What's the worst song by your favorite band?

[catbert836]

My favorite band is Pink Floyd, and I think their worst song is the one EVERYONE knows them for, "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2". It has been played to death much like every hit song Led Zeppelin ever had, and people just like it because of the "Omigod, they're dissing school!" factor. The song was much better as a demo, where it's just Roger Waters on acoustic guitar playing the song for about a minute. The whole children's chorus was also idiotic.

If you listen to the rest of the album, you'll find that it is possibly the worst song on it, and the album as a whole is much more musically complex than that one idiotically simple riff can show you. I had a friend once who kept raving on about what a great album the Wall was, so I put it on during a car trip, and we listened to the whole thing. ABitW2 was the ONLY song he recognized. I'm just sick of people saying they're Floyd fans because they like their worst song.

All right, I'm done ranting. What're yours?

[catbert836]

1. Kick...

Looks like Catbert's stuck talking to himself again...

[mvd]

3. Are singers ok?

I can't stand Madonna's "Impressive Instant." There are more of course, but that came to mind.

[jpgray]

2. Hmm. I'd say "Out of Tunes" by Soft Machine

Not that they're my most favoritest band or anything.

[RandomKoolzip]

41. Not "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire?"

[jpgray]

56. Ah but that one has a pleasant melody. And a pretentious title!

And showcases once again the band's 7 beat fetish during this period.

[Throd]

4. "All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix

What a freakin' dirge.

He wrote a few other clinkers, but they never make it to radio.

[catbert836]

8. You're right...

although I would add "Purple Haze". Those two songs are massively inferior to other songs like "Gypsy Eyes" or "Machine Gun", which have gone unnoticed.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

64. But, again - Watchtower is a Dylan song.

[SteppingRazor]

52. Um.. he didn't write "All Along the Watchtower"

Just sayin'

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

63. Bob Dylan wrote that song

:eyes:

[Throd]

65. No shit everyone...

You think I don't know that? He just took a lousy song and reworked it into a different type of turd.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

67. okey dokey

I rather like both the song and his version

[idgiehkt]

5. Everything after "Bebe Le Strange" which is most of it by now.

But the early shit was so good they are forgiven:
http://www.mothermetal.com/TBS/Bands/Heart/Heart.htm

[Pale Blue Dot]

6. Worst song by Crowded House?

Probably "Italian Plastic", one of two songs the band did that was written by their drummer Paul Hester (RIP).

[Ramsey]

25. Not a big fan of Pineapple Head

But even that is a pretty good song. Everything by them is fabulous!

[mvd]

7. Well, The Beatles are my favorite band and..

I can't really choose a worst. Even "Yellow Submarine" has camp value to me. So I picked one of my favorite singers above.

[catbert836]

9. The worst song by the Beatles

is pretty obviously "Revolution 9", if that can even be considered a song.

[mvd]

10. I love that one

[catbert836]

12. Yikes!

Like I said, it's more of a noise collage than a song. It's painful to listen to.

[mvd]

13. Well..

I don't think the Beatles can do a song I dislike.

[Squeech]

19. Explain why

It's okay not to like it, and it's even okay to skip over it every time it comes up on the CD because it's a jarring listening experience, but it's too goddam much of a cliche to dis that song. So if you're going to call it a bad song, I think you have to demonstrate why it's a failure *on its own terms,* which is to say the John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen wing of the classical avant garde of that time. And bear in mind also that even if John Lennon wasn't really cognizant of that scene, Yoko was, and would have admonished John not to do anything really crappy.

Sorry for ranting, but the kneejerk abhorrence of that tune has become one of my hot buttons.

My vote for worst Beatles song is "You Know My Name." I'm also underwhelmed by "Wild Honey Pie" and "Old Brown Shoe."

[catbert836]

22. It doesn't really belong on the record.

Or with what the Beatles were doing at the time. I too find it an interesting listening experience from time to time, but the bottom line is it just does not fit in at all with the White Album or with the Beatles catalouge in general. It's really not even a Beatles track, as it was composed by John and Yoko, IIRC.

Maybe I was wrong to say the "worst". It should be compared to other classical avant-garde works, not to other Beatles songs.

[mvd]

24. On the White Album though, I like a curve ball

Just my preference.

[Monk06]

27. Died in the wool Beatles fan here. Rev 9 was a John/Yoko concept

piece that goes back to Yoko's insufferable
pre Beatle career as a Fluxus groupie.

Fluxus was to conceptual art as Dali was to
Surrealism. Vain, theatrical and totally lacking
in substance.

It was George Martin's Duchampian pieces that were
the real art in that band and Paul McCartney had
very little to do with that in spite of his trying
to take credit for it.

[Squeech]

37. Good story

That's what I was looking for as a critique.

(Not that I agree. Just as Dali was unfairly maligned for using a personal symbolism that diverged from Andre Breton's imposed orthodoxy, Fluxus-- and Lennon-- dealt with events and audio imagery that related to their perception of the zeitgeist. I think their big weakness is that they're too closely attached to their historical moment, so it's hard for us to relate to them a generation down the line. But you're welcome to disagree in turn.)

As for the jarring nature of Revolution #9 as a listening experience, fair enough, although the white album was never a comfortable context anyway. I see it now as a Paul solo album, a John solo album, a George solo album, and a handful of complete goofy novelties, all shuffled together. Granted this view has been imposed after the fact, knowing what later became of the principals.

"The only think you done was Yesterday." -- John Lennon, "How Do You Sleep"

[asthmaticeog]

49. Shall it be pistols at dawn?

:grr:

(The worst Beatles song, by the way, is "Mr. Moonlight.")

[Fenris]

77. That is a clunker.

[jpgray]

14. Wild Honey Pie. Pile of shit.

[mvd]

15. Again, I like it

I swear there are no Beatles songs I don't like.

[mvd]

20. OK, it would be a tie

Between "Yellow Submarine," "Mr Moonlight," and "Within You and Without You." But I still don't think they are bad. Just kind of going through the motions.

[fishwax]

21. glass onion is my least favorite beatles song

I never could stand it. Fast forward! Fast forward! Oh no! It's Ob-la-di Ob-la-da! Fast forward again! ... ah, Honey Pie :)

[momophile]

31. Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Beatles are my fav too but that song makes me cringe everytime I hear it. Even when I sing along with it I'm still cringing on the inside. So damn violent.

[SteppingRazor]

53. I'm guessing that the people all calling "9" and "Honey Pie" the worst...

have never done LSD. Just a theory :evilgrin:


My pick for worst Beatles song: maybe "Anna (Go to Him)," "P.S. I Love You" or some of the other early cheese off Please Please Me or Meet the Beatles.

The best is the entire second side of Abbey Road.

And anyone who says their worst stuff came from Rubber Soul or any album after that is clearly dangerously derranged :P

[RandomKoolzip]

75. The late period Beatles never put a step wrong, IMO.

The early Beatles stuff could get awful cloying in a hurry, though; hands up, who out there really likes "Another Girl?"

[Juffo Wup]

61. The Long And Boring Song...

er, Winding Road that is.

[Guava Jelly]

11. "The Distance" Cake

For some reason I just love this band!
I have there entire discography on my ipod.

[ZombieNixon]

16. Bad Religion...well...some of their early stuff

from like 1980 or so is...kind of odd, shall we say. :shrug:

But they were all about 15 when it was written and the production quality is rather like a tomcat pissing on a paper plate so I guess we can forgive it...:D

[kwolf68]

23. Least favorite Bad Religion song for me

Is probably "Raise Your Hands" off the "No Substance" CD.

[Ariana Celeste]

17. "No Rain"

That's the song everyone knows by Blind Melon, and Hoon didn't even write that one. All of their other music is different, yet that song is the only one that really got popular in America.

Sigh.

I still like it, though.

[izzybeans]

50. Yeah when that came out I admit to not paying much attention to

them. It was a few years later that I actually gave the whole album a spin.

[Burma Jones]

18. Any Brent Mydland song is my least fav. Dead song

My least favorite Beatles song is Michelle

My least favorite Who song is Boris the Spider

Least Favorite Floyd song is also Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2

[Ramsey]

26. David Bowie's worst song?

Not counting some of those silly folky things he did in the really early 60's, I'd have to go with something from Never Let Me Down, like "Zeroes"

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. "Penguin in Bondage" by Zappa

Zappa's my fave, and I fucking hate every iteration I have ever heard of "Penguin In Bondage".

[DanCa]

29. Bruce Springsteen My love will not let you down. (nt)

[graywarrior]

30. Dylan's got a list of crap songs all on one album.

It's so bad, I can't even remember the name of it, but none of the songs are his. Total CRAP.

[catbert836]

32. You must mean "Self Portrait".

The review of it by Rolling Stone queried "What is this shit?"

[graywarrior]

33. That must be it. AWFUL!

[graywarrior]

34. Correction: It's this one

http://bobdylan.com/albums/dylan.html

[tuvor]

35. Top o' my head...Devo's Doctor Detroit

Although their rendition of Bread and Butter is up there, too.

[Glorfindel]

36. "Get Back" by the Beatles...I never could stand it

I still can't figure out how they could come up with such a stinker, but I guess they're entitled to ONE horror....;(

[livetohike]

38. "Hey Joe" - Hendrix

I have always hated that song. It gets played way too often when there are many, many Hendrix songs that deserve air time.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

39. I like a lot of bands, but let's fly with Steely Dan.

So far I have three of their albums--Can't Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, and Aja. From those three albums, my least favorite song is probably "Midnight Cruiser" from CBaT, although it isn't really a bad song at all. I just don't like it as much as I like the other songs on those three albums.

However, I have heard songs from Gaucho, which many critics appear to pan as one of their worst, not that Steely Dan ever really had a bad album. "My Rival" really got on my nerves, and I'm not sure why.

:shrug:

[RandomKoolzip]

46. "Pretzel Logic" is full of bad Steely Dan songs.

"East St. louis Toodeloo," "Through With Buzz," "With a Gun," and "Charlie Freak" are probably their worst tunes. I think it's their weakest album.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

70. I am going to get PRETZEL LOGIC next, I think.

I started with Aja because I loved "Deacon Blues" so much when I heard it on the radio, but now I am trying to get the albums in chronological order. So, after CBaT and CtE comes Pretzel Logic. I actually really want to hear the songs on it, since so many people think it is a great album; plus, I just never can get enough of "Rikki," especially since it is surprisingly rare on the classic hits stations around here.

[Richardo]

47. On the other hand, 'Time Out of Mind' from Gaucho is one of their best

MY Steely Dan clinker is a tie between: 'Ricki Don't Lose That Number' and 'Do It Again' - both radio overplayed to the point of nausea. Or boredom. Or nauseated boredom.

[WritingIsMyReligion]

72. My radio station here plays "Reelin' in the Years" all the time.

Not many other 'Dan songs get played, though "Do It Again" isn't exactly rare.

I love the guy from Dire Straits who plays on "Time Out of Mind," so I'm looking forward to eventually hearing it.

[RandomKoolzip]

40. Picking my least favorite Guided by Voices song is not hard...

Pollard has put out so much obvious dross over the years that the bounty of tunes I could pick for the OP's category is truly extravagant.

I guess "Airshow '88" would be at the top of the list, followed by "I Have a Hard Heart," and pretty much everything off of Universal Truths and Cycles except for the title tune and "Pretty Bombs." Oh, and "Gail," from the first Suitcase box really blows. Then again, the Suitcase boxes ain't exactly gem-encrusted. I could name far more bad songs than good ones from those collections. For instance, "She Don't Shit No Golden Bricks For Me (Anymore)" is damned horrific.

So...."Airshow '88" then.

[southpaw]

42. Pink Floyd is the band...

But picking a least favorite song is tough.

Personally, I don't really care for any of the pre-Gilmour stuff. The whole of the Barrett era smacks of dated psychedelia... though I wouldn't call it 'bad'.

I do like 'Another Brick pt.II', even though I've heard it more than enough to be tired of it.

Several tracks from the post Waters albums are contenders. "Dogs of War" from 'Momentary Lapse of Reason' is pretty irritating.

Let's go with that one.

[catbert836]

45. Fair enough.

Although, in my humble opinion, the post-Waters albums are really not Pink Floyd, and thus cannot have contenders for worst Floyd song(s). But if I were to pick, I'd say "Dogs of War" or "What Do You Want From Me" off the Division Bell.

[southpaw]

51. I respect your categorization of the post-Waters albums...

but I accept them as Pink Floyd albums, if only in the technical sense.

In reality, they are more like Gilmour solo albums. Still, Mason and Wright contribute about as much to the music on 'Momentary Lapse' and 'Division Bell' as they did on the last couple of Waters-era albums. (Minus Wright on 'Final Cut' of course.)

Speaking of which, 'The Final Cut' is every bit as much a Waters solo effort as either of the post-Waters recordings are Gilmour solo albums.

Complicate that with the undeniable existence of the Barrett-era, which resembled the Waters-Gilmour era even less than the two post-Waters records and you have a band that has existed in three rather unique phases, as well as a couple of less distinct periods within the Waters-Gilmour heyday. (Pre Darkside and the Glory Years)

Nice to meet another Floydian!

Wish Live 8 could have lasted forever!!!

[catbert836]

69. The main difference here

is that during the phase of Waters domination, which lasted from Animals until the Final Cut, Waters wrote all the songs, or occasionally collaborated on them with Gilmour. When Gilmour took the helm, he may have realized that he could not write songs very well at all without Waters, and as a result he had to bring in as many as 12 or 13 outside songwriters for Momentary Lapse. Mason and Wright did not contribute to the writing on that album, if I can recall correctly, because Mason did not write songs period, and the band's contract prevented Wright from being anything other than a session musician for that album. Although Wright's songwriting ability, dormant since Dark Side, returned for Division Bell, Gilmour relied almost entirely on his wife Polly Sampson to write his portion of the songs. All this had the result the result that the majority of the post-Waters songs were written by people who were not members of Pink Floyd. That's why I see Pink Floyd as ending when Waters left.

Also, I find Gilmour's Floyd quite tedious to listen to. Without Water's songwriting and organizational skills, the band is somewhat marooned (pun intended, sorry).

You're right that Momentary Lapse and Division Bell are Gilmour solo efforts; his recent solo album is the logical extent of what he was doing on those albums, but he didn't try to say it was Pink Floyd this time. I suspect that he always had the same inclination as Waters to go solo, but realized he would make a lot more money if the records were under the Pink Floyd name, which isn't entirely unlike what Waters was doing during the Final Cut. For example, Gilmour couldn't stand Rick Wright just as much as Waters, but he brought him back onboard because a guitarist and a drummer don't make a very substantial band.

The closest thing we have to a reliable source on all this is Nick Mason's book, which I read, but I'm disinclined to trust his viewpoint much, because he tends to give himself more credit than is due, and has been proven unreliable on several occasions. Plus he was making a hell of a lot of money by pretending Pink Floyd was still alive.

You're right that Floyd has three seperate phases. I would go as far as to say that it is three different bands, each pioneering a different kind of music. Barrett Floyd, the only album of which was Piper, pioneered British pop psychadelia, Waters Floyd, which lasted from Dark Side to the Final Cut, pioneered prog rock, the most noticeable and influential Floyd sound, and Gilmour Floyd merged a New Age sound with the aforementioned prog rock, the result of which I think is quite boring, as I said. There's also the avant-garde phase the band went through in albums like Atom Heart Mother, when they were still finding their musical footing.

I wish I could say I was optimistic for a Floyd reunion with Waters, but Gilmour has gone the same path as Waters and became the band's sole lord and dictator. Nick Mason acknowledged that the only way the band plays again is if Gilmour decides to do it, and I can't see him conceding an ounce of his control, even if it would mean a hell of a lot of money. Never say never, though, and all that.

Sorry if I'm freaking you out. It's not often I meet someone who's as interested in Floyd as I am. :-)

[southpaw]

78. Again, I agree almost entirely...

Gilmour has acknowledged his inability to write lyrics on par with Waters... sadly, the guest writers he turns to for help aren't able to close the gap by much.

As far as Mason and Wright's contributions on the post-Waters albums, my point was that neither of them had contributed to the last couple of albums beyond playing their instruments. That was the norm for Mason, in any case. Sure, Wright contributed a bit to TDB, but I found the songs among the weakest on the album.

Where I differ with you, at least to a degree, is when you see 'On An Island' as an extension of the two Watersless Floyd albums. True, Gilmour maintains that new-agey feel, but he seems to be free of any need to prove himself. He seems totally relaxed and at peace with who he is and what he is doing.
If you go back to 'About Face', it feels like Gilmour is attempting both to demonstrate that there is more to him than what he shows as a member of Pink Floyd, and to prove just how much of the band's sound he is responsible for.

I like Gilmour as a musician, and accept that he is handily outmatched by Waters in all ways except instrumental virtuosity. I would contend that Gilmour is the better vocalist of the two, but that is truly a matter of taste... besides, I love Waters' voice despite its limitations. It was a little sad to hear the decline in his voice that was evidenced at Live 8. Maybe he was having a bad night. Maybe he shouldn't even TRY to sing "Wish You Were Here." That song is so not suited to his singing style.

As to a long term reunion, I don't hold out much hope. Gilmour would not want to give up control of Pink Floyd, nor do I think Waters would be interested in returning without being handed the reigns to a large degree. I would like for them to be able to get along enough for Waters to write and record some new songs featuring Gilmour on guitar! That seems possible.

[catbert836]

81. Yes...

On Division Bell as well as On An Island (both of which I bought despite serious reservations) Gilmour's wife Polly Sampson co-wrote all of the tracks that had any lyrics at all. Some of her lyrics are halfway-decent poetry, but in my opinion, her lyrics do not really belong in rock music, even Gilmour's and Floyd's more fluid variety. With On An Island, Gilmour has completed his departure from rock to whatever New Age sound he prefers.

I did notice the air of freedom from On An Island, but that didn't make it any less tedious to me. I was only able to listen to it a few times, and now I use it as an Ambien that won't cause me to sleep-drive and kill anyone. Although I really do not have anything to compare it to except his work with Floyd, because I haven't listened to either of his previous solo works, and I have no experience with New Age music except a few songs by Enya.

Gilmour is definitely a better instrumentalist than Waters, on his latest work he demonstrated his prowess with not only the guitar, but the organ and saxaphone as well. In my opinion, the best tracks from Division Bell and On An Island are those on which Gilmour wisely decides to "shut up and play his guitar", to paraphrase Frank Zappa. Even during the days of the classic Floyd lineup, most of the more notable bass lines were played by Gilmour, while Waters was unable to play a fretless bass. His bass playing was certainly nothing special. Rather, his talent is in songwriting. Also, he knows exactly what he wants to do with an album before he starts recording it, which has been shown off by such Floyd masterpieces as Wish You Were Here, Animals, and the Wall, while Momentary Lapse and Division Bell suffered considerably from a lack of organization and vision.

As for vocals, Waters has a unique voice which is suited for some songs, like "Brain Damage", "Set the Controls", and "Fletcher Memorial Home", but Gilmour's is more suited to the wider variety of the Floyd catalouge. In the unlikely event that there is a joint effort from them, Gilmour would almost certainly have to sing on most of the tracks, as Waters has completely lost his voice. Rolling Stone said of one of his recent bootlegs that he sounded like he gargled battery acid before going onstage. I'm going to see him next month regardless.

An album by Gilmour and Waters would be kinda nice... I never really thought of that before. It would be sort of like the albums Jimmy Page and Robert Plant made: not the best thing, but pretty damn close.

[Rambis]

43. Picasso Moon Grateful Dead

bigger than a drive in movie OO EEE:nuke:

[SteppingRazor]

54. Funny. I was gonna say either that...

or something else that's sung by Bob Weir and not a country tune. Maybe "Let It Grow" or "Hell in a Bucket."

[Rambis]

58. I like those but Corine-aahhh (velveeetaaah)

Just givin ya some shit bobby:)

[martymar64]

44. Squeeze Box by the Who

I love the Who but I hate that song.

[SteppingRazor]

60. Pistols at dawn!

That's one of my favorite Who songs!

[martymar64]

66. Sorry Dude! To Thine ownself be true.

My taste is more for the harder stuff (Young Man Blues, My Generation)with the exception of Tommy.
Squeezebox was just too pop for me.

[LeftishBrit]

48. The Beatles are my favourite band, and,

I think the song I like least is one that lots of people like: "All You Need is Love". I think I would probably have liked it if I'd only heard it once or twice; but it gets a bit sickly IMO when heard repeatedly.

[HuskerDU]

55. Husker Du is one of my fav bands and my screen name.

But they recorded one of the worst songs in music history, 'The Baby Song' off of the 'Flip Your Wig' LP. Much rather hear Rev #9.

My fav band, the New York Dolls, had zero stinkers in their entire catalog IMO... until they reformed after 32 years and recorded a new album this year. Surprisingly, the new album doesn't completely suck. But 'Rainbow Store' is terrible. Basically a bad retread version of 'Great Big Kiss' they originally covered in the 70's. The Shan Gri La's should sue 'em.

[vi5]

57. The Du is my favorite band as well, but...

Can you really call The Baby Song an actual song (the name notwithstanding)? I mean it's pretty obviously just album filler.

I'd go with How To Skin A Cat. It's also a "novelty" track but just goes on way too long. Much longer than The Baby Song.

[RandomKoolzip]

76. Shit, if we're talking filler off of Husker Du albums...

I'd have to go with "Dreams Reoccurring," the snippet of "Reocurring Dreams" played backward off of Zen Arcade. I know it was supposed to be an ambitious concept album and all, but who needs it?

[datasuspect]

59. the laughing gnome by david bowie

but it still is rather adorable.

[Juffo Wup]

62. A few songs by Tool

that are clearly meant for people who are tripping. That's nice, but for those of us who just want some music to listen to, could we have a something of substance, please.

And "The End" by The Doors. Way fucking overrated freshman-English-student-wannabe-profound poetry shit.

[XNASA]

68. "The Flame" - Cheap Trick

Alright, Cheap Trick isn't my very favorite band, but since I really don't know who that is....I supposed they could be.

[Common Sense Party]

73. Agreed. They did NOT want to record that song. The record label

made them, because they needed a power ballad hit. The label was right, it was a hit. But it sucks.

Cheap Trick is a great band. I've seen them several times live, and they always put on a fun show.

[Magrittes Pipe]

71. "Camera Obscura" by Solar Radio

Pretentious tripe. x(

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

74. I liked "Mad Reason" but the rest of the album seemed a little

self indulgent

edited for my usual crap spelling

[tinfoil tiaras]

79. The worst R.E.M. song, IMHO is...

a tie b/w "Stand" and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight". Both were, ironically, very popular. I prefer their not so popular, well-known stuff. I used to HATE "Loosing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts" but I've warmed up to them a bit. I still strongly dislike "Stand" and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight".

[SKKY]

80. I love U2, their music, and everything about them...

...But "The Sweetest Thing" doesn't just suck, It suckity suck sucks!!!

[ghostsofgiants]

82. Ther Mars Volta's "Ambuletz"

A B-Side from "De-Loused In The Comatorium" which would probably fit better on Cerdic and Omar's other old project De Facto's album.