When good artists go bad: the worst of the best

[captsandwich]

How many of you can even name the Clash's last album? The 'only band that ever mattered', the punk rock survivors, the band that influenced so many others released a steaming pile of vinyl called Cut the ****. After that, they thankfully did.

[Ric O'Sound]

OK, instead of slammin' on the Beatles or the Who, I'm gonna slam on the King of Rock and Roll.

Say what you will, but "In the Ghetto" has to be one of Elvis Presley's most embarrasing performances ever put to vinyl. It instantly triggers my involuntary gag reflex every time I hear it. (Hey, where's the "Hurl" smiley when you need it?)

[jingle_jangle]

Yeah, the "King" had many embarrassing productions, but his die-hard fans can wear blinders (as in, "It's all great--after all, He Is The King!!!").

Mac Davis wrote that ditty, as if he ever knew any ghettos.

Personally, I think Elvis went through many periods, but in October '63, he snapped. I find his best work to be the early stuff, although he had a great period (IMO) in the few years after he was mustered out of the Army. "Return to Sender", "Good Luck Charm", "Stuck on You", "It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonesome Tonight", "Follow That Dream", "One Broken Heart For Sale", "Devil in Disguise". Real good pop songs, all, with Elvis in good vocal form and imaginative arrangements.

Then, in October 1963, he released "Bossa Nova Baby". Pure dreck, and from that point on it was mostly downhill.

[woodyng]

lou reed's "metal machine music", anyone? most any of david bowie's tin machine outings. jon anderson's toltec album. all absolute peices of dreck from artists i otherwise adore......

[tamborineman]

Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight'. True love should be more inspiring. Also hated playing this over and over in cover bands. I know it's a job but still... And people still request it all the time!

[shamustwin]

Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight'. True love should be more inspiring. Also hated playing this over and over in cover bands. I know it's a job but still... And people still request it all the time!

OMG, terrible.
I believe he slams it in his autobiography, or at least says he was drunk.

[nukebass]

I was a total Queen fan and had been for many years until they released Crazy Little Thing Called Love and all the **** that followed. That ended it for me.

The Game is the last good Queen album (in my opinion). Save Me and Sail it Away Sweet Sister (To the Sister I Never Had) alone save the album. I will agree that most everything released later (with the exception of Innuendo) was junk. They had a few good songs, the best being Who Wants to Live Forever, but they couldn't get an album's worth of material out at one time. I believe the last true and best Queen album was A Day at the Races, but that's another write-up entirely

I have never liked any of Clapton's solo stuff, but his stuff with a band (Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominoes) is great.

I'm not a big fan of Lennon's stuff. In fact, for the period they were both recording at the same time, I actually prefer McCartney's material. Lennon's just sounds like it was thrown together too quickly and recorded in his house.

[jingle_jangle]

That's called "spontaneity". And Lennon's spontaneity is often preferable to Macca's contrivance.

But the two of them together made one 100% songcrafting juggernaut.

Macca, tight-a**ed Teddy Boy and Lennon, loose as a goose and guilty as hell. Quite as different as can be...

[kiramdear]

Lennon's first solo album still never fails to take me to pieces, exactly as it did 38 years ago. In a good way. Holy cow, is anyone still allowed to be actually that pure and gritty?

[winston]

John's worst stuff had to be when Yoko screamed throughout the recording.

[whojamfan]

Hey man, Yoko was framed, that was a cat in a blender

[whojamfan]

I would have to say that Dee Dee Ramones alter Rap ego King D is amongst some of the worst **** ever recorded. He even admitted it was awful.

[jingle_jangle]

Lennon's first solo album still never fails to take me to pieces, exactly as it did 38 years ago. In a good way. Holy cow, is anyone still allowed to be actually that pure and gritty?

Kira, are you referring to "Plastic Ono Band"? It was raw, sensational, and memorable. I think "working Class Hero" came off that one, but some of the screamers are timeless, too.

[kiramdear]

Lennon's first solo album still never fails to take me to pieces, exactly as it did 38 years ago. In a good way. Holy cow, is anyone still allowed to be actually that pure and gritty?

Kira, are you referring to "Plastic Ono Band"? It was raw, sensational, and memorable. I think "working Class Hero" came off that one, but some of the screamers are timeless, too.

Yeah, that's the one. "Working Class Hero", "Mother", "God", "Love", "I Found Out", they were all chiller-dillers.
- "I don't believe in Beatles" ... wow! That says it all.

[jingle_jangle]

Then there is also "Well Well Well". Where was his mind on this one?