AWESOME concept albums that SUCK

is this a concept thread

fag, get a real tattoo

Ahem.

Tricky question - but I like it so I tried to come up with one. I have this album which compiles the contestants from a contest on KROQ where you had to send in your own version of Devo songs. Brilliant concept and a cheapo but wonderfully ridiculous cover. The contents are slightly amusing but mostly just awful. 9 out of 10 for concept packaging, effort, and a limited amount of entertainment. 2 out of 10 for musical execution (cos there are two good songs - one is a rewrite of Joko Homo called Joko Bozo with Devo-slagging clown related lyrics, the other is "Okie From Muskogee" done in the style of the Devo version of "Satisfaction" - and it's brilliant.

On the other hand the Clawhammer album which covers the whole of "Are We Not Men..." gets 2 out of 10 on all levels, although I have to say, I eagerly bought it for the concept, so maybe it counts too.

I'd say 97% of concept albums fit this category.

Wait, actually, I'm not sure I understand the thread.

Yeah, me either, but I don't understand all that endless rapping 'bout rockism neither so let's just get on with it. I suggest that C86 compliation. It's got some great original sounding bands who were really exciting at the time - A Witness, McCarthy, Age of Chance, The Shrubs, Big Flame, Bogshed, Wedding Present, Half Man Half Biscuit, the Wolfhounds, Stump, the Mackenzies (when is there gonna be a Ron Jonson box set?). However the song selections are totally uneven. Then, it gave it's name to a musical genre that has bugger all relation to most of the contents (okay, I'll admit the Shop Assistants, the Pastels, Soup Dragons, Primal Scream and the Bodines as being jangly bowlcut types). It's amusing to consider what some butterfly chasing, anorak wearer thinks after shelling out for a copy on E-Bay and being confronted with the likes of "From Now On This Will Be Your God" or "Sharpened Sticks".

In summary: C86 the album gets a grudging thumbs up. C86 the genre and legacy SUCKS.

I love the fact that I'm the only one coming up with these.

Anyway, now I suggest that locked groove album that Lee Ronaldo made. It was awesome because not only did it really, really suck - nothing special about that, but it (crucially) broke new ground by finding new ways to suck.

Looking at the list so far, I'd say the five worst years for awesome concept albums that suck is 86-91 which I think encompasses Renaldo, Clawhammer and C86

Having thought about it for a while, I'm going to remove Clawhammer from the list. It truly sucks, definetly isn't awesome in any way and doesn't deserve to be amongst these worthy awesome sucky concept albums.