ducks deluxe albums ranked

I have seen lots of lists where people rank the Beatles albums from best to worst. I get it. The Beatles were really popular and influential. And people like to rank things, and to read others' rankings.

But I've seen enough of those. You know what I haven't seen? Anyone ranking the Ducks Deluxe albums from best to worst. So, in the interests of music journalism, I present:

Every Ducks Deluxe Album* -- Ranked from Best to Worst

Ducks Deluxe (1974)

The band's first album was by far the strongest. Possibly because it came after they had been together for a while and had some very strong material. The trio of signature songs -- "Coast to Coast," "Fireball" and "Don't Mind Rockin' Tonite" -- make this a hard album to beat. In addition, there was the Beatlesque "Please, Please, Please" and a couple of killer cover tracks -- "Nervous Breakdown" and "It's All Over Now." There are a couple of weak spots in the form of "I Got You" and "Too Hot to Handle," but the effort still has a really good vibe overall.

I have heard the album criticized for failing to catch the band's live energy. By some accounts, the album was disappointing. But to my ears, it's crisp, exciting and full of energy.

Taxi to the Terminal Zone (1975)

There's some good material here, but nothing to compare to the signature songs on the first album. "My My Music" and "Paris 9" are really good, energy-wise. But they're the best this record had to offer. "Love's Melody" was also a good song, but I don't think it was quite right for the Ducks. It was more melodic and subtle than what they had done before.

Of course, that's symptomatic of where the Ducks were when they recorded this. They had added Andy McMaster on keyboards, and there was some internal dissension as to how to fit him in. They got more ambitious with the songs, but it didn't always work out, and the material just isn't as strong.

In addition, the production isn't nearly as sharp. There's kind of a muddy sound. In fact, that muddy sound is what keeps "Love's Melody" from being a great track. To hear the potential of that song, just listen to The Searchers' cover version. Not that the Ducks would ever recorded anything with the kind of jangly sound that the Searchers were putting out in 1981.

*This only includes the studio albums they recorded and released while still together. It does not include EPs, greatest hits packages, anthologies, live albums released after the breakup, bootlegs, reunion albums and the like.