It's all in a name

There is a music blog i read daily. It is called Hidden Track and they have a bunch of great info but also they do some very fun articles and stuff. This one i saw today and thought it was great. The last time my folks were out here visiting i was talking to them about some of my favorite bands (widespread panic, String Cheese Incident, Grateful dead etc) and mom asked how some of these bands get their names. Well i went into, i am sure,a too long and detailed explanation to some of the better named bands, like the ones i mentioned. Today on Hidden track they were talking about some ablums that were submitted with titles that were rejected by the record companies.
These are their top 8 alternative titled albums. See if you agree.

Most of the time record companies don’t really care too much what a band names an album, but once in a while they put their proverbial foot down (perhaps their literal feet as well). A few weeks ago we looked at 10 albums released with controversial cover art, so this week we look at eight albums whose titles were rejected either by members of the band or the big bad record company…

1. Grateful Dead — Skullfuck:

The Grateful Dead submitted a live album to Warner Brothers in 1971 with the title Skullfuck. As you can imagine, the record company rejected the title, and instead decided to release the album with no title. Fans call this album Skull and Roses to avoid confusing it with the band’s eponymous debut.













2. XTC — Black Music:

XTC released their debut album, White Music, on Virgin Records in 1978. The band wanted to call the album Black Music but Virgin nixed the idea because they thought the title may suggest a blues or soul album. Racists!

3. Beastie Boys — Thick Like Beyonce’s Leg:



The Beastie Boys’ Mike Diamond stirred up some shit earlier this year when he told British Radio Station XFM that the band originally wanted the title of The Mix-Up to be Thick Like Beyonce’s Leg. How do you go from one the best titles of all-time to The Mix-Up? The old-school Beastie Boys never would have let that happen.

4. Eric Clapton — The Best Guitarist In The World: There’s One In Every Crowd:

In 1975 Eric Clapton tried to name his new album The Best Guitarist In The World: There’s One In Every Crowd as an answer to all of the people who called him “God.” Clapton commented on the situation in Conversations With Eric Clapton:

“[It was going to be called] ‘The Best Guitarist In The World - There’s One In Every Crowd’. They didn’t approve of that one either. I was the only one who thought it would be a good idea. In fact, I’m not sure whether I could have lived with it. Most people would have taken it the wrong way. They would have thought I was being serious. But I am! I am the best fucking guitarist in the world!!(Laughs)”

EC wound up dropping The Best Guitarist In The World part and released the mediocre There’s One In Every Crowd to minor commercial success.

5. Metallica - Metal Up Your Ass:



Metal Up Your Ass started out as the name of a live demo Metallica recorded in 1982. The band liked the title so much that they tried to use it as the name of their first studio album on Megaforce Records. Megaforce rejected both the name and the cover art that the band submitted, leading Metallica to rename the album Kill ‘Em All, which apparently was fine with the label. Confusing.

6. Nirvana - I Hate Myself and Want to Die:

Nirvana wrote I Hate Myself and Want to Die for inclusion on their third studio album. When the time came for Nirvana to name it, Kurt Cobain suggested I Hate Myself and Want to Die. Ironically, Cobain later decided against the title because he feared the sarcasm of the title would be lost on some fans and critics. Not only didn’t the title stick, but the song itself was cut from the album that eventually became In Utero. The track finally was released on the Beavis and Butthead Experience compilation just before Cobain hated himself enough to die.

7. Bryan Adams - Hasn’t Heard of You Either:

Believe it or not there was a time when people weren’t familiar with the name Bryan Adams. Adams’ debut album sold so poorly that the Canadian rocker decided to call his sophomore release “Bryan Adams Hasn’t Heard of You Either.” A&M considered the title “too provocative,” leading Adams to rename the album You Want It You Got It. Just a few short years later Adams would hit the big time by releasing an incredible string of hit records before jumping the shark in 1991 with the release of the super corny (Everything I Do) I Do It For You.

8. Alice In Chains - Tripod:



When we told Team HLA about this B List our buddy bl002e brought up Alice In Chains’ eponymous album from 1995. The cover art for the album features a three legged dog, leading most AIC fans to refer to this release as Tripod. We can’t really confirm that Alice In Chains actually intended to name the album Tripod, but we did come across a few websites say “originally titled Tripod" when talking about the album. If that works for Wikipedia that works for us.