Unpopular music opinions take II

[LemonMelon]

Californication has a really good first half. Kind of zone out in the second, but it winds up being pretty OK, I think.

All other RHCP albums are lacking any good segment.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I liked "Scar Tissue" when it used to be on MTV and the radio all the time.

Haven't heard it in years, though.

Their drummer looks like Will Ferrell.

 

[No spoken words]

by the way is a pretty cool album. it's the closest i've ever been to a red hot chili peppers fan.

Yes, yes it is.

 

[PhilsFan]

John Frusciante is damn good.

 

[No spoken words]

Yes, yes he is.

 

[lazarus]

Favorite album?

My unpopular opinion re: these guys is that I find Disintegration to be overrated in that it's considered by many to be the band's best. I appreciate the atmosphere, but it's a bit of a slog and isn't really notable in terms of songwriting. Also, I always hated Love Song.

For me Kiss Me x3 impresses the most with its diversity and convinced me they could do anything, though there is def some filler. Head on the Door is probably the most consistent for me. And I also think Wish is terribly, terribly underrated. Such a great album with a healthy mix of songcraft and some really notable instrumental passages. It's ridiculous that the album is labelled as happy or poppy just because of a few upbeat tracks (Friday I'm In Love, Doing the Unstuck and High, all of which are fantastic), when overall it's just as moody and depressing as anything else.

 

[iron yuppie]

I think that you definitely have a point about Disintegration being overrated. However, it is overrated in the same positive way that something like Revolver is overrated: they are both tremendous albums that have unfortunately been swallowed by their own reputations.

I also agree with your point about Wish. However, I think that it will always be remembered, and justifiably in my mind, as the point where an incredible winning streak began to ebb.

 

[lazarus]

No, Revolver isn't overrated; it's one of the greatest achievements in the history of recorded music.

 

[lazarus]

I also agree with your point about Wish. However, I think that it will always be remembered, and justifiably in my mind, as the point where an incredible winning streak began to ebb.

Really? With songs like Open, A Letter To Elise (a.k.a. the superior remake of Pictures of You), From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Cut, To Wish Impossible Things, and End? Pretty towering shit.

Spoiler

Ok, Wendy Time would def compete for worst Cure song ever.

 

[iron yuppie]

I won't argue against the strength of some of its individual tracks, but it just does not cohere in the way that the preceding albums had. Even something as multifaceted as Kiss Me feels like a consistent listening experience to me, but to my ear Wish always seems to evaporate into a pleasant but formless sound collage, whatever that means.

 

[LemonMelon]

I listened to Alligator twice today and have come to the following unpopular conclusion:

1. Secret Meeting - 9/10
2. Karen - 9.5/10
3. Lit Up - 8.5/10
4. Looking For Astronauts - 6/10
5. Daughters of the Soho Riots - 7/10
6. Baby, We'll Be Fine - 7.5/10
7. Friend of Mine - 5.5/10
8. Val Jester - 6.5/10
9. All The Wine - 9.5/10
10. Abel - 9/10
11. The Geese of Beverley Road - 9.5/10
12. City Middle - 8.5/10
13. Mr. November - 9/10

The bolded section is really weak. There are a couple good ones but, even though I've heard all of those songs at least half a dozen times, I can still barely remember any of them, even their titles. Friend of Mine is particularly unremarkable. And the fact that they happen all in a row makes the album feel really inconsistent. I remembered today precisely why Boxer remains my favorite National album in spite of the fact that a huge chunk of my top 10 for the band comes from this record.

 

[cobl04]

No, Revolver isn't overrated; it's one of the greatest achievements in the history of recorded music.

i knew i'd covered this already:

Revolver is dusgustingly overrated in my opinion

I listened to Alligator twice today and have come to the following unpopular conclusion:

1. Secret Meeting - 9/10
2. Karen - 9.5/10
3. Lit Up - 8.5/10
4. Looking For Astronauts - 6/10
5. Daughters of the Soho Riots - 7/10
6. Baby, We'll Be Fine - 7.5/10
7. Friend of Mine - 5.5/10
8. Val Jester - 6.5/10
9. All The Wine - 9.5/10
10. Abel - 9/10
11. The Geese of Beverley Road - 9.5/10
12. City Middle - 8.5/10
13. Mr. November - 9/10

The bolded section is really weak. There are a couple good ones but, even though I've heard all of those songs at least half a dozen times, I can still barely remember any of them, even their titles. Friend of Mine is particularly unremarkable. And the fact that they happen all in a row makes the album feel really inconsistent. I remembered today precisely why Boxer remains my favorite National album in spite of the fact that a huge chunk of my top 10 for the band comes from this record.

YES! finally someone sees where i'm coming from regarding The National. i would also add City Middle to "really weak" group. but then you had to add that bit about Boxer, which i can't get on board with at all.

My favorite RHCP albums are By the Way and Californiacation. Don't really like what came before except for a few songs, and the double album afterwards has maybe 2 songs I like.

i love By the Way. Can't Stop, Don't Forget Me and Venice Queen are all fantastic songs.

 

[Saracene]

My favorite RHCP albums are By the Way and Californication.

Mine too. I don't like their early stuff, Blood Sugar Sex Magic has a few great singles and a whole lot of filler, and Stadium Arcadium is just too damn long.

 

[cobl04]

i like a number of their early tracks. great music on many songs, just horrible vocals.

"i fuck 'em just to see the look on their face"
YouTube - RHCP- Freaky styley- Freaky styley

Sly & Family Stone cover (ft. a good vocal)
YouTube - If You Want Me To Stay by Red Hot Chili Peppers

 

[Popmartijn]

i love By the Way. Can't Stop, Don't Forget Me and Venice Queen are all fantastic songs.

True. But the album is about 4 songs too long. And that filler prevents it from being as good as, say, Blood Sugar Sex Magik (which, even at 70+ minutes, does not contain any filler).

 

[bono_212]

My unpopular opinion re: these guys is that I find Disintegration to be overrated in that it's considered by many to be the band's best. I appreciate the atmosphere, but it's a bit of a slog and isn't really notable in terms of songwriting. Also, I always hated Love Song.

For me Kiss Me x3 impresses the most with its diversity and convinced me they could do anything, though there is def some filler. Head on the Door is probably the most consistent for me. And I also think Wish is terribly, terribly underrated. Such a great album with a healthy mix of songcraft and some really notable instrumental passages. It's ridiculous that the album is labelled as happy or poppy just because of a few upbeat tracks (Friday I'm In Love, Doing the Unstuck and High, all of which are fantastic), when overall it's just as moody and depressing as anything else.

I understand people who have that viewpoint. I just fucking love depressing music, and I can't get through Disintegration anymore without losing my shit somewhere around the title track. It's not my favorite album ever, but it's somewhere in the top ten, easily.

Kiss Me x3 might be my least favorite Cure album, which is disappointing when it has my favorite song by them period on it (this same thing happened with The Rolling Stones and Let It Bleed, incidentally). That's another album, however, that I love the personally chopped down 8 track version of it I more often listen to.

Wish is as good as it's given credit for by the fan-base, and "Friday I'm in Love" isn't hit with the "oh it's too poppy" card nearly as often as "Mint Car" is, which I've never understood. As for another unpopular opinion, Wild Mood Swings can be an amazing album. It just needs the chop as desperately as Kiss Three does.

 

[nielsgov]

I listened to Alligator twice today and have come to the following unpopular conclusion:

1. Secret Meeting - 9/10
2. Karen - 9.5/10
3. Lit Up - 8.5/10
4. Looking For Astronauts - 6/10
5. Daughters of the Soho Riots - 7/10
6. Baby, We'll Be Fine - 7.5/10
7. Friend of Mine - 5.5/10
8. Val Jester - 6.5/10
9. All The Wine - 9.5/10
10. Abel - 9/10
11. The Geese of Beverley Road - 9.5/10
12. City Middle - 8.5/10
13. Mr. November - 9/10

Daughters Of The Soho Riots is is my favourite off Aligator. The only two weaker songs are Lit Up and Looking For Astronauts.

 

[IWasBored]

Their drummer looks like Will Ferrell.

he does.

i've decided that "easily" is the only chili peppers song i actually like. for some reason i remember it as being track #7. now, i can't remember what i ate for dinner last night and haven't listened to that album in...well, probably within a year or so after it came out. so i have no idea why i think it was track 7 on the album. but now i'm gonna have to go find the cd and check. why was this relavent? oh, i think it had to do with the first half of the album being ok. i liked by the way when it came out. haven't listened to it since, though.

 

[LemonMelon]

YES! finally someone sees where i'm coming from regarding The National. i would also add City Middle to "really weak" group. but then you had to add that bit about Boxer, which i can't get on board with at all.

I would like to say that Boxer will grow on you, but it wouldn't be a huge deal if it didn't.

Back when Alligator vs. Boxer discussions ran rampant, I used to be incredibly defensive whenever Alligator was chosen, but I've begun to agree that the gap between them is infinitesimal. Especially now that I've spent more time with Alligator and consider it such a good friend. I've played that record on a lot of shitty, lonely nights, and a lot of exceedingly fun ones. On the other hand, I saw the National live for the first time when they were touring Boxer and had no idea who they were. Blew my mind. Fake Empire and Start A War still move me like little else and remind me of that time period.

I don't know where High Violet fits in yet. I like it, just not nearly as much.

 

[djerdap]

Both Friend of Mine and Baby We'll Be Fine (arguably Berninger's best lyrics) are some of my favorites on Alligator. I do agree Daughters and Astronauts are a bore. I still prefer the Sad Songs/Cherry Tree/Alligator era to the Boxer/High Violet period.

 

[iron yuppie]

"Daughters" is probably in my top five National songs, but I also prefer Boxer and High Violet to Sad Songs and Alligator. All of those albums are excellent, but High Violet is one of the best albums that I've heard in a long time.

LemonMelon, I had a similar experience when I saw "Slow Show" and "Mistaken for Strangers" live. They gave me a whole new appreciation for Boxer. It is their most subtle album, but also their most emotionally resonant, I think.

 

[No spoken words]

I've seen The National perform Live twice now, and both shows were strong and enjoyable, but they didn't really move me in any way, shape or form. Maybe if I saw them in a more intimate setting, don't know. Of all the bands I've been pointed towards via the interference, they are my favorite and it's by a wide margin. I have come to really love and appreciate Alligator but Boxer remains my favorite, with High Violet in-between the two. And I have love for Sad Songs as well.

And while this might have to do more with timing than anything, High Violet is one of those albums that helped me through one of the more challenging periods of my entire life, so there's that. Hopefully I'll one day get to hear some of the songs from that album in a Live setting.....I think that, if nothing else, will wind up moving me a bit.

 

[PhilsFan]

The only weak track on Alligator is Looking for Astronauts, and even that has some great lyrics and some catchy parts. Alligator might be from my favorite 2000-2009 album.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I've said it before, a number of times, but Is This It is my favorite record of 2000-2009. For sure.

Other contenders:

In Rainbows
Kid A
Fearless
White Blood Cells
Elephant
Boys and Girls in America
Funeral
Whatever People Say I Am...
ATYCLB
Love and Theft
College Dropout
etc.

 

[djerdap]

My favorite 2000-2009 album is New Order's Get Ready. Yep. It has a lot to do with some fond memories of that period, and I can happily ignore the largely crappy lyrics by some amazing melodies and kick-ass guitar riffs. Kid A, Fear of a Blank Planet, Alligator and Pearl Jam's self-titled being close behind it.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

My favorite 2000-2009 album is New Order's Get Ready. Yep. It has a lot to do with some fond memories of that period, and I can happily ignore the largely crappy lyrics by some amazing melodies and kick-ass guitar riffs. Kid A, Fear of a Blank Planet, Alligator and Pearl Jam's self-titled being close behind it.

Yeah, I really like all of the albums PJ put out in that span. And Eddie's Into The Wild soundtrack. Those would all be contenders as well.

And there are a ton I'm forgetting. Very strong decade for tunes.

 

[nielsgov]

My favourite of the decade, from what I've heard so far, is Kid A followed closely by ().
And I've always found Is This It pretty overrated. The title sums up my feelings about the album.

 

[Lancemc]

Sea Change, Kid A, Vespertine.

 

[iron yuppie]

Sea Change, Kid A, Vespertine.

Vespertine is gorgeous. Nice call on that one.

 

[No spoken words]

I am not sure what my favorite is but an album that would be in my top 10 from that decade that's not gonna get mentioned by anyone else, probably, is Stories from the City - Stories from the Sea.