Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
Jun
16
Written by:
6/16/2007 1:23 AM
Earlier this week, the Guardian asked a number of credible musos du jour (Mark Ronson, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips et al) to talk about a "classic" album that failed to light their fire. The article here delivers a masterclass in Sacred Cow slaying. Everything from Nevermind to Pet Sounds to The Stone Roses gets it in the neck.
Whilst I disagree wholeheartedly with Alex Kapranos slagging off Marquee Moon (how could he?!), I must admit that I found myself nodding vigorously to myself with descriptions of the Arcade Fire's Neon Bible ("..an agglomeration of mannerisms, cliches and devices...") and Is This It (..the Strokes are the new Duran Duran; the new decadence for the new millennium...).
Of course, it got my thinking. Time to invite my fellow CLUASers to slay some sacred cows of their own. To start with, I'd like to nominate the two albums that adorn the top of the CLUAS Best Irish albums - Van the Man's Astral Weeks, and Loveless by that famous "Irish" beat combo, My Bloody Valentine. The directionless dirge that is Astral Weeks is knocked into a tin hat by the delightful Moondance, whilst Loveless sounds like some recorded a bad album for their iPOD underwater. Now I know that the guitar layers and swoony indecipherable vocals are supposed to transport me to a nether world.... but there ARE NO TUNES!
Patti Smith, Horses. Neigh I say. Poetry recited over a sloppy bar band?
There isn't a single Dylan album that I can listen to the whole way through. Now call me a philistine (and I know some of you already think I am) but there are just too many words. Blonde on Blonde? I find myself skipping tracks. Visions of Johanna's genius is drained by is length.
Why are the Clash worshipped?! So many of their songs sound under-rehearsed and rehashed. And, the worst crime of all, they inspired the truly awful Libertines. Surely the most over-rated band of recent times, Up The Bracket is off-key, gravelly and ridiculously derivative.
And so, my friends, I ask you this. What is the most over-rated album of all time? Do you agree with my choices or would you prefer to add some new and familiar names to the list? OK Computer anyone?
11 comment(s) so far...
Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
Thats gas, I was only thinking about how dire The Clash are last friday in Celtic Note.
Here are three to make the fur fly
"Johnny Cash: Live In San Quentin" - "Hiya fellas, this is my wife, we lurve each other, here's another bad gospel tune and by the way I feel your pain" (This gig has one good result, Merle Haggard was in the audience and he was thinking, "Man when I get out of this joint, I gotta get me some of that bad gospel lovin'"
Anything by Carlos Santana
Zeppelin IV: "Gods of Rock, I think not"
Bruce Springsteen: "Devils and Dust" / "The Rising" both are pants
Anything by The Arctic Monkeys
By Rev Jules on
6/18/2007 3:41 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
Anything by Dylan. The most over-rated singer of them all.
By aidan on
6/18/2007 4:03 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
The Arctic Monkeys! The backlash begins....
I loathe Carlos Santana. There was an album he made a few years back with lots of different singers. I remember Rob Thomas was one of them. It won far too many Grammys and a mate of mine played it incessantly. What a truly putrid album.
By stephen on
6/18/2007 5:57 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
U2 The Joshua Tree: It's one of those albums people always quote when talking about great Irish albums but it's not, it's 3 decent songs and 8 fillers.
Plus, most of it would have to be rewritten if the bible was subject to copyright.
By Idiot Kid on
6/18/2007 9:16 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
"Anything by Dylan. The most over-rated singer of them all"
He is not a singer, he's a poet.
Zeppelin IV: "Gods of Rock, I think not"
Normally i agree with you Jules, but not here, Zep wrote some really f*ckin good hard rock n roll music...4 albums of quality banged out in 18months and only one single...timeless work
And as for Astral Weeks, It is a great album, I thought it was sh*te when i was younger etc etc..but thats all it was...stupid youth..I listened to that record again when I was older and realised how good it was....
I've always though the strokes were a pain in the arse..epitomising the poser element in modern rock music..duran duran indeed..casablancas is almost as diabolical a singer as le bon.....
I think Arcade Fire are horrendously cliched....just because you have 15 people in the band doesnt mean the songs sound better................i think they are really boring....
The Killers ARE THE SINGLE WORST "BIG BANd" OF THE LAST TEN YEARS.......3RD DIVISION BOSS COVERS...........................
The Clash I think personally are excellent and far far better than their peers...
The JAM...SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT.......Paul Weller .....Pete Townsends in grown toe nail..
By Jesus on
6/18/2007 4:02 PM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
I think calling The Killers 3rd division boss covers is harsh, that sound is nowhere to be found on their debut, which was very good in parts.
The Clash are revered because they had great songs and great charisma.
I love the Arcade Fire, but I'm not going to waste my time defending them because I find that people who dislike AF believe that those who chose to like them have inferior knowledge of music, and poor taste.
The album I shall nominate is Jeff Buckley's Grace. A very good songwriter and excellent vocalist, yes. But Grace is not the album it's made out to be. That does not mean I don't like it. It is good and showed great potential, but it just should not be put on the pedestal it so often finds itself on. The man had a classic album in him. Unfortunately Grace is not it.
By Garret on
6/18/2007 7:58 PM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
AF just dont do it for me....gotta agree regarding Buckley.....
That whole era 91-95 therebouts stemmed a bunch of albums that constently appear near the top of these "best albums ever"...another one being Nevermind.....I dont veen think it was Nirvanas best album.....
By Jesus on
6/19/2007 1:05 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
Nevermind, I think, deserves its credo. It's a violent record - one that stills disturbs me when I listen to it. Whilst it can seem formulaic now (familiarity?), it is still the supreme loud record of my formative years.
The criticism of Grace, I can understand. My girl can't get this record at all. It is overwrought. And I think the argument that Grace would not be Buckley's masterpiece if he'd lived probably holds water.
Jesus says that the Clash were better than their peers?! Well they were at their peak at a time when many bands couldn't even play! Whilst I have my tongue edging toward my cheek with that statement... when I compare the Clash to a band like Television or even the Jam, the Clash become the Faint Din...
By stephen on
6/19/2007 5:55 PM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
My tuppence worth:
1) Grace rules.
2) Nevermind is an outstanding album. I mean it's got Teen Spirit for Christ's sake ! Although I do think that In Utero is a better album overall.
3) The Joshua Tree IS a classic album and still stands up today in my opinion.
4) And now, my turn to slay a sacred cow that nobody else has mentioned.....deep breath.......
JOY DIVISION
They didn't do it for me then, they don't do it for me now. Apart from Love Will Tear Us Apart, which is a cracking song. The rest just sound like tuneless dirges to me. *sits back and awaits howls of outrage*
By John Doe on
6/20/2007 3:43 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
Couldnt agree more about Joy Division/Warsaw whatever...
I have ALL their stuff.. basement tapes, the ep and the album.....read deborahs book about Ian....did it all when i was in college years ago...and i have to say I think peoples reference to this band is down to the scene and music the band hepled inspire....more so than the bands produce itself...
By Jesus on
6/20/2007 9:15 AM
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Re: Astral Weeks? Astral S***E!
John Doe, when I first bought Closer, yes that was my opinion of the band too. However I cam back to it a couple of years ago, and what I had thought was bordering on the unlistenable is now to me one of my favourite albums.
By Garret on
6/20/2007 9:45 AM
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