Bands with a decent number of albums that all mostly sound somewhat like each other with ONE notorious exception that sticks out like a sore thumb and it wasn't the first or last album they made (and

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Not looking for debut albums that came out before a band found it's identity or last-ditch attempts at success that failed, taking the band down with it, because those situations are relatively plentiful. I'm looking for bands with a bunch of records where after they got established, they took a hard left or right turn into something completely atypical for them, only to subsequently go on like that album never happened.

The most obvious one for me would be Bad Religion's infamous "Into The Unknown," which I cannot comment on because I never heard it. At least until I found this... So I will now listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK_vHFs-Tz0

Wow, it's horrible.

Another choice could be Motorhead's "Orgasmatron" which really sounds very dissimilar to the rest of their catalogue. It is actually my favorite album from them and that might be one reason.

Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Friday, 18 January 2013 08:27 (twelve years ago)

Celtic Frost - Cold Lake

besides Sunny Real Estate (dog latin), Friday, 18 January 2013 09:43 (twelve years ago)

Would Smashing Pumpkins - Adore count?

besides Sunny Real Estate (dog latin), Friday, 18 January 2013 09:43 (twelve years ago)

White Chalk is a bit like this.

nate woolls, Friday, 18 January 2013 09:58 (twelve years ago)

tusk?

dutch tl;drs (electricsound), Friday, 18 January 2013 10:28 (twelve years ago)

nah scratch that

dutch tl;drs (electricsound), Friday, 18 January 2013 10:28 (twelve years ago)

Not a band but Metal Machine Music is possibly the ne plus ultra here

a la recherche du tempbans perdu (NickB), Friday, 18 January 2013 10:31 (twelve years ago)

or at least it was in the world before Lulu

a la recherche du tempbans perdu (NickB), Friday, 18 January 2013 10:31 (twelve years ago)

Ramones - End of the Century

cock chirea, Friday, 18 January 2013 10:32 (twelve years ago)

Not a band but Metal Machine Music is possibly the ne plus ultra here

Trans is another in this sort of vein

dutch tl;drs (electricsound), Friday, 18 January 2013 10:34 (twelve years ago)

Pat Metheny - Zero Tolerance For Silence

cock chirea, Friday, 18 January 2013 10:36 (twelve years ago)

The Charlatans' Between 10th and 11th is one, and there must be loads of other examples of stodgy 90s bands putting out electronicky/dancey records. Or pop people putting out rock/guitar albums: e.g. Kylie's Impossible Princess.

Eyeball Kicks, Friday, 18 January 2013 10:46 (twelve years ago)

TSOL's catalog is all decent-to-awful takes on SoCal rock of the moment- hardcore, roots, warped tour punk- except for the keyboard heavy Beneath the Shadows, where their arrangements are suddenly first-rate and it elevates everything else. Same impulses that Bad Religion had, but it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RCCKFrZXpc

bendy, Friday, 18 January 2013 11:46 (twelve years ago)

Freak*on*ica

(hcnuL dlO) * (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 January 2013 14:56 (twelve years ago)

Not a band, but Nebraska?

Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 18 January 2013 14:58 (twelve years ago)

Bowie's Earthling.

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:00 (twelve years ago)

Beauty Stab

mr.raffles, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:05 (twelve years ago)

The Orb - Pomme Fritz
Beck - Sea Change
Ween - 12 Golden Country Greats

I'm really shocked that I can't think of more instances wherein an artist was more depressed or angry or elated than usual and released something completely out of character. You'd think this would be fairly common among mercurial musicians.

(hcnuL dlO) * (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:10 (twelve years ago)

I'm thinking that maybe the most mercurial ones tend to do something a little differently with every album, making the real left-field turns harder to single out.

Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:15 (twelve years ago)

The Wildhearts - Endless, Nameless, obviously

imago, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:17 (twelve years ago)

I was sure that Gary Moore did a drum n'bass influenced album in the 90s, but looking it up he seems to have done about 3! I guess that's an official "phase" in his career then. Wishbone Ash had a techno / rave phase that lasted for longer than just one album too, what the fuck was going on back then? There must be loads of artists who had a one-album drum n'bass dalliance, can't think who though.

it's all fuck what sit says, we'll do our own thing (Matt #2), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:23 (twelve years ago)

Kiss - Music From The Elder

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:25 (twelve years ago)

Geir's favourite!

Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:29 (twelve years ago)

Many of the albums listed so far are the one stinker in an otherwise excellent catalog. I'm thinking of stuff like Grant Lee Phillips "Mobilize", a trip-hop album in his otherwise folky catalog. Or Lloyd Cole's "Bad Vibes", similarly danceable and odd in his indie rock ouvre. I happen to love both of those but they came as a shock initially.

Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:30 (twelve years ago)

I'm surprised Neil Young's Trans hasn't come up yet, though I'll argue that he was still synthing it up through Landing On water and Life.

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:30 (twelve years ago)

Trans is another in this sort of vein

― dutch tl;drs (electricsound), Friday, January 18, 2013 4:34 AM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

congratulations (n/a), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:30 (twelve years ago)

ah sorry, just searched "neil"

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:31 (twelve years ago)

while the keyboard was definitely still part of his arsenal through the 80s, trans is the only one with the robot voice so it's fair game

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:32 (twelve years ago)

Everybody's Rockin' too, did he ever do rockabilly again?

it's all fuck what sit says, we'll do our own thing (Matt #2), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:34 (twelve years ago)

not without grimacing

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:35 (twelve years ago)

not really, though the shocking pinks sorta morphed into the international harvesters thing about 80s neil is that he didn't really make one weird album and then go back to ordinary neil - he went devo, then rockabilly, then country, then miami vice, then bar blues, etc

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:36 (twelve years ago)

def disagree with suggestions for Smashing Pumpkins (you could easily cobble together an album-length comp of Adore-like songs from other albums) and Ween (often donned 'musical costumes,' country album just most extreme example thereof)

some dude, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:36 (twelve years ago)

re*ac*tor through this note's is really almost 100% sore thumb xpost

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:37 (twelve years ago)

really the artist's other albums "mostly sounding somewhat like each other" feels to me like the key criteria here that's often being overlooked, especially w/r/t Neil

some dude, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:38 (twelve years ago)

Beauty Stab was a good suggestion.

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:39 (twelve years ago)

John prine's Pink Cadillac - super consistent singer/songwriter goes to Sun Records to mumble out some old school rock'n'roll!

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:43 (twelve years ago)

Bad Religion was the first thing I thought of... Metheny is a good answer too

I nominate Rickie Lee Jones' Ghostyhead (weird trip-hop record that I love)

sleeve, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:45 (twelve years ago)

while in one sense southpaw grammar is surrounded by arena rock moves in the mozz discography, did he ever play around with epic song-lengths and minutes-long drum solos again?

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:49 (twelve years ago)

I would argue it's the Your Arsenal sound taken to exhaustive lengths – the last of that phase of his career.

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 January 2013 15:51 (twelve years ago)

yeah there are a lot of albums that are either the culmination of a fascination (that), or something like bob mould's modulate - the proud introduction of a new color to the palette that was later submerged into the familiar but not abandoned entirely

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:53 (twelve years ago)

so far it looks like weezer's red album is the only one where everybody gets a turn at the mic

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 15:57 (twelve years ago)

whereas I wouldn't know how to classify Maladjusted except as a realization of its title.

the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 January 2013 16:00 (twelve years ago)

Kanye's 808 maybe ?

AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 18 January 2013 16:03 (twelve years ago)

that may wind up a "modulate" - the next album had "runaway" on it so it's not like he's all "autotune ballad? what's an autotune ballad?"

da croupier, Friday, 18 January 2013 16:06 (twelve years ago)

I've felt this way about Paris 1919-- although it has its own Blueshammer moment with "Macbeth"-- and there's "Ship of Fools" on the album after and "Big White Cloud" on the one before-- but iirc it's the one album that Cale wrote completely before going into the studio

friday goodness thank it's (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 18 January 2013 16:07 (twelve years ago)

xpost
yeah, true. "runaway" would have been perfect on 808 !

AlXTC from Paris, Friday, 18 January 2013 16:09 (twelve years ago)

xpost yeah it's a weird thing when your first Cale album is Paris 1919 and you go dowsing for more.

consistency is the owlbear of small minds (Jon Lewis), Friday, 18 January 2013 16:20 (twelve years ago)

Agreed. It took me a long time to fully accept that that wasn't his default sound.

(hcnuL dlO) * (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 January 2013 17:40 (twelve years ago)

I guess There's A Riot Goin' On would apply here.

(hcnuL dlO) * (Old Lunch), Friday, 18 January 2013 17:41 (twelve years ago)

Mmmmaybe...except they didn't continue like it never happened. The arrangements on Fresh are very similar, though with a markedly sunnier outlook.

Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Friday, 18 January 2013 17:47 (twelve years ago)

"Nothing Like You" was recorded like 5-6 years before the rest of Sorcerer, so yeah its inclusion was a total "wtf"?

xxxxxpost

Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Sunday, 20 January 2013 02:20 (twelve years ago)

xposts

I don't really see The Soft Parade fitting here. It was the reputation because of the orchestration, but in reality that's like three songs and, "Runnin' Blue" aside, everything else could have easily fit on any other Doors album.

Big Sambola & The Tailspinners (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 20 January 2013 02:31 (twelve years ago)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/00/Hot_Trip_to_Heaven.jpg

Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 20 January 2013 04:53 (twelve years ago)

I think that might be my favorite Love And Rockets album too.

Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 20 January 2013 04:55 (twelve years ago)

Mos Def, The New Danger?

The Reverend, Sunday, 20 January 2013 07:49 (twelve years ago)

was gonna say New Danger but I think Mos changed it up again anyway, The Ecstatic was basically a fake Stones Throw album and sounded nothing like the first couple (True Magic's the possible wrench in that theory, but I genuinely don't remember that album at all)

berner herzog (fadanuf4erybody), Sunday, 20 January 2013 08:06 (twelve years ago)

Only other vocalist I can think of with Miles: Nana Vasconcelos, during interludes on Live-Evil.

Dow, I think you mean Hermeto Pascoal, here.

Ward Fowler, Sunday, 20 January 2013 08:19 (twelve years ago)

destroyer - kaputt and your blues

nostormo, Sunday, 20 January 2013 12:17 (twelve years ago)

You're right, Ward, thanks. The vocal (and trumpet) interludes are like sunlight traveling across wallpaper---between the multiplying dimensions of the party tracks. One of the first and best jazz albums I ever heard.

dow, Sunday, 20 January 2013 14:37 (twelve years ago)

Can't think of another album by anybody using vocal interludes that way.

dow, Sunday, 20 January 2013 14:40 (twelve years ago)

portastatic - de mel, de melão (okay, it's an ep)

mookieproof, Sunday, 20 January 2013 14:40 (twelve years ago)

I'm not sure if he counts, since he's only released three albums, but IMO Divine Styler's second album belongs to this category. This is what his discography is like:

First album: cool, idiosyncratic rap record that combines hip hop tradition with the latest techniques of its era.

Second album: a mess of a record that sound like artsy experimental rock, complete with guitar solos, endless noodling, atonal noises, terrible wailing and mubling by DS, barely any rapping.

Third album: cool, idiosyncratic rap record that combines hip hop tradition with the latest techniques of its era.

Tuomas, Monday, 21 January 2013 14:50 (twelve years ago)

ita not a mess and the rock isn't really experimental and the noodling isn't endless (the songs aren't that long) and 95% of the album is completely tonal. there is some wailing and mumbling though. briefly.

scott seward, Monday, 21 January 2013 15:10 (twelve years ago)

Well, regardless of what you think about its quality, you have to admit it's completely different from the albums that preceded and followed it, as those are rap music.

Tuomas, Monday, 21 January 2013 15:13 (twelve years ago)

its different for sure, but the first album was not a really normal rap album either if you listen to it.

scott seward, Monday, 21 January 2013 15:16 (twelve years ago)

It's not "normal", the third one isn't either, but they're clearly recognizable as rap albums with hip hop beats. The second album is experimental rock with a bit of rapping included.

Tuomas, Monday, 21 January 2013 15:30 (twelve years ago)

Stevie Wonder, The Secret Life of Plants? Don't think he's done a whole album like this otherwise, or maybe even occasional tracks like these?
Jamey Johnson's Hank Cochran tribute, with countrypolitan orchestrations (no ODs, though) and cavalcade of guest stars.

dow, Monday, 21 January 2013 15:49 (twelve years ago)

Digital Ash in a Digital Urn

to each his own but (Eazy), Monday, 21 January 2013 16:04 (twelve years ago)

Divine Comedy - Regeneration

Haujobb - Ninetynine

Scoobie Dufay (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 2 February 2013 21:14 (twelve years ago)

My Bloody Valentine (depending on loose your definition of "decent number" is)

Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 February 2013 20:43 (twelve years ago)

Fakebook

Dr. Alfred P. Falfa (WilliamC), Sunday, 3 February 2013 20:45 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdEftj2acv0

❏❐❑❒ (gr8080), Sunday, 3 February 2013 23:57 (twelve years ago)

robbie williams - rudebox

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 07:21 (twelve years ago)

all right all right i'm going

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 07:21 (twelve years ago)

Many prog acts went AOR for a while in the 80s, but Camel ("The Single Factor") and Pendragon (Nomzamo") were the only ones who did for one album only.

Bowie might not quite fit in here as he has changed genre all the time through his career, but his 70s style changes were all gradual whereas "Earthling is easily completely unlike anything he has ever done before or since.

Gotta disagree with "Mummer" btw. That album was a departure at the time, but largely predated everything they would become from "Skylarking" onwards.

The GeirBot (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 14:02 (twelve years ago)

Why was "Mummer" a departure? Other than being not quite as good as the preceding albums (but better than people say it is)

Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 14:05 (twelve years ago)

it wasn't, they just stopped touring and became more studio-focused

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 14:06 (twelve years ago)

"Mummer" is less "new wave" and more pop. More pastoral and less "rock".

The GeirBot (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 18:38 (twelve years ago)

it does not stick out like a sore thumb

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 20:48 (twelve years ago)

neither does king crimson's 'lizard' tbh

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 20:49 (twelve years ago)

although i think 'muswell hillbillies' (kinks) fits pretty well

walloreinhart (Autumn Almanac), Tuesday, 5 February 2013 20:50 (twelve years ago)

Erasure's self-titled album breaks pretty sharply from the rigid formula of their other albums, even though the sounds used aren't much different. Lots of extended-length songs, long instrumental sections.

Vinnie, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 21:11 (twelve years ago)

This is a pretty good acid rock album from the bubblegum heroes.

http://npknet.com/images/Jackvynil/1231albums53.jpg

everything, Tuesday, 5 February 2013 21:12 (twelve years ago)

Erasure's self-titled album breaks pretty sharply from the rigid formula of their other albums, even though the sounds used aren't much different. Lots of extended-length songs, long instrumental sections.

I kind of agree, although the one Erasure album that sticks out the most is the all-acoustic "Union Street", followed by "Loveboat", which also contained a lot of guitar.

The GeirBot (Geir Hongro), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 11:09 (twelve years ago)

I'm dying to hear that 1910 Fruitgum Co. biker album!

Lee626, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 11:36 (twelve years ago)

bjork's catalog can hardly be described as consistent, but debut sticks out for being so deeply normal-sounding in comparison to the rest.

i kept thinking there would be a bizarre standout to the ghostface discography, but they're all so maddeningly consistent. even wizard of poetry is a ghostface album through and through.

glad someone mentioned picnic of love upthread :D

cocktail onion (fennel cartwright), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 11:57 (twelve years ago)

Note that the original question was:

Bands with a decent number of albums that all mostly sound somewhat like each other with ONE notorious exception that sticks out like a sore thumb and it wasn't the first or last album...

There are plenty of bands/artists with anomalous first albums.

Tuomas, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 12:22 (twelve years ago)

Perspex Island definitely belongs on this list.

Turkey, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 12:23 (twelve years ago)

I suppose if we're only counting 'proper' studio albums, then Pet Shop Boys Introspective surely sticks out - if only in terms of approach.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 12:49 (twelve years ago)

I have always assumed that Introspective was a similar project to Disco. But you're right, it was a 'proper' studio album. Weird.

Eyeball Kicks, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 13:35 (twelve years ago)

Tangerine Dream- Cyclone

The only one of their 70s albums with prominent vocals

President Keyes, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 13:44 (twelve years ago)

Yes, kinda terrible too, except for the 2nd side which is well up to their usual standards

Le petit chat est mort (Tom D.), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 14:36 (twelve years ago)

Seems to me that CINDER by the Dirty Three was something of a departure from their others. Not sure if their most recent was a return to form or not.

Matt M., Wednesday, 6 February 2013 14:51 (twelve years ago)

Maybe stretching the idea a little.

Lilys - Zero Population Growth: Bliss Out Volume 15

The Manhattan Transfer - Extensions

Mainly because of this craziness..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C278Y5BFEFs

MaresNest, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 15:33 (twelve years ago)

Erasure's Loveboat doesn't really have that much guitar on it and what's there doesn't sound even particularly well-recorded. Their S/T is their most unusual album though, with all those long 'Chill Out' interludes.

'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 15:39 (twelve years ago)

Erasure's Loveboat doesn't really have that much guitar on it and what's there doesn't sound even particularly well-recorded. Their S/T is their most unusual album though, with all those long 'Chill Out' interludes.

― 'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Wednesday, February 6, 2013 3:39 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

OTM.

I still, to this day, can't believe that Flood was involved with Loveboat. The production and mix of the thing is awful.

The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Wednesday, 6 February 2013 15:45 (twelve years ago)

The Village People - Renaissance

MarkoP, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 16:37 (twelve years ago)

Oh, duh. Genuine Imitation Life by The Four Seasons.

dlp9001, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 17:19 (twelve years ago)

which reminds me of this one:

http://www.ovationshop.com.au/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/3/0/300_85_UMA_2720046_1.jpg

Lee626, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 18:58 (twelve years ago)

Iggy Pop - Avenue B, maybe?

Lee626, Wednesday, 6 February 2013 21:25 (twelve years ago)


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