Rolling Stone's 15 Worst

Rolling Stone magazine has published a list of the 15 top worst albums by undeniably great bands.

You can check out the list here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2007/05/14/rolling-stones-15-worst-albums-by-great-bands

I guess it is a testament to an artist's longevity that eventually you are going to produce a few lemons. In thinking about whether I agree with the selections I was struck by the relative ease with which I was able to name several other candidates for worst album for almost every example.

Think Down in the Groove is Dylan's worst? I actually liked the album much better than 1986's Knocked Out Loaded.

What about the 1973 contractual obligation album Dylan, featuring unconvincing attempts at covers like "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Mr. Bojangles"? To be fair, the album was never intended for release. I can only assume Rolling Stone was looking to avoid the easiest pickings.

Dylan was Columbia's attempt at revenge for Dylan having left the label for Geffen (only temporarily, as it turned out) by releasing the outtakes from his previous low point: Self Portrait. Either could easily be counted his worst. Beloved critical hero Greil Marcus said it best in the opening of his 1971 review of Self Portrait in Rolling Stone:

"What is this shit?"

Perhaps more disturbing was the ease with which I was able to name several Neil Young albums that I considered far worse than Old Ways, an album I liked at the time and was a refreshing change of direction after the abysmal Landing on Water. The incomprehensible albums Reactor and Trans, produced while Neil was experimenting with new communication methods to reach his sons despite their cerebral palsey, were both noble experiments gone horribly awry.

Again from the contractual obligation department: Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music and Led Zepplin's Coda. Both far worse than the albums Rolling Stone names.

Elvis Costello's Mighty Like a Rose instead of the truly bleak Julliet Letters?

The exercise left me surprised that I could recall so many albums by artist that I esteemed so highly which sucked. Not that it lessens my respect for the artists or the contributions they have made, and I can still easily name far more of their best albums.

Ultimitely it might be easier to take Rolling Stone to task for their selection of "undeniably awesome bands." Morrisey is considered undeniable? Really? And no Bruce Springsteen, Grateful Dead or the Beatles?

What do you have to do to make this list, anyway?

Uncommon Threads

Welcome to Uncommon Threads, home to my views on the intersecting worlds of music, literature and popular culture.

You will find here a potent stew of criticism, conjecture, opinion, rant, bias, truth, fiction and autobiography. That's right. Uncommon Threads makes no attempt to feign objectivity in order to achieve a tone of moral authority. This is not what is politely referred to in some circles as "mainstream media."

Instead you will bear witness to a blurring of the lines between journalism and memoir, serious musicology and unapologetic opinion. Along the way I will explain why certain artifacts matter to me, and why they should mean something to you too.

Dig in. Respond. Check back. Enjoy.