Embarrassing Albums You Rate

Those of you that follow my work will know I am the coolest person on here, so it stands to reason I listen to the coolest music.

But everyone has an embarrassing album, somewhere in their collection, that they privately rate highly.

I'm going to own up and say I own Boomania by 90's pop rapper Betty Boo. It is an amazing pop record, every track is brilliant. I won't hear a word said against it. If Beyonce released Boomania today she'd probably sell a billion copies.

So come on, own up, what embarrassing album do you put on when no one is home? I bet TROY has a Britney Spears album, and Hip Priest probably dances round his living room in his underpants to Dire Straits.

(Norpig, it might be easier for you to list an album you have that isn't embarrassing.)

I suppose you'd find most of my albums embarrassing. However, if we're going to keep it fairly modern, my guilty pleasures would be the first two albums produced by Roxy Music.
Here's something from the second.

In every dream home a heartache is hardly embarrassing along with several other tracks on their innovative first two albums if like me you like music with your social commentary as opposed to folk wittering on 10 to the dozen about their irrelevant lives in America to a ripped off rhythm.

wanderlust wrote:In every dream home a heartache is hardly embarrassing along with several other tracks on their innovative first two albums if like me you like music with your social commentary as opposed to folk wittering on 10 to the dozen about their irrelevant lives in America to a ripped off rhythm.

I can't admit to liking them. The rest of their output was shit, but the above albums always get some air time. However, my folkie friends must be kept in the dark.
Added to which, Bryan Ferry is a prick, so I still feel guilty listening to them.

I should also add The Faust Tapes.

boltonbonce wrote:
I can't admit to liking them. The rest of their output was shit, but the above albums always get some air time. However, my folkie friends must be kept in the dark.
Added to which, Bryan Ferry is a prick, so I still feel guilty listening to them.

I danced to Virginia Plain which is pretty much what you had to do if you wanted lots of sex in those days, so I still like it every blue moon (the record) but they were in the moment and Ferry is a cock and they introduced an era of mainstream self-glamourisation but there was still plenty going on throughout.
I have "folkie friends" too - but probably not the same ones. And certainly not "All Around my T*at".

The 1st album, UB40, "Signing Off." full of brilliant topical, politically aware, self penned songs like "king" , "Tyler," "I am the 1 in 10" etc. and coming out just as Thatcher's policies began to really bite. They were up there with The Clash and The Specials as ones to watch.
What did we get next, the likes of "Red Red Wine", "Homely Girl", "Kingston Town","I got you babe" ,"I can't help falling in love with you". Reggae/pop classics re-invented as pop/pap TOTP fodder to make an easy buck.
I suppose I shouldn't blame them for that really but it's fair to say there is no band I detest more than UB40, they are the biggest "Sell Out" merchants ever., Yet I still love that 1st album dearly and play it regularly.
I would, however, strenuously deny any allegations that I dance around the living room in my underpants to this album.
That is strictly reserved for Dire Straits only.

I used to be a terrible music snob when i was younger but have mellowed a bit now so nothing i own is embarrassing just cool thank you very much Nat.

However i have dipped my toe in the charts from time to time and bought albums by bands not very trendy or cool such as below that i thought were great at the time.

Texas  - White on Blonde

Was Not Was - What up Dog

Level 42 - pick any of their albums!

Hip Priest wrote:The 1st album, UB40, "Signing Off." full of brilliant topical, politically aware, self penned songs like "king" , "Tyler," "I am the 1 in 10" etc. and coming out just as Thatcher's policies began to really bite. They were up there with The Clash and The Specials as ones to watch.
What did we get next, the likes of "Red Red Wine", "Homely Girl", "Kingston Town","I got you babe" ,"I can't help falling in love with you". Reggae/pop classics re-invented as pop/pap TOTP fodder to make an easy buck.
I suppose I shouldn't blame them for that really but it's fair to say there is no band I detest more than UB40, they are the biggest "Sell Out" merchants ever., Yet I still love that 1st album dearly and play it regularly.
I would, however, strenuously deny any allegations that I dance around the living room in my underpants to this album.
That is strictly reserved for Dire Straits only.

I agree entirely HP, i bloody hate UB40! A lot of the lads i used to hang around with years ago all loved them as well which made it worse.

Hip Priest wrote:The 1st album, UB40, "Signing Off." full of brilliant topical, politically aware, self penned songs like "king" , "Tyler," "I am the 1 in 10" etc. and coming out just as Thatcher's policies began to really bite. They were up there with The Clash and The Specials as ones to watch.

You know what HP, I really like that "King" track you posted, so much so I've just purchased the CD album off eBay for £3. I'll let you know my thoughts when it arrives.

boltonbonce wrote:I suppose you'd find most of my albums embarrassing.

Surely that goes without saying?

I have no doubt you own "Paddy McGinty's Goat", a song that still gives me nightmares 30 years after my Dad played it over and over in the car.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Surely that goes without saying?

I have no doubt you own "Paddy McGinty's Goat", a song that still gives me nightmares 30 years after my Dad played it over and over in the car.

I no longer own Paddy McGinty's Goat. It always raked up too many unfortunate memories. I do own this though.

Just remembered i had a couple of Status Quo albums when i was a kid, what was i thinking? 

Great topic. I’m told ‘Men at Work - Business as usual’ is an embarrassing album to own.

Don’t care though, it’s full of hits, who can it be now, down under, down by the sea.. ooooft.

T.R.O.Y. wrote:Great topic. I’m told ‘Men at Work - Business as usual’ is an embarrassing album to own.

Don’t care though, it’s full of hits, who can it be now, down under, down by the sea.. ooooft.

"Down Under" is without a doubt one of the best pop songs of all time.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

"Down Under" is without a doubt one of the best pop songs of all time.

very true, i love that song, it was on the first LP i got given with my first stereo when i was 10 or 11. It was on Raiders of the Pop Charts on K-Tel records 

Had a compilation album by John Kongos, featuring his big hit Tokoloshe Man. Still play the single when the mood takes me.

Not an album, I know, but how cool is this song for all parents with daughters who were besotted by the cuteness that is Orville! Well, better than Paddy Mc's Goat anyway! Yay!

Natasha Whittam wrote:

You know what HP, I really like that "King" track you posted, so much so I've just purchased the CD album off eBay for £3. I'll let you know my thoughts when it arrives.

Hope you like it Nat, but if you do, don't be seduced into buying anything else they did, this is all you need. Also hope the cd you purchased is the one which includes the extra tracks. When the album was released in 1980 it came with a free 12" single which included the fabulous 13 minute long "Madame Medusa" (supposedly about Maggie) and 2 other good tracks. The cd I have includes all this and the single "I am the one in 10."

I was in HMV a few months back and they had the dreaded £2.99 shelf where they try and flog all the shit they can't get rid of, except because they're obviously desperate for cash, they actually had some absolute gems on there. And because I was in kid in sweetshop mode I ended up picking up this Frank Ocean CD, not really expecting anything special since it's not normally my sort of thing. 

As it turns out I don't think there is a weak track on it:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB709G9BWQc