Disappointing Albums of 2012


So far (in the order of disappointment) from Jan 1, 2012 - Jun 10, 2012 are:

1. Great Lake Swimmers - New Wild Everywhere
2. Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur
3. Lucero - (giving up on these guys after this debacle. This one is way worse than "1372 Overton Park")
4. Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Americana (Comparing it to NEW MULTITUDES beautiful interpretations of unpublished WG songs these "re-interpretations" sound less like new interpretations and more like Neil just droning on singing the songs we all (american kids) hated to sing (speaking for myself).
5. Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball (time to take a break Boss. Last 3 albums have been big disappointments. Bye Bruce...)
6. Joe Walsh - Analog Man (he's rippin off his own guitar licks)
7. Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth (Yeah they still suck)
notec
Florence & the Machine, Unplugged. Nice hall reverb on the entire set kills her voice. Awful. Terrible production (and Ludwig mastered it, so it must have been terrible to begin with)
I just picked up Grace Potter and the Nocturnals latest release because there last album I thought, had a few pretty good tunes.

Well this new release was recorded way too loud and most of the songs have little value.

The only good thing is, the CD also came with a Live DVD from a concert of there previous songs and that was quite good.

Watching that DVD, the lady is very pretty and has some very long legs...

But back to the new CD, I will probably never play it again.
I'm a big Springsteen fan going way back, and I am disappointed in Wrecking Ball. I love the music (and lyrics) on Magic, BTW (but not the compressed sound).
Rush shares as weakness with Cheap Trick. They are a very good band when they have good material to play, but overall, songwriting is their major weakness.
Notec - I hear ya. I stopped at Rush's last good record "Grace Under Pressure" (IMO).
Better add RUSH's latest effort "Clockwork Angels" to this list,
lifeless, sterile musick... uninteresting banality - knew it going in - but had thirty
bucks burning a hole in my pocket, Sooo...

Done with this band now. Should have stopped at Moving Pictures....
...Different strokes I guess

Yes, music is subjective

@Nglazer
Think new GLS is best they have done.
Better than "Ongiara" or "Lost Channels?" Nah...
good list notec. i no longer expect much from springsteen or neil young, but kathleen edwards really missed. i'd add the terrible lou reed metallica thing (sounded like spinal tap) and port of morrow by the once-great shins.
I agree with those who say Wrecking Ball is excellent; I also loved Magic and thought Working on a Dream had it's moments. I actually thing Springsteen's been on a bit of a late career run a la Dylan post-Time out of Mind. Haven't heard all the other albums the OP was disappointed with, or, say with something like the Van Halen album, I had no expectation that it would be interesting, but what I've heard of Americana sounds good and I love the concept of the album. Different strokes I guess.
I am new to Great Lake Swimmers, but I must say it's on my best album of 2012 list.
Disagree vociferously with 1, 2 and 5.

Think new GLS is best they have done. Same for Kathleen's Voyageur. Bruce's Wrecking Ball is best he's done in a long time.

Just because these artists don't repeat themselves does not mean these works are not outstanding.

Neal
Voyageur (Kathleeen Edwards) and Wrecking Ball (Bruce Springsteen) are, without question, two of my favorite releases of the year; not to mention their accompanying tours. If you're waiting for them to repeat Failer and Born To Run, you're going to be disappointed. If you like these two artists, you're going to really enjoy these two albums. I do agree with Americana (Neil Young); an especially disappointing release with Crazy Horse.
Fortunately, I stayed away from the 7 albums that you listed.

I felt sorry in a way for Kathleen Edwards. I was always a fan of hers and was suspicious of all the press that her new album was getting and quite frankly, the previews did not sound that good at all.

I would also add to the list:

Ram (Paul McCartney) ... poor job done on the remastering, especially with the distortion that was added to 'Smile Away'.

Thick as a Brick 2 (Ian Anderson) - have been a fan for 40 years (since Stand Up days) and to be served up this slop.

Rich
notec...i gree with all your disappointments. next up, neil young and crazy horse/sing the phone book.
I agree with the Kathleen Edwards, Bruce Springsteen, Van Halen albums, very disappointing from these folks.

I do NOT agree with the Lucero "Women and Work" album. I was never a Lucero fan of their older, initial type of music. This new album is KILLER! One of my favorites for 2012 so far. I can understand, if you were a fan of theirs from the beginning, not liking this. There is an interview in Stereophile with the lead singer of Lucero and he talks about the change of style.