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Bands that get gradually worse

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Started by xeron in Other Bands & Artists

I’ve noticed a trend with a few bands in that they seem to get worse and worse with every album. Thankfully while Therapy? have made some albums i’m not too keen on (Babyteeth, Semi-Detached), they’ve intermingled them with absolutely brilliant ones (pretty much all the rest). However, some other bands…

Foo Fighters - Great debut album, imho. I really love this album, definately in my top 10. Nice mix of melody and edgy metally riffs. “The colour and the shape” was a nice followup, slightly more pop than the first one, but still a nice album. Then… Huh? Whats this? “There is nothing left to lose” was rubbish, imho. I don’t know what happened. One by one is OK, but just… no. Great band to see live, though.

[The] Offspring - Ignition was a good album, followed by the fantastic Smash. Then it all went a bit pear shaped, and kept going. “Ixnay on the hombre” only had one memorable song (Gone away). Maybe I’m too hard on this album simply because of the expectation after Smash (how do you follow that?). It was an OK album. Then Americana.. oh dear… great last track, but it didn’t save the album in my eyes. I guess they made too much money and became just a bit too happy ;-). However, things may just be getting back on track for them.. Conspiracy of One was a definate improvement…

Machine Head - Burn my eyes is just brilliant. Can’t praise it enough. “The more things change” is a great follow up. “The burning red” is also very good, but starting to get a bit… nu-metal rap inspired. I’m not sure it suits them that well, but the album is still ok. “Supercharger” just doesn’t cut it… when you compare it to the albums before it is definately a lot weaker. Still a damn good band to see live, though.

Green Day - Dookie is great. Whack it on at full blast, and i’m smiling from ear to ear and bouncing around. Then … well… slippery slope. Insomnia wasn’t great; not much to say about it. They do at least have quite an original sound, and they’re not afraid to experiment, but I just found “Nimrod” ultimately unforfilling, and everythings bordering on the irritating, i’m afraid.

Blur - I really like Blurs old albums, when i’m in the mood. Pretty much everything from “Leisure”, through “Modern life is rubbish” (my favourite), “Parklife” is all good in my book, but then “blur” was just absolute piss, imho, apart from the fantastic “Song 2”. It was a dramatic change of style for the band, and I think it just didn’t work. I kind of lost interest there, but every blur song i’ve heard since then has just been rubbish. It also doesn’t help that the members of the band come across as complete arseholes in the interviews i’ve seen ;-).

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 13:10

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#1

xeron wrote:

Damn… too late to edit it now.. obviously I mean “unfulfilling”, not “unforfilling”. ;-)

Oh, and “everything SINCE is bordering on the irritating”.

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 13:18

#2

Sabotage wrote:

I’ve got a slightly different theory, but you’re basically right mate.

My theory is that most bands have got 6 good albums in them, then they start either getting worse or just churn out the same old stuff.
It is usually their first 6 albums that are the best, but this isn’t totally true.

e.g.
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
AC/DC
Black Sabbath
Megadeth (although Kill the King rules)

Bands that completely disprove my theory are…

Therapy? (What can I say. Never the same. Is it me or do T? get better.)
Anthrax (just released arguably their best album. #9)

err…

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 13:22

#3

xeron wrote:

Well… obviously theres no rule that can be applied to ALL bands… I mean Bad Religion formed in the early 80s, and went on and on and on, and I love their stuff (although, if i’m honest, they probably only have about 3 different songs, they’re just good ones ;-) ).

I’ve just thought of another “Worse with every album” band, actually. The Deftones. Adrenaline and Around the Fur are classics, just brilliant. But to me, “The White Pony” might as well be white noise and feedback… most of the time you actually have to listen very carefully to make out any sort of coherent riff, and that since then its been more of the same, but slowed down :-)

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 13:33

#4

Dermot (The Derm) wrote:

Have to disagree with you on Blur man. Their self titled album is one of my favourite albums ever (reminds me of GCSE geography coursework… ah, those were the days!) and Think Tank is my favourite Blur album yet.

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 16:48

#5

hoochalobster (Sarah) Super Moderator wrote:

Agreed. And I want to add Radiohead to the list cause Pablo Honey is one of my all time favourite albums and they’ve been pants ever since.

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 17:41

#6

smurftastic wrote:

Sabotage wrote:

My theory is that most bands have got 6 good albums in them, then they start either getting worse or just churn out the same old stuff.

I’d pretty much agree with that and add to it. I think the time between album releases affects this. Bands who get one good album then churn out lots of stuff in quick succession and allow themselves to become slaves to the money making machine ultimately end up producing utter pants. Bands who allow themselves a bit of space to relax often come back with some of their best stuff. I think this is because the rest allows them time to experience new things, or the old things in a new way. Without that your creativity gets stunted.

Obviously, there are exceptions to every rule.

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 18:43

#7

Citizen Erased wrote:

Oasis - downill, and with gathering speed…

Terrorvision - 5 albums, no duff ones

Radiohead - Amnesiac’s pretty good; I think their weakest is Kid A, not Hail to the Thief

Offspring - hmm, can see your point, but their old stuff blends pretty well with the new stuff, and I don’t think there’s huge amounts to choose between them.

Muse seem to be getting better and better

And T? seem to vary from pretty-good-with-a-couple-of-clunkers (yes, okay Sarah, that album) to very-good-indeed

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 19:27

#8

trigger wrote:

the perfect example is placebo.

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 19:35

#9

Citizen Erased wrote:

trigger wrote:

the perfect example is placebo.

of a fall from grace?

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 19:53

#10

Lenny wrote:

You all forgot about the Spice Girls!

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 20:40

#11

not_that_kind_of_guy (a story on the radio) wrote:

hmmm, not too sure about blur being included here. blur, in my opinion, definitely get better and better with age. (with the exception of the “13” album which was absolutely pants) oh and “parklife” is a bit shit in places.

up until the last album i would have included suede but “a new morning” was actually rather good.

xxx

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 21:34

#12

xeron wrote:

Citizen Erased wrote:

Oasis - downill, and with gathering speed…

Well, I think they started off shit and stayed there ;-)

Quote (author unknown):

Offspring - hmm, can see your point, but their old stuff blends pretty well with the new stuff, and I don’t think there’s huge amounts to choose between them.

Huh? Compare Smash to Americana; the former totally outclasses the latter… they’re in different leagues!

Posted on Thu, 2 October 2003 at 22:08

#13

hoochalobster (Sarah) Super Moderator wrote:

Citizen Erased wrote:

And T? seem to vary from pretty-good-with-a-couple-of-clunkers (yes, okay Sarah, that album) to very-good-indeed

I didn’t say a word, I did not say a bloody word. What’s your second clunker?

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 00:00

#14

Krisken wrote:

xeron wrote:

I’ve just thought of another “Worse with every album” band, actually. The Deftones. Adrenaline and Around the Fur are classics, just brilliant. But to me, “The White Pony” might as well be white noise and feedback… most of the time you actually have to listen very carefully to make out any sort of coherent riff, and that since then its been more of the same, but slowed down :-)

Really? You didn’t like White Pony? That’s my favorite Deftones album. This last one wasn’t anything to jump up and down for, but I was expecting something as good as White Pony.

As for bands that got progressively bad, I agree with Hooch on Radiohead. Pablo Honey and The Bends were great starts but they just got wacked out with the later stuff.

Another band that started out great but went downhill after two albums would be Fear Factory. Great early stuff, but something was lacking on later albums (especially the remix crap… why does a metal band try to be techno?). And what the fuck happened to Finger Eleven? The first two albums were awesome, and now they fell into the trendy nu-metal crapathon poluting the radio.

Er… ok, rant over. Too much sugar and all.

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 01:27

#15

Nitro wrote:

I agree trigger. When i first listened to Placebo 6 years ago, I was really shocked. In 98, they also shocked me with Without you.. album. But, when it comes to Black Market Music, it was awful, then their new album sounds like they want to return where they came from, but it’s too late. 2 weeks ago they were in Istanbul, a good friend of mine bought me a ticket, if she didn’t do this I wasn’t thinking of going to their concert…

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 06:18

#16

Sabotage wrote:

Citizen Erased wrote:

Terrorvision - 5 albums, no duff ones

Apart from the actual album covers themselves.
Who designed Good to Go eh!!??!!

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 08:17

#17

Citizen Erased wrote:

hoochalobster wrote:

I didn’t say a word, I did not say a bloody word. What’s your second clunker?

I actually meant that the less than perfect albums had a couple of clunkers on them rather than the albums were clunkers. But if I have to name names, then Pleasure Death, Nurse and Infernal Love are the other ones that I am mildly less taken with.

sabotage wrote:

Apart from the actual album covers themselves.
Who designed Good to Go eh!!??!!

Hmm, yes you do have a point there, Good to Go is truly ‘we-are-on-an-indier-than-thou-label’ style cover, and apart from Regular Urban Survivors, the covers are all somewhat arse. Still, the records rocked.

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 08:27

#18

donVutz wrote:

i think turbonegro should be on the list too after that pile of shit called scandinavian leather. ass cobra is just dirty punkrock like nothing else around, apocalypse dude was a bit to clean but also briliant. but scandinavian leather is pure crap. overproduced, stadium pop-rock with just a few good songs. i’ve seen them live a few weeks ago and have to say that every song rocked, except that ugly turd called “drenched in blood”. if the step to the next album will go into the same direction, it will sound likeG’n’R or bon jovi.

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 14:03

#19

Lola* wrote:

Title: Re: Bands that get gradually worse

xeron wrote:

Foo Fighters - Great debut album, imho. I really love this album, definately in my top 10. Nice mix of melody and edgy metally riffs. “The colour and the shape” was a nice followup, slightly more pop than the first one, but still a nice album. Then… Huh? Whats this? “There is nothing left to lose” was rubbish, imho. I don’t know what happened. One by one is OK, but just… no. Great band to see live, though.

i completely agree…the best foos gig ive been to was when they had just released the colour and the shape…there was none of that other crap from the last 2 albums to bring the tone down!!

Posted on Fri, 3 October 2003 at 23:14

#20

Bad Karma wrote:

hoochalobster wrote:

Agreed. And I want to add Radiohead to the list cause Pablo Honey is one of my all time favourite albums and they’ve been pants ever since.

Speaking as a Radiohead fan i think that album is terrible apart from Creep,Thinking About You,Prove Yourself and Blow Out.

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 10:36

#21

trigger wrote:

erdemcapar wrote:

I agree trigger. When i first listened to Placebo 6 years ago, I was really shocked. In 98, they also shocked me with Without you.. album. But, when it comes to Black Market Music, it was awful, then their new album sounds like they want to return where they came from, but it’s too late. 2 weeks ago they were in Istanbul, a good friend of mine bought me a ticket, if she didn’t do this I wasn’t thinking of going to their concert…

what did you think of the concert? i also didn’t buy a ticket but along with a lot of other people we forced our way in ;)
it was by far the worst concert i have ever seen. and imagine that their debut album is still one of my all time faves…

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 20:39

#22

tatty seaside town wrote:

Bands like Placebo should just split up …

First album great … second one okay … the others bad!

every song sounds the same really …

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 21:30

#23

not_that_kind_of_guy (a story on the radio) wrote:

the phrase “manic street preachers” springs to mind (with the obvious exception of the holy bible)

xxx

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 22:14

#24

not_that_kind_of_guy (a story on the radio) wrote:

tatty seaside town wrote:

Bands like Placebo should just split up …

First album great … second one okay … the others bad!

every song sounds the same really …

i don’t think it’s a case of them getting worse as such. but as you say every song does sound the same. either loud or the token one or two calmer songs per album. placebo will always be placebo. they will never change, but, i must admit i still quite like them. sorry.

xxx

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 22:29

#25

prisonbreaker wrote:

you have got a wicked mind then,
in the richey period they were of course a much cooler band, but with everything must go they reinvented their music on such an amazing way, i personly think they really started improving musically after richey disappeared

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 22:32

#26

not_that_kind_of_guy (a story on the radio) wrote:

prisonbreaker wrote:

you have got a wicked mind then,
in the richey period they were of course a much cooler band, but with everything must go they reinvented their music on such an amazing way, i personly think they really started improving musically after richey disappeared

tut tut, “everything must go” was a great album admittedly but i have always preferred the previous efforts. “this is my truth…” and “know your enemy” were lyrically and musically bad. just my opinion. of course i like certain songs off of both of the latter two but as albums i find them a bit tedious.

xxx

Posted on Sat, 4 October 2003 at 22:38

#27

dano wrote:

Bad Karma wrote:

Speaking as a Radiohead fan i think that album is terrible apart from Creep,Thinking About You,Prove Yourself and Blow Out.

No way! Pablo honey is a great indie album, The bends was a good album as well but suffered from over exposure in my opinion. OK computer was gash and what followed was just terrible.

Another one to add to the list..Black Rebel Motorcycle Club..from awesome debut album to lame follow up-what happened there?!

Posted on Sun, 5 October 2003 at 00:04

#28

Bad Karma wrote:

Pablo Honey is a terrible and boring debut album these days i prefer their later albums.

As for Placebo i think their debut has dated a bit and their second album is still the best one.Their last two album while they weren’t ground breaking i still liked them.

The only ‘bad’ album the Manics have made is Know Your Enemy i think it was way too long and the production sucked but the ideas behind its lyrical content in these post 9/11 times is interesting.

Posted on Sun, 5 October 2003 at 10:55

#29

prisonbreaker wrote:

2 other groups for the list:
smashing pumpkins:first 3 albums were great, but then it only got worse
RATM:first album was great, but then the limos , jaccuzis and champagne made them only sound like a bunch of hypocrits

Posted on Sun, 5 October 2003 at 11:50

#30

tatty seaside town wrote:

prisonbreaker wrote:

2 other groups for the list:
smashing pumpkins:first 3 albums were great, but then it only got worse
RATM:first album was great, but then the limos , jaccuzis and champagne made them only sound like a bunch of hypocrits

and its a bit paradox to sing against the system and then take the systems money and live a good life …

but on the other hand … every punk band does that …
and there is just this system … you cannot live beside it …

Posted on Sun, 5 October 2003 at 17:05

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