Bands whose artistic peak was their last album

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An artistic peak is of course subjective and arguable, but I think most people agree there aren't a lot of bands who quit on top.

The two examples I can think of right now are both controversial. ABBA I feel ended with their best album, but it was a commercial failure. Police's last album was considered an artistic triumph at the time, and also a huge commercial success, but I know a lot of people particularly here om ILM will strongly disagree with me when I do still consider it their best work.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:01 (nineteen years ago)

Abbey Road

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:05 (nineteen years ago)

Loveless

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

The Clash

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:07 (nineteen years ago)

nirvana
nick drake
mclusky
sonny sharrock
unrest
big star
aaliyah

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

Big Star

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:10 (nineteen years ago)

x-post

def. Unrest!!! man what a great band.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:11 (nineteen years ago)

Talk Talk owns this thread, though some might say otherwise. And the Field Mice, I think, though I suppose it could be argued that "For Keeps" is their only *full* album, and thus doesn't really count.

― owen moorhead (i heart daniel miller), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:12 (nineteen years ago)

royal trux

― jhoshea (scoopsnoodle), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

some assholes think imperial > perfect teeth!

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Swans, almost certainly. "Soundtracks" isn't their heaviest OR most accessible album, but they do seem to have a fatally tight grip on their muse for all 123487901025789012735 minutes of it.

pssst- I'm one of those assholes!

― owen moorhead (i heart daniel miller), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:17 (nineteen years ago)

Shakey OTM.

Sensei, totally not.

Other nominations:
1. Husker Du - Warehouse (this will be shot down, but it's still my favorite Huskers album).
2. The Jam - The Gift
3. Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne
4. The Verve - Urban Hymns (again maybe confusing popularity with 'artistic peak')

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

pssst- I'm one of those assholes!

-- owen moorhead (owen_...), February 14th, 2006.

i knew it!

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

oops, I forgot about Cut the Crap.

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:21 (nineteen years ago)

haha - I thought that's what you were referring to?

A Northern Soul >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Urban Hymns

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:22 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, "Makeout Club" and "West Coast Love Affair" might push "Perfect Teeth" over the edge. But come on: "Imperial"? Goodness.

― owen moorhead (i heart daniel miller), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:27 (nineteen years ago)

Odyssey & Oracle

― darin (darin), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:29 (nineteen years ago)

yeah - i mean, imperial is a great great album. if it had the 12" version of "isabel" instead of the no-drums version, itd be closer. at this point, i probably just insist on PT>I because its my historical position. but i DO INSIST.

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Felt

― Rick Spence (spencerman), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer Imperial by a hair, more weirdness.

Um... Swans seconded.

Arguably Fugazi and Coil.

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:35 (nineteen years ago)

Live Skull

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:36 (nineteen years ago)

Funnily enough PT was my introduction to Unrest AND has unending sentimental value since it soundtracked a sweet and wonderful time in my life. That I like Imperial ffrr better I think is indication that I must, at a more basic level, like Imperial a whole lot more. West Coast Love Affair is surely one of my favorite songs ever though.

― owen moorhead (i heart daniel miller), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

Trompe Le Monde

― peter in montreal (spaces are allowed), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

Ut
Pussy Galore

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:37 (nineteen years ago)

ts: cath carroll vs suki

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:45 (nineteen years ago)

Band of Susans, who should get bonus points because they were working a pretty narrow territory throughout their career.

― dlp9001, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:46 (nineteen years ago)

mclusky????!

negative, sir.
'Do Dallas' has waaaay more piss/vinegar/sheer chutzpah than just about everything on 'The Difference...'
'Do Dallas' is how i WISHED the Sex Pistols were going to sound like...yet did not in the least.

― eedd, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:47 (nineteen years ago)

i like do dallas way better than i used to, but i still think the diff is more focused and heavier, which i like. i guess this is another close one.

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:57 (nineteen years ago)

i like slint's final EP and basically nothing else by them

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

People are bound to get in a tizzy about this but...

Loaded: Velvet Underground

Others--

Nick Drake: Pink Moon
Bikini Kill: Reject All American
Uncle Tupelo: Anydyne (seconded)

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

unwound - leaves turn inside you
neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane etc
shuggie otis - inspirational information (an assumption, it's the only one i've heard)

― älänbänänä (alanbanana), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:03 (nineteen years ago)

The Beau Brummels went out on top with their final two: Triangle and Bradley's Barn. Kind of like the Zombies in that sense. I wonder what else both bands could have accomplished.

― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:04 (nineteen years ago)

dear kornrulez6969,

you just may have forgotten about a great little nugget called squeeze.

ihttp://bobchaos.com/squeeze/mailedD1.jpg

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:05 (nineteen years ago)

pete, you and your damn perfect teeth. FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, GROW UP.

and Warehouse as the best HD = teh crazy.

― wangdangsweetpentangle (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:14 (nineteen years ago)

probably stretching the rules of the game, but PJ Harvey's Rid Of Me. polly jean insisted that "PJ Harvey" was the name of the band...until, of course, they broke up shortly after Rid Of Me. So technically, Rid Of Me was the last, and best, album by the band known as PJ Harvey.

or words to that effect.

― Lawrence the Looter (Lawrence the Looter), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

dude zack. if you REALLY LOVED YOUR GIRLFRIEND, YOUD LOVE PERFECT TEETH MORE.

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

shoot to wound, brah. she likes imperial more, too!

― wangdangsweetpentangle (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

note: this may not be true

― wangdangsweetpentangle (teenagequiet), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

yeah im just goofin anyway

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

just a note: a lot of these groups (Big Star, for one) have put out new albums recently. yes, they are reformed groups, but... i think that premature judgment of a band's 'oeuvre' or whatever is a little silly.

― trees (treesessplode), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

JAWBREAKER: DEAR YOU

(and to second...)

VU: Loaded.

― grady (grady), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

I completely agree with Velvet Underground.

Would like to add Roxy Music btw (Again, I know lots of people will disagree)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

a minor forest - inindependence

― Palpatean Mists, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)

oh right - i forgot about the new big star! i guess counting third sort of compels you to count the new one, what with the personnel change and weird release circumstances, etc.

fair enough - ill retract big star.

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

DUDES THE VELVET UNDERGROUND RELEASED FIVE ALBUMS

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:29 (nineteen years ago)

Joy Division, for me. I definitely prefer Closer to Unknown Pleasures.

― Harrison Barr (Petar), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

I'm well aware of Squeeze. I was listening to Squeeze when you were still in short pants. So don't tell me about Squeeze, bucko.

But without Lou, it's not the Velvet Underground.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

Anyway, Big Star peaked with their debut album.

In the case of Joy Division, I guess they count although most of the band continued under another monicker.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:35 (nineteen years ago)

youve LISTENED to squeeze?

― pssst - badass revolutionary art! (plsmith), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:36 (nineteen years ago)

Technically, no. But for the sake of the thread, yes.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 21:58 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 88 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

neutral milk hotel

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:09 (fourteen years ago)

the smiths

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:09 (fourteen years ago)

metallic a

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:10 (fourteen years ago)

metallic b

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:12 (fourteen years ago)

that was the last one, promise

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:12 (fourteen years ago)

my artistic peak!

― ☠-post (latebloomer), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:12 (fourteen years ago)

the talking radioheads
the dirty animals
bjorkade fire

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:18 (fourteen years ago)

fuck what thread am i in again

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:18 (fourteen years ago)

Jody Watley

― corey, Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:19 (fourteen years ago)

Kajagoogoo

― corey, Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:19 (fourteen years ago)

Shannon

― corey, Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:20 (fourteen years ago)

the obvious answer is Tar, w/ Over and Out.

― Aphex Tim, Thursday, 3 March 2011 01:20 (fourteen years ago)

The obvious answer is

http://ridunkulousexperiences.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/1_cvr-loveless.jpg

― John Lennon, Thursday, 3 March 2011 03:07 (fourteen years ago)

Rod Stewart

― A Scanner Snarkly (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 3 March 2011 03:25 (fourteen years ago)

10,000 Maniacs, Our Time in Eden was a lovely record. They did some post-Merchant albums but those don't count.

― ban this sick stunt (anagram), Thursday, 3 March 2011 08:52 (fourteen years ago)

Portishead
Scritti Politti
Broadcast (If you don't include the one with the Focus Group)
Earl Brutus
The Avalanches

― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 3 March 2011 10:44 (fourteen years ago)

Scott Walker issued an album between the start of this thread and now.

So, for "The Drift", yes. (unless you count that "go to the ball" thing)

― Mark G, Thursday, 3 March 2011 11:08 (fourteen years ago)

Death From Above 1979... not any of the remix shit, though... Basically, 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine'

― SeanWayne, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 01:57 (fourteen years ago)

Unwound

― Comics can't all be syringes and scalpels poised before eyes. y'know? (R Baez), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 01:59 (fourteen years ago)

I'd like to be a pedant here and point out that "latest album" ≠ "last album". I guess it's possible that Scott Walker and Green Gartside will never release any more albums, but I'm not willing to face that possibility until they either die or retire.

― administratieve blunder (unregistered), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 02:18 (fourteen years ago)

same goes for bands that haven't disbanded or at least gone on a 1000-year hiatus, à la the Avalanches.

― administratieve blunder (unregistered), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 02:22 (fourteen years ago)

well technically, the latest is the last, regardless if the band is broken up or not... But I think the original intent here was a bands final record before a bands' demise being their peak..

― SeanWayne, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 03:16 (fourteen years ago)

Hooray for the Combat Rock love (above). Also the last Fugazi record is right up there. Great topic.

― broom air, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 04:03 (fourteen years ago)

I'm not willing to face that possibility until they ~~either~~ die ~~or retire~~.

Because, lets face it, retirement means nothing in music anymore.

― rendezvous then i'm through with HOOS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 04:11 (fourteen years ago)

*whispers* radiohead

― Crouching Seward, Hidden Raggett (kelpolaris), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 04:56 (fourteen years ago)

for those that subscribe to the belief that radiohead will forever continue to top itself with each consecutive album

― Crouching Seward, Hidden Raggett (kelpolaris), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 04:59 (fourteen years ago)

Slowdive

― corey, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 05:03 (fourteen years ago)

TROMPE DE PUTAIN LE MONDE

― Hadrian VIII, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 05:07 (fourteen years ago)

Refused!!!!!!!!!!!! muthafuckin Refused!!!

― SeanWayne, Thursday, March 3, 2011 12:58 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark

fuck yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah love this dude

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 05:18 (fourteen years ago)

Death From Above 1979... not any of the remix shit, though... Basically, 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine'

reforming for live shows this year – no word on new music though

― ban this sick stunt (anagram), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 08:23 (fourteen years ago)

Jane's Addiction

― kkvgz, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 10:14 (fourteen years ago)

I'd like to be a pedant here and point out that "latest album" ≠ "last album".

Yeah, but there are loads of bands who have ostensibly made their last album that could potentially either
1) get back together for an album that people um.. like but not exactly hail. (eg The Stooges)
2) magically discover some unfinished tracks and stick them out anyway. (eg Neu!)

Do you have to be The Ramones?

― Mark G, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 10:38 (fourteen years ago)

Dollar.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 8 March 2011 12:40 (fourteen years ago)

Jane's Addiction

*choke*

surely this belongs in the 'Favorite Albums from bands whose devotees think you're nuts for thinking that that album is their best' thread?

― m the g, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 13:06 (fourteen years ago)

Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights

― Lee626, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 14:20 (fourteen years ago)

I've always had Jamahiriya by Savage republic as my favourite
& positraction by Live Skull as my fav of theirs.

Funhouse by The Stooges is a cornerstone of the Universe & I think that line-up had ceased to be by the time the lp was released. Think Goose Creek festival was actually prior to release & saw the exit of Dave Alexander. Subsequently the Rhino Handmade first official release of a live set by the Funhouse era band isn't actually by the Funhouse line-up.

― Stevolende, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 14:48 (fourteen years ago)

I don't think Otis Redding ever topped "Dock Of The Bay" (the song) for what that's worth.

I read or heard a few years back that Otis was working in a new direction at the time of this. Had been listening to The Beatles heavily & was subsequently getting pretty contemplative in his approach. I haven't come across any more material by him that fits that description so wonder if it was actually recorded or just written.

― Stevolende, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 14:56 (fourteen years ago)

Refused!!!!!!!!!!!! muthafuckin Refused!!!
― SeanWayne, Thursday, March 3, 2011 12:58 AM (5 days ago) Bookmark
fuck yeaaaaaaaaaaaaah love this dude
― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, March 8, 2011 5:18 AM (13 hours ago)

Yeah, I get that a lot... lol!

― SeanWayne, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 19:07 (fourteen years ago)

Death From Above 1979... not any of the remix shit, though... Basically, 'You're a Woman, I'm a Machine'
reforming for live shows this year – no word on new music though
― ban this sick stunt (anagram), Tuesday, March 8, 2011 8:23 AM (10 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Oh, that wacky Mastercraft crap wasn't working out? *rolls eyes*

This would be awesome.. I missed them the when they came through last-I got into them about a month after- and regreted missing them big time cuz they broke up soon after.
Its 2 guys, how hard is it to get along! lol

― SeanWayne, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 19:12 (fourteen years ago)

two years pass...

Don Caballero (American Don)

― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Tuesday, 14 May 2013 16:08 (twelve years ago)

five years pass...

Japan - Tin Drum (if we're discounting Rain Tree Crow and Oil On Canvas

Japan is right. But their best album - the one I always return to - is the Rain Tree Crow album. A different band/project name but the same people. That album is sublime. It is the brother of "Laughing Stock" .

― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 22 March 2019 20:32 (six years ago)

agreed

― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Friday, 22 March 2019 20:40 (six years ago)

Rain Tree Crow is even better than "Laughing Stock", I daresay. The drumming is easy to overlook because it's so understated but it sets the mood absolutely perfectly.

I submit David Bowie's "Blackstar" is an answer to this topic.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 22 March 2019 21:15 (six years ago)

Broadcast (If you d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ include the one with the Focus Group)

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Saturday, 23 March 2019 02:33 (six years ago)

Go-Betweens

― recriminations from the nitpicking woke (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 23 March 2019 02:36 (six years ago)

Lotta weird arguing at the top of this thread amongst ppl who seem to think Unrest only released 2 albums(!)

― What's that Phish song that goes "Bag it, Tag it"? (morrisp), Saturday, 23 March 2019 03:05 (six years ago)

XP: Amusing that my first thought earlier was "16 Lover's Lane, fair enough". They went out on high note both times around! (And the reunion records are seemingly STILL not fully assimilated in my head.)

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Saturday, 23 March 2019 08:40 (six years ago)

probably not for everyone, but these two are my favourite albums of theirs:

Thin White Rope - The Ruby Sea
Cop Shoot Cop - Release

― StanM, Saturday, 23 March 2019 09:09 (six years ago)

Betty Davis - Nasty Gal

― Tuomas, Saturday, 23 March 2019 11:37 (six years ago)

Fugazi

― Paul Ponzi, Saturday, 23 March 2019 12:26 (six years ago)

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