10 Albums We Love to Hate from 10 Artists We Love

David Bowie - Hours.

It was hailed as a sort of comeback when it came out in 1999, but I found it incredibly boring. I'd rather listen to weak 80's albums like Tonight or Never Let Me Down. The reception is even more strange considering that a much more forward thinking album such as 1. Outside never got the credit it deserves.

Eloy - Ra (spectacularly bad album by a good band that has a stellar bass player and a bunch of good drummers - and this one features neither)

Art Zoyd - Pure Noise (I don't mind that they did this... I actually like them for the balls it takes... I like the whole idea of this album, except that I don't like to listen to it)

Talk Talk - The Party's Over (similar thing as with Pure Noise - I'm fine with them having done this; I like the fact that they started off with this because it gave them much space to improve from album to album... actually it has two or three OK to good songs, but still, I hardly ever feel that I should listen to this again)

King Crimson - Earthbound (incredibly some seem to like the rough and "earthly" sound of this, but I find the sound and mix so off-putting, I can't enjoy anythijg on it)

Novalis - Bumerang (I have no problems with bands changing their style and one could argue that it was clear for some time where Novalis was heading... but this is just unbelievably lame and bloodless... I saw them touring this album and live they were still good by the way)

Robert Wyatt - Mid-Eighties (This seems to include the whole Old Rottenhat album... this is a very long collection that has one song - Gharbzedegi - that I really love, and lots of good lyrics over generally very lazy minimalist electronic arrangements... he has done so much better elsewhere)

Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Masque (I don't remember a thing from this album, and Manfred is otherwise very good at making things stick in my inner ear... I even once gave it a spin to check and had forgotten all of it by the next day)

Steve Hackett - Cured (I thought about nominating Invisible Touch, but I'm not that much of a Genesis fan despite digging most of the Peter Gabriel phase. I admire Steve Hackett and his discography displays a good variety fair enough, but it's a bit hit and miss and this one is the biggest miss I'd say. You've got to give me something to get my teeth in Mr Hackett!)

Pink Floyd - Momentary Lapse of Reason (it's bearable which is probably the best to say about it)

Jethro Tull - Too Old To Rock'n Roll Too Young To Die (Yes I do like this less than Under Wraps... actually there are a number I like less than Under Wraps)

Bland is better than aggravating 

Ummagumma is amongst my favorite Floyd albums, only topped by WYWH and Animals. Piper is a Syd album really but a classic of its time.

Pink Floyd - The Final Cut

Had that for a few years and couldn't get along with it at all.

These others are my lowest rated amongst artists I generally love, they are either a departure from the style I like or an album I bought before giving up on a band

Dave Gilmour - Rattle That Lock

Finnegans Wake - The Bird And The Sky Above

The Decemberists - What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World

Shub-Niggurath - C'Etaient de Tres Grands Vents

Oldfield, Mike - Voyager

King Crimson - THRaKaTTaK

Comus - To Keep From Crying

Aranis - Smells Like Aranis

Aw, I love Discipline too and I think Missing Pieces and Rainbow Dome Musick are pretty fantastic as well.

anyway, I second Calling All Stations and would further like to mention Frank Zappa's Thing-Fish and ELP's Black Moon (as well as To The Power Of Three if one considers that a part of their discography)

 

It took me a whole week to come up with my bottom 10 list, so there's plenty of time.

 

I can name dozens of well-known prog artists who've never released an album I dislike, including:- The Alan Parsons Project; Jon Anderson; Barclay James Harvest; Camel; Caravan; Dead Can Dance; Deep Purple; ELO; ELP; The Enid; Genesis; David Gilmour; Annie Haslam; If; Jade Warrior;  Led Zeppelin; Jon Lord; Man; The Moody Blues;  Nektar; Sally Oldfield; Pink Floyd;  Procol Harum; Rare Bird; Traffic; Uriah Heep; Roger Waters; & Yes, to name just a few.