Artists who followed up a terrible album with a brilliant one

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I nominate Julian Cope for following up the over-produced 80's mess that was 'My Nation Underground' with the awe-inspiring 90's
forward-thinking MoFo-fest double album that was 'Peggy Suicide' Return to form and then some!!!! Who else?

― Kim Tortoise, Monday, 11 August 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Captain Beefheart! "Bluejeans and Moonbeams" which I don't know of anyone liking (someone on here prob will, tho) followed by the WONDERFUL, nicely produced (I don't know if I'd like the orig sessions as much, really) "Shiny Beast".

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 11 August 2003 10:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"(I don't know if I'd like the orig sessions as much, really)!

Bat Chain Puller was / is / would have been / will be (if Gail Zappa ever agrees to release it) a great album Andrew - 'though maybe not quite as good as Shiny Beast.

My nomination:

The Damned: Music For Pleasure > Machine Gun Etiquette

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 11 August 2003 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead: Pablo Honey followed by The Bends
Bob Dylan: Planet Waves followed by Blood On The Tracks

― Susan (Susan), Monday, 11 August 2003 10:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Saint Etienne: Sound Of Water followed by Finisterre.
Moloko: Things To Make And Do followed by Statues.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 11 August 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Beach Boys - "15 Big Ones" followed by "Love You"

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 11 August 2003 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

New Order- Republic followed by Get Ready

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

U2's Achtung Baby kicked the pants of Rattle and Hum. I thought it was brilliant when it came out. Haven't listened to it in years should possibly revisit it.

― neil, Monday, 11 August 2003 11:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Moonbeams isn't that great at all but it does have "Observatory Crest" which is a wonderful song.

― tigerclawskank, Monday, 11 August 2003 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Screamadelica after Primal Scream
Meddle after Atom Heart Mother

― Evan (Evan), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

don't get the hate for 'Republic' - i thought it was great, altho those fatal words 'at the time' are probably needed here.

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

and 'Sound Of Water' had 'Heart Failed In The Back Of A Taxi' on it so can't be that bad?

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Lush followed up Spooky with Split, and Throwing Muses followed up Hunkpapa with The Real Ramona.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

'Planet Waves' is by no means a terrible alb.

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

It had like 'Its tracklist' on it, so no way, I agree w/you there Stevem

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

and it's probably worth noting that my examples were of terribly produced albums being followed up by brilliant ones. i wish more bands (or any bands) would re-do badly produced albums with new producers... hunkpapa has great songs, it could be salvaged.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Monday, 11 August 2003 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Stevem, at the time I did dig 'Republic' although I sensed it wasn't really up to par. Now, I think the production and the euro-dance sound are a bit weak

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Monday, 11 August 2003 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Meddle after Atom Heart Mother

What the hell's wrong with Atom Heart Mother?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 August 2003 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

'Crazy World' after 'Savage Amusement'

― dave q, Monday, 11 August 2003 12:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Can: Out of Reach > Can
The Fall: The Light User Syndrome > Levitate
Fleetwood Mac: Heroes Are Hard to Find > Fleetwood Mac

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 11 August 2003 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

The Clash followed up Give Them Enough Rope (not a terrible record but certainly a step backwards after their debut) with London Calling.

― Jeff K (jeff k), Monday, 11 August 2003 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

massive attack : protection followed by mezzanine
slint : tweez followed by spiderland
REM : monster followed by new adventures in hi-fi

i'm tempted to say blur (leisure - modern life...) and radiohead (pablohoney - the bends) except i think modern life... and the bends were just one step towards greatness, achieved on the album after (ok computer and parklife, of course)

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Monday, 11 August 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

quasi... "field studies" followed up by "the sword of god"... i'm not very good at these.

fugazi "in on the kill taker" followed up by "red medicine"? eh, iotkt wasn't so bad... but red medicine sure did spice the band if you ask me.

add n to x "On the Wires of Our Nerves" to "avant hard".... again, it's not so much at the first was SO BAD... but that the next was SO MUCH BETTER than the previous...

the locust eps and singles after their remix album sucked. they really floundered. then they release "plague soundscapes" which really freshened up their sound/approach to a degree... (it still pales compared to the remix album tho.)
m.

― msp, Monday, 11 August 2003 14:41 (twenty-two years ago)

ghostface: supreme clientele after ironman. ironman's not terrible i guess, but really pales in comparison to supreme clientele

― brains (cerybut), Monday, 11 August 2003 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree w/KMurphy re: Monster. It was great! Honest. It just fell victim to the wholesale commodification of indie that was going on at the time. Just thinking of how often Steve Albini's name came up in regular conversation makes me feel all icky...

― Donna Brown, Monday, 11 August 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The difference between Rattle and Hum (possibly U2's worst) and Achtung Baby (their best) is staggering. Duran Duran's Wedding Album is miles better than Liberty too, but I don't think I'd quite call the former brilliant.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Monday, 11 August 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

hazel is fully OTM.

I disagree re: Saint Etienne, as Sound Of Water was really fantastic.

― derrick (derrick), Monday, 11 August 2003 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm completely down with the u2 line. i hated with a passion re-actung baby stuff. i remember being in virgin/leeds and 'the fly' came on over the pa .. i had no idea who it was and when it was revealed i was stunned into complete submission...
also aggree with orig Cope point. though i like a few tracks off My Nation .. but not many ! so heres my suggestion ..
'The Madness' followed after a longgggg time by "Wonderful". like i never expected to hear such wonder from the pantomime entrants. a revelation.
to sleep i go.
m.e/ireallylovemusic.co.uk

― mark e (mark e), Monday, 11 August 2003 21:30 (twenty-two years ago)

>massive attack : protection followed by mezzanine

Protection is the classic...Mezzanine was the beginning of the end.
Mushroom's style and groove is sorely missed. Del Naja has proved himself to be sadly one dimensional, nothing "3-D" about the guy at all.

― bahtology, Tuesday, 12 August 2003 02:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiritualized Let It Come Down -> Amazing Grace

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 03:15 (twenty-two years ago)

gbv "do the collapse" -> "isolation drills"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Spiritualized Let It Come Down -> Amazing Grace

WHAT the FUCK?!?!?!?!?

― Evan (Evan), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 03:24 (twenty-two years ago)

whipping boy - Submarine followed by the awesome Heartworm
the wrens - Silver followed by Secaucus
the hang ups - So We Go followed by Second Story

not that these albums were "terrible", just pretty standard compared to what came next

― jesse, Tuesday, 12 August 2003 06:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Beastie Boys - "License to Ill" (one of the most overrated albums EVER) followed by "Paul's Boutique" (one of the most underrated)

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

haha - who underrates Paul's Boutique?

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:22 (twenty-two years ago)

people trapped in 1990

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

'Nation of Millions' following 'Bum Rush the show'

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

another moron

― nnnh oh oh nnnh nnnh oh (James Blount), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Megadeth Rust In Peace following So Far So Good...So What

― Siegbran (eofor), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Who underrates "Paul's Boutique"?! From the moment it came out it's been the Beaties Boys album that people love to forget. It's never the first album mentioned when discussing the B-boys and it probably should be. Moron.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

What, no mention of My Bloody Valentine?

― nestmanso (nestmanso), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I suppose if you're counting This is Your Bloody Valentine to Isn't Anything, yes...

WHAT the FUCK?!?!?!?!?

I'd have to agree with Chris (though I don't think Let It Come Down is terrible, just overfrosted).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

let it come down was terrible. i am sure the new one is too.

― keith (keithmcl), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Black and Blue followed by Some GIrls.

― Burr (Burr), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll third Spiritualized. Let it Come Down was dire, but Amazing Grace is actually pretty good, if the pre-released version (read: the version on p2p's) is anything like the final version.

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Wild Mood Swings --> Bloodflowers (ok, a bit of a stretch here)
and didn't anybody mention one of the most obvious examples? Give out but don't give up --> Vanishing Point

― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 06:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Um, didn't Cope go off the range with two import (non-Island) albums between MNU and Peggy?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 07:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Supposedly Blackwell sold Island in a snit that JC wouldn't hold "Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed" for "Peggy."

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 07:45 (twenty-two years ago)

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