Bands that Should be Able to Release a Classic Album, but Never Will

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Pernice Brothers
The Pastels
Calexico

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 15 October 2004 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Bright Eyes

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 15 October 2004 03:16 (twenty-one years ago)

The Strokes -- unless Cristina Ag joins them as lead singer

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 15 October 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)

the Delgados
Tanya Donelly
the Tragically Hip

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 15 October 2004 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Low -- I suspect they won't change too much by now.

Derrick ... Tragically Hip's "Fully Completely" is a classic. But sure, they'll never come close to topping it ever again.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 15 October 2004 04:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Christina Aguilera -- unless she learns how to dress

― alfalfa romeo (natepatrin), Friday, 15 October 2004 06:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Fu Manchu (yeah, I'm serious).

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 15 October 2004 06:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Stereolbal - lots of very good ones but never an amazing one

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 15 October 2004 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

stereolab, even

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 15 October 2004 09:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Tanya Donelly

Are we not counting Star as a classic? I think it is . . . but that's just me.

― Phil Dennison (Phil D.), Friday, 15 October 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Bright Eyes

― Elvis is Dead, Friday, 15 October 2004 12:40 (twenty-one years ago)

will jim o'rourke ever release a classic album? has he already?

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

oh, sorry. he's an Artiste.

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

An act, actually.

― briania (briania), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Capitol K
!!!

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

jim o'rourke is OTM. strokes have already released two classic albums.

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Tupac.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

trans am
second !!!
(withholding judgement on out hud for a bit longer)

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:53 (twenty-one years ago)

acid mothers temple

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

AMT OTM (even though their near classics are still really good...)

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 15 October 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Teenage Fanclub (though I'd hear arguments for "Thirteen")

― Colin, Friday, 15 October 2004 16:15 (twenty-one years ago)

arent they broken up now, though?

― peter smith (plsmith), Friday, 15 October 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

will jim o'rourke ever release a classic album? has he already?

Dude, Bad Timing!!

Teenage Fuckin' Fanclub OTM

They Might Be Giants
Dave Matthews
Neil Young
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Rachel Goswell and Heil Hagerty
Aphex Twin
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Air (maybe they should belong on the other thread)
King Missile (III)
Mogwai
Zero 7

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 15 October 2004 16:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd take exception with the most obvious one:

Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps, Tonight's the Night, After the Goldrush

And possibly with:
Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album
Air - 10,000 Hz Legend

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 15 October 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Neil Young is crazy talk.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 October 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Dave Matthews Band are in no way capable of even coming close to possible scheduling a release date for a classic album.

Nick Cave's The Good Son is classic to my ears, but that may have more to do with memories of middle school angst than anything else.

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Interpol

― Ian Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 15 October 2004 19:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Aphex Twin?

SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS VOL. 2 MOTHERFUCKER!!!!

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 15 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm most in agreement about the Pastels, although I personally want to consider Illumination kind of a classic. If you could pick and match between that and Mobile Safari, it'd be an absolute classic, whether or not anyone actually thought so.

Jim O'Rourke got as far as a classic EP, I think -- Halfway to a Threeway is great all through. For all, like, twenty minutes.

― nabisco (nabisco), Friday, 15 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Yo La Tengo.

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 19:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Stereolab
Goldie/Metalheadz/Rufige Kru

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 15 October 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS VOL. 2 MOTHERFUCKER!!!!

THAT ALBUM IS BORING AS HELL MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!

― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 15 October 2004 20:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Yo La Tengo.
-- Helios Creed (dr.carl.saga...), October 15th, 2004.

you, my friend, are listing noticeably to starboard.

i submit: grandaddy

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe they'll release a classic yet, but so far their best is Painful, and it sits solidly at "very good." Summer Sun certainly wasn't a step in the right direction. Have they released anything since then?

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Grandaddy is just shit

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Culture Club
Momus (anymore, I mean; Tender Pervert is excellent)

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Friday, 15 October 2004 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Madness never released a fully fledged classic album, although they most definitely had the capacity. It is too late now, though.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

has Jim O actually ever released an album? I'd say Insignificance + Halfway is pretty damned close.

― caspar (caspar), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

will jim o'rourke ever release a classic album? has he already?

The one on Mego is awesome.

― original bgm, Friday, 15 October 2004 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

re: Yo La Tengo

Personally, I think Fakebook is a classic, but I don't think it'll go down in history as such...

― frankE (frankE), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe they'll release a classic yet, but so far their best is Painful, and it sits solidly at "very good." Summer Sun certainly wasn't a step in the right direction. Have they released anything since then?
-- Helios Creed (dr.carl.saga...), October 15th, 2004.

uh, "i can hear the heart beating as one"? [i'm getting the feeling you are playing provocateur, helios. if so, i luv it.] "Painful" is great, but both "electro-pura" and "heart" are better for taking the band into their peak period of compelling experimental pop.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

ahhhhhh i disagree, totally, actually.

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is overlong, though it does contain a fair amount of great tunes. Electropura also features some decent toons (blueline swinger, ballad of red buckets, flying lesson, straight down to the bitter end) but is overall uneven and full of boring stuff like "the hour grows late" and "attack on love."

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One is completely classic, bitches. despite its lack of either 'blue line swinger' or 'i can hear you looking'

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

helios - 'attack on love' is an awful wtf moment, but 'hour grows late' is nice, so i don't know if 111 seconds makes electropura a non-candidate for classic status, that's really splitting hairs. "i can hear..." is simply wonderful. though i will grant there is one of the instrumentals toward the end that is really fucking grating, and it's looooong. hmmm. helios, you may have won a convert on the classic album premise, as i believe a classic must be flawless from open to close. and, as you pointed out, these guys have almost certainly done their best work after reviewing their last two full-lengths which are very uneven. but yo la tengo is still a classic band, on that i stand firm dammit!

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

we can agree to disagree; that's an entirely respectable opinion.

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I TOTALLY HATE YOU HELIOS CREED

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

i am Ian Johnson, btw guys. I AM NOT THE REAL HELIOS CREED.

― Helios Creed (orion), Friday, 15 October 2004 22:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Primal Scream. (Vanishing Point came reasonably close, though.)

― alfalfa romeo (natepatrin), Friday, 15 October 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

i am Ian Johnson, btw guys. I AM NOT THE REAL HELIOS CREED.
-- Helios Creed (dr.carl.saga...), October 15th, 2004.

so what? who the hell is helios creed?

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Friday, 15 October 2004 23:22 (twenty-one years ago)

guitarist in CHROME and a PROLIFIC SOLO CAREEERRRR

― Helios Creed (orion), Saturday, 16 October 2004 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme were the creative key figures behind making 10cc record three albums in a row. Consequently, one would expect them to keep on creating classic albums after going solo, but they didn't.

Some of the same applies to Tony Banks and Steve Hackett. Along with Peter Gabriel, they were the creative brains of Genesis during their creative heyday, creating a lot of classic albums. Still Gabriel (who didn't even contribute to two of the classic Genesis albums) is the only one who has managed to come up with classic albums in his own right.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 October 2004 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)

"behind making 10cc record three CLASSIC albums in a row", that is

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 16 October 2004 00:33 (twenty-one years ago)

hi Geir--it's good to have you back even if you are completely full of shit!

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Saturday, 16 October 2004 00:36 (twenty-one years ago)

guitarist in CHROME and a PROLIFIC SOLO CAREEERRRR
-- Helios Creed (dr.carl.saga...), October 16th, 2004.

okay. now who is ian johnson?

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Saturday, 16 October 2004 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Who the fuck are you?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 October 2004 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

whoa. anger much?

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Saturday, 16 October 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

helios creed: i am Ian Johnson, btw guys. I AM NOT THE REAL HELIOS CREED.
jm lockery: so what? who the hell is helios creed?
helios creed: guitarist in CHROME and a PROLIFIC SOLO CAREEERRRR

Well, I would hope you weren't the real Helios Creed. 'cos didn't he, like, DIE...back in '97?

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 16 October 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

(or was it the other guy in chrome who bit the big green burrito of death? I forget.)

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Saturday, 16 October 2004 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

The other guy. Damon Edge.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 16 October 2004 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Re: Jim O'Rourke: I consider "Halfway to a Threeway" to be pretty classic as EPs go.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 17 October 2004 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)

the pastels were never a threat to release a classic, 'up for a bit with the pastels' is as good as they'll ever get.
teenage fanclub haven't split, they just finished a new album.
i think the obvious answer is the clean but that's probably more because they've mostly been a part-time band.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 17 October 2004 02:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Rachel Goswell and Heil Hagerty

hahaha now *there's* a collaboration i'd like to see! neil halstead, surely?

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Sunday, 17 October 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

the clean 'compilation' is a classic IMO.. but it's not a proper album.

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Sunday, 17 October 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah that one's great, but most of the others have been recorded over a weekend or vacation.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 17 October 2004 03:04 (twenty-one years ago)

SELECTED AMBIENT WORKS VOL. 2 MOTHERFUCKER!!!!
THAT ALBUM IS BORING AS HELL MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!

-- Mr. Snrub (mistersnru...), October 15th, 2004.

YOU ARE WROOOOOOOONG MOTHERFUCKER NYAH NYAH NYAH

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Sunday, 17 October 2004 14:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Sea and Cake

― frankE (frankE), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

malice in leatherland

― kephm (kephm), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

though i will grant there is one of the instrumentals toward the end that is really fucking grating, and it's looooong

"Spec Bebop" is the best song on the album! I've never understood the love for this album. It's better than Painful is the only thing I can give it credit for. That said, I love all their other albums, but they do seem very much like the best example of a band who should be able to release a classic album but won't end up doing so.

― Vic Funk, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

re: Yo La Tengo--Electr-O-Pura
re: The Sea & Cake--The Biz; The Fawn

― claxxix, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 22:48 (twenty-one years ago)

hahaha now *there's* a collaboration i'd like to see! neil halstead, surely?

Yeah whatever the fuck his name is. You know, the bloke in Slowdive and Mojave 3.

― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:00 (twenty-one years ago)

BIS BITCHES.

return to central was pretty damn good, along with their factory tribute. they coulda made something great if they didnt break up.

― still bevens (bscrubbins), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:32 (twenty-one years ago)

St Etienne

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Thursday, 21 October 2004 14:52 (twenty-one years ago)

re: The Sea & Cake--The Biz; The Fawn
-- claxxix (luckmunc...), October 20th, 2004.

yes, the biz is a perfect little pop gem; classic.

― j.m. lockery (j.m. lockery), Saturday, 23 October 2004 03:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I think there's something a bit annoying about the idea of the 'classic album'. The idea of all those songs which can only be 'the last word' on whatever they're about, of all those musical gestures which, whatever they were when they were made, become 'classical' through repetition. The idea of the flux and flow of contextual gestures which can only make sense in time being lifted out of time and placed in the vault of the 'timeless'.

In fact, I just contributed an essay called 'No More Masterpieces!' to a German anthology of pop writing. It was inspired by a 'classic' essay Antonin Artaud wrote about theatre. Here are three paras. The first is by Artaud, the second and third by me:

'One of the reasons for the stifling atmosphere we live in, without any possibility of escape or remedy, which is shared by even the most revolutionary amongst us, is our respect for what has been written, expressed or painted, for whatever has taken shape, as if all expression were not finally exhausted, has not arrived at the point where things must break up to begin again, to make a fresh start. We must finally do away with the idea of masterpieces.'

'A thousand or so 'classic' records have become omnipresent and inescapable, clogging up bandwidth in the real world just as viagra spam clogs up the net. Who cares that viagra really does give you a hard on, or that these really might once have been great records? If you send me spam every day, or subject me to hits in public places, the original content of viagra or a pop song becomes irrelevant. It has become your weapon against me. It has become a plague, a pest, a poison, a form of oppression.'

'To the extent that critical canons are allied with power, I hate them as much as commercial canons. I hate Spin's records of the decade, because I see Spin as powerful, yet I have no objection to some stranger on the internet telling me his records of the decade. I want as many lists as possible out there, as long as you like, as different from each other as possible, and liable to be revised and changed frequently. I want not to recognize too many of the names on there.'

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 23 October 2004 05:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Momus in being a douchebag shocker

― sometimes i like to pretend i am very small and warm (ex machina), Sunday, 24 October 2004 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Lita Ford

― dave q, Sunday, 24 October 2004 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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