10 Blatantly Unfinished Rock Albums (That Were Released Anyway)
3. Mardi Gras - CCR
Most of the albums that we've covered so far on this list have still had something that left you coming back for more. Even if there are some major issues in the production process, not even the most dire circumstances can stop a band from delivering the magic in the studio. With Mardi Gras though, best of luck trying to find something that's worth talking about.
Compared to the other flameout records in rock history, this entire album sounds like it was forced out the door, with CCR not even on speaking terms when they were making it. After Tom Fogerty quit the band in protest, John Fogerty decided that the band would be a democracy, with everyone writing their own songs. This leads to songs that wouldn't make for decent B-sides on the best CCR album.
When you've run out of ideas this blatantly that you think something like Take it Like a Friend is worth including on your album, you know something has gone wrong. There are a handful of bright spots though, with Someday Never Comes shining like a diamond in between the rest of the tracks on here. Other than those highlights, Mardi Gras just reads as a sad final hoorah for a band that just can't work together anymore.