On the thread ‘Hits that weren’t hits’ there are references to famous, classic songs that were not hits when they were first released, like ‘Heroes’. This made me think of original, negative reviews of records that went on to be considered classics. I find such less than complementary opinions quite refreshing and fascinating. They at least feel honest as opposed to unquestioned installation in the canon and general hagiography. This is from Charlie Gillett about Bowie’s much admired opus about lovers and the Berlin wall:
“Well he had a pretty good run for our money, for a guy who was no singer. But I think his time has been and gone, and this just sounds weary. Then again, maybe the ponderous heavy riff will be absorbed on the radio, and the monotonous feel may just be hypnotic enough to drag people into buying it. I hope not.”
Can you think of any more like this?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Heroes%22_(David_Bowie_song)
Not really Negative as such, but I can’t remember a great deal of press write-ups of Radioheads Pablo Honey.
and The NME write-up of the Stone Roses debut was “nearly quite good”
Well, Pablo Honey was shit to be fair. However I think they were considered one hit wonders at the time who would prove to be as relevant as Birdland
A mate of mine was Radiohead’s monitor engineer in the very early days and played Pablo Honey a lot. I haven’t heard it since but I don’t remember disliking it at the time. What was so awful about it?
2 or maybe 3 good songs. The leap to The Bends is one of the biggest in rock history.
http://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/music/20-bad-reviews-for-classic-albums#
Research lead me there ↑
includes a review of Jam – All Mod Cons stating:
“Paul Weller is an illiterate Bryan Ferry… All Mod Cons is a record that’s nearly catastrophic, weak at the surface and almost rotten underneath.”
Dave Marsh, Rolling Stone.
(but then Americans never did “get” The Jam)
Rolling Stone. I’ll leave it there.
Exile on Main Street was not universally praised when it emerged. I seem to recall Hepworth on an old Word podcast referring to a pretty scathing review somewhere, possibly Rolling Stone so take that with a pinch of salt.
And whether you like them or not, ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ is now a celebrated record but it was almost universally criticised. Think the NME gave it 5 or 6/10.
A few here
http://www.nme.com/photos/when-critics-get-it-wrong—classic-albums-that-were-initially-slated/176419#/photo/8
MJ’s Bad: “Not as good as the last one” – Jeeziz lads, stop kicking, he’s had enough..
The Velvet Underground & Nico wasn’t badly reviewed on release – it wasn’t reviewed at all! Love that..
Not sure that NME link really gets the point (now, why doesn’t that surprise me?).
Critic slags off a Madonna record and then it shifts millions.
So? It’s a Madonna record, of course it shifted millions, doesn’t mean the critic wasn’t (entirely and absolutely) right to call it shite.
Wait – you don’t like Madonna? Why have we not been told about this before?
Erm….not really!
But it didn’t have to be a Madonna review, it could have been U2 or REM or any other huge selling act.
Surely the premise only works if you are talking about an early album, like the Led Zeppelin, Stone Roses or Oasis ones mentioned.
You’re right about that NME link though – Weezer? The Spice Girls? No Doubt’s first album? The Red Hot for the love of god Chili Peppers? Please…
Yeah, what we’re after is ‘Please, Please Me’…..’can’t sing, can’t write, make sure you haven’t mis-laid your return ticket stubs to Lime Street lads.’
And the inverse – John Lennons “Double Fantasy” was weakly reviewed, but all that changed after he was murdered & it ended up as record of the year. (But lets be honest, it was pretty pants wasn’t it?)
Yes
I brought Starting Over the day it came out and when I played it for the first time I thought, “That’s it?” After waiting five years it was a disappointment to say the least. Watching the Wheels is the only I song off that I genuinely like.
Off topic but one of favourite music references in a TV show came from 90’s sitcom News Radio (don’t know if ever played in the UK) Someone described Yoko Ono’s music as being basically unlistenable and Dave Foley, the star of the show, said, “I don’t know about that. There are people out there who think her contributions to Double Fantasy weren’t too…intrusive”
A landmark album of 70s rock was summed up in the New York Times with a two word review:
Shit Sandwich
I wonder if anyone wrote a thumbs down for Blackstar on Friday. I haven’t the heart to look.
All 37 on Metacritic were positive – worst were 7/10.
I’m sure Felix Dennis’s review of a certain album in Oz magazine was negative in terms of actually liking it, but predicted that it would prove a huge, landmark album…..Led Zeppelin’s debut.
Or, as I might put it….this is loud, white boy blues tosh, but, because it has a juggernaut behind it financially and a colossal record company, they will be boring you rotten for at least 10 years. Welcome to the 1970s. Oh yeah, OOAA!
Lou Reed Berlin 1973
Good old RS again. I remember reading the review. For me it is his solo creative high point. Lou was mightily pissed about the review and rightly so.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/berlin-19731220