Five unlistenable albums that people insist are masterpieces
For nearly a century now, musical theory has been trying to estimate when we will dismantle the need for sweet sounds in what we listen to. While classical composers such as Beethoven made beautiful-sounding music, some others theorised that as machines become a bigger part of our lives, sweet sounds that almost mimic nature will no longer arouse feelings, and therefore, a new dawn of music will come through.
Upon reading that statement, we are conditioned to dismiss it immediately. When we listen to music, even over 100 years after the Industrial Revolution, we still look for sounds to listen to that are pleasing and fun. While this may be the case, you also can’t deny that there are a number of classic albums that, at their very core, are completely unlistenable.
When we say unlistenable, it doesn’t necessarily mean bad. Some albums on this list are noise and experimental pieces of music, meaning they were intended to be challenging to access. Meanwhile, some other albums are sad and personal, which means from a human perspective, we struggle to get all the way through because it’s simply too difficult to endure. And then there are others which are just bad.
The fact that there are great albums that are tough to get through goes back to the theory about the evolution of music and what arouses feelings in the modern age. So, here are five albums we consider classics but also unlistenable… for better or worse.
Five masterpieces which are also unlistenable:
Merzbow – ‘Venerology’
There are many people out there who will try to tell you that noise music is inaccessible and can’t arouse any feelings. These people are wrong. Granted, a lot of noise music is intentionally inaccessible, but a lot of it remains interesting enough to listen to. The same can’t be said for Merzbow’s album Venerology, though.
Merzbow created this record when he was in a relatively dark place. He was consumed by drugs and alcohol, and that reflects in the production process for this album. In a bid to try and recreate the sounds in his mind, he layered noise on top of noise, creating a wall of static that remains impenetrable. It’s a great album in terms of how it can make you feel, and the noise community holds it in high regard; however, the fact that the record is unlistenable remains a compliment as opposed to a criticism.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – ‘Skeleton Tree’
Sometimes, when we say something is unlistenable, we don’t mean that it’s bad; rather, the theme of an album might be so hard-hitting and devastating that it’s hard to get through in one go. Skeleton Tree is one such album, recorded shortly after Nick Cave’s son’s passing. Many of the lyrics and passages on the record are improvised, as we are subjected to a man in mourning.
There are a lot of albums that revolve around loss. For instance, Blackstar and You Want It Darker also came out in the same year, and they were written by men who knew they were dying. However, these two albums provide glimpses of light and comfort in using art to come to terms with such difficult news. Skeleton Tree gives us no such redemption; we are subject to the grieving process with no solution provided for trying to overcome it. It is one of the most profoundly upsetting and beautiful albums ever, yet it remains incredibly hard to listen to all the way through.
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band – ‘Trout Mask Replica’
If you ask punk icons from the 1970s and ‘80s about their influences, most will say Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band played a huge part in their development as musicians. He didn’t just make music; he showed people how limitless creativity could be. This meant opening the door to experimentation and allowing people to make something inaccessible and rough-sounding, but it would be OK.
In the process of championing this way of thinking, Captain Beefheart put out a lot of chaotic music, and any number of his records could be included on this list; however, his most famous is the classic Trout Mask Replica. With this album, Captain Beefheart was able to make something completely inaccessible. It was exciting, but very few people can get through this album on the first listen in one go.
Guns N’ Roses – ‘Chinese Democracy’
When Axl Rose announced that he was restarting Guns N’ Roses with a different line-up, people were understandably wary. Their pessimism only grew when their album Chinese Democracy was delayed time and time again as Rose tried to get it right. The result is something borderline unlistenable. While the titular track and ‘Better’ are standouts, the rest of the album fades into absurdity, regardless of how many Guns N’ Roses fans try to tell you that it’s good in hindsight.
Duff McKagan explained the issue with the album recording process, as Rose simply overthinking things. “Well, you know, spontaneity and rock ‘n’ roll go together. And chemistry. It comes back to the old adage: If it takes you more than five minutes to write a song, then just scrap it,” he said. “I don’t know. Axl Rose is a very fickle guy, and he changes his mind all the time. So, who knows?”
Lou Reed – ‘Metal Machine’
You have to respect a musician who is always willing to push the boat, and that’s exactly what Lou Reed does. However, he may have taken things a step too far with his album Metal Machine Music. The whole thing was a wide departure from what his fans were used to, and it wasn’t one of his most well-received albums either.
Reed, who had previously been praised for his writing ability, decided to release a record that didn’t consist of any songs and was instead made up of elongated electronic droning passages. That resulted in an album that had no structure, felt haphazard and random, and is completely unlistenable.
