In this month's Q we explore the 10 most insane albums ever. Taking in legendarily barmy recordings from across five decades, it's a riotous tale that involves nudity, rampant drug abuse, paranoia, and - cunningly - the use of a giant drum made of pork. Here's our Top 10. Let us know who you think should have made the list...
1. Happy Mondays - Yes Please!
For their fourth album, the Madchester mentalists decamped to Barbados in a bid to keep Shaun Ryder away from heroin. It worked: he developed a massive crack habit instead. "Twenty pence a stone [rock]", he later cackled. "It was naughty."
2. Sly & The Family Stone - There's A Riot Goin' On
It's one of the greatest funk albums of all time. Puzzling, then, that a dog savaging a baboon (and then humping its carcass) should have been such a key feature of its recording. Oh, and let's not forget the mountains of cocaine and PCP.
3. John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Unfinished Music, No.1: Two Virgins
The morning after John and Yoko recorded this entirely unlistenable album they took LSD and slept together for the first time. As for that famous album sleeve: "It's two not-very-nice bodies naked," noted George Harrison. He wasn't wrong.
4. Mariah Carey - Glitter
In 2001, having just signed to Virgin Records for $80 million, Carey turned in the catastrophic, tune-free abortion that was Glitter. One year later Virgin paid her a further $28 million to leave the label.
5. Metallica - St Anger
Not even a $40,000-a-month "performance enhancement coach" could prevent St Anger from being a tinny, off-key mess. "People either loved it or hated it - well, mostly hated it," said producer Bob Rock.
6. Scott Walker - The Drift
"Lovely," said Q in our original review, "when it's over." Anyone who's heard the album's bizarre cacophony of shrieks and meat-slapping sounds may be inclined to agree.
7. The Beach Boys - Smile
Brian Wilson's "teenage symphony to God" was recorded in bizarre circumstances. For a start, visitors to the studio had to crawl in through a crudely erected treehouse. It only got weirder from there.
8. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk
When the band's label Warners heard this strange, sprawling album they cancelled the marketing department's Christmas bonuses on the spot. "It's a mad record, but it saved the band," syas Mick Fleetwood today.
9. Ramones - End Of The Century
Producer Phil Spector hid the band's car keys so they couldn't escape his interminable, insanely perfectionist recording sessions. The fact he carried a gun at all times didn't help matters.
10. The Flaming Lips - Zaireeka
Four discs of random noise designed to be played simultaneously on different stereos? "I wanted to combine anarchy with creativity," explained Wayne Coyne. Mission accomplished. Well, the anarchy bit anyway.
8:50 AM | 30/04/2007
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What no Mars Volta?
Posted by The Doctor at 5:11 PM | 03/05/2007 | Report Abuse
Have you lost your minds? Syd Barrett lost his so why is there no mention of him here?
Posted by Lucien at 2:33 AM | 07/05/2007 | Report Abuse
Ex Tempole Tudor, BOB KINGSTON is playing glastonbury 2007. under the name EMBRYOMIX. EMBRYOMIX have producced a special Acid/techno set for the Funky Intentions crew at Butts green in C market. VISIT channel4.com/music or google EMBRYOMIX for a taster.
Posted by embryomix at 3:17 PM | 12/05/2007 | Report Abuse
When Chinesse Revolution comes out, it will be here!
Posted by Great Cornholio at 2:23 PM | 02/09/2008 | Report Abuse
When Chinese Revolution comes out, it will be here!
Posted by Great Cornholio at 2:23 PM | 02/09/2008 | Report Abuse
Chinese Democracy (sorry, my bad :S )
Posted by Great Cornholio at 2:25 PM | 02/09/2008 | Report Abuse
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