Awful puns/neologisms as album titles

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Seeing the Fran Healy title - Wreckorder - in the worst album covers thread reminded me how much I hate that kind of title: Eargasm, Amorica, Californication. They reveal something deathly about the artist, both pretentious and dim. Which are the worst?

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Wednesday, 13 October 2010 17:26 (thirteen years ago) link

Gah. Please move to ILM.

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Wednesday, 13 October 2010 17:27 (thirteen years ago) link

Hey! Can't you see I'm squatting here?

Aimless, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 17:34 (thirteen years ago) link

not quite the same as your examples, but Shit Robot just put out an album called From the Cradle to the Rave, which I think is an excellent pun

rmde and dangerous (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 13 October 2010 17:43 (thirteen years ago) link

Public Enemy: Revolverlution, bad enough, was followed by New Whirl Odor.

paulhw, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 19:01 (thirteen years ago) link

Revolverlution's the kind of thing I had in mind - so much misguided thinking squashed into a single word.

I find the longer ones easier to forgive, like Phats and Small's legendary Now Phats What I Small Music. There's a certain knowing goofiness to extended puns whereas the one-word ones tend to think they're making a point.

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Wednesday, 13 October 2010 19:11 (thirteen years ago) link

Public Enemy: Revolverlution, bad enough, was followed by New Whirl Odor.

Don't forget these for both preceded by Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age, which is even worse.

Tuomas, Wednesday, 13 October 2010 19:29 (thirteen years ago) link

This should be on the REO Speedwagon C/D page. See also: Megadeth.

Zeppelin to Howlin Wolf: "Suck It" (Bill Magill), Wednesday, 13 October 2010 19:34 (thirteen years ago) link

The worst album covers thread also has Telephantasm (Soundgarden) and, ick, Wonderlustre (Skunk Anansie).

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Thursday, 14 October 2010 14:27 (thirteen years ago) link

Melon Collie etc.

sonofstan, Thursday, 14 October 2010 15:53 (thirteen years ago) link

just now saw this thread for the first time -- moved to ILM

Headlock Ellis (WmC), Thursday, 14 October 2010 16:00 (thirteen years ago) link

Thanks WmC

The baby boomers have defined everything once and for all (Dorianlynskey), Thursday, 14 October 2010 17:48 (thirteen years ago) link

http://blog.kexp.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/beatles_whitealbum.jpg

Tuomas, Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:40 (thirteen years ago) link

wow, i only just got californication.

O holy ruler of ILF (a hoy hoy), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:41 (thirteen years ago) link

Blink 182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:45 (thirteen years ago) link

that one is kind of hilarious because it fits the blink aesthetic -- also it was an album for 15 year old boys

truly blunted rhyme fiend (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:46 (thirteen years ago) link

REO Speedwagon - You Can Tune a Piano but You Can't Tuna Fish

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:46 (thirteen years ago) link

See also:

Justin Timberlake - Justified

Ozzy Osbourne - Ozzmosis

etc.

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:48 (thirteen years ago) link

Ministry has a few "lol joek" titles:

The Land of Rape and Honey
Dark Side of the Spoon
SphincTour
The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
Houses of the Molé

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:50 (thirteen years ago) link

justified is awful

truly blunted rhyme fiend (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:51 (thirteen years ago) link

Butthole Surfers - Hairway to Steven

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:51 (thirteen years ago) link

what are those public enemy albums even like? Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age is an awesome title imo. nb: i haven't heard any public enemy.

I love you girls but that music is for fairies (Matt P), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:52 (thirteen years ago) link

Genesis - From Genesis to Revelation

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:53 (thirteen years ago) link

well maybe not awesome but i appreciate the effort, and there's so much of it xp

I love you girls but that music is for fairies (Matt P), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:54 (thirteen years ago) link

what are those public enemy albums even like?

Muse Sick = excellent

Revolverlution = ehhh it's okay

New Whirl Odor = flush it

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:54 (thirteen years ago) link

Butthole Surfers - Hairway to Steven

― more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, October 14, 2010 3:51 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark

this is pretty hilarious

truly blunted rhyme fiend (J0rdan S.), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:54 (thirteen years ago) link

George Strait - Strait to/from the Heart (which is it? I forget...)

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:55 (thirteen years ago) link

OH GOD

Deep Purple - Purpendicular

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:55 (thirteen years ago) link

Talking Heads - No Talking Just Head

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 20:56 (thirteen years ago) link

No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom

also every ska record ever (or should I say, every ska SKAcord SKAver)

del griffith, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:05 (thirteen years ago) link

I didn't even get "Tragic Kingdom" was a play on words 'til last year. I was 13, I thought it was a cool & evocative title that said "everyone feels as sad and shitty as you, even pretty blonde girls."

The Ten Things I Hate About Commandments (Abbbottt), Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:06 (thirteen years ago) link

Nelly Furtado - Whoa Nelly!

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:12 (thirteen years ago) link

HIStory would probably be the top-selling example, if it counts (can the emphasis of certain letters in a word by capitalization constitute a pun?)

del griffith, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:13 (thirteen years ago) link

Gary Glitter - Touch Me

(lolz in retrospect)

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:14 (thirteen years ago) link

Miss E... So Addictive

(off topic, and there's probably already a thread on it, but what about stuff like Fresh Cream or Who's Next, do those count? seems like those kind of titles were fairly prevalent in classic rock)

del griffith, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:28 (thirteen years ago) link

Snopp Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:31 (thirteen years ago) link

Half Man Half Biscuit are good/ awful for this kind of thing (delete according to taste):

Trouble Over Bridgewater
Back in the DHSS
Achtung Bono

FWIW, I think they're national treasures and hope they keep on punning.

Neil S, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:33 (thirteen years ago) link

Tony Banks - Bankstatement

Further minus points for also having a terrible literal album cover.

Gavin in Leeds, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:34 (thirteen years ago) link

Snopp Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle

don't forget Tha Doggfather!

del griffith, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:36 (thirteen years ago) link

Hour of the Bewilderbeast: everything annoyingly twee and kooky about Badly Drawn Boy, in one album title.

Neil S, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:38 (thirteen years ago) link

Incesticide (always hated this title)

Euler, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link

An Australian singer-songwriter Fergus Brown, named his album Burgers Frown, which was more awesome than awful. Still, depends on your patience for that kind of humour.

Tim. E "LazRus" Lucas (Prose b4 Hoes...and Big Hoos), Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link

NoFX - The War on Errorism
Carter USM - 101 Damnations

Gavin in Leeds, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:42 (thirteen years ago) link

Jello Biafra - The Audacity of Hype (although I have to admit a sneaking admiration for that one)

Neil S, Thursday, 14 October 2010 21:44 (thirteen years ago) link

I didn't notice Take Off Your Pants and Jacket was a pun until seeing it on this thread and saying it out loud five times.

I still don't get Tragic Kingdom.

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 14 October 2010 22:19 (thirteen years ago) link

They're from California, home of Disney's "Magic Kingdom." It's a stretch.

The Ten Things I Hate About Commandments (Abbbottt), Thursday, 14 October 2010 22:20 (thirteen years ago) link

A Salt with a Dealy Pepa

Tongue in Chic

Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins

There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On (we have a winner!)

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 14 October 2010 22:23 (thirteen years ago) link

Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins

This one's great ^^

more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Thursday, 14 October 2010 22:29 (thirteen years ago) link

Music criticism edition:
"White Blood Sells: Race and the White Stripes' Moment in the Sun"
"The Revolution Will Be Harmonized"
"Appropriate for Destruction"
"Remains of the Day-O"
"Imperfect Sound Forever"
"The Syncher, Not the Song: The Irresistible Rise of the Numa Numa Dance"
"Joy Division: An Ideal for Listening"

Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 14 October 2010 22:34 (thirteen years ago) link

Most of Greg Kihn's albums:

Next of Kihn (1978)
Rockihnroll (1981)
Kihntinued (1982)
Kihnspiracy (1983)
Kihntagious (1984)
Citizen Kihn (1985)

nickn, Saturday, 16 October 2010 00:38 (thirteen years ago) link

Babylon And On

henry s, Saturday, 16 October 2010 00:48 (thirteen years ago) link

And the visual puns accompanying Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/17/3a/f21e228348a072a5e1f55110.L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Hideous Lump, Saturday, 16 October 2010 03:45 (thirteen years ago) link

those stupid milton babbitt titles always irked

ilxinho (nakhchivan), Saturday, 16 October 2010 03:48 (thirteen years ago) link

never mind album titles, what about band names - King L being one i like to remember whenever i need a laugh.

I don't get this one??

Tuomas, Sunday, 17 October 2010 09:08 (thirteen years ago) link

not gonna lie, i found most of the items itt to be hilarious.

marc iv, Sunday, 17 October 2010 09:33 (thirteen years ago) link

King L = "fucking hell"

henry s, Sunday, 17 October 2010 12:22 (thirteen years ago) link

re King L : the band were on a major label as well (post Danny Wilson outfit for Gary Clarke, before he formed Garbage soundalike, Transister, another puntastic band)

mark e, Sunday, 17 October 2010 14:31 (thirteen years ago) link

The Presets - Apocalypso

Mental As Anything - Apocalypso

Mary Lynn Ice Cube (sic), Sunday, 17 October 2010 23:19 (thirteen years ago) link

NOFX -- Punk In Drublic

Along the same lines, I'm quite sure there was a punk band with a song called "Punk and Disorderly", but I can't remember exactly.

Duke, Sunday, 17 October 2010 23:59 (thirteen years ago) link

Bola - KS
Bola - Soup
Bola - Mauver
Bola - Gnayse

t. weiss, Monday, 18 October 2010 03:09 (thirteen years ago) link

don't forget a bowl of yew tea!

Waldstein Sinatra (Paul in Santa Cruz), Monday, 18 October 2010 03:15 (thirteen years ago) link

never mind album titles, what about band names - King L being one i like to remember whenever i need a laugh.

― mark e, Friday, October 15, 2010 4:23 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark

CunninLynguists

thistle supporter (mcoll), Monday, 18 October 2010 03:42 (thirteen years ago) link

Paul, how could you forget All Set?:P This stuff just makes me love Babbitt even more.

EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 18 October 2010 03:50 (thirteen years ago) link

There are a million jazz records that are puns on the musician's name.

Katy Lied, Lady Died (Hurting 2), Monday, 18 October 2010 03:52 (thirteen years ago) link

http://i561.photobucket.com/albums/ss51/tr_fudge/9c8eac888d16f489c29dbb5cbdc.jpg

on top of the prodigious wordplay here i once used it to pun on "jazz canon" (someone mispelled it cannon iirc) ...lol!

shecky naw (tremendoid), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:01 (thirteen years ago) link

Blink 182 - Take Off Your Pants and Jacket

― more than ever convinced ilxor is a sock (ilxor), Friday, October 15, 2010 4:45 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark

this is a classic classic album title fuiud

dayo, Monday, 18 October 2010 04:02 (thirteen years ago) link

http://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/004/191/0000419164_350.jpg

Mark, Monday, 18 October 2010 04:13 (thirteen years ago) link

CunninLynguists

― thistle supporter (mcoll), Sunday, October 17, 2010

And Caravan's Cunning Stunts now that you mention it.

nickn, Monday, 18 October 2010 04:24 (thirteen years ago) link

the fox - for fox sake

pretty racy title for 1970

hot chip emergency (electricsound), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:25 (thirteen years ago) link

xpost - Sundar, I forgot All Set -- not sure if I'd class it among the esoteric math puns and the regular-language puns.

Waldstein Sinatra (Paul in Santa Cruz), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:39 (thirteen years ago) link

and or

Waldstein Sinatra (Paul in Santa Cruz), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:40 (thirteen years ago) link

Virgin Fugs

thistle supporter (mcoll), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:49 (thirteen years ago) link

is that a pun? or just a terrible album name. either way

thistle supporter (mcoll), Monday, 18 October 2010 04:49 (thirteen years ago) link

Gucci Mane Jewelry Selection (presumably a pun on Jury Selection, and it's not a bad title)

Frank Kogan, Monday, 18 October 2010 06:40 (thirteen years ago) link

another sax-related one, I'm afraid:

Sparks - Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins

Daniel Giraffe, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 21:31 (thirteen years ago) link

Dodgy - Free Peace Sweet

Daniel Giraffe, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 21:33 (thirteen years ago) link

Oh shit, just noticed that the Sparks one has been mentioned before on the thread. Sorry.

Daniel Giraffe, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 21:35 (thirteen years ago) link

Have we had Ramsey Lewis' Tequila Mockingbird?

sonofstan, Tuesday, 19 October 2010 22:10 (thirteen years ago) link

five years pass...

One I genuinely like is The 25th of May - Lenin & McCarthy. No better title for a group of scouse Marxists.

just dug out this album and gave it a spin expecting it to suck,
and yeah, it's easy to rip into their EMF/Jesus Jones groove,
however, there is a track, 'why?' that uses news snippets re hillsborough from the time that hits really hard.

mark e, Thursday, 5 May 2016 21:14 (seven years ago) link

two years pass...

two decades later it occurs to me that Digital Underground's Future Rhythm is a pun

Οὖτις, Thursday, 13 September 2018 22:09 (five years ago) link

It is?

Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Thursday, 13 September 2018 22:46 (five years ago) link

Stevie Jackson - (I Can't Get No) Stevie Jackson

Hideous Lump, Friday, 14 September 2018 02:26 (five years ago) link

I can't decide if the band name Neil Young and the Restless is really a cheesy reference to the soap opera or just a coincidence.

Hideous Lump, Friday, 14 September 2018 02:29 (five years ago) link

four weeks pass...

Double pun going on here - trombone and bossa nova? Bill Watrous With the New Bill Watrous Quartet, "Coronary Trombossa!" Also good of the Bill Watrous Quartet to allow him to play with them.

https://img.discogs.com/oYw-kCMAeVUBL7S4pcoBNO9hoiI=/fit-in/600x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-3508393-1333226488.jpeg.jpg

Alma Kirby (Tom D.), Saturday, 13 October 2018 13:49 (five years ago) link

shocking. hanging's too good.

Roberto Spiralli, Saturday, 13 October 2018 14:08 (five years ago) link

xxxxp Future Rhythm = Futurism, with a lisp

Plinka Trinka Banga Tink (Eliza D.), Saturday, 13 October 2018 15:18 (five years ago) link

two decades later it occurs to me that Digital Underground's Future Rhythm is a pun

― Οὖτις, Thursday, September 13, 2018 6:09 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It is?

― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Thursday, September 13, 2018 6:46 PM (one month ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Like a lisping 'futurism'?

how's life, Saturday, 13 October 2018 15:24 (five years ago) link

Like it? I love it! Thanks, I'm here all week.

Alma Kirby (Tom D.), Saturday, 13 October 2018 17:42 (five years ago) link

Kid 606 - It’ll Take Millions in Plastic Surgery to Make Me Black

Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 14 October 2018 01:09 (five years ago) link

four years pass...

Skyclad – Oui Avant-Garde A Chance

lord of the rongs (anagram), Saturday, 13 May 2023 10:14 (eleven months ago) link

Oof

Do I look like I know what a jpeg is? (dog latin), Saturday, 13 May 2023 13:04 (eleven months ago) link

Don't know if this counts because it's: (a) the name of the band, and (b) arguably actually pretty non-awful, but it was years before I realised that Hayseed Dixie was a play on AC/DC.

Bloody Snail, Sunday, 14 May 2023 08:11 (eleven months ago) link

The name is non awful until you find out that it's a pun and then it becomes awful.

Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Sunday, 14 May 2023 09:15 (eleven months ago) link

X - Hey Zeus!

Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 14 May 2023 17:32 (eleven months ago) link

Pitbull - Rebelution

Not only a bad pun, but a useless one - Rebel, Revolution, it's already the same thing dude.

Siegbran, Sunday, 14 May 2023 21:30 (eleven months ago) link

Aren’t “b” and “v” sounds also kind of interchangeable in Spanish?

Every post of mine is an expression of eternity (Boring, Maryland), Sunday, 14 May 2023 22:32 (eleven months ago) link

Yes

I & I, Claudius (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 May 2023 23:01 (eleven months ago) link

Scott B. Sympathy - Neil Yonge Street (1990)

Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 18 May 2023 01:59 (ten months ago) link

Would've had Morrissey down as an offender here, but can only think of his video compliation Hulmerist.

fetter, Thursday, 18 May 2023 12:09 (ten months ago) link


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