"A little dodgy towards the end"

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After recently hearing that Dave Grohl is supposedly lending some of his talents to the forthcoming Killing Joke album, heated debate ensued on t'Gatherin' (the online Killing Joke hallelujah choir) about whether or not the man's resumé is really up to scratch. After citing Grohl's time in hallowed D.C. hardcore band, Scream as a testament to his chops and credibility as being more than simply "a grunge drummer" (which means what?) someone offered:

"[Scream] got a little dodgy towards the end but definitely were one of the long list of good DC bands during that time period."

Herein lies my question: What band that has since pulled the plug *DIDN'T* get "a little dodgy toward the end"? Which bands, do you think, snuffed the whole operation while they were still firing on all cylinders (as opposed to labouring on well past their 'sell-by' date)?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Just to get things started off, I'd say the ever-shouty and hirsute Texas combo At The Drive-In quit at the top of their game.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 00:26 (twenty-three years ago)

"Strangeways, Here We Come" is as good a Smiths album as any; same goes for Pulp and "We Love Life". In both cases, you could argue that while the good music wasn't gone, the mystique was.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 18 November 2002 00:29 (twenty-three years ago)

5ive!

― minna (minna), Monday, 18 November 2002 00:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Hooray, a chance for my token Stooges namedrop of the week!

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Monday, 18 November 2002 00:44 (twenty-three years ago)

It's questionable whether or not At the Drive-in was ever on the top of their game.

― paul cox (paul cox), Monday, 18 November 2002 02:15 (twenty-three years ago)

A Tribe Called Quest. 'The Love Movement' was great.
And LFO - 'Advance' was just awesome.

Pussy Galore?
Royal Trux?
Lots and lots of screamin' garage rock bands?

― Tom Millar (Millar), Monday, 18 November 2002 02:28 (twenty-three years ago)

the Jam?

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 18 November 2002 02:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Brainiac. Chavez. Pixies. Fuckin' Nirvana, dude. Did Broadcast break up or are they just on hiatus? Drive Like Jehu. Jawbreaker. Lync. Neutral Milk Hotel. Unrest. Quicksand. The Geraldine Fibbers, maybe. Galaxie 500. Gastr del Sol. Grifters.

(I realize this is more of a "bands who broke up and whose last albums were their best" list, but really, isn't it almost the same thing?)

― Nick Mirov (nick), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Bands that break up because the talented one kicks the bucket aren't quite the same, are they?

― Tom Millar (Millar), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Bands that broke up for reasons other than a fatality while still at or near the top of their game: The Miracles, The Beatles, Dog Faced Hermans, Clusone Trio.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Boo! Unrest no count! Perfect Teeth was dodgy as all shit. And Full Blown Possession was definitely not better than Aint No Lookout. I could even see arguments from "Nevermind" and "Surfer Rosa" fans on those two picks.

And the Beatles got dodgy starting with Sgt. Peppers.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:30 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm gonna say the Verve, even though no one will agree with me.

― Justin M (Justin M), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Digable Planets.

― Phil (phil), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:39 (twenty-three years ago)

The Police. Depending on how much you like Synchronicity. But I definitely don't think they fell off.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Monday, 18 November 2002 03:45 (twenty-three years ago)

The Police. Does it count if they released a bad album before their final good album? Because Ghost in the Machine is poo.

― paul cox (paul cox), Monday, 18 November 2002 05:33 (twenty-three years ago)

AUUGGGH I can't believe you said that.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Monday, 18 November 2002 05:58 (twenty-three years ago)

broadcast's website says they will have a new album in february.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 18 November 2002 06:12 (twenty-three years ago)

"I'm gonna say the Verve, even though no one will agree with me"

No, I'll agree with you. Smiths and Nirvana also. I wouldn't call "Trompe Le Monde" the Pixies at the top of their game, but it's still a good rec to finish on. Could I say Joy Division?

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 18 November 2002 09:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, and My Bloody Valentine. Although they were arseing around for ages after Lovless, without officially splitting, so it's questionable whether they ended on a high as such.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 18 November 2002 09:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Dave Grohl with Killing Joke?
Oh.

― meirion john lewis (mei), Monday, 18 November 2002 09:48 (twenty-three years ago)

If they'd wanted a former Nirvana drummer to play for The Joke, surely it should have been Chad Channing?!?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 18 November 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd agree with jim, The Jam are the definitive 'getting out before it goes shit' band.

― James Ball (James Ball), Monday, 18 November 2002 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Ugh, Digable Planets were the absolute worst.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 15:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Good for you.

― Phil (phil), Monday, 18 November 2002 16:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Seriously, Blowout Comb is something like my litmus test, at least when it comes to people's hip-hop recommendations. If a person likes hip-hop but doesn't like that record, they're obviously listening for something different from what I value in hip-hop.

― Phil (phil), Monday, 18 November 2002 16:30 (twenty-three years ago)

I never heard BLOWOUT COMB...so maybe they improved by leaps and bounds, but I found the single from their first album ("cool like `dat", etc.) to be incessanty pretentious.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 16:36 (twenty-three years ago)

That's what I guessed -- it seems like everyone who hates the DPs has only heard that single! Give the second album a try sometime, if you like. (After all, they only made two, so...) It's definitely a big change of pace from the first.

― Phil (phil), Monday, 18 November 2002 16:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Duly noted, Phil. I'll withhold further ire against them until I've addressed all the facts. But that single still makes me spit.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 16:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Waitwaitwaitwait - there were people ANGRY because Dave Grohl is going to DRUM on the new Killing Joke record? They were saying his resume wasn't up to scratch? "OMG, one of the best rock drummers of the past 20 years is gonna cut some tracks w/ our favorite band - this sucks!" Christ, throw ME in that briar patch already.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 November 2002 18:35 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the biggest problem some Killing Joke fans have with Grohl playing drums for the band -- even if only in a cameo capactiy for a track or two -- has its roots in the whole "Come As You Are" flap from several years back (i.e the allegation that the riff for Nirvana's "Come As You Are" was appropriated wholesale from the Joke's "Eighties").

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 18 November 2002 18:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Everyone blames the drummer. Alas.

― David R. (popshots75`), Monday, 18 November 2002 19:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Joy Division. ABBA maybe, just about. 'The Visitors' is a fine album, though judging by Bjorn & Benny's already audible slide towards Lloyd Webber-esque musical soundtrackery means that one more ABBA album would have seriously blotted the groups copy book. Whatever one of those is.
I was also thinking Jeff Buckley, only one album released before he died, and, considering the songs on 'My Sweetheart', it was by far his best. I suppose. (secondary Q: bands that got worse after they split?)

― DavidM (DavidM), Monday, 18 November 2002 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, if you count the different King Crimson editions as different bands, some of the good ones broke up before they released any bad albums (especially the 70s one, but also the first lineup and the 90s double trio).

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 18 November 2002 20:11 (twenty-three years ago)

This is the part where I pop up and reiterate that _Strangeways..._ is a bad album. Because it is.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 18 November 2002 20:19 (twenty-three years ago)

electric wizard

(but someone told me they're getting back together).

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 18 November 2002 20:57 (twenty-three years ago)

"I think the biggest problem some Killing Joke fans have with Grohl playing drums for the band -- even if only in a cameo capactiy for a track or two -- has its roots in the whole "Come As You Are" flap from several years back (i.e the allegation that the riff for Nirvana's "Come As You Are" was appropriated wholesale from the Joke's "Eighties")."

All of which is completely reasonable, because of course Killing Joke definitely made that riff up completely by themselves and in no possible way had THEY appropriated it wholesale from "Life Goes On" on Strawberries by The Damned which was out 2/3 years earlier!

Hmmmm. Rat Scabies - now THERE's a drummer at a loose end who might be worthy of filling Mr. Ferguson's shoes....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 10:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Opinion is strongly divided on this,
But I think that Pavement broke up at the height of
their powers. Sure, there were a couple throaways
on _Terror Twilight_, but overall, the album
showed the band actually applying themselves
for once, while still retaining that charming
naive quality that everyone loves so much.
The earlier albums were great, don't get me wrong,
I thought the band "hit the spot" right at the
very end.

― Sayaprez, Tuesday, 19 November 2002 11:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Well spotted, Stewart!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 19 November 2002 14:50 (twenty-three years ago)

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