I hate the sound of the Neon Neon album. Don't rate it at all. I love everything the Super Furry Animals have released, and I never throw any cd's, but this one I'll give away for free.
It's probably not the worst album of 2008, but I can't stand it. I guess I should buy a copy of James Blunt or Anastacia just to make sure I something I could consider to be worse:-)

This thread should be renamed the gripe thread or the biggest disappointments of 08. That's what always ends up being discussed. Not having a better place to put it, I will post here a couple complaints about 2008 albums.

Sun Kil Moon - April
Tedious, overrated, interminably long. I try to give albums multiple chances, but it was all I could do to make myself listen to it all the way through twice. Midway through the third listen, I just gave up.

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Very disappointing. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. And is it just me, or did some of the songs sound almost borrowed from songs on Icky Thump?

quote:

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Very disappointing. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. And is it just me, or did some of the songs sound almost borrowed from songs on Icky Thump?

Haven't given the album enough listens to commit to saying it sucks, but it is fascinating how Jack White, backed by only a drummer who makes Ringo Starr look like the king of percussion chops, can be so consistenly fantastic with the White Stripes, but when partnered with three Nashville virtuosos is so consistently mediocre...

...though maybe not that the surprising, I've almost always felt it's the limited technical musicians who make the best songwriters/conceptualists...and that the reverse is also often true, the true virtuosos are often the worst songwriters.

The thing with The Raconteurs is that it proves that Jack White makes great music all on his own. It would be interesting if they split writing duties (kind of how Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner split the Wolf Parade album) because I'd bet that the White songs would kill the Benson tunes. But here, White and Benson work on all of the songs together and I feel that that's where it hurts them. I liked it at first but now I feel that half the songs are amazing, the other half are not so good. I do think "Many Shades of Black" is one of the best songs of the year though.

quote:

Originally posted by blueskyoas:
The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Very disappointing. I wanted to like this so much more than I did. And is it just me, or did some of the songs sound almost borrowed from songs on Icky Thump?

I dunno. I think this is a very different album than Icky Thump and I rather enjoy it. The song structures are less traditional and more interesting. In fact, on many of the songs, it takes several listens to get a grasp of it. I'm not sure if I'd put it in the best of 2008 yet, but I have not been disappointed by it.

I like it more than the first record, particuarly the second half. They sound like they've relaxed a bit.

I wouldn't say it was amazing, but I wasn't expecting it to be. It's a lot of fun!

If you can't imagine Death Cab making 10-minute jam songs, that's because you've never seen them live.

DCFC likes to draw out even their 3 minute pop singles into epic guitar jams. I think Transatlanticism, which is already 7 minutes long, turned into 12 minutes or so at their concert last summer, and it was actually really good. Death Cab is really good live, and I've been hoping they could translate some of that into a studio LP because I love Transatlanticism but Plans was really cheesy.

I bought THe Kills and Crystal Castles the same day some weeks back and can't get into them, especially Crystal Castles. After about 4 songs I want to turn it off. The Kills I can see liking, as I prefer their sound....but so far disappionted in the purchases.

The Long Blondes' "Couples" is one huge disappointment. I can barely get into to it. There are elements that I do like but I feel like Kate Jackson's singing is not up to par and stylistically it was a bad change in my opinion. I just can't force myself to like this album....

It's not even close to Someone to Drive You Home which was great.

the mars volta's "the bedlam in goliath" is the only really bad album i've heard this year. there are barely any motifs or catchy melodies to grasp on to, just abrasive noise for the most part. it's like they want to be jarring and weird more than they want to sound good. i really liked de-loused in the comatorium, but either my taste has changed, or it's been pretty steadily downhill for tmv from there.
i also thought the erykah badu album was kind of obnoxious, but i'm not much for r&b/soul anyway.

I know this is from a while back in the thread, but, I think 2004 was the best music year, I listen to some of those songs even today, things like Flawless (Go to the City) by George Michael were uplifting in what was a horrible year.

Back to topic, worst album of 2008 has to be the Now Thats what I call music series, my reason is, you pay about £15 for a double CD pack with probably only a few songs you like.

quote:

Originally posted by Joshua Rooney:
Back to topic, worst album of 2008 has to be the Now Thats what I call music series, my reason is, you pay about £15 for a double CD pack with probably only a few songs you like.

I agree.

Sadly, most of the music industry rolls on companies selling albums into platinum because of only one or two catchy songs.

Case in point, I heard Nelly Furtado's "I'm like a bird" in the grocery store today. I bet she sold millions of albums because of really only one song.

Shy Child - Noise Won't Stop

I just tried to listen to this one, which Pitchfork highly praised, and I couldn't make it past the second song. They were about the two most herky-jerky, irritating songs I've ever heard.

quote:

Shy Child - Noise Won't Stop

I just tried to listen to this one, which Pitchfork highly praised, and I couldn't make it past the second song. They were about the two most herky-jerky, irritating songs I've ever heard.

well, it's not that bad but it's not good either. Nobody sould waste his time to listen to that album.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by Joshua Rooney:
Back to topic, worst album of 2008 has to be the Now Thats what I call music series, my reason is, you pay about £15 for a double CD pack with probably only a few songs you like.

I agree.

Sadly, most of the music industry rolls on companies selling albums into platinum because of only one or two catchy songs.

Case in point, I heard Nelly Furtado's "I'm like a bird" in the grocery store today. I bet she sold millions of albums because of really only one song.

You kidding?

Furtado started out with the earnest songwriter persona, sold quite a few with that, and then took her style in a huge 180 that had her collaborating with Timbaland and singing club bangers about how slutty she was.

To conclude: she sold millions of records thanks to TWO songs.

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:
Furtado started out with the earnest songwriter persona, sold quite a few with that, and then took her style in a huge 180 that had her collaborating with Timbaland and singing club bangers about how slntty she was.

Truth. She is a very stupid and mean human being (from all credible reports), and she's throwing away what little talent she has on club booty tracks that anyone could sing. She actually has a very good voice, but that Timbaland record was truly a Timbaland record. Paris Hilton could have made it just as well.

I'm sure there are plenty of worse pop albums and such than I've given enough time to offer an informed opinion on. But the worst album I have given multiple listens to is by far 'Arm's Way' by Islands.

It's like "Twee can sound epic, right?"

By far for me the worst album of the year so far is...(their are so many)... I think it's that Katy Perry album. Pure pop garbage. (Not saying all pop is bad [ex. Robyn] but her type of pop is horrible). www.amplifierreviews.blogspot.com

Evil Urges - far from being the worst album of the year, but it is definetly the biggest disappointment for me, because Z is one of my favourite albums ever ...

quote:

Originally posted by espo369:
By far for me the worst album of the year so far is...(their are so many)... I think it's that Katy Perry album. Pure pop garbage. (Not saying all pop is bad [ex. Robyn] but her type of pop is horrible). www.amplifierreviews.blogspot.com

I don't know if it would be a given that that would suck, but, yeah. It did. I knew it would as soon as I heard "I Kissed a Girl," which may be the most blatantly calculated hit song in the history of pop. And while she shows some talent on tracks like "Mannequin," overall it's an awful, awful record.