.

Blacksword wrote: richardh wrote: Great comments about The Wall. When I was about 21 that album was the most important thing to me in the universe. I honestly believe that I wouldn't be here typing my nonsense but for that album and Roger Waters. Someone has to tell it as it is. The same could apply to me. I had the Wall before I got into Rush, Genesis et al... I was 13 and had no idea what prog rock was. I just knew that I liked music that most of my friends didn't like and I couldn't work out why.. I may not have gotten into other prog rock bands had it not been for Floyd.

I think pretty much everyone tore Renaissance's Camera Camera to shreds (including some band members, later), but I consider this a very unique, fresh and original if somewhat disoriented album.


Edited by Lewian - September 18 2017 at 05:38

At our age, or mine at least, I AM a Fla-----

Um. Nvm.

Any recording that has generated the volume of debate and the extreme variance of opinion over as great a period of time almost by default must now be viewed as greatly underrated.

If not classic.

For such is TALES. Made for this thread.

Edited by Frankh - September 17 2017 at 18:28

"Flatulent quasisymphonies"! LMAO!

mechanicalflattery wrote: Reading through it, it's amazing how much of this thread got reduced to "critics didn't like my favorite album, therefore they're piggish and self-absorbed." Not referring to anyone recent (Saperlipoppete, your post on Hancock is much appreciated), but dissent and direspect are entirely separate. Christgau doesn't like prog? Well he must be pushing a narrative! Trying to suggest others abdicate from music he finds aesthetically displeasing and enjoy the music he does! The horror, the horror...

Haha well put - and thanks! However I stumbled over a seemingly well researched post at Yesfans: Rolling Stone magazine and Progressive Rock and the kind of attitude and lack of openess towards prog or just artistic ambition many of their journalists had back then kind of bugs me. 

Edited by Saperlipopette! - September 17 2017 at 13:10

^^ Same Cristi. I can appreciate that someone might not enjoy it, but to believe it to be a bad album (of its ilk) is another matter.

Guldbamsen wrote: Funny how that works. Animals is my favourite Floyd album together with Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother (and More actually although it isn't as "strong" of an album as the above mentioned...but it's a charming little bugger to these ears).

Those are my favourites too, though I love every Floyd album up to and including The Wall.

BaldJean wrote: Logan wrote: ^^ Very well expressed, mechanicalflattery. ^ Interesting, Jean, why in your opinion is Animals certainly a bad album? first of all Pink Floyd start repeating themselves; "Sheep" sounds just like "One of these Days". second they sound like BOFs that can't get their a**** off the seats anymore

"Sheep" has similarities to "One of These Days", love the track, but it doesn't sound "just like" it. I have no problem with drawing inspiration from earlier material, and actually like many variations on the same theme, or re-worked themes by the same artist. One example would be Magma's Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré , which adapts themes from earlier material, but I think does it with a wonderful result.

I don't believe that Animals sounds that much like any former Pink Floyd album overall, and is hardly one that I would accuse of being derivative or lacking uniqueness in an oeuvre. I have known people who disliked it because it sounded too different from the popular Pink Floyd that they liked.

By BOF, do you mean birds of a feather? I don't get that can't get their arse off the seats impressions at all from the album, except perhaps as a lyrical reference to creeping malaise.

"Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake off this creeping malaise.
If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find my way out of this
maze?"

Love to read a more detailed review of yours on the album, as I am interested in different perspectives, and to get a fuller picture of your thoughts.

EDiT: Cristi, I missed your last post as I was multitasking while preparing this, but I too find it a pretty unique album -- an unusually unique album in fact (I touched on that in this post and don't want it to seem that I am just "repeating" your notion).

Edited by Logan - September 17 2017 at 10:08

Logan wrote: ^^ Very well expressed, mechanicalflattery. ^ Interesting, Jean, why in your opinion is Animals certainly a bad album?

first of all Pink Floyd start repeating themselves; "Sheep" sounds just like "One of these Days". second they sound like BOFs that can't get their a**** off the seats anymore

Funny how that works. Animals is my favourite Floyd album together with Ummagumma and Atom Heart Mother (and More actually although it isn't as "strong" of an album as the above mentioned...but it's a charming little bugger to these ears).