When good artists go bad: the worst of the best

[sloop_john_b]

How about the Beatles' "Run For Your Life"?

To quote a friend, "'Run For Your Life' sounds like a Monkees reject".

[Scastles]

How about the Beatles' "Run For Your Life"?

To quote a friend, "'Run For Your Life' sounds like a Monkees reject".

I think even Lennon thought it was junk.

[winston]

Paul McCartney............Band on The Run. It always sounded like a bunch of ideas patched together to me.

[JakeK]

"Eminence Front" by The Who. This song has one of the longest intros I've ever heard, and it just isn't good. I support you, Roger Daltrey! (he wasn't a fan of the song, either).

Dan, I happen to like a few tracks on the "Tommy" album, "Can You Hear Me?", "Christmas", "Amazing Journey", "Cousin Kevin", "Acid Queen", "Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free" and "We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me, Feel Me" are my favorites. Rest of the album, though, I have trouble listening to. Especially "Do You Think It's Alright/Fiddle About", my mom can't stand because of a personal experience.

Anything after "Start Me Up" by The Stones. "Mixed Emotions", "You Got Me Rocking", "Love Is Strong", "Anybody Seen My Baby" and "Keys to Your Love" are terrible. "Don't Stop" and "Rough Justice" weren't that bad, probably the sigh of relief after Darryl Jones joined. "Tattoo You": The last good Stones album.

I'm also not a fan of "The Last DJ" album by Tom Petty. I like only two songs, maybe (the title track and "The Man Who Loves Women"). His last album wasn't bad, "Saving Grace" and "Down South" are the only tracks I listen to on a regular basis, though. I think anything after the "She's the One" soundtrack, I can't listen to entire Petty albums.

Almost anything The Beatles put out, I love, some way or another. But I'm not a fan of "Happiness is a Warm Gun", it's just not one of my favorites.

[ric325v63]

For me the bottom of the Beatle barrel is I Wanna Be Your Man. It just feels so formulaic and claustrophobic to me. Almost any of the rejects from that period would have been a better choice. I skip it always.

[winston]

For me the bottom of the Beatle barrel is I Wanna Be Your Man. It just feels so formulaic and claustrophobic to me. Almost any of the rejects from that period would have been a better choice. I skip it always.

Agreed. It was poor execution of good material. The Stones did a great job of it though.

[JakeK]

For me the bottom of the Beatle barrel is I Wanna Be Your Man. It just feels so formulaic and claustrophobic to me. Almost any of the rejects from that period would have been a better choice. I skip it always.

Agreed. It was poor execution of good material. The Stones did a great job of it though.

The Stones did kick butt at their version at it, but I dunno. I like it, pretty much because it was Ringo's signature song before "Yellow Submarine". Not to mention, the backing track is something else. The reverb on the rhythm guitar shows what you can do with a Rickenbacker and a Vox AC-30.

[tennis_nick]

Phhht. the Stones. That slide part throughout the vocals drives me insane. If you can't play anything worthwhile, turn it down and wait till you CAN play something worthwhile, it is utte distraction and wreaks of "beginner just picked up a slide" which is a shame because the solo is very good, and I've always expected so much better from Brian Jones.

[beatlefreak]

How about the Beatles' "Run For Your Life"?

To quote a friend, "'Run For Your Life' sounds like a Monkees reject".

I think even Lennon thought it was junk.

True, he did. He hated the song because he admitted consiously lifting three lines from Elvis' Baby, Let's Play House. IMO, while Run For Your Life is not one of the stronger songs from Rubber Soul, it sounds alright - WAY better than Ringo's song for the album, What Goes On. That has to be my vote for the worst Beatles' song (unless you want to count the unreleased If You've Got Troubles and What's The New Maryjane.

For me the bottom of the Beatle barrel is I Wanna Be Your Man. It just feels so formulaic and claustrophobic to me. Almost any of the rejects from that period would have been a better choice. I skip it always.

Agreed. It was poor execution of good material. The Stones did a great job of it though.

It was written for the Stones. The Beatles only recorded it to fill up and to give Ringo a vocal on the second album.

[scotty]

Ha Kira! i love it the knives are oot! youve upset the equilibrium of the RRF
Welcome to the dark side....My young apprentice.....

[beatlefreak]

Leave it to a Scot to be an instigator!

[scotty]

Aye!

[paologregorio]

how about the entire Tommy album except for Pinball Wizard?

You'd better think twice about showing your face at MARF now!

Our former drummer and I tried to watch "Tommy" when it was on tv a couple years back; after about five minutes my drummer commented, "Pete Townshend should be shot for doing this"!

[scotty]

Yeah Paul but what was your Reply?

[kiramdear]

I find it very interesting that while everyone agrees that some great artists did some awful work, I don't see much consensus as to exactly which songs those were. Fascinating!