When Do You Feeel The Band Relesed Their First Clunker?

[Whirlwind]

Look, if you say every album the band released is brilliant than you should be working for the Trump administration.

With 16, 15, 13, 14 (whatever) albums released, there has to be one that you said, "That's a clunker. Not a good one." Which was it for you? Which album was the first in which you felt disappointment and still do? (That 'and still do' is important here because there are some albums we probably disliked upon first hearing but grew to love later on. I am looking for an album that you first heard as a clunker and still think it is one.)

Here are studio albums. When was the first clunker? (And be honest, don't be afraid. Nobody involved with New Model Army is going to ban you from attending live shows in Leipzig.)

Vengeance
No Rest for the Wicked
The Ghost of Cain
Thunder and Consolation
Impurity
The Love of Hopeless Causes
Strange Brotherhood
Eight
Carnival
High
Today Is a Good Day
Between Dog and Wolf
Between Wine And Blood
Winter
From Here

For me....

"Carnival" I still never listen to that album. Sure, before it some albums were better than others, but "Carnival" seemed to me a weak collection of songs, none really worth hearing again.

[Raven]

[cthulhu]

[Valstar]

For me it’s « and nobody else but whirlwind »

Never been able to listen to it, will never be

[Frank]

Carnival (apart form 'Island' which is one of NMA's best ever songs).

[Whirlwind]

Carnival (apart form 'Island' which is one of NMA's best ever songs).

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Agree 100%.
And the last few moments of "Fireworks Night" - the strings section - are incredibly moving.

[Master Ray]

From my viewpoint, a 'clunker' is an album that is devoid of good qualities.

NMA have NEVER released a 'clunker'.  Yes, certain albums have resonated more than others, some weren't listened to very much in recent years, but there has never been a truly BAD album IMHO.

If I had to pick a supposed 'clunker', I would probably also go with 'Carnival'.  But it also has three of my very favourite NMA songs ever, Fireworks Night, Too Close To The Sun, Red Earth.  And the other tracks have grown on me in recent years, so I can't properly call it a clunker.

After all these decades, I challenge anyone to say that (insert album name here) is complete shit, start to finish.  Even if it's isn't a personal fave, I'm sure everyone here can find a handful of tracks on the said album that they love.

There are NO absolute clunkers here.   

[Guillaume]

From my viewpoint, a 'clunker' is an album that is devoid of good qualities.

NMA have NEVER released a 'clunker'.  Yes, certain albums have resonated more than others, some weren't listened to very much in recent years, but there has never been a truly BAD album IMHO.
After all these decades, I challenge anyone to say that (insert album name here) is complete shit, start to finish.  Even if it's isn't a personal fave, I'm sure everyone here can find a handful of tracks on the said album that they love.

There are NO absolute clunkers here.   

I totally agree with you.
I find some of NMA's albums a bit uneven but there are always on them some good/great songs.
On the maligned CARNIVAL and STRANGE BROTHERHOOD i like "BD3", "Red earth", "Too close to the sun", "Bluebeat", "Another imperial day", "Fireworks night", "Wonderful way to go", "Aimless desire", "Headlights", "Lullaby", etc!

"Winter" left me slightly disappointed because of its at times "rehash" feel but...there is the "Born feral" gem, the effective title track and "Burn the castle", "Strogoula", "Drifts"...so how can anyone say that NMA even at their weakest can deliver bad clunkers albums, indeed? 

[Bunny]

There is no bad NMA album. There are some that have a few songs that dont resonate with me, but the others just blow me away. From reading all these threads everyones favourites differ. How music is interpreted and then clicks, is entirely personal. This bands strengths, are its willingness to try new styles or sounds. There is something for everyone.

[Whirlwind]

Some of you here might be sticking too closely to the definition of clunker. Yes, a clunker means more or less worthless. But when it comes to New Model Army perhaps clunker means an album that isn't as good as some of their better works.

[Valstar]

So, as words are meant to mean the same to everybody (that’s the purpose of those things) there’s no clunker (except the one I mentioned) so topic closed, thank you bye bye !

[Ghosttrain]

I really like Carnival.....music is subjective.. ..

[Johnz]

I really like Carnival.....music is subjective.. ..

Yes, one of my favourites, too.

[Whirlwind]

So, as words are meant to mean the same to everybody (that’s the purpose of those things)

.
No words are actually relative.

A little eight year old kid in his soccer league can be called great...would that kid be called great if he were in the English Premier League? My car is fast....if it were in an F1 race it certainly would not be called fast. Words are relative - their definitions are not set in granite.

A clunker album for New Model Army does not mean the same as a clunker album for Katy Perry. (Katy a year back did release a clunker album and it actually was a career killer.)

[Tony S]

I really like Carnival.....music is subjective.. ..

Me too ! 
BD3, Prayer Flags, Carlisle Road, Red Earth, Bluebeat, LS43, Fireworks Night - all excellent tracks.
And I like the remaining songs I haven't mentioned too.