The Most Ironically Titled Albums of All Time

[Steve M.]

Albums that contradicted their titles:

The Beatles (1968): John, Paul, George and Ringo would have been a better title for what became popularly known as the White Album. Named for the group, The Beatles was comprised partly of tracks on which only one Beatle - sometimes two - appeared. And when the Beatles did play together on a White Album track, the song's principal composer treated the other three like a backing group. The stylistic differences between John's and Paul's songs were obvious, and the joint Lennon-McCartney byline that served as the composer credits for their songs was a virtual fiction. The White Album is seen by many Beatles fans as a sampler record for their solo careers.

Self-Portrait, Bob Dylan (1970): Dylan recorded this double album mostly using his assumed country vocal from Nashville Skyline, he covered songs from Paul Simon and Gordon Lightfoot, he covered Tin Pan Alley songs, and he started off the record with "All The Tired Horses," the kind of tune you'd expect on a Lawrence Welk or Mantovani record. It was the weakest expression of his musical personality ever.

Dangerous, Michael Jackson (1991): Songs like "Black or White" and "Remember The Time" were such predictable, safe, standard pop fare; this LP served as the chief reason why grunge had to happen.

Reckless, Bryan Adams (1984): Similarly, if you're going to make a polite album for mid-eighties AOR radio, you shouldn't call it Reckless.

Like a Virgin, Madonna (1984): We already knew she was nothing like a virgin before this record was released, and we knew she was nothing like any other Roman Catholic icon or ritual either.

Girl You Know It's True, Milli Vanilli (1988): Girl, you knew it was Memorex.

Frampton Comes Alive, Peter Frampton (1976): Really? This is an exciting album? Because if you ask me, the tracks I've heard from this album sound like studio recordings with overdubbed applause.

Against The Wind, Bob Seger (1980): This Los Angeles rock-styled LP is Seger's most mainstream album, and apart from the title song, it's a lousy one at that. It has nothing to do with the all-American heartland rock Seger is famous for, and it has everything to do with the LA sound that was so popular at the time.

Happy Daze, Lindisfarne (1974): The British folk rock band Lindisfarne saw three-fifths of its original membership leave to form a new group in 1972, and the two albums they attempted with replacement members - this record was the second of the two - were dismal affairs. They broke up in 1975, then the original lineup reformed in 1976.

Unmasked, Kiss (1980): They weren't, until 1983.

Never Let Me Down, David Bowie (1987): The critics hated it, and it barely registered with Bowie's fans. They were completely disappointed in this record. Plus, it involved Frampton.

The Best of Kansas, Kansas (1984): What could possibly be on it?

The Essential Kenny Loggins (2002): See above.

[mystery_daisy]

Well in defense of the Madonna tune Like A Virgin, she i think was referring to way in which her lover made her feel, or something more than she is saying she is like a virgin in general. That being said I loathe Madonna but that is just me.
Oh and btw apparently she is no longer Catholic but is into kabbala. Maybe she will re-invent herself at some point and become Islamic, who knows?

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by mystery_daisy

Well in defense of the Madonna tune Like A Virgin, she i think was referring to way in which her lover made her feel, or something more than she is saying she is like a virgin in general. That being said I loathe Madonna but that is just me.
Oh and btw apparently she is no longer Catholic but is into kabbala. Maybe she will re-invent herself at some point and become Islamic, who knows?

She'll become a Muslim just to p*** of Rick Santorum. Hard to believe they're both Italian-Americans of the same age with the same working-class roots!

I loathe her too!

I'm not too crazy about Rick Santorum either.

[Steve M.]

Two more:

Footloose and Fancy Free, Rod Stewart (1977): This is pretty much the point where Rod became formulaic and radio-friendly. "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)" was just a sketch of his earlier balladeering, and the rocker "Hot Legs" was a sampler of the worst of eighties Rod to come.

Press to Play, Paul McCartney (1986): Paul has disavowed this record. Press to eject.

[factsoflife]

anytime somebody titles an album "Forever" I laugh because usually the artist either fades out quickly thereafter or the album is a massive flop.

One example: P.Diddy had an album called FOREVER that is ironic to me since his music career is basically over now.

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by factsoflife

anytime somebody titles an album "Forever" I laugh because usually the artist either fades out quickly thereafter or the album is a massive flop.

One example: P.Diddy had an album called FOREVER that is ironic to me since his music career is basically over now.

[Steve M.]

Built To Last, the Grateful Dead (1989): Sadly, this was their last studio ablum before Jerry Garcia's death.

[Steve M.]

'70s Hits - Great Records of the Decade, Vol. 1

Oh, yeah? Take a look at what Curb Records - un-ironically - considers to be recordings of greatness!

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Against The Wind, Bob Seger (1980): This Los Angeles rock-styled LP is Seger's most mainstream album, and apart from the title song, it's a lousy one at that. It has nothing to do with the all-American heartland rock Seger is famous for, and it has everything to do with the LA sound that was so popular at the time.

Have to disagree with you on this one. "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Fire Lake", "The Horizontal Bop", and "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" all epitomize the "heartland rock sound" that Seger was famous for. Sure the record did have some L.A. flare to it with the songs like "Her Strut" and to a lesser extent "Long Twin Silver Line", but I don't think this departs at all from the "classic Bob Seger" sound. Critics hated this album, and I have no idea why. "Fire Lake" and "You'll Accomp'ny Me" are twp of his best songs and are reason enough to rate this album fairly high, IMHO.

Back on topic however, I think John Mellencamp's "A Biography" album is extremely ironic given the fact that he was billed as "Johnny Cougar". How can this be a biography if he's not even using his real name? The album did give us "I Need a Lover" so I can't hate on it that much.

[UMFaninMD]

"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry---more like "Twentysomething Nightmare." Take a look at the singles that were officially released and got radio play:

California Gurls, a ode to the stereotypical view of California and the girls that live there.

Teenage Dream, a song about a relationship that is supposed to make the couple feel young but comes off as depressing.

The One That Got Away, the "teenage dream" is no more.

Peacock, a three minute and some song about a guy's penis.

ET, a song about having sex with an alien. Now, I actually like this song (minus the horrible Kanye West raps) and it helps if you picture her singing about the Doctor from "Doctor Who."

Last Friday Nite, the "stay sober or what you do will end up on Facebook and YouTube" song.

I don't know, maybe I'm over-analyzing because I don't think Katy has any real talent and sounds like a dying cat when she sings.

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

Have to disagree with you on this one. "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Fire Lake", "The Horizontal Bop", and "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" all epitomize the "heartland rock sound" that Seger was famous for. Sure the record did have some L.A. flare to it with the songs like "Her Strut" and to a lesser extent "Long Twin Silver Line", but I don't think this departs at all from the "classic Bob Seger" sound. Critics hated this album, and I have no idea why. "Fire Lake" and "You'll Accomp'ny Me" are twp of his best songs and are reason enough to rate this album fairly high, IMHO.

As rock critic Dave Marsh explained it, Against the Wind fell back on a conservative and now antiquated formula of pumped-up FM album-radio rockers and soft AM Top 40 ballads. Marsh, a longtime Seger supporter, also complained of a malicious misogyny in the lyrics of many of Seger's songs on Against The Wind. He noted that "You'll Accomp'ny Me" imagines a woman in a subservient role when she won't be controlled, "Her Strut" belittles a woman who tries to assert herself, and "Fire Lake" mentions flirty suntanned girls who "lay you down so fast." Essentially, Seger is expressing the woman-fearing male-bonding that was sometimes a part of LA rock.

To me, in fact, "Her Strut" sounds like Seger's trying to channel Kiss, and "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" is about boys trying to be the first to jump the town flirt. When Seger sings about ordinary life on other albums, it's authentic. Here, as Marsh wrote in 1980, "Seger sounds as if he's never met such people; the most his characters hope for is a long drunk or a quick lay." And in their book The "Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time," Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell said that Seger sounds here like "the aging high-school football jerk who never stopped thinking of women as virgins or whores" on songs that are "bewilderingly lame ditties from a writer who can often imagine both sides of a relationship."

That's why the critics hated this record.

[Steve M.]

Big Thing, Duran Duran (1988): It wasn't.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

As rock critic Dave Marsh explained it, Against the Wind fell back on a conservative and now antiquated formula of pumped-up FM album-radio rockers and soft AM Top 40 ballads.

Well Marsh is wrong. The fact remains that the "antiquated formula" of AOR mixed with top 40 ballads went on well into the 90's (and to some extent still exists today). Remember the hair metal bands of the late 80's that would come out with a "rocking" single to be followed by a power ballad? Not all that different, IMHO.

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Marsh, a longtime Seger supporter, also complained of a malicious misogyny in the lyrics of many of Seger's songs on Against The Wind. He noted that "You'll Accomp'ny Me" imagines a woman in a subservient role when she won't be controlled, "Her Strut" belittles a woman who tries to assert herself, and "Fire Lake" mentions flirty suntanned girls who "lay you down so fast." Essentially, Seger is expressing the woman-fearing male-bonding that was sometimes a part of LA rock.

This is absolutely incorrect. "You'll Accomp'ny Me" is simply a song about a man who feels in his heart that he's found the right woman. I don't see any misogyny in these lyrics: "I'll take my chances babe I'II risk it all, I'll win your love or I'll take the fall..." If anything Seger seems to be the more subservient one who's practically begging this woman to love him back. I also don't see the belittling in "Her Strut", in fact I see it more as an ode to the independent woman, who despite the fact that she will not let a man control her is still the object of all of these male's affections. And "Fire Lake" is simply a song about taking risks and life and death. IMO, Fire Lake = Hell.

Originally Posted by Steve M.

To me, in fact, "Her Strut" sounds like Seger's trying to channel Kiss, and "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" is about boys trying to be the first to jump the town flirt. When Seger sings about ordinary life on other albums, it's authentic. Here, as Marsh wrote in 1980, "Seger sounds as if he's never met such people; the most his characters hope for is a long drunk or a quick lay." And in their book The "Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time," Jimmy Guterman and Owen O'Donnell said that Seger sounds here like "the aging high-school football jerk who never stopped thinking of women as virgins or whores" on songs that are "bewilderingly lame ditties from a writer who can often imagine both sides of a relationship."

That's why the critics hated this record.

I do think "Her Strut" is one of Seger's weaker tunes, but I've always thought that "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" was Seger's way of paying homage to Chuck Berry. Seger had made it clear in earlier songs that Berry was a huge influence, and I see this as nothing more than Seger imitating Berry. I don't see anything different that Seger did witht his album that he didn't do with the "Stranger in Town" album (which critics loved, BTW).

I don't really want to sound like I'm debating you, I'm not even a diehard Bob Seger fan, but I just don't feel like this album should get the bashing that it has from critics. It's classic Seger if you ask me.

[Steve M.]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

I don't really want to sound like I'm debating you, I'm not even a diehard Bob Seger fan, but I just don't feel like this album should get the bashing that it has from critics. It's classic Seger if you ask me.

No, no, I understand, you have your own opinion of this album, and that's fine.

[Steve M.]

By the way, this is from Wikipedia:

Despite its massive success, critic Dave Marsh gave Against the Wind harsh criticism: "I'd like to say that this is not only the worst record Bob Seger has ever made, but an absolutely cowardly one as well." Marsh had followed Seger since before Night Moves, when Seger finally gained national fame, and essentially said in this review that Seger's long, tireless struggle to stardom is trivialized by this record. "He had to fight hard to prove there was still a place in rock & roll for a guy like him, and, with Night Moves, he won. This is the LP that makes such a victory meaningless. ... It makes me sad, and it makes me angry (another emotion that's disappeared here, though it's often fueled Seger's finest work). Maybe rock & roll never forgets, but the best thing anybody who ever had any hope for Bob Seger can do is try not to remember Against the Wind and pray for something better next time. I wouldn't hold my breath."

Marsh apologized for the last two sentences of this review when Seger's The Distance came out in 1983, giving it five stars out of a possible five in the second edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide.