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There were a few majorly disappointing music releases this year that had me scratching my head and wondering, "Why?"
Bjork focused on creating engaging apps, rather than compelling songs, for Biophilia, which flatlined as a CD. Have you noticed that over the course of the past few Bjork releases, concept always trumps content? It's wearing thin, isn't it?
Speaking of thin... Mark Olson rejoined Gary Louris and The Jayhawks after 15 years in the desert, and the group's much-anticpated reunion disc, Mockingbird Time, felt uninspired and slight, a weak imitation of past glories. Olson's once-considerable writing skills and evocative vocals have all but abandoned him, and the fall-off in quality is alarming—although his weak 2010 solo effort, Many Colored Kite, hinted at such a demise. I can only hope the band doesn't further taint its legacy with another release like this one.
But neither of those discs approached Lou Reed and Metallica's level of mega-fail. Their collaboration, Lulu, wasn't the worst disc of the year—it actually achieved the dubious distinction of being #1 and #2, because it was a two-disc set. The participants can kid themselves that the public just didn't get it because Lulu was ahead of its time, but let's face it, they've been coasting on their reputations for decades.
