there is no other band who veers from outstanding to gut-churningly awful as much as...faithless

perhaps this statement is OTT, but it struck me while listening to their greatest hits that most of the tracks are (in my view) either fabulous are completely horrendous.

is this more a characteristic of greatest hits albums? do faithless other albums contain stuff which is just "so-so"?

what other bands could the thread title statement be made about?

It's very hard to love their entire output, for well... the cheese basically. But I have a lot of sympathy for them, god they even managed to get something nice out of Dido on one track. I do feel like they never really quite achieved what they could have been capable of creatively somehow, and that being less populist, and less reliant on some overwhelmingly safe sounds/hooks/tricks would have done them wonders in the long run. But this probably ran counter to those populist instincts. Very much a "major label" band, more in the mould of rock, than dance equivalents. I suppose the closest other equivalents would be the Tiesto's of the world. Faithless are far less hateable, far more modest & intelligent and genuine than that I reckon. So, yeah... an odd & anomolous act alright.

wtf, I'd definitely put "God Is A DJ" in the shitter category though!

Faithless quits.

http://www.maxijazz.co.uk/Welcome.htm :

Hello you,

If you're a regular visitor to this site, you'll at least know that I am not! I've been meaning to enlist the talents of my nephew Reuben to better engage with this brave, new, but virtual world..

Touring however, often disrupts the best laid plans...

And so we come to the reason behind this, admittedly rare, communication.

After 15 years(!) and six albums(!!) I think we've probably made our collective point by now and that it's time to close the book and return to the library...

We've had, with you, the most unbelievable, epic and moving experience, stretching over years and tens of thousands of miles... joyful, exhilarating and empowering, we never for a moment thought an affair could last this long. Or be this powerful. Never thought for a moment that the end of this journey would be left to us either...

Quite naturally people grow, change and leave the things of youth behind them. You've not only brought us with you, but introduced us to y'children too! What're you like..?

The album 'The Dance Never Ends' was written and produced for you, as a thank you, but also as a goodbye.. the tour schedule has been particularly hectic as we attempt to visit as many territories as there are people who wanna see us.. And say thank you.

If I devoted the rest of my life to the task, I could NEVER thank you enough. I have memories that will still be with me in my next life.

But, like when writing a song, you always just 'know' when it's finished... this is and was the "Thank YOU And Goodbye' tour and to be truthful, I really hope you just pick up the ball of your life.. And RUN WITH IT!!

Once again, whether you bought or downloaded a cd, came to a show or told your mates about us... Whether from the beginning or just last week..

Thank you.

You'll be in my heart forever. Listen for my voice in future lifetimes, I only grow in your shadow, you're the sun to me.

One Love.

Maxi