Bands Without a Weak or Bad Album.

Nice to see the Wildhearts mentioned. I played all keyboards on Chutzpah. And half of Gingers 500%/100% albums. Very good albums indeed.

 

George is the reverse case...most albums are weak and only one is essential...

 

Has there been a substandart album by Mogwai? Not necessarily eveybody's cup of tea but I don't think one of their albums is a let down.

 

The newest one, Rave Tapes, was nothing to write home about. Zidane wasn't terrific, either. I'd say both qualify as "weak".

 

You know, Landing on Water is billed as "Neil Young", but some of the material from it comes from Neil Young and Crazy Horse sessions, hence why I included it. Neither Greendale or Broken Arrow are stellar outings with 'The Horse' though.

 

The Police were so good that Sting wanted to quit while they were on top.

 

I love Can as much as any band that I can think of, but they fell into a slump after Soon Over Babaluma, IMO. Landed, Flow Motion and Saw Delight all have something to recommend them, though they pale by comparison to their earlier glory days. The releases after that are spotty indeed--not exactly horrible, but weak by Can standards. I tried listening to Rite Time once, but couldn't make it past the first half.

This thread it pretty funny--it seems like everyone is just naming their favorite bands, regardless of overall consistency. If I were forced to choose, I'd say the Jimi Hendrix Experience (pretty easy since they only had three albums) and the Velvet Underground (I do not consider Squeeze to be a true VU album). Roxy Music comes close, though Flesh + Blood doesn't quite live up to their highest standards.

 

I wouldn't disagree with you about Can, they were never going to live up to the music they made in the early seventies with Damo out front. I'll be honest, I don't listen that often to their stuff after Flow Motion but I don't really think they made anything I'd call a stinker, (a crappy Can record is still going to beat out a fair bit of the stuff some folks here get their panties moist over) A bit like Talking Heads, they made classic after classic in a 5 year period then for me the wheels fell off.

 

I guess that I tend to judge great bands more on a curve. I have high expectations for artists like Can and Talking Heads, so while I wouldn't go so far as to declare True Stories and Little Creatures as all out stinkers, they fall well short of their high standards, IMO.

 

I have the same sentiment. I'd love to mention my favorite bands, but I can't.
I think, nobody mentioned David Bowie, because everybody knows, that Never Let Me Down is one of the worst records ever oozed by a human being (ironically enough, David, YOU let US down).
In the case of Can, I can. Well, Rite Time ... [sighs]. I subscribe to this opinion:

 

Bowie's descent into the realms of musical mere mortal was inevitable, I think he got away with it on Let's Dance because it contained a few decent songs and had a contemporary sound with a tip of the hat to hip hop, but it just got worse after that. No slight against him for trying something new. Just time to pass the torch on to others, that's how music has always been.

 

Hmmmm, yeah, good question ..... That, and I'd forgotten Dark Horse ..... Simply Shady is a fave, but George's voice is shot on that album....

 

Yes. <Yellow Submarine>

 

Husker Du mentioned yet?

 

I love Can as well, but they started to lose me even earlier than Babaluma - for me Future Days (even though Damo was still there) just didnt quite have the same magic as the previous two (dare I say) masterpieces. Nothing they did after is terrible (I haven't heard Rite Time) but almost without exception every album is just a little bit weaker than the one before (IMO starting with Future Days) I do love Moonshake though - one of my favorites of all Can songs.

I doubt anyone except Steve Sesnick considered Squeeze to be a real VU album, probably not even Doug Yule. BTW was there anyone else on that album aside from Yule and Ian Paice? If Mo Tucker (the only remaining original member - original meaning appeared on the debut album - I know they had a drummer before her) had been involved then maybe Squeeze could lay some claim to legitimacy, but she either quit or was dismissed by Sesnick before the start of the sessions.

 

Just so you know, these are both terrible strawman points which actually undermine your argument.

 

Haven't read through the whole thread but just gotta say it's nice to see these posts. More or less agree with all, and will add Afghan Whigs. But regardless, good to see great 90's (and later) bands mentioned here in the land of baby boomer rock (not that I have a problem with those bands).

 

I think "33 1/3" and "Cloud Nine" are pretty good albums. "LITMW" is mostly positive, too, and "George Harrison" is half of a good album...

 

I downloaded those from iTunes not knowing what to expect.

 

Please, no "straw man" references. This isn't Freshman Year logic class.

 

I have and it's good.

BTW, Pixies do not have a weak album. Even Indie Cindy is great, IMHO.

 

Spoon
Wilco

 

The Eagles!

 

I love Wasp Star so XTC are in for me
Also They Might Be Giants, Eels, The Decemberists and Cake

 

You're kidding right? Mummer is a brilliant album - one of their best just let down by a drab cover. Go2 is their weekest album but still a fun listen.