Most disappointing albums of 2010

[mgsooner]

Deer Tick - Black Dirt Sessions

it picks up a bit in the second half but the first few songs with the exception of Blood Moan are extremely mediocre. I'm not sure why we needed a re-worked arrangement of Christ Jesus when the original wasn't very good to begin with. I thought War Elephant was really good. I thought Born on Flag Day was good, but a bit of a step back. This is another step back, and a big one. Seems like they might be running out of ideas.

[shuffle]

I disagree, I think it's very good. Twenty Miles and Hand In My Hand are both great.

edit: forgot to mention other albums

Band of Horses - Infinite Arms: I've never been that big on Band of Horses but I had hopes that their new album would bring all their good sides together - it didn't. It's my least favourite of theirs.

The New Pornographers - Together: this isn't bad, it's very solid but also quite dull and boring (well as boring as they can be ).

Roky Erickson with Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil: good album but I had higher hopes, although my hopes were based on pretty much nothing at all

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever: their worst album imo, still a bunch of very good songs (especially The Sweet Part of the City and The Weekenders) but half of it is kinda THS-by-the-numbers, and not in a good way since it's not as good as their average tune.

[joelle]

The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever: their worst album imo, still a bunch of very good songs (especially The Sweet Part of the City and The Weekenders) but half of it is kinda THS-by-the-numbers, and not in a good way since it's not as good as their average tune.

i concur
with all of this
points 1. 2. 3. 4.

[mgsooner]

I disagree, I think it's very good. Twenty Miles and Hand In My Hand are both great

don't get me wrong, their are some good tracks on this album, but there are far too many tracks that are very forgettable. But perhaps I need to lower my expectations. Maybe they're just a decent band that makes albums with a few good tracks and a few forgettable ones.

[shuffle]

I disagree, I think it's very good. Twenty Miles and Hand In My Hand are both great

don't get me wrong, their are some good tracks on this album, but there are far too many tracks that are very forgettable. But perhaps I need to lower my expectations. Maybe they're just a decent band that makes albums with a few good tracks and a few forgettable ones.

I wouldn't call the majority of the tracks forgettable, but I see your point. Before listening to The Black Dirt Sessions I'd only listened to War Elephant a few times and enjoyed it, but haven't checked it out more (mainly out of laziness) and listened to their ep from last year once, so my expectations were pretty much "hope this is worth my time", and it's definitely that. I love his voice too, so that helps a bit...(and like some posters on here have already said, he does indeed sound like The Tallest Man on Earth).

[dime in the gutter]

the big to do.

a good record, for sure.....but in the world that dbt has created, i find it middling at best.

still far better than most other records released thus far in 2010....but not quite up to their own very high standards

looking forward to go go boots.

[Gator McKlusky]

I can't wait for Go Go Boots. The Big To-Do is my least favorite DBT record.

[Duke Silver]

Josh Ritter - So Runs the World Away

It's not a bad album, just a bit of a letdown. I consider Ritter's "The Animal Years" to be a perfect album, and the prerelease hype was touting "So Runs..." as a return to form, but I don't hear it. With "The Historical Conquests of...", this makes two mostly dull albums in a row from him. Great lyrics, though, I just wish the music was as interesting.

That said, "The Curse" and "Southern Pacifica" will probably end up on my "best songs of 2010" playlist.

[joelle]

the big to do.

a good record, for sure.....but in the world that dbt has created, i find it middling at best.

still far better than most other records released thus far in 2010....but not quite up to their own very high standards

looking forward to go go boots.

i want the truckers to do another punk record

[dime in the gutter]

i want the truckers to do another punk record

me too. they will.

[Tequila Cowboy]

I can't wait for Go Go Boots. The Big To-Do is my least favorite DBT record.

Wow. It's by far my favorite album of the year and probably ranks 4th or so in DBT albums.

I'm with everyone else on THS though. Very dissapointing and the production is awful.

[mgsooner]

I can't wait for Go Go Boots. The Big To-Do is my least favorite DBT record.

Wow. It's by far my favorite album of the year and probably ranks 4th or so in DBT albums.

I'm with everyone else on THS though. Very dissapointing and the production is awful.

Yeah I can't get behind this TBTD being disappointing thing. I think when you're looking at ranking albums in a given year you should rank those albums against one another, not rank an artist's album against other albums they have released. As far as ranking DBT albums, I don't rank anything beyond this: 1. DD, 2. SRO, 3. TDS. After you get past #3 it is almost impossible for me to rank them, and if I tried I would have to change those rankings constantly because they move up/down based on my mood at the time.

[dime in the gutter]

i guess my definition of disappointing is when something does not meet my expectations.

it's a fine album and is better than most...but i was expecting more. i like my dbt all rambling and creepy and weird and belligerent and subversive and distorted and painful....

just my opinion.

[Gator McKlusky]

I like it, just not as much as the others.

[Steve French]

i guess my definition of disappointing is when something does not meet my expectations.

it's a fine album and is better than most...but i was expecting more. i like my dbt all rambling and creepy and weird and belligerent and subversive and distorted and painful....

just my opinion.

and TBTD isn't?

[dime in the gutter]

i guess my definition of disappointing is when something does not meet my expectations.

it's a fine album and is better than most...but i was expecting more. i like my dbt all rambling and creepy and weird and belligerent and subversive and distorted and painful....

just my opinion.

and TBTD isn't?

not enough for me.

[Clams]

Nice can of worms mgsooner. Bet you never thought your thread would take such a turn.

I like listening to TBTD and I wouldn't call it disappointing. Big guitars and great stories. That being said, one of the things I like best about the Truckers is how they always manage to mix other sounds into the rock - some country twang or pedal steel, some punk, some blues, etc. So when I heard that DBT was moving up to a bigger record label and putting out a "big rock record," I had a feeling that the other stuff would be left out of the mix, and it was. So while I wouldn't call it disappointing, let's just say that I'm really looking forward to what I expect to be the more interesting sound of Go Go Boots.

[bovine knievel]

Disappointing? Hmm, kinda like calling your kid ugly!
I think once folks see the new songs performed live, sandwiched between the classic DBT tunes, the light will come on the brilliance will shine bright. I do have to say that Shonna's tune just doesn't seem to fit and that a few of Patterson's tunes sound like they could have been on Murdering Oscar.

[cortez the killer]

Disappointing? Hmm, kinda like calling your kid ugly!
I think once folks see the new songs performed live, sandwiched between the classic DBT tunes, the light will come on the brilliance will shine bright. I do have to say that Shonna's tune just doesn't seem to fit and that a few of Patterson's tunes sound like they could have been on Murdering Oscar.

Saw/heard 'em live. Didn't change what the album is to me either. It's a somewhat disappointing Truckers release.

[bovine knievel]

i want the truckers to do another punk record

me too. they will.

What was the first one?

Was thinking the same thing as Zip?

[dime in the gutter]

i want the truckers to do another punk record

me too. they will.

What was the first one?

gangstabilly

[bovine knievel]

gangstabilly

I guess it be considered their punk album if your dissecting their catalog of music.

[Smitty]

gangstabilly

I guess it be considered their punk album if your dissecting their catalog of music.

AAW

[dime in the gutter]

gangstabilly

I guess it be considered their punk album if your dissecting their catalog of music.

AAW

heavy punk vibe on pd and tds also. i might even argue that all dbt lps have punk themes/traces. to greater and lesser degrees with each album.

just talkin' out my ass again.

[cortez the killer]

[Smitty]

is that Cooley in the back with the spikes?

[cortez the killer]

is that Cooley in the back with the spikes?

Earl Hicks.

[mgsooner]

Okay, anybody have any more '10 albums they've been disappointed with OTHER than the Big To-Do?

[joelle]

Okay, anybody have any more '10 albums they've been disappointed with OTHER than the Big To-Do?

ok
i actually really wanted to like this
i heard it was her strongest outing
well,
it sucked.

[bold99]

I have to say it...the Big To Do...its not a bad album but I guess my expectations were high and I don't think i've listened to it since I saw them in March...so that kind of tells me how I feel about it...some good songs just didn't blow me away.

and the Band of Horses...that one kind of bores me.