they get better and better

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After the depressing thread : What band/artist has gone the farthest downhill?

Any bands that just keep getting better and better?

― phil jones (interstar), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

can't think of anyone!

― Sven Basted (blueski), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

The Gap Band did for their first six albums.

― What we want? Sex with T.V. stars! What you want? Ian Riese-Moraine! (Eastern Ma, Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

Personally I've always gone for Depeche on that front, though maybe Exciter was more of a holding pattern.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Radiohead
Spoon
Super Furry Animals
The Decemberists

yeah, i said it.

― Lee F# (fsharp), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and Radiohead. Ha, xpost!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

We did this a while ago, a thread to nominate an act that had always improved on their previous album, without dip in quality.

And the winner was....

absolutely nobody.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Right up through 1993's "Very" the Pet Shop Boys got better and better. Now they're on a plateau or beginning to slip, ever so gently.

I'd argue that Missy Elliott's last three albums (the last one in particular) show an increasing mastery of great production and songwriting.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 13:58 (twenty years ago)

i have noticed that Depeche Mode post-Violator seem to get a lot more credit in the US than over here. i think that every album since, ...Faith And Devotion included, has got torn to pieces by critics and fans alike (me included).

― Lee F# (fsharp), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 14:01 (twenty years ago)

Basement Jaxx MAYBE technically, but I still love 'Remedy' just a little bit more than the rest

― Sven Basted (blueski), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

I'd say Rufus Wainwright, but Poses throws things out a bit as it's my least favourite.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

Yo La Tengo certainly grew better and better, peaking late in their career. I'll take post-Fakebook over pre-Fakebook any day, and it's easy to imagine them still coming up with their best-ever CD.

― Taylor, Wednesday, 6 April 2005 15:28 (twenty years ago)

Fantomas

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

Okay, I don't know if this the effect of how I deal with their albums and that it's happened over the span of a number of years, but it certainly feels to me like Fugazi has improved with every new album. Not that I'm even much of a fan anymore, but still, it certainly feels like they're improving.

― Jay Watts III (jaywatts), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

Underworld

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 17:51 (twenty years ago)

Underworld in fact prove how lame a criterion "groundbreaking" is for music. A Hundred Days Off wasn't groundbreaking the way dubnobass was, but it's far better.

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

Definitly Spoon. Fannypack though two records doesn't spell a pattern. In my opinion, Pavement. Devin the Dude, Husker Du for a good stretch and maybe Stereo Total (not sure about the new one yet).

― dan. (dan.), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

And maybe the White Stripes.

― dan. (dan.), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

Xiu Xiu, Prefuse 73, Hood, Stars, Nada Surf (yes, Nada Surf)

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

Fugazi, White Stripes seconded.

The A Frames, so far.

Silkworm, for me and the couple thousand people that care.

Kruddler, for the few dozen people in Mpls that care.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Cat Power
Wilco
Flaming Lips (at least until Soft Bulletin. Yoshimi is good but more of a holding pattern. I'm looking forward to the next one)
Pastels
My Morning Jacket
Neko Case
Alasdair Roberts

― Stew (stew s), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:18 (twenty years ago)

Sleater-Kinney

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

OTM My Morning Jacket. I caughtt the tail end of a Bright Eyes show on TV the other night & Jim James joined him on stage to do, I believe, "Easy Morning Rebel." It was embarrassing, the extent to which Mr. James pissed all over young Conor.

― Yngwie AlmsteenMay (sgertz), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

Do Make Say Think
M83

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

A good related question to this might be, What artist quit after putting out their best album? I'd say that at least three album minimum though. I think Abbey Road is the Beatles best and that was their last recorded output.

― jmeister (jmeister), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

Blood Oranges/Cheri Knight (each album better than the last for 5 releases; unfortunately, it looks like there will never be any more)

Rachid Taha (I'm not familiar with his older stuff, but over the past 11 years/6 albums each one has shown growth, if you make allowances for a live album that rehashed greatest hits in a totally different style)

Cafe Tacuba (this can be debated, but pretty solid growth over 5 albums)

Bright Eyes (this may be a minority view, but it's mine)

I would have said 'Til Tuesday/Aimee Mann until the last one. Wilco has that problem, too. Even though I kinda like A Ghost Is Born, it's nowhere near as good as YHF. And I would sure debate Sleater-Kinney; if anything, the direction has been the reverse since Call The Doctor.

Tegan & Sarah

― Vornado (Vornado), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

Personally I've always gone for Depeche on that front, though maybe Exciter was more of a holding pattern.

Depeche Mode have never been better than they were from 1983 to 1986.

As for acts that did get better throughout their career, somebody mentioned Beatles, and I think it was almost the case at least until 1967. But certainly not after that, when "Abbey Road" was their only truly great album.

I think the most obvious responses to this thread would be classical composers. I mean, Mozart clearly got better towards the end of his life, same about Bach. And Handel's best work was mostly written after he moved to England.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

I mean: Look as the last 5-6 years og Mozart's output: Symphonies #40 and #41. Piano concertos #21 and #23, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, Requiem. Clearly, he was at his best by then, while obviously, those early works written when he was just a kid don't hold up.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:44 (twenty years ago)

Animal Collective

― seahorse genius (seahorse genius), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

GHOSTFACE

― Shakey Mo Collier, Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

I agree with Brght Eyes

― dan. (dan.), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 18:49 (twenty years ago)

mogwai ... and the new songs they played at ATP suggest they're still on the upward curve.

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Tom Waits(leaving Real Gone out for the moment). Alice/Blood Money seemed 'same old' at first glance but, but I find him burrowing many levels deeper into his pet themes than he ever had into some foreign emotional territory(for him). His most layered, literary albums, which isn't to say 'better' per se but certainly richer fwiw.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:02 (twenty years ago)

Flaming Lips are most certainly getting better and better. "Yoshimi" was their best yet.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

Another band who got better and better all the way throughout their career was Pulp. At least mostly.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

Aimee Mann works for me; I'm dying to hear her new one.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:55 (twenty years ago)

XTC, I feel, has generally been better in the later part of their career. However, it is now close to 20 years since their career high album anyway, so....

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

GHOSTFACE

-- Shakey Mo Collier (audiobo...), April 6th, 2005. (later)

This was going to be my post.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Some might cite Talk Talk, although I don't agree.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Cat Power would possibly count if it wasn't for the covers album.
I'd be with you Barry on the DMST if the Goodbye Enemy Airship was better then the S/T.
I'd like to suggest Buck 65 and Eric's Trip though.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

Pinback

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

perhaps the Boredoms.

― Hari A$hur$t (Toaster), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Slayer

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 22:15 (twenty years ago)

But what's wrong with the covers album? Chan's versions of I Found A Reason and Satisfaction are amazing? Admittedly, the rest isn't as strong, but it's hardly a career low.

I actually prefer Ghost Is Born to YHF. It's less forced in its experimentalism - they seem more comfortable in their new art rock shoes. Spiders is incredible - best thing they've done.

― Stew (stew s), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 22:25 (twenty years ago)

The Ex
Melt-Banana
MBV

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 22:47 (twenty years ago)

Ghost

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

see, it's hard for indie ppl to answer this question since it goes directly against their ethos of trying to earn cred by claiming "the first / most obscure release was the best!!" -> this is just an unnatural way of looking at things, for them

also, i don't understand how some of the bands can be mentioned on this thread if they've only had two releases....that's not saying much! x-posts

― Vic in LA, Wednesday, 6 April 2005 23:35 (twenty years ago)

Yo La Tengo did it for over a decade. Pretty impressive.

Spoon was working on a similar streak, but from what I hear they mangled it with Gimme Friction. Some for Wilco until AGIB.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 23:40 (twenty years ago)

Low, Trembling Blue Stars

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 23:43 (twenty years ago)

JAH FUCKING WOBBLE.25 years and still counting

― Black Arkestra (Black Arkestra), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

I'd say Sonic Youth if I didn't think they've been in the greatest holding pattern ever for the past couple decades or so

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 6 April 2005 23:47 (twenty years ago)

Britney Spears (well, Britney is slightly better than In The Zone but the trend is there)

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 7 April 2005 00:08 (twenty years ago)

styrofoam

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 7 April 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

oh, Blink-182 basically did this for a decade.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Thursday, 7 April 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

After listening to a couple free songs from of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins ( http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/twins ), I have to add them to the list. Just awesome.

― Mickey (modestmickey), Thursday, 7 April 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

i agree with bright eyes, spoon.

iron and wine, in my opinion. woman king is great. the shins. i swear i didn't mean to do two sub pop bands like that.

― jonathan - stl (jonathan - stl), Thursday, 7 April 2005 00:35 (twenty years ago)

Joy Division, if that counts, though i'm not sure i agree with myself.

― dmun, Thursday, 7 April 2005 08:35 (twenty years ago)

PULP

― Michael B, Thursday, 7 April 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

I already mentioned Pulp

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 7 April 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

Massive Attack, until 100th Window

― uncle arthur, Thursday, 7 April 2005 10:04 (twenty years ago)

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