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Which acts have the highest ratio of hits to fillers? i.e Who do you think has the most perfect canon of work.

I'd have to say for me Kraftwerk or the KLF.
With Kraftwerk even the less celebrated stuff (the mix/electric cafe) is well worth checking out, and with the KLF,I love pretty much everything they did (even the Kylie said to Jason cash in).

Acts who don't cut it, even though I love a lot of of their work include The Beatles, The Who, Human League, Saint Etienne and Eno, all letting their standards drop.

To eliminate those with a lucky streak, acts should have released at least 2 albums.

― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Joy Division. I don't think I dislike any of their tracks. Throwing Muses come pretty close, though the second side of Hunkpapa is a bit dodgy.

― RickyT, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Roxy Music. Sure, the last two albums are debated fiercely but there is NOTHING out of place on the first four. Perfection!

― dave q, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

dave q, I had considered Roxy, but the live album let's the side down badly. Apart from that they were pretty darn good, both pre and post Manifesto.

― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Smiths. I think there's only three tracks I don't love out of 70-something (Unloveable, Death at one's elbow, Unhappy Birthday). Even the covers have a charm for me.

Agree about the KLF

Galaxie 500

The Specials

Nick Drake, Television maybe?

― Nick, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick Drake yes. The Smiths yes. KLF and Kraftwerk yes. Pixies.

Merzbow?

― Tom, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Microdisney

agree on Kraftwerk, Television if you don't count the reformation

― James Kyllo, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

mr bungle!

― chaki, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Already mentioned: Joy Division, Roxy Music, Smiths, Nick Drake (all these are British, strange isn't it?)

Plus: Velvet Underground (I could do without Heroine and Sister Ray nevertheless), Yo La Tengo (first album inessential) and Laurie Anderson (everything she ever did was ace). All my new suggestions are American, East coast, New York (ok Laurie is originally from Chicago but she moved long ago). Hmmmm.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'd say the Smiths. In a short career they churned out a ton of stuff that is pretty much all brilliant, apart from one or two slightly spanky songs. And even their spanky songs are still quite good.

While I love the KLF, I think they're very much a single-A-sides kind of band. The White Room album is a bit useless and a lot of their B- sides are a bit pointless. Arguably that song with Tammy Wynette is not as good as people think it is either.

But their good A-sides are top. For all they are now remembered as the people who burned a million pounds, they should be for their music. It's probably The White Room's being rubbish that has confined them to the dustbin of history.

I can't wait for Bill Drummond's children to need to go to College so that they release The Very Best Of The KLF/JAMS/Timelords - all good stuff, no filler, total toptasm.

― DV, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick, I disagree with your choice of Smiths duffsters. I'd go for The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Is It Really So Strange, and er, that's it really. Oh, Ask, that's a bit second rate too.

― DV, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Dunno, DV- I reckon with "Chill Out" and "Space" the KLF (effectively a proto-Orb at the time, with DR Alex Patterson involved in the background) were a pretty decent album band for a while...

Another slight disagreement, re: Billy Dodds & Kraftwerk. Whilst their post-Autobahn stuff is bloody brilliant, all the stuff before that is an accquired taste to say the least, with only Ralf & Florian being listenable all the way through. A great deal of Kraftwerk 1 sounds like wacky cartoon prog rockers produced by King Tubby, though it does have the ace "Megahertz", and both "Stratovarius" and "Von Himmel Hoch" start well before degenerating into the usual proggy jams. Kraftwerk 2 is even wierder, with most of side 2 sounding like Joy Division tuning up whilst Martin Hannet plays jolly japes with an echo box!!!! And that's even before we get to the "4 year old playing a Bontempi recorded on a dictophone" ending track!!!

Old Fart!!!!!

― Old Fart!!!!, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Next time I really need to check my HTML tags...
― Old Fart!!!!, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

OK?

― Old Fart!!!!, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

luna (up 'til and including Penthouse)

The Congos (the best reggae album ever is "The Heart of the Congos")

and I'll agree with the Smiths...but I do like "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side" and "Ask"

This might take a little more thought than my mind is willing to give right now...

― cybele, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Orbital

― dave q, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Smiths: all is good though not all equally grate. Clearly they win.

Nick Drake: no, cos mostly not grate.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think "up to and including" and "not counting the reformation" should be allowed really. No caveats!

― Tom, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Nick Drake: 100% grate, INCLUDING all the outtakes, etc. on Time Of No Reply

― youn, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Leftfield. Ok only two albums but still.

Orbitals last album didnt impress me much.

― Ronan, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Pixies. Alex Chilton. Johnny Thunders. Grand Funk Railroad.

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A short career helps, yes?

Kraftwerk, sure. Still need to hear Electric Cafe, though.

I'll buy The Smiths. Interesting that the duff songs mentioned here are among my favorites. I even liked Rank a little bit. The "Cemetary Gates" had so much energy.

I'm going to add Mouse on Mars. All of their albums are very strong, IMHO.

Not 100%, but Stereolab have a very good quality ratio, esp. considering how much they've released.

― Mark, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"Cemetary" = yet *another* spelling...

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Will Oldham is like Stereolab I think in that if you like one of his records you're probably going to like all of them, and I do.

― Tom, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Me and Tom agree today shocker!

― Ronan, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

oh yes...Mouse on Mars. I agree fully.

― cybele, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Stereolab & Oldham both have much variety. Space-noodle 'lab vs. Hard drone 'lab are miles apart, and then there's lounge-schlock 'lab. Guess by the descriptions which I like. Oh yes, and Oldham goes from faux-faulkner to drop dead dead to john couger to current incarnation as orpheus still in the underworld.

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Cybele, do you think the Congos early '80s and '90s output was good? Which are the best ones? I've heard some of the LP which came out on Go Feet after HOTC, and didn't think a great deal of it...

― Tim, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

A lot of people might throw up their arms in digust at this comment, but I'm a reggae fan who likes melodies sooooo I liked "Natty Dread Rise Again." Don't get me wrong...there are some killer riddims out there, but I love all of my favourite reggae based on the melodies. e.g. Prince Alla, Prince Jazzbo, I-Roy

I like the Black Ark sound because the songs are good...the underwatery sounding muddy bass aint always my cup of tea. Then again, maybe I just haven't listened to enough reggae--or so I've been told.

― cybele, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've just remembered I don't like 'Barbarism Begins At Home' much either. Although based on some live tapes I have that may be more the way it turned out on the album rather than the song itself. 'Rank'? Never understood people's problems with it. I think it's wonderful. Unlike Nick Kent, I think the version of 'I Know It's Over' surpasses even the studio cut. And that makes it pretty bloody amazing. Also the version of 'Still Ill' - God, the way he sings it's like it's like an elegy for everything the Smiths ever did. Makes me cry like a baby.

Television - the reason I put a question mark is that I haven't heard the reunion album. But I've read some people say that it's really excellent and totally overlooked.

― Nick, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, it is.

(*That* should put you off.)

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No one (besides Ned) is going to agree with me, but The Cure have a remarkable hit-to-miss ratio. I can think of only five songs of theirs which just don't work ("So What", "Push", "Closedown", "Mint Car", "Return"). Five songs out of well over 100 is pretty damn amazing.

Also, 808 State have had a remarkably excellent career.

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes Pinefox is OTM. The third Television alb IS v. good (so long as yr not expecting a straight re-run of 'Marquee Moon'). But then I think most of Verlaine's solo albs are good too (or at least have some v. good bits - check out 'The Miller's Tale' comp on Virgin for a decentish sampling.) 'Breaking In My Heart' on Tom's first solo rec may be the best thing he ever did (even 'The Blue Aeroplanes' cld manage an ok versh of it.)

And they were great at ATP too.

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

- Dan, The Cure are/were one of the biggest singles bands of all times. But there is a lot of filler especially on the albums of the mid 80s, e.g. "The Top" is utter crap. "Wild Mood Swings" was also awful. - Television's reunion album is great. I bought it first when it came out and bought their first album later. I must say I prefer the reunion album. The expectations were too high when I got "Marquee Moon". Maybe I should give it a spin tonight to see if I change my mind.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Verlaine's first solo album has long been a favourite - side 2 (Flash Lightning/Red Leaves/Last Night/Breaking in My Heart) is damn near perfect.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Yes, they were great at ATP, unlike everybody else.

It's nice to agree about this with someone for once.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

fun thread...I don't think live albums should count (e.g. The Smith's Rank) or collections (e.g. Kraftwerk The Mix), since they are most likely record company creations and not really part of the artist's vision. BTW, I will say that Electric Cafe is a good record. Here's my list offhand: VU (even including the live stuff & collections), Spacemen 3 (tho definitely not including the live stuff), Trash Can Sinatras, I'll agree with Nick Drake, Galaxie 500, Housemartins maybe should be on here, I'm sure there are some others. Then there are any number of indiepop bands who have put out what i consider all completely good stuff (for ex Barcelona, Aden, eggstone) but your mileage may vary on this. Obviously bands that were/have been around longer probably don't make the list. Hard for say the Rolling Stones to keep up the quality nover the long hall but they went through stages of greatness that were longer than the entire careers of some of the bands people have been mentioning (the Jimmy Miller era). I mean, Nick Drake, G 500, TCS, all only have 3 proper albums...

― g, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You could always cheat and say Young Marble Giants, and I'm surprised MBV haven't been mentioned yet. They usually are.
I choose Saint Etienne though.

― DavidM, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The Velvet Underground have "Squeeze", though!! :)

― Tom, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm still surprised that nobody's tried to argue with my Grand Funk Railroad nomination.

― Sterling Clover, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If someone else tells me that _The Top_ is crap, I will have a conniption, because it very clearly is NOT. People who say that The Cure are a singles band really get my goat, especially since the reason I got into them so deeply was because I loved the album tracks and b-sides so much more than the singles.

_Wild Mood Swings_ is not their best album by a long shot, but it only has two songs that flat-out suck ("Return" and "Mint Car"). The others range from good to fantastic.

― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

(kraftwerk's the mix = not a compilation)

― mark s, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I find the VU after 'White Light...' totally inessential, to be honest. Or is this the wrong thread for that?

― DG, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I never thought I'd be the one to say this but, um, maybe the Smiths are a little overrated? (I actually love some of the tracks that have been nominated so far though. "Ask"????) Like, do you even think "Meat is Murder" is songwriting perfection? "Girlfriend In a Coma" once you get past the joke? I think the first album is beautiful but flawed, with a number of clunky lines and ill-fitted vocals. Is no one at all bothered by the falsetto bits? Even on "Miserable Lie?" Only "Reel Around the Fountain," "This Charming Man," "Still Ill," and maybe the last two tracks (the sobbing child on "Suffer Children" took some forgiving) achieve perfection for me. This does not mean that I won't listen to and really enjoy the other tracks - they are often unique and charming and moving in their own ways - but I often find them flawed at the same time. On the other end, Strangeways has some overproduced schmaltz on it.

I'd mostly agree re Joy Division. I'm not that big on "Komakino" or the "Sister Ray" cover but I think I like the rest.

Sterling: I was intrigued by your Grand Funk nomination. I've only knowingly heard "We're an American Band," which I never paid that much note. What makes them great? What to search?

― sundar subramanian, Wednesday, 31 October 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It IS always nice to agree with the Pinefox, but I really can't endorse the sentiment that Television were the only good act at ATP. Did you not catch Derek Bailey???

― Andrew L, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I find the VU after 'White Light...' totally inessential,
Their self-titled third album and "Loaded" are my two favourite records by them. So relaxed and so cool. Sorry DG, but I guess you should listen to them again.
Tom - "Squeeze" is labelled VU but we all know that VU without Reed and Cale are like the Beatles without Lennon and McCartney.
Dan -
The Cure also made beautiful albums. "17 seconds", "Disintegration" and "Wish" being my favourites. I never really got into "Pornography" but it is definitely not bad. But I repeat "The Top" is shite. Âs is "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" by the way. The later is saved by "Just Like Heaven". "The Top" goes nowhere.
Btw I relistened to Television's "Marquee Moon" again yesterday and found that my old impression was right. This album is totally overrated. Only the title track and the track after stand out. The rest is nothing amazing. Verlaine's guitar play and his voice go on my nerves after a while. The melodies are mediocre. The reunion album is not a milestone but much better than "Marquee Moon".

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i think the closest to achieving this are Happy Mondays (even some of Yes Please is pretty good), Aphex Twin, Nick Drake, Kraftwerk (as suggested many times already), The Smiths, Autechre, DMX Krew. I like everything Adorable ever did too.

if you had asked me this in 96/97 it would have been a lot easier, but a lot of 'major' artists have lost their way since then (stereolab, mercury rev, flaming lips etc)

― gareth, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

"So relaxed and so cool" That's why I don't like them, I like the racket of the first two albums.

― DG, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Sometimes it's nice to put your feet up.

― Nick, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Because they only did one album, and because it remains my favourite album ever, I'd say The La's. The B-sides on the remasterd edition released this year don't let them down either.

I'm also tempted to say The Stone Roses, were it not for the fact (and I know this is more suited to the "contrary" thread) that I think "Fools Gold" is one of the worst songs ever recorded.

I'm struggling to think of a bad Verlaines song. Anyone?

― Andrew Williams, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I'm not sure I've ever heard a good Verlaines song.

>>> Did you not catch Derek Bailey???

Thank heavens, no.

Who's Derek Bailey?? ?

― the pinefox, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i believe Derek Bailey is some kind of improv guy who's been around since time began. he is not on my 100% list.

― gareth, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I agree with Mouse On Mars, The Smiths, Kraftwerk and Aphex Twin. This time last year I would have said Orbital first and foremost.

Others: Bjork, The Go-Betweens, The Paradise Motel. I also think The Fall have an amazing rate of consistency, all things considered.

We should do this question for record labels too - or have we already?

― Tim, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bailey was the middle-aged chap who pushed my skronkmeter so far into the red, that I had to get a nice man in Hastings to reset it with a special screwdriver.

I don't think I've heard anything by Wolfgang Voigt that I don't like. Laika are possibly hovering around the 85-90% mark. The Smiths likewise. Stereolab a little lower (but I actually think their hit ratio is drifting slowly up, not down), but they deserve a mention because I own more records by them than anyone else.

Back in '98 (or maybe '97) I suspect that a handful of ILM regulars of my personal acquaintance might have all nominated the same band. No longer, sadly.

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Bailey would get the 100% prize if it weren't for that terrible Arcana record. The only explanation I can think of for that disaster is that the great man hadn't actually heard of Bill Laswell beforehand. Would that the rest of us had the same luxury.

― dave q, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Mike - oh, yes. I see what you mean. Then again, I would always have been too contrary to agree.

Go-Betweens - really, with all due respect etc, what nonsense. Floodlands of turgid tunelessness and the odd major track standing out like a platform from the mire. Anything but 100%.

― the pinefox, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

There are be different levels of 100%. 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, 10/10. Meaning 1 record out of 1 etc. Obviously the higher the number of albums the higher the more meaningful the 100%.
We should be much more explicit here citing the albums. Nominating bands like this is not enough. In the 3/3 group I nominate Nick Drake. In the 2/2 it is Joy Division (not counting the Warsaw stuff). We should be talking on real albums released during the band's lifetime (no lives). Anyone nominees for higher degree groups? Actually on second thoughts the Smiths don't make it because of "Meat Is Murder".

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Obviously the higher the number of albums ~~the higher~~ the more meaningful the 100%.

― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Up to The Frenz Experiment I make it 11/11 for the Fall (ex comps and live). Since then the proportion's dropped back nearly to 50%

― James Kyllo, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hope you mean 'up to and including The Frenz Experiment'

― Nick, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ok, the Mix isn't in the traditional sense, but it is a collection of reworked/remixed versions of older songs...

― g, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hmmmm... Massive attack definitely, the mighty Joy Division and before the RZA got lazy(after 1997) one could have made a case for the Wu-Tang clan. I would have named MBV, but their early shit sucked. Once they hit their stride, though...

― Brenya, Thursday, 1 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Kardinal Offishall, "Firestarter Vol 1". Bob Marley "Catch a Fire". "Money Jungle" Ellington, Mingus, Roach.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tracer, you are cheating.

― Nick, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

He's not cheating very successfully. I have no idea what he's banging on about.

― the pinefox, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ellington? i mean, who? even pinefox hasn't heard of that!

― gareth, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

3 of my 4 choices have only released one album. So what? It's not a "lucky streak" it's restraint. Surely a crucial ingredient of perfection.

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 2 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two weeks pass...

File reopen 1155 hrs. Opening file.... Buffer modified. New entry in existing array: insert attempted, string incl. "Jane's Addiction, Nothing's Shocking".

submit for QA.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 19 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

QA REPORT:
Defect #1000005: Question asked for act, not album. Jane's Addiction ratio somewhat less than 100% over career. Mr. Farrell's subsequent activities (PfP, awful DJing) reduce answer's veracity. Please rethink.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 19 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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