Albums you want to love.....but just cant.

The_Carpathian

We all have them.

They nag at you from time to time. You see them mentioned with love & enthusiasm by others. They make the 'best of' lists over and over.

For you, though, they just won't click but you still want to have that happen.

The album that brought this thread to life is, for me, Talk Talk's 1988 slow burner "Spirit Of Eden".

I can hear that it's an absolute lesson in dynamics, control & feeling. I can tell that it's something special. I just can't connect with it and love it and it frustrates me as I know it's the sort of thing I'd get a heap of joy from if/when it clicks.

Things do come to fruition. I never 'got' Tom Waits, for all the praise over his many years and many albums then one day I heard 2004's "Real Gone" and for some reason BANG. Not only did I go mad for that album but all the back catalogue I'd previously blanked on opened up to me and made utter sense.

So, how about you lot? Not albums you hate but albums where you know you're missing something but can't get past it, no matter how much you'd love to.

Pet

I used to have a lot of albums in that category, but now I just don't. It's not that I love more albums. It's that, if I don't love an album, I just don't, and I don't really care. There are lots of highly rated albums that bore me, or leave me cold -- but life is too short to fret about it.

cw37frapp

Jessie Js new one. I liked her first one. I like her as a person. Bought the new cd because of that. It is just average.

tattmaylor

Jeff Buckley - Grace

Influenced so many artists I love, but hate his vocals on most of tracks!

Border_Mind

The_Carpathian said:

The album that brought this thread to life is, for me, Talk Talk's 1988 slow burner "Spirit Of Eden".

It's funny you mention that album, as I was looking at The Quietus and noticed this album is a favorite of both Wayne Hussey and Alan Wilder

I must admit I have never heard it.

tattmaylor

HOT CHIP

...they tick all the boxes for what i like but can't stand them. Maybe personal :-)

tattmaylor · Post edited by tattmaylor at 2013-10-16 09:50:29

Border_Mind said:

The_Carpathian said:

The album that brought this thread to life is, for me, Talk Talk's 1988 slow burner "Spirit Of Eden".

It's funny you mention that album, as I was looking at The Quietus and noticed this album is a favorite of both Wayne Hussey and Alan Wilder

I must admit I have never heard it.

Don't forget Charlotte Church :-)

She actually has quite an interesting taste!

I always prefer Colour of Spring. You can see them getting towards the sound and textures ...but they still have the pop songs! YOu have to be in teh mood for Spirit of Eden. You can do teh washing up to Colour of Spring. :-)c

The_Carpathian

Ha, we have a heap of tQ readers? Good taste, you see, that's what does it.

Yeah, I did notice the album cropping up in a number of "Baker's Dozens" which just annoyed/intrigued me even more. The thing about Church's choices is the details behind why - you can always tell if somebody is bluffing on such things and she's properly passionate about her listening which I always love to read.

Archway · Post edited by Archway at 2013-10-16 16:27:18

@The_Carpathian: I nearly choked when I saw you listed Spirit Of Eden, but I have to remind myself that we all have very different tastes. Also, and perhaps the real reason for nearly choking is because Spirit Of Eden is my favourite album of all time. I do understand where you are coming from though. I feel the same about many other albums.

@tattmaylor: Hot Chip doesn't do it for me either. Like you said, they tick all the boxes, but strangely, I judt don't feel their music.

I love conversations like these really. There are many albums I wish I could love, but for various reasons just can't get to that point. Here are a few that came to mind immediately:

Fiona Apple - Tidal
I have tried, really. Every second year or so I put it on in order to see if my view on it has changed. Thus far, nothing has changed. I don't understand why people love this album and why it was a commercial success. I just find it so mediocre. It almost ruined Fiona Apple for me completely. After Tidal (and I know it was her debut album), I had no interest in her music. I ignored When The Pawn completely when it was released until about six months after, when a family member sat me down and convinced me that it is worth listening to because it was not like Tidal. Now I love When The Pawn, but still feel completely indifferent towards Tidal.

PJ Harvey - Is This Desire?
Much like Fiona Apple's Tidal, I give this a spin every so often, but I just can't get into it. There is just no connection with any of the songs on this album. I have friends that love this album more than To Bring You My Love, which is somehing I find bewildering. Is This Desire? is just so uneven and doesn't have the impact of To Bring You My Love.

Goldrapp - Black Cherry and Supernature
While I like both albums, I can say honestly that I don't love them, and I hardly listen to them compared to other Goldfrapp albums (even Head First, which I only really started to enjoy about a month ago!). I can;t imagine ever loving Head First, but it is fun. Black Cherry is an album I wish I could love, but it just leaves me cold. As for Supernature, I just find it creatively a bit dull.

Kate Bush - The Red Shoes
It is just too uneven. I love about five or six tracks, but that's it.

The National - Trouble Will Find Me
It not even remotely on a par with High Violet.

Neko Case - Every album she's released after Fox Confessor
While I have at least liked her albums after Fox Confessor, she simply hasn't produced anything as strong or consistent as Fox Confessor. Everytime she releases a new album I hold my breath in hope that I'll love it, but inevitably just end up thining that it's OK.

Saint Etienne - Words And Music
I love Saint Etienne with all my heart and soul, and Words And Music is nice, but that's just it; it's nice. There is nothing outstanding on it or anything edgy. I was (still am) that it received such good reviews. It is their easiest album to date, and in my view, least creative.

This Mortal Coil - Blood
After two astonishing albums, This Mortal Coil returned with Blood. I can listen to the first six tracks, and that's it. I just lose interest after that really.

Dreeke

Two words: Arcade Fire

Every album (not counting the new one, haven't heard it yet)

I've tried. Believe me, I've tried

Archway

Dreeke said:
Two words: Arcade Fire

Every album (not counting the new one, haven't heard it yet)

I've tried. Believe me, I've tried

Good one! I do love Funeral, but just never got into subsequent albums.

tattmaylor

Dreeke said:
Two words: Arcade Fire

Every album (not counting the new one, haven't heard it yet)

I've tried. Believe me, I've tried

Yep I kind of agree. I think even the band kind of agree, hence to new direction. Although I have grouwn to love the first one, but for me all the best tracks on the second two records are the slow pace ones not the big ones. I remember watching them at Glastonbury (Neon Bible period) and I was blown away watching them.... on the first few tracks but after 4 tracks all the tracks ended up finishing the same. It's like they couldn't pace themselves.

They are very likable people so I have really high hopes with new record. I LOVE the new single/ An early review is saying it's their Achtung Baby! Maybe not the biggest compliment but a guide on a big band developing their sound into a more interesting area but becoming more accessable.

Archway

Florence And The Machine - Lungs and Ceremonials. Both nice, but the love's not there for me.

error60091

Archway said:
Florence And The Machine - Lungs and Ceremonials. Both nice, but the love's not there for me.

Lungs is quite charming.. unfortunately, i wanted to love ceremonials, too..

cw37frapp

I agree. Her music is just listenable. Nothing special. One of her tracks will always remind me of the Wigan Warriors cup semi-final v London. It was 70-0 and the Florence track was played after EVERY try.

Dreeke

error60091 said:

Archway said:
Florence And The Machine - Lungs and Ceremonials. Both nice, but the love's not there for me.

Lungs is quite charming.. unfortunately, i wanted to love ceremonials, too..

Same here

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