A while ago, I posted an album’s worth of Dire Straits songs I’d happily consign to Room 101, notwithstanding that I think that some of their stuff stands up ok. The list went:
1. Twisting by the Pool
2. Les Boys
3. Wa*k of Life
4. Industrial Disease
5. The Bug (after a stay of execution for ‘Southbound Again’)
7. Heavy Fuel
8. Angel of Mercy
9. Money for Nothing
10. My Parties
11. Planet of New Orleans
Bonus CD track: Ticket to Heaven
Any artists you broadly like who you could fill an album of songs that belong in Room 101? And what does that album contain/look like?
Paul Wad says
Surely you’ve just set up an open goal and people are scouring Google for decent pictures of Under The Red Sky, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Be Here Now or any number of Neil Young albums?
Bartleby says
That’s fine if you think a released album has all an artist’s worst tracks. I quite liked UABRS back in the day. And Satanic Majesties has got a couple of belters on it, don’t you think?
Paul Wad says
Yes I do, I just wanted to head the easy jokes off before they started.
I was referring to the Dylan album with the first one though, rather than the U2 one. I gasped before I realised what you were referring to, because I thought I knew the only person who likes Under The Red Sky, so it would have been a shock to find there were two!
Bartleby says
Oops. It was late. I’d had a sleeping pill. Step away from the keyboard Bart…
deramdaze says
Myths of our time.
No. 1, Satanic Majesties isn’t wonderful.
Rigid Digit says
(raises hand carefully …)
I quite like Be Here Now.
Where it fails is it wasn’t the great defining statement of the band which they alluded it to be.
Dig Out Your Soul – that’s the duffer in the catalogue (although I can see what they’re trying to do, just doesn’t achieve)
Black Celebration says
1. Slow
2. Macro
3. Hole to Feed
4. The Darkest Star
5. Goodnight Lovers
6. Condemnation
7. I Want You Now
8. Somebody
9. Shouldn’t Have Done That!
10. Nodisco
These are largely the weakest songs on Depeche Mode albums. Going through them in my head I still have some vestigial affection but then my head intervenes with a clear and decisive veto.
Worst is the appropriately titled “Shouldn’t Have Done That!”, which sounds like a nursery rhyme over a Residents soundtrack. That makes it sound brilliant, but I assure you it isn’t.
There are mostly slow numbers that have some quirky thing going on (whispery lullaby for “Goodnight Lovers”, blowing up a paddling pool on “I Want You Now”, and fragile squeaking over a sparse piano for “Somebody”). The first four though are
Black Celebration says
(Continued) …included because they are a bit boring.
Bartleby says
I once bought Condemnation as a single. B/w the same song I think. What was I thinking?
Black Celebration says
Puzzling (to me) that it’s often in people’s best of lists. There’s a gospel choir and Dave Gahan really, really shouts. But someone forgot about the tune.
Dave Ross says
Veto! Condemnation and Somebody at glorious.
duco01 says
I remember that DogFacedBoy and I once compiled our separate lists of the 10 worst Elvis Costello songs from the Beloved Entertainer’s magnificent career.
The only song that was common to the two lists was “Daddy Can I Turn This” off “When I was Cruel”.
So I think we can safely say that any imaginary album of Costello’s dodgiest moments should definitely have that song on it.
dai says
Party party?
Vincent says
I'[m a massive Frank Zappa fan, and much more comfortable with his knob jokes and sardonic stage raps than many, but there is an easy album of dumb “sociological” smut for 12-year olds to smirk at and musical conceptualists to be embarrassed by:
The Pop Star Massage Unit
Pantie rap
he’s So Gay
Sex
Stick Together
The jazz discharge party hat
Be in my video
Bobby Brown
Ya Honza
The radio is Broken
No Not Now
Jumbo Go away
I reckon there is another shit album out there in the earlier stuff, too. Never been a fan of the “snorks”.
Bartleby says
Could we make it a double and add Hot Plate Heaven, Keep it Greasy, Dickie’s Such an Asshole, Advance Romance, Evelyn a Modified Dog, Fifty Fifty, Cucamonga, Jezebel Boy and, er, most of Thing Fish.
I always loved No Not Now – especially the guitar sound and vaguely menacing tone used for the “Maybe later” rejoinder. Dumb in a good way.
Vincent says
I LIKE “Keep it greasy”, “Green hotel”, “50: 50” and “The evil prince” off “Thing Fish”. My theory is that Zappa was so diverse in his music, there is always something even the truest “true fan” can’t handle. Also, that he just pushed it out knowing his dumbest work sold rather more than his most thoughtful. I nevertheless prefer an album of knob jokes and well-played fusion to the self-consciously weird (viz. “200 Motels”). Smart dumb is great, but it is dumb smart dumb just to wind up liberals and then say “I’m joking, where’s your sense of humour?”.
Oh, and a cover: Zappa looking “weird” superimposed on the “ThingFish” pictures published in “Hustler” magazine with black boxes covering the eyes and offendign organs.
Bartleby says
I think the proposer has to hold power of veto. Yes, it’s possibly optimistic to imagine that in his prime, the audience were there to hear Andy, Echidna, the Black Page, Dupree’s or Pedro’s Dowry and not Cosmik Debris, Muffin Man, Keep it Greasy, Penguin in Bondage, Titties and Beer and Bobby Brown.
Vincent says
That sounds like a pretty perfect set for me bar Bobby Brown, TBH. Who said one is logical about these things?
Leicester Bangs says
The Smiths, ‘List Of The Lost’ EP (Cover star: Jane Horrocks)
1. Nowhere Fast
2. Paint a Vulgar Picture
3. Never Had No One Ever
4. Money Changes Everything
5. Stretch Out And Wait
6. I Don’t Owe You Anything
7. Oscillate Wildly
Black Type says
How can you consciously contemplate including No 5?
Bartleby says
Side 2 needs filling out a bit – might i suggest “Miserable Lie” and the unloveable Golden Lights? Stretch Our and Wait a fairly brave choice!
Leicester Bangs says
Well it is only an EP, and I love Golden Lights and Miserable Lie, so… veto!
Bartleby says
I think I’ll buy the Sire US version – Louder than Bums, cover star Dot Cotton, which sadly omits both!
Moose the Mooche says
I bought the French version. Louder than Beurms.
Bartleby says
Do you have a lassunce for your Reubberr Ring?
Moose the Mooche says
The alcoholic afternoons, that we spent in your reurrmm…
Bartleby says
Vivid and in your prime,
You will leave my behind.
dai says
I like all those. Golden Lights springs to mind.
Black Celebration says
Meat is Murder, the track?
dai says
Maybe
dai says
Fabs:
A Taste if Honey
Hold me Tight
Mr Moonlight
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Run for your Life
You Like Me Too Much
If you got Troubles
Yellow Submarine
Blue Jay Way
Wild Honey Pie
Don’t Pass Me By
All Together Now
Octopus’s Garden
Dig a Pony
Makka Pakka says
Well my daughter (4) loves Yellow Submarine and All Together Now and I’m not going to disagree. I suspect there’s going to follow much heated debate about Yellow Submarine!
Bartleby says
I quite like Dig a Pony and All Together Now. Run For Your Life gets a pass here too, possibly because it got into my brain before any critical faculties’. I’d add One After 909, all of George’s plastic raga, Only a Northern Song, Revolution No. 9, Maggie Mae, Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and Octopus’s Garden. The obvious ones maybe.
Rigid Digit says
Octopus’s Garden is a great little country-rock-esque track.
Doesn’t try too hard to be great, but has a tune that gets stuck in your head.
And Ringo wasn’t really a bad singer
dai says
Yes, it’s pretty good! Revolution 9 is too obvious and George’s Indian stuff is fine by me. I don’t count Maggie Mae (or Dig It) as they are barely songs at all.
dai says
My daughter too.
Carl says
I still like Yellow submarine after all these years.
I suggest you take that out and substitute it with Bad Boy.
Dave Ross says
I’ll try and do one for The Jam
Bitterest Pill ( for the video)
English Rose (because then people would never mention it again)
Pity Poor Alfie
News Of the World
In The Street Today
Tonight At Noon
Heatwave (does cover version count?)
Trans Global Express
Planners Dream Goes Wrong
Music for the Last Couple
Rigid Digit says
beat me to it Dave – 4 choices the same. That must mean something about those songs ?
(and I forgot about Pity Poor Alfie)
Dave Ross says
It does when you consider how many to choose from. Came to me easier than I expected
Tony G says
I more than broadly like The Jam. I saw them live many times and legged it down to the record shop to buy singles and albums on day of release but my Room 101 album would be:
Side 1
English Rose
English Rose
English Rose
English Rose
Side 2
English Rose
English Rose
English Rose
English Rose
Sorry but I have hated it from the first time I heard it; for no bonds can ever make me like it.
Rigid Digit says
1. The Combine (wouldn’t miss it)
2. Innocent Man (Bruce can write songs, just needed a bit more here)
3. English Rose (although I’m pretty ambivalent about the track – possible stay of execution?)
Heatwave
4. Music for the Last Couple (a song of two halves, and the second half is OK)
5. Trans-Global Express
6. The Planner Dream Goes Wrong (although lyrically, it is fine. It’s just the presence of steel drums …)
Arthur Cowslip says
I’ll try The White Stripes (and I am a fan, even though I feel few here probably share my love):
A
1. I Think I Smell a Rat
2. Well It’s True That We Love One Another
3. Little Ghost
4. Take, Take, Take
5. Conquest
B
1. Prickly Thorn (But Sweetly Worn)
2. St Andrew
3. Rag and Bone
4. The Big Three Killed My Baby
5. One More Cup Of Coffee
I truly think with the Stripes Jack White created a glorious and enviable body of work. They’re also one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen. But those ten tracks are unlistenable.
Bartleby says
If nobody else fancies it, here’s my Stones double:
1. You Gotta Move
2. Respectable
3. Little T&A
4. Neighbours
5. Wanna Hold You
6. Cool Calm Collected
7. Hold Back
8. Sing This All Together (See What Happens)
9 High Wire
10. Sad Sad Sad
11. Back to Zero
12. Losing My Touch
13. In Another Land
14. Sweet Neocon
15. Can’t Be Seen
16. Mixed Emotions
17. Suck on the Jugular
18 She’s So Cold
19. Rock and a Hard Place
20. You Got Me Rocking
21. Hang Fire
22. Infamy
23. Going Home
24. Stupid Girl
dai says
That’s pretty excellent. Do love “Mick’s Emotions” though and Respectable is great!
Bartleby says
Thanks Dai – I expected more grief! I always found the whole ‘we’re still rebels, honest guv’ vibe of Respectable embarrassing. As have been most of Mick’s attempts to sound modern and down with it. Except, for me, some of the stuff on Undercover (Too Much Blood, It Must be Hell), which I quite like.
dai says
Could also just put in all of Dirty Work and be done with it.
Arthur Cowslip says
Hm. I love You Gotta Move. Lovely ramshackle blues.
Blue Boy says
Dear old Bob offers no shortage of choices – I’ve limited myself to his own compositions and no more than one from any album
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum
Ugliest Girl in the World
Never Gonna Be the Same Again
Father of Night
Lenny Bruce
Joey
Rainy Day Women #12 and #35
Man Gave Names to All the Animals
Wiggle Wiggle
Wedding Song
Neighbourhood Bully
Roll On John
Bartleby says
I remember trying hard to like Joey when I first got Desire – what a dirge. Neighbourhood Bully however…
Gatz says
I’ll put a good word in for Man Gave Names … and Wedding Song, both fairly slight but fine in their respective albums.
Jackthebiscuit says
No to Rainy Day Women #12 and #35 on a worst of – i genuinely love that song.
Harry Tufnell says
I’ll do Leonard Cohen
1. Jazz police
err…. no, that’s it.
duco01 says
I’m not a huge fan of “Always” or “Be For Real”, either – but admittedly neither of those is a Cohen original.
MC Escher says
Bowie: Tonight. All of it.
Bartleby says
I’ll give you a twofer – Never Let Me Down.
Black Type says
Except…Loving The Alien and Blue Jean.
MC Escher says
Well…. yeeeesss. No, you’re right, they are both not worthy of consigning to R101. Never Let Me Down is actually closer to a nul point LP.
Bartleby says
Luckily, we still had Tin Machine to look forward to…
Black Type says
Nowt wrong with TM. Except…when Hunt delights us with his ‘singing’.