My personal pics (in no particular order):

Best:
The Southers Harmony And Musical Companion The Black Crowes
Piper At The Gates Of Dawn Pink Floyd
Bringing It All Back Home Bob Dylan
Their Satanic Majesty's Request The Rolling Stones
Rubber Soul The Beatles
John Barleycorn Must Die Traffic

Worst:
Hurdy Gurdy Man Donovan
The Yes Album Yes (duh)
OU812 Van Halen
Head The Monkees
Any title that describes it's contents ("The Who Sings 'My Generation'" for example)

That's all I can come up with off the top of my head...

Battle of Los Angeles by RATM
#2 by Henry Phillips (his second album, beautiful in it's simplicity)
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy by Sarah McLachlan

I also like most of Tori Amos's album titles.

Best album titles ...
Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull

Worst Album Titles ...
Beatles (also known as "The White Album")
in fact, ANY album that just lists the bands' name ...

in fact, ANY album that just lists the bands' name ...

I guess Chicago would probably be the ultimate expression of this... their first album was the eponymous "Chicago Transit Authority", and their second was the (also) eponymous "Chicago" (they changed their name). After that, they were just numbered. "Chicago III", etc...

More worst:
Led Zepplin's I, II, and III (ZOSO's not that great a name either)

ZOSO is alternately known as Led Zeppelin IV. Actually, that's probably it's official name. Zep II has been nicknamed "The Brown Bomber".

Worst gimmick for album names goes to America. Many of their albums title start with the letter "H"; Hideaway, History, Hat Trick, etc.

Not all of Chicago's albums are numbered by the way. The l.p. released after Terry Kath's death was called Alive Again.

I like the title OU812. I always thought it was pretty clever. In fact, that gave me an idea for a new thread.

Actually, ZOSO is officiallyuntitled. Everyone just calles it that because of the rune.

But The Beatles very cleverly (though I'm sure not intentionally) shows how they were no longer going the extra mile, how they began to stop putting in the extra effort that earlier works displayed. They were obligated to make two more movies, and did so by merely lending songs to Yellow Submarine and appearing briefly in the film's coda, and by just filming themselves jam for Let it Be. They were asked (by Linda I think) to go to another country for the photo shoot for Abbey Road, but John said he would only go as far as across the street. Hence the cover shot.

Surprised no one's mentioned Asia's album titling scheme: like their name, all their album titles begin and end with an "a".

Alpha
Astra
Aria
Arena
Aura
Archiva

I think they concocted the last one. Or should I say Kihncocted? Read on.

Some albums by Greg Kihn:

Next of Kihn
Rockihnroll
Kihntinued
Kihnspiracy
Kihntagious
Citizen Kihn
Unkihntrollable
Kihnsolidation
Kihnspicuous Taste


For the record, I've never owned a Greg Kihn or an Asia record, but I thought these were appropriate for the thread.

ZZ Top went through a phase where their records had titles in Spanish: Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango!, Tejas, Deguello, El Loco. Actually, "tejas" isn't Spanish. It's American Indian. But the pronunciation is Spanish.

Well, goog, if it's wasn't intentional, who cares?

That Asia thing is quite funny to me, though, as I've got relatives who named all there kid's things that start with "A"

>Surprised no one's mentioned Asia's album >titling scheme: like their name, all their album >titles begin and end with an "a".

>Alpha
>Astra
>Aria
>Arena
>Aura
>Archiva

You forgot "Aqua"

Will the next one be called Anal? Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Well, "Anal" doesn't end with an "a". How about these?
A ha!
Alligata
Alabama
Alaska
Aida
Alla
Anna
Abba
Aptiva
Alberta
Americana
A man, a plan, a canal, Panama! (a famous palindrome)
Allan Alda

How about Angora? The CD could come packaged in a box covered with fuzz! I wish this thread had statrted last month when I saw and met the band, I could have given some of these suggestions to them in person!

Back on topic . . .

I don't know about you guys, but I think we need a moratorium on live albums titled "Live Without A Net". It's already been used by the Grateful Dead, Van Halen, Angel, among others.

BEST TITLES:

Physical Graffiti, Led Zeppelin
Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Bruce Springsteen
Quadrophenia, The Who
Exile On Main Street, The Rolling Stones
Tyranny And Mutation, Blue Oyster Cult
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason, Pink Floyd
Desolation Angels, Bad Company (Honarable mention Sweet's Desolation Boulevard)
Machine Head, Deep Purple
Sad Wings Of Destiny, Judas Priest
Late For The Sky, Jackson Browne

WORST TITLES:
Goat's Head Soup, The Rolling Stones
Ummagumma, Pink Floyd
Kill 'Em All, Metallica
Tormato, Yes
Aqualung, Jethro Tull
Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble, Uriah Heep
Da Da, Alice Cooper
Gorilla, James Taylor
Eat It, Humble Pie (Honarable mention the Allman Brother's Eat A Peach)
•••••'s Brew, Miles Davis

"That's Bitches Brew", said the Miles Davis fan.

Back to Asia. They could name an album Arabella, Ali Babs or if they're feeling particularly pretentious, Anna Karina.

I never thought of B's Brew as a bad title. It's a pun on "witches' brew."

*blinks*
The all knowing, all seeing language filter doesn't touch words with caps?

If I write "•••••" (with a capital B), it'll "bleep" it out. But if I write "bitches", it does not recognize that form of the word.

See?

That James Taylor "Gorilla" title got me thinking . . . there's a lot of titles of albums that are simply one word and that word is an animal or insect. In addition to JT's Gorilla, there is also King Crimson's Lizard, Gentle Giant's Octopus, Paul McCartney's Ram, Heart's Dog and Butterfly . . . can anybody think of any others?

Does Pink Floyd's Animals count?

I can't think of anymore. Mind if I expand this to include songs as well?

Beatles--Piggies, Blackbird
McCartney--Bluebird
Stones--Wild Horses
Queen--Cool Cat (okay, that's a stretch)
Tori Amos--Space Dog, Horses. Mr. Zebra

These are all noun phrases (at most, adjective + noun). Songs like "And your bird can sing" or "Waiting for the worms" are disqualified.

Patti Smith - Horses

Well, if you include song titles, each individual title on Animals could be one.

Neil Young - "Birds"

Pink •••••-Cat - Devo (although I doubt the implied topic is about felines)

More just-songs,

America - "Horse With No Name".

Cream - "Toad"

Remembered another album: Neil Young--Hawks & Doves

Song: Beatles--Hey Bulldog

There are a lot of blues songs that can't be mentioned because they end with the word "blues."

Some albums with curiously apt titles:

Bad, Micheal Jackson
Repeat Offender, Richard Marx
Company Of Strangers, Bad Company
Liscenced To Ill, The Beastie Boys

Make Yourself by Incubus. Good title.

OK, I'll state the obvious one...

Oops I Did it Again, Britney Spears

That was for the "apt titles" category.

What about Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd as an apt title?

Talk about a "curiously apt" album title ...
my mother owns a vinyl copy of Al Hirt's album titled "Sugar Lips" ...

Do we want to know why that's apt? Or am I the only one who doesn't know?

Derf's not the kind to kiss and tell.

As most people know, Al Hirt is a trumpet player ... his lips are where he earns his sugar. The song Sugar Lips is done in a "sort-of" Dixieland jazz style.

Ah hah. Thanks for the interpretation, bro.

Taken by themselves, I don't think any of Jounrey's album titles are that great, but they work well together:
Infinity, Evolution, Departure, Captured, Escape, Frontiers, and some new one called Arrival

Music by Madonna (oh, now that's original)

A couple I always liked:

Maybe You Should Drive Barenaked Ladies (along with the 'Maybe We Should Tour' Tour)

Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Beatles

Play Moby

Other nice album titles:

"Moon Safari" - Air
"You've Come A Long Way, Baby" - Fatboy Slim
"Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches" - Happy Mondays
"We Can't Dance" - Genesis
... and anything by Belle and Sebastian (esp. "Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like A Peasant" - what a great title!)

Terrible titles:
"Willennium" - Will Smith [gnnnnnngnnnnnnngggg]
"Golden Greats" - Ian Brown
"Where We Belong" - Boyzone (go on, fill in the rest!)

One I always thought was clever was Best of the Beatles by Pete Best. Deceptive, but clever.

The Last Dog and Pony Show by Bob Mould comes to mind as pretty clever, given his attitude towards major labels and touring and all that. Ironically, perhaps, is the fact that it's his most pop-sounding album to date.

Great Album Title -
Alapalooza - "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best song from album ... Harvey the Wonder Hamster
Harvey, Harvey, Harvey the Wonder Hamster
He doesn't bite, and he doesn't squeal
He just runs around on his hamster wheel
Harvey, Harvey, Harvey the Wonder Hamster
Hey Harvey!!

Couple more nice titles:

This Is Where I Came In Bee Gees

Five Days in July Blue Rodeo

Up Close and Alone Burton Cummings (OK, in the grand scheme of things it's not that special, but it's a great title for an 'unplugged' concert album, huh?)

One Beatles (possibly the coolest greatest-hits title ever)

As anyone who has read my postings on the "Anyone remember the '80's?" boards knows, I rather liked Berlin's 'Count Three and Pray.'

Oops! It's "Hey, remember the '80's?", not "Anyone" like I just posted.

Titles that are cool:

"Hit to Death in the Future Head" by Flaming Lips
"We're Only in it for the Money" Zappa and the Mothers
"Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" - Rolling Stones
"Trout Mask Replica" - Capt. Beefheart
"All This Useless Beauty" - Elvis Costello
"D@mn the Torpedoes" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers


Titles that stink:
"Marillion.com" by Marillion
"You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish" - REO Speedwagon
OU812 - Van Hagar (too cute by half)
"Sucking in the '70s" - Rolling Stones
"Automatic for the People" - REM
"Take off your pants and jacket" - Blink-182
..really, any album named after the band or one of the songs on the record.


Titles that stink for albums that also stink:
"The Earth, a Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken" - REO Speedwagon
"J-Tull.com" by Jethro Tull
"STick around for Joy"--Sugarcubes

"Sucking in the '70s" - Rolling Stones

I don't know, that was kind of self-descriptive, wasn't it?

That's kind of why it made my list. Nice catch. :-)

Good title:

Appetite for Destruction, G'n'R

Fitting, for them...

On a similar note...

"Generation Terrorists" - Manic Street Preachers

Well, one can't blame them for trying now, can one?

The Manics also get my choice for the most subversive title for an album: "The Holy Bible".

How about "Sheik Yerbouti" by Frank Zappa? I laughed my ass off when I heard that one... I think it's brilliant.

I agree with "Appetite for Destruction." I thought "Use Your Illusion" was pretty good too, especially considering that the band was probably on some pretty heavy drugs when they wrote the albums!

I rather like Sheryl Crow's first album title, Tuesday Night Music Club.

A favorite of mine:
"Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry" by Spike Jones & His City Slickers.

Love Gone Sour, Suspiscion and Bad Debt The Clarks

Some more Genesis titles:
Nursery Cryme
Selling England by the Pound
Trick of the Tail
Duke (OK, I'm a little biased on that one...)

George Clinton had an album called "Hey, Man, Smell My Finger." Direct and to the point, if nothing else.

America for some reason titled their first seven studio albums beginning with the letter "H". The first album not to begin with an "H" was called "Silent Letter".

One of the best all-time album titles comes from an early Marc Bolan/T. Rex effort called "My People Were Fair and Had Sky In Their Hair, Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brow." Unfortunately, the album itself is unlistenable.

Possibly the worst album title ever . . .

"See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy" by Bow Wow Wow

Speaking of bad album titles...

Am I the only one who dosen't like pretentous self-titled albums?

You mean like Peter Gabriel self-titling his first four solo albums? Self-titling a debut album isn't really pretentious, doing it four times in a row begins to look so.

Repeatedly self-titling albums with Roman numerals to differentiate them from each other (i.e. Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Queen) can indicate everything from a lack or creativity to a fear of coming up with a title that sounds cheesy.)

I think the canonical example is Chicago.

Yeah...what are they up to now, 250 or so? Or does it just seem that way? (thank you, I'll be here all week!)

I'd say that the only album by the incredibly short-lived (and a one-hit wonder to boot) New Radicals' "Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too" is somewhat clever.

But maybe that's just me!

BTW, the "New Radicals" wasn't really a group. It was one guy, Gregg Alexander, I believe, and a bunch of backing session musicians.

It was reported on the now-defunct CDNOW website at some point that Mr. Alexander was quitting the music business, as he was unable or unwilling to deal with the pressures and responsibilities of touring and promoting the music that he supposedly had created. And it was also said that sources close to him referred to him as mentally unstable.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking his music or judging him as a human being. It's just what I read on that site a few years ago!

Anyway, his one album had a pretty good title, I think! (And I still like the sound of "You Get What You Give".)

Well, hearkening back to goog's post way back on 8/12/01, Asia has finally broken the string. Their new studio album is called "Silent Nation", the first studio album of all-new material from the band whose title is NOT a word that begins and ends with the letter "A".

"90125"---Yes.

What makes this so unique, it's also the number seen on the barcode.

The retrospective "C, S, N, and sometimes Y"

SPOOKY TOOTH: "You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw"

Good:
In A Priest Driven Ambulance The Flaming Lips
The Notorious Byrd Brothers The Byrds
Bring Me The Head of Yuri Gagarin Hawkwind
Starless and Bible Black King Crimson
In Search of the Lost Chord The Moody Blues
The Man Who Sold The World David Bowie

Bad:
When The Pawn Hits The Conflicts He Thinks Like A King
What He Knows Throws The Blows When He Goes To The Fight
And He'll Win The Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters The Ring
There's No Body To Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might
So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand
And Remember That Depth Is The Greatest Of Heights
And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where To Land
And If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right Fiona Apple (easily the most over-indulgent title ever)
Clouds Taste Metalic The Flaming Lips
Thrakattak King Crimson
UFO Romantics Guitar Wolf
Satanic Panic in the Attic Of Montreal
Brokrock Hawkwind
Mink Car They Might Be Giants
A New World Record The Electric Light Orchestra
Sallies Fforth Rainbow Ffolly


So Bad They're Good?
Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots The Flaming Lips
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Devo
Planet of the Wolves Guitar Wolf
Doremi Fasol Latido Hawkwind (I'm embarassed to say that it took me a LONG time to get that one)
Vol. 3 The Traveling Wilburys (Keep in mind that this was their SECOND album)
Intravenous Television Continuum Man or Astro-Man?
America's Volume Dealer Corrosion of Conformity
The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars" David Bowie