Worst albums of 2011
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 673
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Worst albums of 2011
Like other, I'm going with more of a "most disappointing" than worst, as I don't try to listen to bad music, I'm sure there's plenty of garbage out there that's really bad.
So, I'll go with the new dredg album, Chuckles and Mr Smiley or whatever the Hell the title is. I love their last 2 albums, and have enjoyed just about everything they have done to some extent. This album is pretty much unlistenable to me, though. There's a couple of songs that are bland and those are the best songs on the album. Some of the songs are decent musically, but I don't think the vocals really fit with the music, but most of the album is just boring. I don't really know what the general consensus of the album is, but I know that 2 of my friends are big dredg fans, too, and they both really dislike it.
So, I'll go with the new dredg album, Chuckles and Mr Smiley or whatever the Hell the title is. I love their last 2 albums, and have enjoyed just about everything they have done to some extent. This album is pretty much unlistenable to me, though. There's a couple of songs that are bland and those are the best songs on the album. Some of the songs are decent musically, but I don't think the vocals really fit with the music, but most of the album is just boring. I don't really know what the general consensus of the album is, but I know that 2 of my friends are big dredg fans, too, and they both really dislike it.
#27
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 7,935
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Worst albums of 2011
I have to say, I don't get this whole trend towards indie down-tempo soft rock these days. Dawes, Real Estate, Best Coast, Midlake, Mumford and Sons, Iron and Wine, Megafaun, Grizzle Bear etc: they're all various combinations of Jackson Browne, America, Joni Mitchell and a variety of other west coast 70s singer-songwriters as far as I can tell but without the songwriting chops and charm of those artists. To me, they're either narcotically sleepy (Real Estate... snore) or irritatingly precious (Best Coast... puke). Also, to sound like an oldster: Dean Wareham cornered this market 20+ years ago.
These are some of the most acclaimed artistes these days, so obviously I'm wrong.
These are some of the most acclaimed artistes these days, so obviously I'm wrong.
As I mentioned in the 2011 Best of thread, the new R.E.M. album bummed me out when the band said it was one of their best and it just simply wasn't.
#28
Re: Worst albums of 2011
But of course, this is all a matter of opinion. Pretty much everything has been done already so most bands are just grabbing a genre they like and playing it. No harm in that. Dawes and Middle Brother are pretty straight forward rock bands. There is no pretentiousness. That's appealing to me. The Decemberists are a bit pretentious but Colin Meloy is a brilliant songwriter.
Last edited by CRM114; 12-06-11 at 09:40 AM.
#29
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Worst albums of 2011
I don't have a problem with bands aping mellow 70's west coast bands if done right. Of the bands you mention I think Mumford & Sons are one of the most overrated acts I've ever heard, yet I love Grizzly Bear, Real Estate and Best Coast (Dawes is just average to me). Guess it all depends on the band.
#30
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
Re: Worst albums of 2011
I was looking very forward to Deer Tick's Divine Providence, especially after hearing John McCauley's songs on the Middle Brother album. It turned out to be the most disappointing listen I've had in years. It is such an enormous step down from all of his other stuff.
#31
Re: Worst albums of 2011
To all the people on the "it's real music played by real people man, you just don't get it" tip: don't get me wrong, I actually love the original 70s California singer songwriter stuff and folk rock that's inspired this movement. In fact, there are other bands I like even in the current crop: Wilco and The Decembrists both released excellent albums this year in same general genre and The War on Drugs is at least tangentially related and produced one of my favorites of the year. I just find the majority of this current crop of bands to be bland and lacking the talent of the bands they're apeing. The fact that they're all so critically adored is a bit strange to me. Then again, I found The XX's album last year to be hugely overrated so what do I know.
#33
DVD Talk Legend
#34
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Worst albums of 2011
I thought the new Theory of a Deadman sucked ass. Not one song was memorable. I couldn't get into Coldplay's new stuff either.
Favorite hard rock song of 2011 - Five Finger Death Punch - Under and Over It. That song kicks so much ass right from the beginning.
Favorite album is probably the new Seether. I loved every song on it.
Favorite hard rock song of 2011 - Five Finger Death Punch - Under and Over It. That song kicks so much ass right from the beginning.
Favorite album is probably the new Seether. I loved every song on it.
#37
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
#38
#39
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
#40
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Worst albums of 2011
Came back for this thread:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/...-out-pics.html
back story on that for those to lazy to click:
So during the last big snow of 2011 I got yet another newspaper stuck in the snowblower.
I forgot about it all summer but remembered a few weeks back. Now that it's cold out I need to get it out.
So I did a search on Google to see if there were any new miracle cures for this. What do I find at the top but my thread which I'd forgotten about. DOH.
So anyway, I fixed it and put up pix but no one cares anymore and the thread died quickly. *sniff
For some reason Best Coast came to mind so I did a search to see if anything had been posted about them in the Music forum.
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/other-talk/...-out-pics.html
back story on that for those to lazy to click:
So during the last big snow of 2011 I got yet another newspaper stuck in the snowblower.
I forgot about it all summer but remembered a few weeks back. Now that it's cold out I need to get it out.
So I did a search on Google to see if there were any new miracle cures for this. What do I find at the top but my thread which I'd forgotten about. DOH.
So anyway, I fixed it and put up pix but no one cares anymore and the thread died quickly. *sniff
For some reason Best Coast came to mind so I did a search to see if anything had been posted about them in the Music forum.
#41
Moderator
Re: Worst albums of 2011
Not necessarily the "worst album", but the winner of the "Largest Disparity between My Perception of an Album's Quality and General Critical Consensus" for me is Fleet Foxes' "Helplessness Blues". Honestly, I've tried to listen to this thing ten times and each time I wind up switching if off less than three songs in. It's a painful snooze of a record, mixing boredom and twee cutesyness in equal measure. Judging by the critical raves, I'm way off base.
#42
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Worst albums of 2011
I'll second Divine Providence from Deer Tick, and with the exception of "Toes", Siberia from Lights is a huge disappointment.
#43
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Worst albums of 2011
Just Plain Awful:
Dirty Beaches – Badlands
of Montreal - thecontrollersphere
The Streets - Computers and Blues
The Streets - Cyberspace and Reds
tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
Disappointing:
Bad Meets Ǝvil - Hell: The Sequel
Incubus - If Not Now, When?
Jay-z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne
Middle Brother - s/t
Asking Alexandria - Reckless & Relentless
The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida
Dirty Beaches – Badlands
of Montreal - thecontrollersphere
The Streets - Computers and Blues
The Streets - Cyberspace and Reds
tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
Disappointing:
Bad Meets Ǝvil - Hell: The Sequel
Incubus - If Not Now, When?
Jay-z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne
Middle Brother - s/t
Asking Alexandria - Reckless & Relentless
The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida
#44
#45
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Worst albums of 2011
They also have produced some great melodic vocals and hooks which is sadly missing on this album. Songs like "Not Meant to Be" or "All or Nothing" catch my ear a lot more than "Lowlife" which is totally forgetable.