Worst Song By Your Favorite

Walter Stettner · From: Vienna, Austria

We all have our favorites and love to listen to them, but of course they all have songs out that are far from their regular style, mostly forced by labels or producers to try something new. Yes, the songs are well played, they just don't seem to fit the style of the artist. Often you can feel that the performer isn't really convinced with what he/she's doing.

I just ran across this Porter Wagoner song, no idea when it was recorded, but it is 70s/80s pop, certainly not the style he felt at home with...:

http://www.lloydgreentribute.com/AustrianSteelguitar/Forum.htm

What are your favorite "worst songs"?

Kind Regards, Walter
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Dennis Graves · From: Maryville, Tennessee

George Jones...IMO, the best traditional country singer there probably ever will be...I love all those slow tear jerking, beer drinking, cheating songs..ones made for a good steel. Then he comes out with some song about a rocking chair!!! I hate that song..despise it!!! Yet, when I was at one of his concerts recently, the crowd just went wild over that song.
Guess it's just me.

Eric West · From: Portland, Oregon, USA, R.I.P.

Bud Charleton doing a Flute Duet on Buddy's Therapy.

Sorry.

Smile

EJL

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

Yes Walter, a very "poppy" sound. I'd guess late 70s, by all the effects - (definitely not Porter's band! Wink

) I guess this was an attempt to make him more "saleable", but even the male artists that helped originate this style (singers like Bobby Goldsboro and Mac Davis) soon faded from sight. I like Porter's older stuff (late '50s to mid '60s) far better. Songs like "I Should Be With You", "Satisfied Mind", "Day Dreamin' Tonight", and of course..."Howdy Neighbor, Howdy" are my favorites. The steel ride in "Howdy" is one of the best ever!

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

One of my favorite jazz guitar albums is Johnny Smith's "Phase 2." Recorded during the late 60's, it's a collection of jazz interpretations of MOR pop tunes from that decade, including Herb Alpert's "This Guy's In Love With you" and the Frankie Valley hit "Can't take my eyes off you." Those of you who've heard me play at steel shows may recall that I usually open my set with this last song. This is the recording that inspired me to learn it.

Also on the album is Light My Fire. I loved the record by the Doors when it first came out, but this version doesn't cut it. The song is clearly not the kind of material that Smith enjoyed playing, and it is the weakest song on the record.

Ironically, in almost every case, I disliked the original records of most of the other songs back then.
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Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

I absolutely (forgive me Merle) hate Silver Wings.

And why is it that it's always some couple with a total of three teeth like you see hanging out a window of a trailer house on COPS that comes up and requests it?

Billy Wilson · From: El Cerrito, California, USA

My Ding-a-ling

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I love the Hag,but cannot stand Pancho and Lefty.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Hey, is this "gang up on Merle" day? Question

Actually, you can relax, Charlie - "Pancho and Lefty" was written by Townes Van Zandt. Of course, I don't suggest you tell anybody I work with it's a lousy song, they'll be out looking for a rope. Wink

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the later 60s and 70s "countrypolitan" period of country singers like Ray Price. This entire period of country music with heavy string arrangements instead of the usual minimalist arrangements with steel guitar seemed like a complete oxymoron to me. I will not argue that it's not good music - it has all the elements - good songwriting, great singing, solid playing, and so on. But a lot of it feels more like easy listening music reminiscent of Andy Williams or Al Martino, rather than some type of country music. "For the Good Times" sort of typifies this, but there are many others.

Again - I still think this is fine music, but the arrangements really seemd out of character to me. Didn't seem to hurt his success any, though - a bunch of these were #1 hits on more than one chart.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Damn Dick,You sure are giving me and my trailer trash neighbors a hard time,I can't help we all love Merle.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

P.S.,Cops is my favorite show,lik going to a family reunion.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Andy Jones · From: Mississippi

Conway Twitty was my all time favorite country artist.I couldn't stand "Tight Fittin'Jeans".When he quit using steel guitar,(John Hughey)it broke my heart.I still listen to the old ones;but if it doesn't have steel in it,I don't like it.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Old McDonald Had A Farm, by Elvis
And it still sounded good!

Dick Wood · From: Springtown Texas, USA

Charles,I live in a double wide and am a COP so go figure.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Dick,I know we have gotten a little off topic here,I also live in a double wide,Have several GOOD friends that are cops,some are great pickers also.setting my old silly sense of humor aside,I support cops 110 percent,Would sure hate to live in a society without them.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

Back to the topic,the question was the least favorite song by one of your favorite artist,I love the Hag,just really don't like the song,Pancho and Lefty.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Ben Elder · From: La Crescenta, California, USA

"Lay Down Sally" by the Seldom Scene. Actually, "Lay Down Sally" is pretty horrible by anyone, but fact that the Scene can't salvage it is proof of its incorrigible irredeemability.

"Baby Ruth"-John Prine (Same comment, except I've been blessed not to hear any other version. Marred what might otherwise have been JP's second-best album, "Storm Windows.")

Chuck Berry songs by anyone not named Chuck Berry. Not always horrible, but there probably is no more useless endeavor in the universe. Especially "You Never Can Tell." No mas, already! The Beatles may get a pass for "Roll Over, Beethoven," however.

"Brand New Tennessee Waltz" by anyone except Jesse Winchester (writer) and an obscure, late SoCal C&W singer named Garland Frady.

(And a P.S. to Dave M's caveat: "Pancho and Lefty" is one of the five best songs written by one of the five best songwriters who ever lived. (And I'll stand in my stocking feet next to Steve Earle on Bob Dylan's coffee table and say--but I digress...) Any version of "P&L" that doesn't cut it is strictly the doing of the artists, producers and/or pickers. I haven't really heard Willie and/or Merle's version that many times, but it never struck me as egregiously bad.)

Clyde Mattocks · From: Kinston, North Carolina, USA

I'd bet if we expanded this to worst AND best by an
artist, we 'd see the songs actually change places
in individual preferences. I think "Pancho &
Lefty" is a great song. (Van Zandt, Hag, or Emmylou).
I also think Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is one of the most well written songs I know, but I have friends who absolutely
despise it. For me, Hag's worst was "Carolyn".
Picking a favorite by him is hard, but maybe "Are the
Good Times Really Over for Good", or maybe "Kern
River"....no, wait, it's "Someday When Things Are
Good"...But what about "Leonard"....how much time
we got?

Stephen Winters · From: Scobey, Mississippi, USA

George Jones is one of my all time favorite vocalist. But, when I read this topic I immediately thought of a song he did called "Old King Kong". If you want to hear something bad, look that one up and listen.
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Ron Sodos · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

After all the totally great country songs he has done in the past, this song has a boring melody and a totally dumb lyric. I get sick everytime it comes on the radio.

Dave Van Allen · From: Souderton, PA , US , Earth

George Jones, "The Poor Chinee"

"Me thinkee something smell fishy-fishy
Something beside my shrimp chow mein..."

Best unheralded Jones tune:
"I wouldn't Know thing about that" with I believe BE kickin' butt on the first half of the solo

Rick Nicklas · From: Verona, Mo. (deceased)

Buck Owens.... "The Hotdog Song"... the worst.!!!

ajm · From: Los Angeles

Switching styles, and going to complete albums...

1) Van Halen 3. Only about 3 songs I can sit through.

2) Any ZZ Top album after Recycler. I keep waiting for the next great album to take me back to the first 5 albums from these guys, but somewhere along the line they forgot how to write songs. And what in the world happened to BFG's guitar tone? Even the Rockman years were better than now.
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James Cann · From: Phoenix, AZ

I always liked Tommy Overstreet, slick though his stuff was, his backup singers were as solid as concrete, such as in "Gwen, Congratulations," but in "That's Where My Woman Begins," what do we find? "Little Bo Peep with a broom and a mop..." Good God amighty!