(Monday, December 18)

Top 25 Albums of 2006 - Part 2 (of 4) : The Overrated

This is part 2 of my 4 part series of posts about the best albums of 2006 (described in part 1), these are "The Overrated". So how is an album that is "overrated" different from an album that is "disappointing" you might be asking yourself? Well they can be both technically (see below for the crossover) but as I see it, an album that made my disappointing list is an album that I was very excited about previous to release day that let me down when it came out. An album that is overrated is an album which I may still think is a decent album, but no where near what the public (which includes other blogs, sites, magazines, podcasts, music TV channels, award panels, and radio) think are great albums, but I think are just fair or I think suck.

Now that we have that cleared up:

Part 2 - The Overrated

Modern Times - Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan, oh where do I start. Dylan was one of the most influential musicians of all time. He is a legend, anything he puts out is of course better than most stuff. I just think everything he has done since the 70s, well sucks. I admit I haven't listened to everything from the 80s up, the only albums I actually have of Dylan post 1980 are Time Out of Mind, this one, and the one with him and the Dead. Still none of them really get played a bunch (if ever in the last 3 or 4 years). I just really don't dig them. I can listen to his older stuff every now and then, but I have to be in a mood for it. This album was just so-so, but my opinion seems to contradict everyone else in the world, so take it as you will. I also didn't really like the Steely Dan album from a few years ago (Two Against Nature) that everyone went ga-ga for also. However, I totally dug the latest Fleetwood Mac from 3 years ago (Say You Will) that everyone trashed. Regardless, this album didn't do anything for me but I am sure it will garner tons of awards, critical acclaim, and be used in tons of "emotional" Gap and cologne/perfume ads in 2023, so oh well.

10,000 Days - Tool

I am sure to get ridiculed a little for this one. I actually really really enjoyed the first single off this CD when it came out. I think I even mentioned I loved it on the blog. Vicariously was a pretty badass song, and is still the best song on the CD. The weird thing about this CD is that I don't necessarily think it is bad. It is just kinda mediocre as a whole. The reason it is on the Overrated list is that I have seen it all over being hailed as the best Tool album, or one of the top 10 albums of the year. Well, I just think it is overrated if you put it in those positions, there are much better Tool albums and it wouldn't come close to the top 10 for this year for me. Maybe if I listened to harder music it might breach the top 25. Again, not bad (and not a disappointment), but not as great as everyone hails it be, and certainly lower on the totem pole of Tool Albums compared to Lateralus or Undertow. I will give total props to the 3D album artwork though. Very Very cool. Although the actuall album cover feels like a rip off of Floyd's Division Bell.

Sam's Town - The Killers

Ahh Sam's Town again. This is the only album of course to make it to both lists. Again if you read my review on this album on 'Part 1 - The Disappointments' then you know how I feel about it so it is surprising when I see this album all over on other people's "best of" lists for the year. I thought this album was pretty lacking and absolutely nothing compared to Hot Fuss, but yet do you want to know what the #1 song listened to by all Last.FM listeners this year? Check it out, it is the first single from this CD. I am not sure why people enjoy this CD so much. I will pick up The Killer's next album, but this one was overrated.

Youth - Matisyahu

It is weird. I first heard this guy and thought he was pretty interesting. I dug it. I actually thought that live at Stubbs wasn't bad either, but honestly I think after the first week he kinda became a novelty act for me. He wasn't bad, but he really wasn't that good either. Now I see him everywhere, from TV to other people's best of albums for the year and all sorts of places. I personally don't think he is ALL THAT and a Bag of chips. He really isn't even all that. I might give him crappy bag of chip status, but it would have to be something crappy like wheat sun chips or something. Not bad, and definitely original, but over hyped and overrated in my humble opinion.