Album Follows Ups Always Disappoint

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Why do follow up albums to brilliant/landmark albums always disappoint?
The new QOTSA album is awful. It only has TWO good songs on it. Is far too poppy. Isnt a patch on rated r. And it isnt dark in the least like the 'media' said.Then again the media are always wrong( i may as well add i bought CTCL once. Worst mag ive ever read.Wont be buying it again). I never trust them. Noone should. I'd rather listen to old 70s heavy rock bands to be honest if this is the standard of modern rock music.(with the exception of Trail Of Dead,who get better each album)

Flaming lips album is rancid pish.Too much acoustic guitar,drum machines instead of proper drums, AND CRAP SONGS. Awful album. Incredible letdown.

Mercury Rev album Tedious. Overblown,Bad songs.

Spiritualized truly stinking album. not one good song on it. far too overproduced. One of the worst albums of all time. Then again they were never as good as made out to be. but LAGWAFIS was a good album.

The only good follow up album has been the new Coldplay. They show QOTSA etc how to write proper songs.

and to finish my rant.....White Stripes the 2nd most overrated band of all time. The 1st is Nirvana. A complete rip off of the far superior pixies.

― Harry M, Thursday, 29 August 2002 19:37 (twenty-three years ago)

''The only good follow up album has been the new Coldplay''

kill him down before he does any more damage, please!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:15 (twenty-three years ago)

autonomous marcello pseudonyms, peopele we are through the looking glass here!!

― simon trife (simon_tr), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I rather liked all of those albums,and i think the Mercury rev,QOTSA albums are better than the previous albums. Spiritualized album is great too,but just not quite as good as the 1st 3. Still great though.
Coldplay *shudders*
as for white stripes being hyped up etc,at least they had a few albums out.Coldplay were hyped as the best band in the uk before having a single out! I wish NME would stop doing that.

― Tim1, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm confused, none of those records are "followups" except for the QOTSA record. The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Spiritualized ... those guys' careers were already well underway...?

I disagree with pretty much every opinion expressed, although the new Lips and Rev records did bore me pretty much. I thought the last Spiritualized record was beautiful...

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Nah, he's right (to a certain degree). Haven't heard the new Queens one, but the last albums by Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips and (especially) Spiritualized pale in comparison to their predecessors (although I do think "All Is Dream" and "Yoshimi..." are excellent records on their own terms). The new Coldplay one is good too, but the idea of them showing the Queens how to write "proper songs" is a little bizarre. I'm not sure if they could be talked into attending songwriting classes given by a soppy wuss like Chris Martin. The king of all bad follow-up albums is "The Second Coming" by the Stone Roses, though.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:26 (twenty-three years ago)

well the QOTSA career was well underway too.This is their 3rd album. Not mentioning the Kyuss albums.

― tim1, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:29 (twenty-three years ago)

everybody hates "the Second Coming" except me... Coldplay? How cany anybody take that shit seriously? Dad-rock, Matchbox 20, plodding mid-tempos with leather pants and strings - it's just gross.

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:29 (twenty-three years ago)

the Stone Roses follow up "Second Coming" is probably the only album I've ever waited for with bated breath. More fool me. I was expecting that "difficult second album" to continue on from where the debut left off...keeping the Madchester dream alive, maan and all that.

While "Second Coming" isn't without merit ("Love Spreads", "Breaking Into Heaven" and "Begging You" (for about two minutes)) the bombastic production sucked all the life and, dare I say it, charm of the 'Roses' music.

It's kind of funny that Ian Brown that walked away from the Roses' car wreck with something of a career...I felt that Squire would be the one most likely...but as you can see from the Seahorses output, John still has his foot glued to the wah-wah peddle and "Physical Graffiti" on auto-replay.

― Derek Dalek (Derek Dalek), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:30 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the second coming by the stone roses is a great album. just has 2/3 songs in the middle that should have been left out. The critics and some fans just wanted them to stay the same making pop songs.
The only good review i saw for the second coming was by Everett True in the Melody Maker. Much respect for sticking out amongst the pack. You have been proved right i feel in time.

― tim1, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:31 (twenty-three years ago)

My mistake - I thought this was QOTSA's second (and counting Kyuss records isn't quite right, I don't think).

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I think the second coming was a terrific album actually. I hate bands who make the same albums over and over again.
Shame Squire lost it.Still ill give him one last chance with his forthcoming solo album. he cant sing any worse than that seahorses guy.

― Ian, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:34 (twenty-three years ago)

"I'm confused, none of those records are "followups" except for the QOTSA record. The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Spiritualized ... those guys' careers were already well underway...?"

Their careers were certainly well underway, and they had all been making some fantastic music for years, but I think it's fair to say that strong claims were made for "The Soft Bulletin", "Deserter's..." and "Ladies and Gents..." being these artists' masterpieces. I think the "Soft Bulletin" and "Ladies and Gents'" ARE those artists' masterpieces. Mercury Rev are a different matter, though, "Yerself is Steam" and "See you on the Other Side" are as mind-blowingly excellent as "Deserters'...". If you were disappointed with the follow-up's, Harry, you could do worse than check out some of the pre-decessors (if you haven't already.) The Flaming Lips' "Clouds Taste Metallic" and "Transmissions from the Satellite Heart" are worth investing in, as are the aforementioned Rev albums.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:34 (twenty-three years ago)

but if anything after a masterpiece is going to be called a "follow-up", aren't they by definition going to be a disappointment? Who could possibly follow-up a "masterpiece" with another "masterpiece"?? (Examples please - I can't think of any off the top of my head). The presumption precludes the possibility of the follow-up being anything besides a let-down, which makes the premise of this thread sorta ridiculous...

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:39 (twenty-three years ago)

In my humble opinion:
Radiohead followed up a masterpiece, "The Bends", with another masterpiece "OK Computer". I'm new to this forum and get the distinct impression that the anoraks don't rate the 'head just like they don't rate the Smiffs.

― Derek Dalek (Derek Dalek), Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:46 (twenty-three years ago)

"Who could possibly follow-up a "masterpiece" with another "masterpiece"?"

Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, Stickyfingers, Exile On Main Street.

(I can give some non-rock~~ist~~ examples too if I think hard)

― Nate Patrin, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Well, I'm hardly a barometer of ILM opinion, but *I* don't give two shits about Radiohead...

― Shaky Mo Collier, Thursday, 29 August 2002 20:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Mercury Rev followed up "See you on the Other Side" with "Deserter's Songs". "Yerself is Steam" was probably hailed as a masterpiece too (if there's any justice). Radiohead are the best example, though.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 29 August 2002 21:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Am I the only one who like the first QOTSA record better than R? Haven't heard the new one, but will probably pick it up today. I mean, I really like R, but it's kinda traditional and grunge redux, not as fresh to me as the stuff on the self-titled.

As for follow-ups in general, I really love the Lips' record from this year even though it's doesn't match up to Soft Bulletin. Expectations can be a real bear.

As for Radiohead, I'm not sure I'd qualify Bends as a masterpiece -- it always struck me as sounding like a singles comp for some reason, not so much as a unified album, which pardon me is part of my personal definition of masterpiece. There's a strong argument for OKC as a masterpiece, but look how it drove the band to totally switch horses, for better or worse.

― wl, Thursday, 29 August 2002 21:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Hello wl,
i do agree that "ok computer" spun radiohead off course. while "kid a" and "amnesiac" are worthy bodies of work it would be nice for thom to admit he painted himself into an artistic corner and tell jonny to put away the theremin and break out the geetars.

― Derek Dalek (Derek Dalek), Thursday, 29 August 2002 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

The new Sugababes certainly isnt a patch on the last one.
Same with the Missy Elliot album.

― kevin, Thursday, 29 August 2002 22:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Harry M's formula can be disproved with two words: 'Closer' and 'Loveless'.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 August 2002 22:52 (twenty-three years ago)

the only thing more rockist than caring about 'the album' is caring about TWO ALBUMS

― simon trife (simon_tr), Friday, 30 August 2002 01:22 (twenty-three years ago)

You know if I were a more kneejerk sort I'd accuse simon of being a rap-ist but that doesn't look right.

― Nate Patrin, Friday, 30 August 2002 01:31 (twenty-three years ago)

(Nothing personal, I just REALLY wanted to make that joke)
(Besides, it's a lot more common to have a great follow-up single.)

― Nate Patrin, Friday, 30 August 2002 01:33 (twenty-three years ago)

The new coldplay is supposed to be more rocking & the critics all like it and say the singles don't do it justice so i withhold judgement till i hear it.

Also, hello people, Elvis Costello? Sleater Kinney?

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 30 August 2002 02:31 (twenty-three years ago)

while "kid a" and "amnesiac" are worthy bodies of work it would be nice for thom to admit he painted himself into an artistic corner and tell jonny to put away the theremin and break out the geetars.

You may well be right on that Dalek. I've realized though that I still know what I think about the IDM version of Radiohead and don't have anything insightful to say on the topic. I'll admit I'd be interested to see what a return to rock for them would sound like now, after the last two records, but that might not be the path of their muse. This is basically my non-reply reply, I guess, because I don't wanna be rude either.

― wl, Friday, 30 August 2002 02:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Kid A & Amnesiac > OK Computer & The Bends

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Friday, 30 August 2002 02:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The Bends & Amnesiac > OK Computer & Kid A.

I like albums to sound like collections of singles. I'm a singleist.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 30 August 2002 03:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Stevie Wonder had an incredible string in 1972 & 1973 with Music of My Mind, Innervisions, and Talking Book, each of which got even better. Fulfillingness' First Finale isn't the greatest, but he was recovering from a car accident. Then he took an extra year before Songs in the Key of Life in '76, which continues to rule.

― Matt C., Friday, 30 August 2002 04:09 (twenty-three years ago)

I second the Sleater-Kinney mention. One Beat is their fourth great album in a row. (Fifth/sixth, if you want to be really hardcore about it, but I maintain their first truly great album is Dig Me Out.)

Also, Built To Spill followed up There's Nothing Wrong With Love with Perfect From Now On, and followed that up with Keep It Like A Secret.

Also also, I might as well mention R.E.M. (followed up Out Of Time with Automatic For The People) and U2 (followed up The Joshua Tree with Achtung Baby— yeah, I know, I know, Rattle And Hum was in between them, but that wasn't a real album), if only for the sake of official completeness.

― Nick Mirov, Friday, 30 August 2002 04:27 (twenty-three years ago)

"unknown pleasures"/"closer"..."soup"/"fyuti"..."music has the right to children"/"geogaddi"..."landcruising"/"more songs about food and revolutionary art"..."yo! bum rush the show"/"it takes a nation of millions to hold us back"

― michael w., Friday, 30 August 2002 06:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Amnesiac is good cos it does sound like a collection of singles!

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 30 August 2002 06:43 (twenty-three years ago)

but generally, yes, it is difficult to follow up a great album as you can never replicate that feeling of discovering a new sound/band/artist.

― michael w., Friday, 30 August 2002 06:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Amnesiac is good cos it does sound like a collection of singles!
Sorry Tom, but Amnesiac sounds good as it is an album. It has a flow, a mood. It is exactly not a collection of single songs! And not a second of filler. Only few records today achieve this: no filler and a flow!

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Friday, 30 August 2002 11:36 (twenty-three years ago)

FOR YOUR PLEASURE was better than the first Roxy Music (debatable, yes, but so I see it).

― matt riedl (veal), Friday, 30 August 2002 14:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I second the Sleater-Kinney mention. One Beat is their fourth great album in a row. (Fifth/sixth, if you want to be really hardcore about it, but I maintain their first truly great album is Dig Me Out.)

Interesting. I'd hold up Dig Me Out as an example of an able follow-up to Call The Doctor, a raw-boned masterpiece, with One Beat representing a comeback from a two-album slump. Hot Rock and Bad One elicit boredom.

― wl, Friday, 30 August 2002 16:01 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm apperantly the only person in the world who likes Candy-O better than the first Cars album. Then again, I haven't heard either of them in a while.

― Christine "Green Leafy Dragon" Indigo (cindigo), Friday, 30 August 2002 16:12 (twenty-three years ago)

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