Strangest/Worst Albums

[Leroy Lizard]

I have owned some doozies over time. Most of them pretty horrible.

Captain Beefheart, Trout Mask Replica. I'm supposed to like this album. And Lord how I've tried. But I consider it akin to garbage art.

Magma, Magma Live. The most monotonous album I have ever heard, and it's a double LP set. Ugh! (I like the group, but this album is unlistenable.)

Scratches (forget the name of the artist). Yes, an LP composed of scratches. The artist took sand and rubbed it on a blank LP. It was packaged in a nice sleeve, but I was never sure if I was supposed to use it. (Why?) I played about ten seconds of it but took it off before my needle crumbled.

African Head Charge, Environmental Sounds. I love the band, but I just couldn't get used to the soundscapes on this album.

Lou Reed, Metal Machine. Lou still owes me a refund on this one. We had to warn our customers before they purchased it.

Renaldo and the Loaf, The Elbow is Taboo. I was into the Ralph Records thing for awhile and just about any of the albums could have made the list (especially The Residents'). This one sticks out for some reason. It was actually pretty good, especially the cut Extracting the Re Re.

[TUSooner]

Metamorphosis by the Stones was pretty forgettable, but I bought it.

[Leroy Lizard]

I own a lot of forgettable albums. But I doubt the Stones' album consists of two-hours of distortion (Lou Reed).

How does Pink Floyd's Ummagumma fare?

[Crucifax Autumn]

The soundtrack to Dancer in the Dark fits both strangest and worst. Bjork is bad enough on her own, but add lyrics by Lars von Trier and crappy singing from actors and it trumps anything else she's done.

[Leroy Lizard]

All in all, I would rather listen to Metal Machine, or even the scratches.

[King Crimson]

you should read Lester Bangs stuff on Metal Machine. he doesn't get it either, and it's really pissing him off. or was, since LB is dead.

it's not my fave beefheart, but i like trout mask mostly.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Lizard, I've never understood threads like this ... similar to "ten worst movies of all time." WTF did they watch? WTF did you buy these albums?

Sniff it to make sure it isn't dog$hit before putting it in your mouth.

[Leroy Lizard]

Lizard, I've never understood threads like this ... similar to "ten worst movies of all time." WTF did they watch? WTF did you buy these albums?

Sniff it to make sure it isn't dog$hit before putting it in your mouth.

In the record stores, you couldn't listen first. You bought it and if it sucked, you were stuck. I was lucky in that I worked in a record store so I could sample some items as long as we had a ton of copies. That ruled out indies though. I also subscribed to newsletters and ordered records and tapes through the mail. So a lot of stuff was bought with no idea as to how it sounded. All I had was a description. If the title sounded neat, I bought it.

That is how I stumbled on The Damned and The Stranglers. Cool names. Why not give them a shot? Now I am a big fan of both. I also picked up a lot of stuff from Bunnydrums and Bong Water this way, and Kraftwerk's very first album. Good stuff.

I bought the LP of scratches because I was into avante-garde art big-time back then. (Actually, I still am.) So I spent a lot of time listening to groups like The Residents, Node, and Einsterzende Nuebaten. So I guess I thought it would be cool to have an LP with nothing but scratches. This also explains Trout Mask Replica.

[OhU1]

Renaldo and the Loaf, The Elbow is Taboo. I was into the Ralph Records thing for awhile and just about any of the albums could have made the list (especially The Residents'). This one sticks out for some reason. It was actually pretty good, especially the cut Extracting the Re Re.

You mean Renaldo and the Loaf had albums after "Songs for Swingwing Larve" and "Arabic Yodeling"?

The Residents actually have quite a bit of tunes that are listenable. The "chubb" and "mole" material for instance. There are some amazingly creative Resident's videos out there on Youtube by the way. Worth checking out if you are or were a fan.

The Residents "Eskimo" would be one of my strangest albums. I have heard a few minutes of Lou Reed's "Metal Machine Music" (which is literally an industrial machine grinding metal I beleive). I think the Japanese actually liked Metal Machine which is not a great surprise.

[Jacie]

Most of my old albums accumulated scratches from me playing em, also a lot of pops and other assorted random noises unrelated to the music.

I don't remember most of my really bad ones except this one. I was a fan of Amon Duul II, a kind of German alt-rock band from the 70's. Well, there was a predecessor group, Amon Duul. AD released this double album, which at the time I thought I was lucky to find in an OKC record store. Found out there was not 10 seconds of listenable music there . . .

[StoopTroup]

I didn't buy this but it looks bad just looking at it.

[Leroy Lizard]

Most of my old albums accumulated scratches from me playing em, also a lot of pops and other assorted random noises unrelated to the music.

I don't remember most of my really bad ones except this one. I was a fan of Amon Duul II, a kind of German alt-rock band from the 70's. Well, there was a predecessor group, Amon Duul. AD released this double album, which at the time I thought I was lucky to find in an OKC record store. Found out there was not 10 seconds of listenable music there . . .

Deutsche Nepal kicks ***. Love Amon Duul! Not sure which album bit you though.

[pilobolus]

[TheHumanAlphabet]

In the record stores, you couldn't listen first. You bought it and if it sucked, you were stuck. I was lucky in that I worked in a record store so I could sample some items as long as we had a ton of copies. That ruled out indies though. I also subscribed to newsletters and ordered records and tapes through the mail. So a lot of stuff was bought with no idea as to how it sounded. All I had was a description. If the title sounded neat, I bought it.

That is how I stumbled on The Damned and The Stranglers. Cool names. Why not give them a shot? Now I am a big fan of both. I also picked up a lot of stuff from Bunnydrums and Bong Water this way, and Kraftwerk's very first album. Good stuff.

I bought the LP of scratches because I was into avante-garde art big-time back then. (Actually, I still am.) So I spent a lot of time listening to groups like The Residents, Node, and Einsterzende Nuebaten. So I guess I thought it would be cool to have an LP with nothing but scratches. This also explains Trout Mask Replica.

Lizard, by any chance do you know Jon Moneyham from Norman?

[Leroy Lizard]

I know someone with a similar last name. Are you sure it's Moneyham? (I thought it was Moyniham.)

BTW, I want that I Eat Kids album.

[Leroy Lizard]

You mean Renaldo and the Loaf had albums after "Songs for Swingwing Larve" and "Arabic Yodeling"?

The Residents actually have quite a bit of tunes that are listenable. The "chubb" and "mole" material for instance. There are some amazingly creative Resident's videos out there on Youtube by the way. Worth checking out if you are or were a fan.

I don't listen to them much anymore. I guess my artistic side gave way to eurometal and dub reggae.

[pilobolus]

BTW, I want that I Eat Kids album.

It ranges from $15-35 on eBay. Here's the songs:

Side 1:

He Eats Asparagus, Why Can't You Be That Way
I'm A 3-Toed, Triple Eyed, Double Jointed Dinosaur
I Don't Brush My Teeth and I Never Comb My Hair
My Dentist is an Awfully Nice Man
I Eat Kids
I Need You Like A Doughnut Needs A Hole
I Never Did Like You Anyhow
To Mommy
Shut Up in the Library
I Don't Believe You're Going to the Bathroom

Side 2:

I Sneaked Into the Kitchen in the Middle of the Night
Fred
I Got A Teacher, She's So Mean
Me and You
Giggle Tickle Fiddle Little Wiggle Around
When Suzie Sneezed
My Friend Jake
Early Sundy Morning
Louder

http://cgi.ebay.com/Barry-Louis-Poli...item4ceaa3907b

[Leroy Lizard]

Who's Fred?

[Jacie]

Amon Duul II was probably the band you liked. Archie the Robot and Made in Germany were the two albums I owned.

The double EP by the original group was appropriately titled Disaster . . .

[Leroy Lizard]

Amon Duul II was probably the band you liked.

Yeah, I tend to forget the distinction. They were distinct groups.