Albums that have no business being good.... but are.

[Stadler]

3.  Aerosmith - Night In The Ruts (Following a commercial bomb, deep in debt, and with one guitar player with his head in a pile of white powder (with a disenfranchised wife whispering in his ear) another guitar player with one foot out the door, a rhythm section bathed in a cloud of smoke, and a lead singer with a god complex and a needle in his arm and you do NOT have a recipe for a strong record.  Yet, the band delivered, and NITR is solid with only the cover of "Reefer Headed Woman" to drag it down.)

Good call here. The band was pretty down and out. This is easily my favorite Aerosmith album, and I love that whole era.
In fact NITR-Rock In A Hard Place-Done With Mirrors is my favorite Aerosmith 3 album run.

Huh; that's interesting.  I LOVE NITR, I LOVE Done With Mirrors, but Rock... kind of goes both ways for me.   Sometimes I'll listen to it and I love it, sometimes I'm wistful for what could have been.   The Yang that is Joe Perry would have been the cherry on the sundae.  I think the creative tension is the fuel of Aerosmith. 

[TAC]

Joe Perry is overrated as hell.

Although I do rank I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again very high.

[Crow]

Casualties Of Cool is great, though I wasn't exactly shocked at its quality given the prior existence of Ki and Ghost.

ghost is good and ki is............
casualties way eclipses either of them though & the fact that it also eclipses some really excellent prog metal albums is what surprises me even more

[TAC]

1. Coverdale - Page (a clearly desperate Page, sending a message to Plant, who called Coverdale "David Coverversion" more than once, and yet the record is sharp, the songs are solid, the production is crisp, and the album holds up to this day.   Plant even sang a CP song - Shake My Tree - live during the "Walking Into Clarksdale" tour)

Did people really have low expectations of this?





A Different Kind Of Truth definitely applies though. That was actually really damn good.

[LudwigVan]

For me, that album would be Come Taste the Band by Deep Purple. With Ritchie Blackmore gone, I really wasn’t expecting much, but this album rocks. Prolly a top 5 DP album in my book and certainly better than its predecessor album, Stormbringer.

The other album that surprised me was Drama by Yes, which seems a popular choice in this thread.

A distant third would be ‘A‘ by Jethro Tull, the first album after Ian Anderson fired 80% of the band.

[jingle.boy]

1. Coverdale - Page (a clearly desperate Page, sending a message to Plant, who called Coverdale "David Coverversion" more than once, and yet the record is sharp, the songs are solid, the production is crisp, and the album holds up to this day.   Plant even sang a CP song - Shake My Tree - live during the "Walking Into Clarksdale" tour)

Did people really have low expectations of this?

Plant did.

[TAC]

For me, that album would be Come Taste the Band by Deep Purple. With Ritchie Blackmore gone, I really wasn’t expecting much, but this album rocks. Prolly a top 5 DP album in my book and certainly better than its predecessor album, Stormbringer.

That's a good album, and definitely better than Stormbringer.

[Buddyhunter1]

Casualties Of Cool is great, though I wasn't exactly shocked at its quality given the prior existence of Ki and Ghost.

ghost is good and ki is............
casualties way eclipses either of them though & the fact that it also eclipses some really excellent prog metal albums is what surprises me even more

Now that's an abysmal take.

[Peter Mc]

Can’t think of anything right now but not sure why Coverdale/Page has no business being good when they are two of the biggest rockstars of all time.  I only heard it once as it happens and wasn’t keen on it but I was certainly expecting it to be decent.

I suppose BabyMetal would be one for me.  Something which sounded terrible on paper but I enjoyed when I heard it. The first two albums anyway, didn’t like their last one.

[MoraWintersoul]

You know what? Queen's A Kind Of Magic. The unofficial soundtrack of Highlander, which has to be one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen. Half of these songs even lyrically reference the freaking movie. For fuck's sake, Brian May wrote Who Wants To Live Forever, one of my favorite songs of all time, after they showed him the first cut of the movie's two-bit romantic subplot.

And it's full of hits.

I love watching the movie because a Queen song plays every ten minutes, but Jesus Christ, how did they give those songs to that movie, I will never understand.

[HOF]

You know what? Queen's A Kind Of Magic. The unofficial soundtrack of Highlander, which has to be one of the dumbest movies I've ever seen. Half of these songs even lyrically reference the freaking movie. For fuck's sake, Brian May wrote Who Wants To Live Forever, one of my favorite songs of all time, after they showed him the first cut of the movie's two-bit romantic subplot.

And it's full of hits.

I love watching the movie because a Queen song plays every ten minutes, but Jesus Christ, how did they give those songs to that movie, I will never understand.

I read somewhere that Marillion were originally offered to do this soundtrack, but now I better look that up to make sure I have my facts straight.

Edit: here is the Steve Rothery interview where he confirmed that the band’s management turned this down:

https://www.loudersound.com/features/steve-rothery-people-still-think-marillion-are-a-scottish-heavy-metal-band

You mentioned your love of soundtrack music growing up. Is it true Marillion were offered the soundtrack to Highlander? You turned it down and Queen got the gig instead?

Yes, apparently, that’s what I was told. It was a management decision not to do it. We were touring the world at the time on the success of Misplaced Childhood. So there was no time. Fish got offered an acting role as well around then. It was one of those great ‘What if’s.

I have to imagine given how little anyone remembers those Queen songs that Marillion wouldn’t have seen to much of a profile bump from doing the soundtrack, but you never know.

[millahh]

I'm not completely sure it fits the theme, but David Bowie's Black star was not only recorded while he was dying of liver cancer, but he successfully hid it from the musicians playing on it, only the producer knew.

[jingle.boy]

Highlander is an awesome movie!

[ozzy554]

I know this album is a bit divisive but I love it. Black Sabbath: Never Say Die.

Even though this clearly was made by a band about to fall apart I think that's where the diversity on the album comes from. Air Dance, Johnny Blade, Juniors eyes, Shockwaves are some of my favorite lesser known sabbath tracks.

Though I will always wonder what the album would've been with Dave Walker. He had an interesting voice and I quite enjoy his version of Junior's eyes.

[Stadler]

Joe Perry is overrated as hell.

Although I do rank I've Got The Rock And Rolls Again very high.

I won't argue that, actually.  The first part.  I like me some Aerosmith, but he doesn't rank very high (I actually think that Brad Whitford is the better guitarist, technically). 

[LudwigVan]

I know this album is a bit divisive but I love it. Black Sabbath: Never Say Die.

Even though this clearly was made by a band about to fall apart I think that's where the diversity on the album comes from. Air Dance, Johnny Blade, Juniors eyes, Shockwaves are some of my favorite lesser known sabbath tracks.

Though I will always wonder what the album would've been with Dave Walker. He had an interesting voice and I quite enjoy his version of Junior's eyes.

I really like Never Say Die. It sheds some of the doomy ‘Iron Man’ gothic metal elements for a swingier hard rock sound that somehow foreshadows what Ozzy did in his solo career.

[TAC]

I love Never Say Die. Junior's Eyes

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Casualties Of Cool is great, though I wasn't exactly shocked at its quality given the prior existence of Ki and Ghost.

ghost is good and ki is............
casualties way eclipses either of them though & the fact that it also eclipses some really excellent prog metal albums is what surprises me even more

Devin is such a musical genius, I think he is capable of taking any genre and making it sound good, if not amazing. Casualties is just a case in point.

[Stadler]

I know this album is a bit divisive but I love it. Black Sabbath: Never Say Die.

Even though this clearly was made by a band about to fall apart I think that's where the diversity on the album comes from. Air Dance, Johnny Blade, Juniors eyes, Shockwaves are some of my favorite lesser known sabbath tracks.

Though I will always wonder what the album would've been with Dave Walker. He had an interesting voice and I quite enjoy his version of Junior's eyes.

I really like Never Say Die. It sheds some of the doomy ‘Iron Man’ gothic metal elements for a swingier hard rock sound that somehow foreshadows what Ozzy did in his solo career.

YES!   I would put Technical Ecstacy in there too, but Iommi plays in a more trebly, jazzier way than the Sludge-o-matic, Riffmaster General stuff he would fall into later.   "Over To You"; "Shock Wave"; "Air Dance".  Love those songs. 

[Spiritus]

Love Never Say Die

[EPICVIEW]

You know the album:   two unlikely pairs teaming up, sounds like a trainwreck, but the album isn't half bad.   Or famous band loses key member, obstinate rest of band decides they don't need 'em and puts out... a damn good record.    Or sessions are fraught with peril - drug use, death, fighting - and yet the end product is... a pretty good listen.   

5. The Cars - Move Like This (Ric's voice is unique, and I think it was Ben Orr's smooth as silk voice that gave it context, but with Ben gone, Ric had to carry an entire album... and he did it.)

4. Liam Gallagher - Liam Gallagher (Without his ex-Oasis mates Gem and Andy Bell, and without his brother who did all the heavy lifting in terms of songwriting and arranging, and yet this record has everything you'd want from a guy who has named one of his kids after John Lennon.   Great melodies and that voice...)

3.  Aerosmith - Night In The Ruts (Following a commercial bomb, deep in debt, and with one guitar player with his head in a pile of white powder (with a disenfranchised wife whispering in his ear) another guitar player with one foot out the door, a rhythm section bathed in a cloud of smoke, and a lead singer with a god complex and a needle in his arm and you do NOT have a recipe for a strong record.  Yet, the band delivered, and NITR is solid with only the cover of "Reefer Headed Woman" to drag it down.)

2. Kiss - Music From... The Elder (yea, I love it.  A bombastic three-chord rock band who is more show than dough decides to put out a concept album with a new drummer and a distant-and-leaving lead guitarist, and yet, it's in my top five or so Kiss albums, and one of the records I still go back to frequently).

1. Coverdale - Page (a clearly desperate Page, sending a message to Plant, who called Coverdale "David Coverversion" more than once, and yet the record is sharp, the songs are solid, the production is crisp, and the album holds up to this day.   Plant even sang a CP song - Shake My Tree - live during the "Walking Into Clarksdale" tour)

Honorable mentions:
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Mother Love Bone - Apple
Yes - Drama
The Panic Channel - One

Great Post   I have to think   but YES DRAMA is a great choice

[TAC]

Here's one:






And Gary Moore no longer playing rock music?

[Crow]

Casualties Of Cool is great, though I wasn't exactly shocked at its quality given the prior existence of Ki and Ghost.

ghost is good and ki is............
casualties way eclipses either of them though & the fact that it also eclipses some really excellent prog metal albums is what surprises me even more

Now that's an abysmal take.

it's mixed. some great stuff and some kinda bad stuff

[Ben_Jamin]

I am listening to Songs From The Elder for the first time...

I'm gonna have to agree with you on this one. This is actually pretty damn good. I just imagine a different singer instead of Paul.

[TAC]

I am listening to Songs From The Elder for the first time...

I'm gonna have to agree with you on this one. This is actually pretty damn good. I just imagine a different singer instead of Paul.

The Elder is pretty good.

[Ben_Jamin]

I am listening to Songs From The Elder for the first time...

I'm gonna have to agree with you on this one. This is actually pretty damn good. I just imagine a different singer instead of Paul.

The Elder is pretty good.

Under The Rose... Reminds me of Kansas.

[Buddyhunter1]

Casualties Of Cool is great, though I wasn't exactly shocked at its quality given the prior existence of Ki and Ghost.

ghost is good and ki is............
casualties way eclipses either of them though & the fact that it also eclipses some really excellent prog metal albums is what surprises me even more

Now that's an abysmal take.

it's mixed. some great stuff and some kinda bad stuff

I think it's pretty consistent, for the most part. Both the heavier moments (Disruptr ) and the more atmospheric songs like Winter and Lady Helen are done really well. I'll concede that Trainfire is pretty bad though and doesn't really fit with the mood of the album. And the last two songs kinda feel like afterthoughts but they're short and the title track is the true climax of the album so whatever.

[SoundscapeMN]

The Velvet Teen - Elysium .

Elysium features absolutely no guitars, yet it's a masterpiece and even as different as it is, it still is by far, this band's greatest work.

[Stadler]

I am listening to Songs From The Elder for the first time...

I'm gonna have to agree with you on this one. This is actually pretty damn good. I just imagine a different singer instead of Paul.

The Elder is pretty good.

Under The Rose... Reminds me of Kansas.

The combo of "Only You"/"Under The Rose" are probably my favorite two songs on the record.

[jammindude]

Stadler, I’ll never forget when you mentioned in a Kiss thread that a Kiss album tends to live or die by whether or not Gene shows up. I had never thought about that before, but looking back on the Kiss catalog, you’re absolutely right.

[WebRaider]

I actually agree with almost everyone's choices here. I'm with all the love people are giving to Never Say Die. 

[TAC]

Stadler, I’ll never forget when you mentioned in a Kiss thread that a Kiss album tends to live or die by whether or not Gene shows up. I had never thought about that before, but looking back on the Kiss catalog, you’re absolutely right.

Well it makes sense. With Paul Stanley, you're gonna get a good album. But Gene can swing it good or bad.

[jammindude]

I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but I’m going to go ahead and throw The X Factor on the pile.

Everything leading up to that album should’ve made it a complete stinkbomb. But it actually turned out very very well. They would wait one more album for the stinkbomb. 😝

Please people, don’t put those two albums in the same league. TXF is a criminally underrated gem, and VXI is a turd. To call it a beer coaster would be in insult to beer coasters.

[TAC]

I’m probably going to be in the minority here, but I’m going to go ahead and throw The X Factor on the pile.

Nah, that's a legit answer. Personally, I think TXF is a demo for a fucking amazing album. I just think it had far greater potential than what was settled on. But I get it. Maiden was sitting on a damn nuclear bomb of an album here.

[bosk1]

I'm not sure I fully understand the concept of the thread, but that Coverdale/Page album is pretty good.

This.  And I am also thoroughly confused by:

Mother Love Bone - Apple