10 Biggest Album Disasters Of All Time
2. Rattle and Hum - U2
It feels strange putting an album down as a disaster with such classic songs on it. I mean, if the finished product actually sounds fairly good, then what's there to really complain about? Well, Rattle and Hum might not be that bad of an album, but it is an example of some of the worst PR that a band has ever made.
Being a mix of studio and live cuts, this album and accompanying film was supposed to be a way for U2 to get back in touch with the roots of their influences after coming off of the Joshua Tree. Aside from a few scant scenes though, most of this album feels like the Irish lads are trying to put themselves in the league of classic artists prematurely, going so far as to cover The Beatles and jam with BB King during the making of the record.
That's before you even get to the movie, with some scenes that are so hamfisted in their construction that they make This Is Spinal Tap actually look like a genuine documentary by comparison. Complete with cheap callbacks to former legends of old, Rattle and Hum is U2 announcing themselves to be rock gods before the world was really ready for it. Something like this may have worked better now...just not two years after your classic record came out.