I’d always heard that Pulp’s early albums were not worth bothering with but I’m listening to some tracks from Separations now and they sound great. Got me thinking, what other commonly accepted critical opinions about bands/songs/albums does everyone think are guff?
Is this gonna be a list of bands that need to be critically reassessed? Like how Black Sabbath were thought to be really lame in the 80s and 90s but are now the best band ever.
If so REO Speedwagon. And Blue Oyster Cult need more love (although I don’t think anyone thinks they’re a bad band).
I’m surprised by everyone’s general indifference towards it. It’s easily one of their best albums with quite a few of their best and most memorable songs.
I was going to click ‘like’ but I’m actually not sure. It’s definitely not a mad suggestion though, as Amnesiac is probably the Radiohead album I most return to. At the very least, I think it’s their most successful instance of that combination of experimental spirit and “accessibility”. Or something.
I don’t know if this counts, and it might be somewhat controversial, but here goes…
Swathes and swathes of recent female artists with asymmetrical haircuts and breathy synthesisers are making terrible music, but a lot of the digital music press with a largely progressive leftist core reader base are having to increasingly cover them for the sake of diversity.
And for good measure, here’s another one for ya’s: Elbow aren’t boring. In fact, the polyrythms and time signature changes on that lead single off the latest album is in Radiohead territory.
I’d say there is a convincing argument to be made there. The first three tracks off Street Hassle are 10/10, if he’d have kept that level of writing up across the whole thing it would have been his best.
I like Amnesiac better but it was the first of theirs I got into cos someone gave me a copy, so always attributed it to that. Think it’s my second fave of theirs after In Rainbows. Never really bothered listening to OK Computer though…
I agree with this (in regards to Reed, not heard much Cale) and I think most would if they really looked within. It’s a a pleasure vs chinstroking situation really.