It's probably for different people, but some times it's hard not to approach an album without certain expectations. As a fan that's fine, we should expect something from artists particularly when we are paying money for their product. Now for this album I was thinking of albums I not only expected to be good, but I also I really wanted them to be good. Even if the first listen or two didn't take with me these were albums where I kept listening hoping to find something to grab on to or hoping it would be grower. That does and has happened, but for this post I chose releases I tried to get into, but couldn't.
Ozzy-Bark at the moon
This was the most recent Ozzy disc when I first got into him. Ozzy was dressed as a wolfman so it seemed to have some cool horror elements. The title track is cool and Rock and roll rebel works, but much of the rest of the album is either too sappy or held back by heavy use of keyboards. I have tried over the years to revisit it and hope that I can get past the keyboards and the throwaway songs, but it has never happened.
Motley Crue-Theater of pain
I was big on the Crue going into this one. This was the most anticipated hard rock album of 1985. So I was in shock to hear the singles were a lukewarm cover and a ballad. Much of the rest album is more rock than hard rock and there seems to be filler than anything. I gave up a few months later, but have come back to it over the years repeatedly. I have to come to think it's okay which is better than what I thought in 1985, but it's still lacking in many areas.
Metallica-...And justice for all
I got into Metallica several years before, saw them the summer of 1988 and was all ready for this one to run me over. What came out was a drawn out, under-produced, watered down shell of the band I was expecting. Others flocked to right away. I gave up after just a few plays and didn't even give it much a chance until maybe four years later. My feelings were the same. Every few years I have tried it hoping that it was just different and not just weak. I came around on a couple of songs, but for me the thin production and plodding pace still keep me from getting into the album as a whole.
**I could probably make the list longer, but that's good for starters. Do you have any cases like this?
Celtic Frost—Monotheist. God, I've been obsessing over this album all week, giving it another go (trying to generate some enthusiasm to pick up the Triptykon album) and still finding nothing to enjoy. I'll usually go along with the hive mind of the metal community and agree with what's a hit or miss, but this album makes me cringe.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree with you about ...And Justice for All in retrospect. I loved it at the time, but I haven't listened to the entire album in 15 years.
Any time a band does back-to-back great albums, there's always a great big disappointment in store.
ReplyDeleteI've recently been writing about Type O Negative a lot, and they fit right in there, too; Bloody Kisses and October Rust were two really ambitious albums. I wanted to love "World Coming Down" but it was just so messy and jumbled.
BTW, I waffle on "...Justice". I think I like it now simply by way of comparison to Metallica's "trying to hard to be who we used to be" aesthetic. At least back then they were trying to do something new...
Ozzy's "Bark At The Moon", while not as good as "Blizzard Of Ozz" or "Diary Of A Madman" is still good, I think.
ReplyDeleteAnd Motley Crue's "Theatre Of Pain" is nowhere near "Shout At The Devil"...but it has songs like "Louder Than Hell" and "Tonite".
Metallica's first three albums are masterpieces...but "...And Justice For All" has songs like "Harvester Of Sorrow" "Blackened" and "The Shortest Straw", which are excellent.
For me, big disappointments were (are):
Metallica "St. Anger",
Motley Crue "Generation Swine",
Judas Priest "Angel Of Retribution", and
Megadeth "The World Needs A Hero"
"Bark At The Moon" is near perfect for me... with the exception of "So Tired". I embrace "Theatre Of Pain" tremendously. Metallica became "Pop" heroes with "And Justice For All"... "One" is an all-time dud of a song for me. After Metallica's historic first three albums, to hear "And Justice For All" was a huge disappointment. I remember my buddies and I just tossing this album aside... and going back to the first three Metallica albums for support.
ReplyDeleteMotley Crue - "Dr. Feelgood" and "Generation Swine" just never resonated with me.
KISS - "Asylum" - by far, my least favorite KISS album EVER... and I am a card carrying member of the KISS Army stating this.
Judas Priest - "Turbo" is a huge ??? - Metal be my saving grace, this album does not represent what Judas Priest was all about... or is about today.
And Justice for All was a HUGE disappointment for me too. Those paper-bag drums, and no bass to be heard. I was really looking forward to it after being a fan of everything up to that point. Songs are good overall, I just couldn't get past the horrible sound. In fact I thought something was wrong with my cassette when I first put it in.
ReplyDeleteTheater of Pain spelled complete sellout to me. I loved the rawness of the first album, in fact I had the original Leathur Records version. Then Shout at the Devil came out, and I loved the heaviness of it, catchy songs too. Theater of Pain was just as you said, a ballad, a lame cover song and too much filler.
bark at the moon is my favorite ozzy album. i completely agree about crue and metallica.
ReplyDelete