Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

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Retrology
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Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Retrology » May 1st, 2017, 11:25 am

THIS should be interesting. It's tough to rip your favorite artists, but which songs from your favorite bands just suck/are weak in comparison to the rest of the catalogue?

Smashing Pumpkins-Tales of a Scorched Earth: Mellon Collie was a classic album that took a lot of risks, but this song is just horrible. It sounds like a Casio keyboard trying to make noise rock music.

Deftones-Pink Cellphone: More of a hidden track than an actual song, yet it's in the middle of the damn Saturday Night Wrist album.

Depeche Mode-But Not Tonight: 1) New Dress is the true closing track, 2) The band itself hates it as evident by the uninspired lyrics/music and awful mixing.

Radiohead-Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors: Perfect example of a legendary band trying way too hard. Unlike most of their catalogue this falls flat (and yes I think Creep is a good song).

Nine Inch Nails-Even Deeper: The music is fantastic. The lyrics on the other hand are awful (especially the 2nd verse).

OutKast-Mamacita: I just don't like it for some reason. Blemish on an otherwise flawless album.

Steve
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Steve » May 1st, 2017, 3:19 pm

In comparison to the rest of the catalogue for these bands, which are among my favorites:

Genesis - I can't dance (the song is far below par for Genesis and the video only hurts)
Judas Priest - Lochness
Blackfield - Go to Hell (this song really bothers me lyrically. I don't mind angry songs but this is just rude)
Marillion - Most toys (Marillion can craft some nice pop tunes but this is just terrible)

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LoganRuckman
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby LoganRuckman » May 3rd, 2017, 12:24 am

Weezer ft. Lil Wayne- Can't Stop Partying

So awful. The song itself isn't too bad, but the fact that Weezer made it is what makes it awful.

mbd36
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby mbd36 » May 3rd, 2017, 11:25 am

Steve wrote:In comparison to the rest of the catalogue for these bands, which are among my favorites:

Genesis - I can't dance (the song is far below par for Genesis and the video only hurts)
Judas Priest - Lochness
Blackfield - Go to Hell (this song really bothers me lyrically. I don't mind angry songs but this is just rude)
Marillion - Most toys (Marillion can craft some nice pop tunes but this is just terrible)



Nah. As far as Genesis goes, nothing is worse than the so-called songs on Calling All Stations. Yes that actually happened.

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Stalvern
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Stalvern » May 3rd, 2017, 12:47 pm

My favorite band is Rush, but while their willingness to follow their creative impulses is one of the best things about them, it produces some absolute crap when they gamble on the wrong ideas. I'll try to narrow the worst of it down to five songs.

1. "Tai Shan"
Laughable. Neil Peart tries to capture China's ancient majesty and sounds like an idiot tourist with a travel guide. The Richard Marx music can't begin to help. Sample lyrics: "I stood there like a mystic, lost in the atmosphere."

2. "Roll the Bones"
Rush attempt rap. Possibly the worst idea in the history of music, even without digitally pitch-shifting Geddy Lee's tenor into a slimy baritone. Only the catchy, acoustic chorus keeps this from outranking "Tai Shan". Sample lyrics: "No zodiacs or almanacs, no maniacs in polyester slacks, just the facts. Gonna kick some gluteus max. It's a parallax, you dig?"

3. "Double Agent"
Another horrible idea that a great chorus can't save. Neil writes a "tortured" monologue for Geddy to deliver in his best "badass" voice. Neither could be less equipped for the task. Sample lyrics: "The known and the nameless, familiar and faceless, my angels and my demons at war."

4. "Rivendell"
A lethargic acoustic fart with no tune to speak of. As for the words, the title says everything. Geddy sings so "tenderly" that he sounds like a normal-voiced man doing falsetto. Sample lyrics: "Elven songs and endless nights, sweet wine and soft, relaxing lights."

5. "Cygnus X-1 - Book I: The Voyage"
This one is something of a fan favorite, proof that if a song is long enough and jerky enough and "prog" enough, there are people who will eat it up no matter how incoherent and histrionic it is. I have an easier time listening to the junk on Caress of Steel. No idea how they could put out this racket between 2112 and Hemispheres, let alone on the same album as "Xanadu". Sample lyrics: "Sound and fury drown my heart! Every nerve is torn apAAAaaart!!!"

Retrology wrote:Depeche Mode-But Not Tonight: 1) New Dress is the true closing track, 2) The band itself hates it as evident by the uninspired lyrics/music and awful mixing.

Aw, I like that one. It sounds like a demo, but the song itself is no worse than "New Dress", either in the lyrics (both are pretty dumb for their own reasons) or the music ("New Dress" has a better verse, but the chorus hook is clunky and repetitive), and it wraps the album up with an upbeat sense of closure. I know that they weren't proud of it, but I think that that's more because they felt like they'd "graduated" from writing that kind of straightforward pop (it sounds like it could be on A Broken Frame or even Speak & Spell) than because of anything actually wrong with it.
Last edited by Stalvern on May 13th, 2017, 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

BanjoPickles
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby BanjoPickles » May 3rd, 2017, 2:43 pm

Retrology wrote:THIS should be interesting. It's tough to rip your favorite artists, but which songs from your favorite bands just suck/are weak in comparison to the rest of the catalogue?

Smashing Pumpkins-Tales of a Scorched Earth: Mellon Collie was a classic album that took a lot of risks, but this song is just horrible. It sounds like a Casio keyboard trying to make noise rock music.

Deftones-Pink Cellphone: More of a hidden track than an actual song, yet it's in the middle of the damn Saturday Night Wrist album.

Depeche Mode-But Not Tonight: 1) New Dress is the true closing track, 2) The band itself hates it as evident by the uninspired lyrics/music and awful mixing.

Radiohead-Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors: Perfect example of a legendary band trying way too hard. Unlike most of their catalogue this falls flat (and yes I think Creep is a good song).

Oh, boy. You must have given up on SP after Machina because "they (Billy and hired hands)" recorded some real stinkers when he brought the name back in 2005! Check out Zeitgeist, if you haven't already. Though there were a couple of great tracks (Tarantula, That's the Way My Love Is), the rest of the album ranges from truly awful (Starz is absolutely gag worthy), a one-dimensional retreat of their past work (Doomsday Clock, Bleeding the Orchid), or absolutely cheesy and outdated (United States). I had been in love with everything the man had done, from Gish to Machina I and 2, and I adored (pun intended) Zwan, a band that I had the chance to see three times. Zeitgeist was an absolute crushing disappointment that almost made me give up on the band! I seriously thought to myself, after several spins, "if this is the sound of the new band, then count me out!" Thankfully, it has been uphill from there! The Teargarden project turned out some excellent material (Widow Wake My Mind, Stitch in Time, Astral Planes, Song for a Sun) and Oceania grew to become one of my favorite albums from the band! Zeitgeist, though, was filled with every one of my most hated songs from the band.

Nine Inch Nails-Even Deeper: The music is fantastic. The lyrics on the other hand are awful (especially the 2nd verse).

OutKast-Mamacita: I just don't like it for some reason. Blemish on an otherwise flawless album.

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Retrology
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Retrology » May 3rd, 2017, 3:09 pm

Stalvern wrote:My favorite band is Rush, but while their willingness follow their creative impulses is one of the best things about them, it produces some absolute crap when they gamble on the wrong ideas. I'll try to narrow the worst of it down to five songs.

1. "Tai Shan"
Laughable. Neil Peart tries to capture China's ancient majesty and sounds like an idiot tourist with a travel guide. The Richard Marx music can't begin to help. Sample lyrics: "I stood there like a mystic, lost in the atmosphere."

2. "Roll the Bones"
Rush attempt rap. Possibly the worst idea in the history of music, even without digitally pitch-shifting Geddy Lee's tenor into a slimy baritone. Only the catchy, acoustic chorus keeps this from outranking "Tai Shan". Sample lyrics: "No zodiacs or almanacs, no maniacs in polyester slacks, just the facts. Gonna kick some gluteus max. It's a parallax, you dig?"

3. "Double Agent"
Another horrible idea that a great chorus can't save. Neil writes a "tortured" monologue for Geddy to deliver in his best "badass" voice. Neither could be less equipped for the task. Sample lyrics: "The known and the nameless, familiar and faceless, my angels and my demons at war."

4. "Rivendell"
A lethargic acoustic fart with no tune to speak of. As for the words, the title says everything. Geddy sings so "tenderly" that he sounds like a normal-voiced man doing falsetto. Sample lyrics: "Elven songs and endless nights, sweet wine and soft, relaxing lights."

5. "Cygnus X-1 - Book I: The Voyage"
This one is something of a fan favorite, proof that if a song is long enough and jerky enough and "prog" enough, there are people who will eat it up no matter how incoherent and histrionic it is. I have an easier time listening to the junk on Caress of Steel. No idea how they could put out this racket between 2112 and Hemispheres, let alone on the same album as "Xanadu". Sample lyrics: "Sound and fury drown my heart! Every nerve is torn apAAAaaart!!!"

Retrology wrote:Depeche Mode-But Not Tonight: 1) New Dress is the true closing track, 2) The band itself hates it as evident by the uninspired lyrics/music and awful mixing.

Aw, I like that one. It sounds like a demo, but the song itself is no worse than "New Dress", either in the lyrics (both are pretty dumb for their own reasons) or the music ("New Dress" has a better verse, but the chorus hook is clunky and repetitive), and it wraps the album up with an upbeat sense of closure. I know that they weren't proud of it, but I think that that's more because they felt like they'd "graduated" from writing that kind of straightforward pop (it sounds like it could be on A Broken Frame or even Speak & Spell) than because of anything actually wrong with it.


Really? I thought New Dress' chorus was fine personally. It was clever because the repeating chants of "Princess Di is wearing a new dress" is a stark contrast to the tragic news headline-esque vibe of the verses, focusing on how media doesn't focus on the important things (that's for a different conversation outside this website though). It's weird that it's the only song on the album that isn't about a girl or a relationship, but it ends the album on a dark note.

Then again, I can see But Not Tonight being the light at the end of the tunnel on Depeche Mode's darkest album (I argue Music for the Masses is bleaker though), but the production and lyrics aren't up to DM's lofty standards in my opinion. If it was better executed I would've liked it more.

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Stalvern
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Stalvern » May 3rd, 2017, 4:18 pm

Retrology wrote:Really? I thought New Dress' chorus was fine personally. It was clever because the repeating chants of "Princess Di is wearing a new dress" is a stark contrast to the tragic news headline-esque vibe of the verses, focusing on how media doesn't focus on the important things (that's for a different conversation outside this website though).

That's not the chorus. I'm talking about "You can't change the world, but you can change the facts..."

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Retrology
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Retrology » May 3rd, 2017, 8:00 pm

Stalvern wrote:
Retrology wrote:Really? I thought New Dress' chorus was fine personally. It was clever because the repeating chants of "Princess Di is wearing a new dress" is a stark contrast to the tragic news headline-esque vibe of the verses, focusing on how media doesn't focus on the important things (that's for a different conversation outside this website though).

That's not the chorus. I'm talking about "You can't change the world, but you can change the facts..."


Interesting you feel that way, because I liked that part too. Also clever and deep.

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Retrology
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Re: Worst Songs From Your Favorite Bands?

Postby Retrology » May 3rd, 2017, 8:02 pm

BanjoPickles wrote:
Retrology wrote:THIS should be interesting. It's tough to rip your favorite artists, but which songs from your favorite bands just suck/are weak in comparison to the rest of the catalogue?

Smashing Pumpkins-Tales of a Scorched Earth: Mellon Collie was a classic album that took a lot of risks, but this song is just horrible. It sounds like a Casio keyboard trying to make noise rock music.

Deftones-Pink Cellphone: More of a hidden track than an actual song, yet it's in the middle of the damn Saturday Night Wrist album.

Depeche Mode-But Not Tonight: 1) New Dress is the true closing track, 2) The band itself hates it as evident by the uninspired lyrics/music and awful mixing.

Radiohead-Pulk/ Pull Revolving Doors: Perfect example of a legendary band trying way too hard. Unlike most of their catalogue this falls flat (and yes I think Creep is a good song).

Oh, boy. You must have given up on SP after Machina because "they (Billy and hired hands)" recorded some real stinkers when he brought the name back in 2005! Check out Zeitgeist, if you haven't already. Though there were a couple of great tracks (Tarantula, That's the Way My Love Is), the rest of the album ranges from truly awful (Starz is absolutely gag worthy), a one-dimensional retreat of their past work (Doomsday Clock, Bleeding the Orchid), or absolutely cheesy and outdated (United States). I had been in love with everything the man had done, from Gish to Machina I and 2, and I adored (pun intended) Zwan, a band that I had the chance to see three times. Zeitgeist was an absolute crushing disappointment that almost made me give up on the band! I seriously thought to myself, after several spins, "if this is the sound of the new band, then count me out!" Thankfully, it has been uphill from there! The Teargarden project turned out some excellent material (Widow Wake My Mind, Stitch in Time, Astral Planes, Song for a Sun) and Oceania grew to become one of my favorite albums from the band! Zeitgeist, though, was filled with every one of my most hated songs from the band.

Nine Inch Nails-Even Deeper: The music is fantastic. The lyrics on the other hand are awful (especially the 2nd verse).

OutKast-Mamacita: I just don't like it for some reason. Blemish on an otherwise flawless album.


I listen primarily to the Gish through Adore era. 4 essential classics of 90s rock. B-sides and our takes are also top notch.


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