Bad Records from Good People

Rolling Stone’s got a list up of the 15 worst albums by great bands.  That’s a great idea, something I’ve pondered a few times.  Once, I sat with Language Arts and Little Brother discussing a similar topic–greatest come ups and come downs in successive albums by hip hop acts.  Fun stuff.
Anyway, I’ve decided to list a few really bad records from really good artists.  Add yours.
But first, one record you won’t see on here is U2’s Pop.  My colleague Seth Wickersham–who referenced this list on his blog, which is where i found it–said that should have been on there, but I’ve come to disagree over the years.  Ben, the former Red Stripe Reader of the Month, urged me to give it a second listen, and I must say the record wasn’t as bad as I remembered it being.  Plus, I think “Please” is a great song.
Moving on.  No particular order, no set number.  Just rambling.
Goodie Mob, World Party.   This record is really, really bad.  Granted, I admit that Still Standing, its immediate predecessor, isn’t as good as I remember it being.  However, there are a couple of dope tracks–“Get Rich To This” and “Chain Swang,” for example–and a bunch of garbage.  Cee-Lo can try to put all the blame for this on Gipp, but I ain’t going for it.  Everybody involved’s gotta take the blame on this drivel.
The Roots, Phrenology.   How many of you tried your hardest to convince yourself that this record was good?  How long was it before you gave up?  Q likes it.  I still like him in spite of that, though.
LL Cool J, 14 Shots to the Dome.  I was weighing this one with Walking with the Panther.  The latter is better than people remember.  Just out of place with the time.  This one, however?  Stinkin’. Hot. Garbage.
Prince, Chaos and Disorder.  I don’t even want to talk about this one.  I’ve heard it called his definitive guitar album.  Whatever you say.
Raekwon, Immobilarity.  True story here.  My brother and I debated whether to buy this one because the reviews were so bad.  We went ahead and copped it, though.  We figured that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx was too good for us not to show him the respect of buying his next album.  After we got to “All I Got 2,” featuring a dreadful sample of “Penny Lover,” we took that thing out and never listened to it again.  Hell, “All I Got” wasn’t even his song in the first place.
50 Cent, The Massacre.  Or, as we call it, The Assacre.
Counting Crows, This Desert Life.  Stop telling me this is good.  Please.  I can listen to their other three records front to back without thinking twice.  Not this.  Give it up.  Yes, I’m talking to you, Jenn.
Common, Electric Circus.  OK, I’m hot a huge Common fan.  Think he’s a bit overrated.  Even still, this is the abysmalest.
Dr. Dre Presents…The Aftermath.  Because 2001 was so good, I think we’ve forgotten that Dre almost killed his own career with this one.  Goodness, this is turrrrible.
Eminem, Encore.  There are some good to great songs on this one.  But goodness, he mailed it in.  Totally lazy performance.
Ice Cube, War and Peace.  Both of ’em.  Cheeks.
Michael Jackson, Invincible.  By a nose over HIStory.  No idea how people don’t realize Mike hasn’t done a good album in 16 years.
Jay-Z, Blueprint 2.  Go ahead.  Try to defend it.  Try your best.
Lauryn Hill, Unplugged.  I admit this isn’t as bad as many people say.  But I must say I get uncomfortable listening to it.  Get a hold of yourself, woman!
Marvin Gaye, The Last Concert Tour.  It’s a live album, so it’s a bit unfair.  And, if I recall, it was a posthumous release.  Oh well.  This record is so bad that it’s funny.
Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tha Doggfather.  Someone please speak on this.

12 Comments

  • Posted May 18, 2007 1:39 pm 0Likes
    by ladyb

    i believe i am the only person on the planet who actually enjoys world party. in fact, it’s a staple for me on road trips. there are a few songs that suck on there and i have a STRONG AVERSION to the introduction but i still bump it at least once a year.
    and i enjoy phrenology, too. granted, it doesn’t have the same *something* that a lot of the roots’ other albums, what is missing from the *expected* is more than made up for by the *unanticipated* (for me, anyway).
    anyway, i feel like anyone who is comfortable listening to Lauryn Unplugged and remain completely comfortable is either Jesus or really at peace with their own and others’ personal demons.

  • Posted May 18, 2007 2:58 pm 0Likes
    by jason

    Electric Circus was better than Old Navy ads or whatever he does now.

  • Posted May 18, 2007 5:32 pm 0Likes
    by eauhellzgnaw

    The problem with all of those rap albums is that they are too ambitious.
    There are very good songs on all of them (I don’t do, Eminem, though), but as you know, when you aim high and miss, it leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.
    On some of those albums, I can name 5 good songs–that’s not saying much, but that’s an accomplishment for today’s shitty rap album climate.
    Blueprint 2 has 1 short album worth of dope Jay Z songs. Only his ego made him decide to stretch it to a double disc.

  • Posted May 18, 2007 7:52 pm 0Likes
    by Jarrett

    Inspectah Deck’s Uncontrolled Substance. The only hip-hop album I’ve fallen asleep on.
    Electric Circus was the only CD I threw out of a moving car after purchasing it, which is the customary ritual when garbage music is purchased in my hood.

  • Posted May 18, 2007 10:14 pm 0Likes
    by Cobb

    Chaos & Disorder was a very good album. The worse album Prince ever did was Graffiti Bridge. Nobody can even name a song from it. Come was also lousy album, and New Power Soul was the most uninspired piece of garbage. R Kelly could have done New Power Soul.

    Jazz bassist Ron Carter made an album of solo Bach. It was that bad.
    The only BDP album I ever bought was ‘Ghetto Music’, and every time I say that people understand why I think KRS-1 is overrated.

  • Posted May 20, 2007 9:30 am 0Likes
    by J-Full

    BoJo I personally liked Invincible, though i wouldn’t compare it to any of the black or light skinned michael albums. It was a lot different than what we were used to hearing from MJ but I didn’t think it was terrible. Although there were some awful songs on there.
    I was disappointed by “The Gift” cd on the blueprint 2. But i loved “The Curse” for the most part. “I did it my way” was good, as well as “poppin tags” “Dream” was solid too.
    I’m not sure if you listen to Monica but her latest album was awful. I was mad that i didn’t download it illegally.
    that lauryn hill unplugged cd makes me uneasy too. My hip-hop journalism professor said that Lauryn Hill is certifiably CRAZY. And that Lauryn was the worst person she’s ever interviewed. (this lady is a pioneer in hip-hop journalism).
    I think Luda’s last two albums have been awful.
    I didn’t care for stankonia that much either. (though i love the musical genius of idlewild)
    Any album by Dipset post “Diplomatic Immunity” was terrible too
    Ok i’m gettin tired…

  • Posted May 20, 2007 6:48 pm 0Likes
    by Brew City Drew

    Wow. I can’t even disagree with any of those.
    Oh, and…fuck Eminem.
    that always seems to stir shit up. Especially with white folks.

  • Posted May 21, 2007 12:39 pm 0Likes
    by C

    Tha Doggfather was the single most disappointing album I ever purchased. I remember convincing my mother that it was ok to buy it (she was on that parental advisory shit real tough…) I bought it with my own hard earned allowance money, unwrapped it, listened to it and was done with it. I don’t think I listened to that album more than once. I felt like the beginning of the end of west coast radio rap…a very sad day indeed.

  • Posted May 22, 2007 1:15 pm 0Likes
    by Reggie

    What about Nastradamus by Nas? Geez that album sucked. I actually liked Phrenology. Call me crazy. And, yeah. Electric Circus was crazily awful.

  • Posted May 23, 2007 1:14 pm 0Likes
    by dameSTAtus

    Lauryn and Snoop I disagree with.
    Lauryn live is timeless for the subject matter and the interludes, and the sproradic hard ass flows (hear mystery of inequity, and the imagery of the court system etc..). Even the interludes can make you cry if you vibe to them just right. I feel where she was at that time.. It’s not my place to call that woman crazy.
    Re: Doggfather, you probably had to be on the west coast at that time.. I think it had “you thought you had mine” w/ supafly and too short? are you kidding me? That was like the end of the original g funk era right there.. You should replace this album w/ one of those no limit albums that came out of left field as far as snoop’s core fans (at the time) were concerned. Snoop all hopped up on the tank wearing camos and not blue, I promise you that shit did not happen in my mind.
    Bo, hit the A last weekend, caught a slap contest between two women at a skrip club, and dropped 100 to get into Velvet room on sunday w/o the wait.. Things that only happen “in duh A…”. Classic.

  • Posted May 23, 2007 10:32 pm 0Likes
    by Aden

    i’ll agree with everything on here and only register a problem with the degree of disappointment stated for common and lauryn’s efforts.
    them shits is unlistenable.
    and i like world party some.
    it ain’t no one monkey don’t stop no show.
    but damn, please put worldwide underground on this list to complete the trio of terror with “that damn prhenology” -phonte coleman, and the “electric bullshit” -bo jones
    and let’s add idlewild and to a certain extent the love below and turn off your radio to the list of records negatively influenced by e badu’s trimspot along with the electric bishit…(bishit! not true! false!)

  • Posted May 25, 2007 6:05 pm 0Likes
    by Artistic Scientist

    And I thought I was the only one who hated Lauren Hill’s Unplugged crap…that was $13 I’ll never get back.

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