The worst of Stevie

[KarmaContestant]

First off, I love Jane. It's a touching, genuine and heartfelt song. The word chimpanzee was unavoidable in a tribute to Jane Goodall.

If left to only *one* pick, it might be That Made Me Stronger. All in all, it's not terrible, but the fact that the music for a song *about writing that song yourself* was written by two others left me unimpressed, and amused at the irony.

Ghosts Are Gone is another on my personal worst-ever by Stevie list. It's just...clangy and brazen (not in a good way) and though I don't skip it, because I don't believe in skipping songs while listening to an album in full, I certainly do not like it in any way and typically will vaccuum or engage in some other distraction while it's playing.

Cry Wolf. Stick a fork in my ears, please. Or just turn it off. "Whaaance too often..." Ugh.

That's really it. I love Stevie's music, and I hear good things in almost every song she's ever released. I hear far better things in many songs that were never released, but that's another topic.

[GypsySorcerer]

Let's see....

"That Made Me Stronger" -- Too literal.
"Desert Angel" -- I know she meant well, but come on..."I was born in the desert, so I know how it feels there." And her screaming "Operation Desert Shield! Operation Desert Storm!" is laughable.
"Love Is Like a River"
"One More Big Time Rock and Roll Star" -- Nonsensical babble. Though I do like when the chorus kicks in.
"Cry Wolf"

From FM:
"When I See You Again"
"Not Make Believe"
"Freedom"

[PolishStevieFan]

My vote goes to her rendition of "I Still Miss Someone". I have heard other versions of this classic but Stevie's is the worst. It is a beautiful country song and that's why I don't get how she could ruin it with that cheap keyboard arrangement and whistles in the background. Truly awful.

When it comes to her original songs...well partially hers...I think I would choose "Cheaper Than Free" with its kindergarten rhymes. The melody is fine but the lyrics seem to be written in less than minute.

"Gate and Garden" -It's the weakest song from "The Wild Heart" musically and lyrically. But there are times when I listen to the whole album and the song kind of suits the atmosphere and doesn't make me cringe.

[On Ice]

For this, I must point to the mess that is Rock a Little. Sister Honey and The Nightmare are the anti-christ of all Stevie songs when you stack them up against the beauty of Gold Dust Woman or Storms. All of her solo records except Bella Donna and In Your Dreams (although both have weaker songs, but not clunkers) contain songs that are in the definitive clunker category. This is the real reason why she dropped out of the mainstream and when people call her a legend, you will never hear of dreck like The Nightmare mentioned as a "classic" tune.

[Sanne2]

Originally Posted by On Ice

For this, I must point to the mess that is Rock a Little. Sister Honey and The Nightmare are the anti-christ of all Stevie songs

This hurts my everything I could not disagree more!

[mitzo]

I stand with Karmacontestant as a fan of "Jane," a sweet and touching tribute to Ms. Goodall. I also like the oft-slagged When I See You Again, The Second Time, and Blue Eyes.

My dislikes are the junky-sounding stuff like Blue Lamp, One More Big Time R&R Star, Gold and Braid, I Need to Know, and most of the first half of the BD album.

Close runners-up are Blue Denim and Rose Garden.

I also dislike the moaning monotone jibberish of Rooms on Fire.

[Artemis]

Woah, didn't realise so many people disliked Freedom, for me it's one of her better songs 1985-2001. Then again, Every Day is one of my favourite song on TISL, so...

I can't stand most of OSOTM or SA, few treasures to be found in those steaming piles of poo.

[Josh2003]

I wonder if there wouldn't be so much "That Made Me Stronger" hate if she hadn't told the story behind the song in *every* promo interview she did for TISL.

I think everyone's chief complaint is that the song is too literal, and the lyrics pretty bland. But do we consider the lyrics so literal because we know what they mean? What if she hadn't told that story in the interviews, leaving us to speculate as to what the lyrics were about? As though we had no idea of her mid-90s writing block?

Just a thought.

[mitzo]

Originally Posted by Josh2003

I wonder if there wouldn't be so much "That Made Me Stronger" hate if she hadn't told the story behind the song in *every* promo interview she did for TISL.

I think everyone's chief complaint is that the song is too literal, and the lyrics pretty bland. But do we consider the lyrics so literal because we know what they mean? What if she hadn't told that story in the interviews, leaving us to speculate as to what the lyrics were about? As though we had no idea of her mid-90s writing block?

Just a thought.

One interesting thing about TMMS is that it is billed as a hymn to her return to songwriting prowess, yet it is cowritten with several other people!

[WildHearted]

As far as solo stuff goes..

I'd have to say MOST of her stuff on OsoTM is absolutely dreadful. There are maybe 1 or 2 high points but... even those high points aren't very high.

Street Angel is similar to OsoTM in terms of crappiness.

There are some pretty bad songs on her other albums too (I'm looking at you, Rock a Little and TISL), but I don't think any of them reach the true depths of god-awful that most of the songs on SA and OsoTM effortlessly descend into.

[bluefox4000]

Oh If ya know me here.....you shouldn't have asked this

All of Rock a Little save for Talk to Me

All of Other side of the Mirror save for Rooms on fire

with

Jane
To Far from Texas
Fall from Grace.
Bombay Sapphires
Desert Angel
Jane
Her cover of Just Like a woman
Soldier's Angel
Everybody Loves You
Secret Love

I'm gonna Stop Well RAL and Mirror are just soooooooo boring. I cannot stomach either album. Songs I listed just never liked..never moved me. I had one more but I'm not gonna say....you guys will have my head on a stick....lol

Mick

[SummerlongBoots]

I tolerate all of Stevie, even those I'm not fond of, except for Cheaper Than Free and Secret Love.

[FierySequences]

Originally Posted by tbaker3

I think mine has to be "That Made Me Stronger." I enjoy the vocals just fine, but the lyrics in the chorus just kill it for me. It's like, c'mon Stevie... work on it a little harder, you know you can do better...

but why would she, when she can just blame Tom

[PenguinHead]

I've become much more forgiving over the years, having developed a healthy love/hate relationship with Stevie's more questionable lyrics and songs. They represent and expose an off-kilter and out-of-sorts side of Stevie.

I often wonder "what the hell was she thinking?" with some of the choices she makes. While some songs may not be up to par, there is always some quirk - a lyric line, a guitar lick, a melody or something that has some redeemable quality.

A Stevie clunker is not like any other...unusually unique.

[FierySequences]

Originally Posted by PenguinHead

I've become much more forgiving over the years, having developed a healthy love/hate relationship with Stevie's more questionable lyrics and songs. They represent and expose an off-kilter and out-of-sorts side of Stevie.
.

ITA, very well put

We could be here all nite and day discussing the less than stellar song choices...if I had to pick one, it would be Love is like a River. The track rocks, but I can't get into the guitar "nar, nar, nar, nar, nar" and her line "straight back" yuck!

some others that are not so great: One more Big Time, Cheaper than Free, etc.

It's funny how a lot of the songs ppl mention, I absolutly adore!
Enchanted, Love Is, FFG, Uncondtional Love, Maybe Love, Just Like a Woman, Jane, Kick It, I Still Miss Someone, Doing the Best I Can, Fire Burning, Love's a Hard Game, Too Far from Texas, the list goes on.....