Music critics can be fickle creatures. One day, they’ll raise a band or an artist into star-studded heavens, the other, they just might throw the same band or artist and their music (particularly an album or albums) into the pit.
Ok, those bands or artists just might be in the doldrums at a certain point in their career, they might have lacked inspiration at a time, or there just might be something happening with them personally, there may be strife within a particular band, and so on.
Or, simply put, a certain album they created just might not be up to par with their best work. Or, maybe, the critics on a certain day just feel the need to put down the artists they championed the day before.
These albums deserved much better from the critics
Yet, what happens when they are wrong, particularly when a certain album is put within the context of their whole body of work (up to a certain moment, or when their career has been concluded) and it turns out that same album is actually quite worth the trouble of both those same critics and the wider audience?
Well, then, things have to be re-assessed, the critics have to write new reviews, chewing slowly on the words they previously wrote. The 12 albums below just might have been unfairly panned the first time around.
David Bowie – David Bowie (1967)
Bowie’s first album was both a critical and commercial flop. The critics criticised it as too different from other Bowie material. Yet, the question here is - when was Bowie doing the same thing over and over again? Sure, maybe at the time, people were getting tired of psych pop that dominates this album, but it is hard to deny that this was good quality psych pop.
Beatles - Let It Be (1970)
Originally, the material for this album was produced by Phil Spector, causing quite some strife within the band, with the initial masters scrapped and the band going for some leaner production, with quite a few critics feeling let down. Yet, how can you discount the album that includes songs like "Let It Be," "Across the Universe," "Get Back," and "The Long and Winding Road?”
Wings - Wild Life (1971)
The first Wings album was neglected for quite a while, as the critics expected more Beatles-style stuff from McCartney, but McCartney went for a more stripped-down, rough at the edges sound that still enveloped some great songwriting, with McCartney obviously not wanting to repeat himself.
Rolling Stones - Goats Head Soup (1973)
This album had a great misfortune of coming right after three of the absolute rock classics (Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St.). The critics were initially quite disappointed, the fans not so much, with the fans proven to be right as time passed on, as this moodier and darker Stones still had what was needed to come up with some great songs.
Lou Reed - Berlin (1973)
Too bleak, too dark, was the criticism initially levelled at this album. Yet, it contained some of the best material Reed came up with as a solo artist, and the fans immediately picked up on it, no matter what the critics initially said. These days, though, the critics have joined in praising this album as one of Lou Reed's best.
Led Zeppelin - Presence (1976)
Ok, maybe this one isn’t as diversified and genre-spanning as quite a few of Zeppelin’s previous efforts, but what this album does is take the band back to its early days, where aggressive riffs and lean rock sound dominated, and by this time, Led Zeppelin were experts at that. Critics heard it as uninspired, but in essence, the album has quite a few raw, intense performances that match what Zeppelin have done on their early albums.
Joni Mitchell - Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (1977)
Both the critics and the fans loved Joni Mitchell’s Blue album (1971). The singer-songwriter legend slowly started to shift her musical focus from gentle acoustic guitar/piano ballads to include jazz and other more experimental forms. By this album, quite a few critics started to cool down their response, culminating in this truly avant-garde offering, which most of them lambasted. This day, it is considered adventurous and boundary-pushing, as it is.
Bob Dylan - Street-Legal (1978)
This turned out to be one of Dylan’s most criticized albums, with the critics focusing on somewhat shoddy production and some arrangements that begged some tidy cleanup. Yet, most of the songs are great, both musically and lyrically, with later remasters showing the true quality of this album, which might not be among Dylan’s best, but certainly deserves merit.
Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers (1978)
Both Alex Chilton and Big Star were in turmoil when this one was recorded and hastily released, and to this day, nobody’s sure what the original song order was supposed to be. And sure, it just might be one of the saddest albums in rock history, but that is exactly the reason why it still sounds so great.
The Who - It’s Hard (1982)
By this time, then members of the Who were at odds with each other, and it is somewhat felt in some of the songs here. Yet, still, while the energy of the prime Who seems to have dissipated somewhat, Pete Townshend was able to come up with some great songs, with “Eminence Front” being one of the band’s live staples for all the right reasons.
Prince - The Black Album (1994, recorded 1987)
This album was filled with controversy from its inception, starting with its original version being scrapped practically minutes before it was released. When it finally reached the record stores, the critics thought it was too dark and funk-heavy. With the fans giving the right answer - so what?
Lana Del Rey - Lust for Life (2017)
After they championed Del Rey, at this point, the critics felt the need to put her down a bit, with remarks that it was inconsistent in tone (whatever that means) and that there were too many collaborations. Yet, Del Rey sounds quite optimistic on this one, with her signature sound quite intact.