Can You Do That Again..?

[CypherOne]

Everyone must have albums by artists/groups that have never been bettered. I'm thinking along the lines of debut albums that are spectacular with disappointing follow ups.

Two that spring to mind:

Leftfield - Leftism. They followed this up with Rhythm & Stealth, which is good but nowhere near the greatness of Leftism, which in my opinion is a true modern masterpiece.

Way Out West - Way Out West. A storming monster of an album, everything else since has been a pale imitation.

So let's hear yours....

[bduffy]

Thomas Dolby (I have to put two here, cos I can't pick between the two; and they were released close together) -
The Golden Age of Wireless and The Flat Earth.

Two albums of incredible, pioneering production (especially when one considers the time) and wonderful songs that range from new wave playfulness to deep, dark, emotionally charged contemplations - all of them treasures. He never quite got back there after that, a problem that (inately?) plagues many musical prodigies.

The Cult - Love

These guys blasted onto the world stage in 1985, blowing the minds of kids who were being raised on synth pop with their stripped down, psychedelic (Egad! Wah-Wah!!) sound. The whole album works from start to end and seemed to signal the coming of one of rock's most important new groups. Unfortunately, they switched styles too much after that and, while producing some great tracks afterwards, I think they ultimately lost their audience. Too bad, great band (whose guitar player is my namesake, btw!)

[ross g]

not exactly what you are speaking of, the disappoinment is from NO followup!

Liasons Dangerouses...a real influence in the Chicago House scene as well as the electronic/industrial dance/neu deutsch welle/etc...a frequently played record by me to many, also heard (occasionaly to this day) in mixes...one of the members, Chris Haas, passed on so there will be no more from them ...i know little of them as people or why they never did a follow-up, so it's left as one bright, quick-burning star....i understand a video exists of them playing live at New Orders' club in Manchester, if anyone knows of it/could hook me up, pm me PLEASE!!!



rg

[original flipper]

HI

What sounded out of this world 30 years ago unfortunately isn't likely to 'touch' people in the same way today.

At the time (1973) and 15 years after it's recording I thought the sound of Elvis's SUN recordings with Carl Perkins on Guitar sounded way out - that bluesey sound, tape echo (or whatever it was?) and the livelyness of the tunes themselves.

I was pretty taken by listerning to Stomu Yamashta's albums around 77 - he collaberated with Winwood, DeMiola, Schultze and others to create ambient-rock-orchestral ... name it what you will.

I could run a whole slew of hundreds of albums from my teens from 73-77 (many first time artists)- they range from Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Fusion and goodness knows what ... there was no monopoly on great productions though - music for me has always revolved around 'feel',: doesn't matter how good or bad someoneelse thinks the production is ... hell some of my fav tunes are from Lee Perry who bounced his tracks down on a 4 track like there was no tomorrow - in fact part of the JOY of listerning to that stuff was the f..... up production, shit warped pressing on recycled vinyl and hearing it through a PA or sound system that was bordering on meltdown.

Flipper.

[cptgone]

Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - "Rattlesnakes"

[Hink]

the worst imo in the history of music and the one of the most slimy (no make that the most) things a band ever did by using the fans goes to Boston.

Boston the first album was amazing at the time shot to the the top faster then any other album before it I believe.

Boston's second album Dont Look Back was a disgrace, it could be found in any corner cut bin in less then a year (corner cuts were lps with a cut on the cover to "devalue" them, then sold very cheap). Perhaps they should of taken the title to heart as the biggest problem with the second album imo was that it sounded like too much like the first.

So here's where the slime oozes, album three...Third Stage...what they figured (imo) was that they didn't want to have a flop and they wanted that attention and excitement of the first, the only way they could do this is tease the fans until they are just dying to buy it. That way when you release it sales shoot up the very first day, fans have been longing for the album and they aint waiting no more.

Dear old Boston held out nine years on that album...many excuses were made, I heard lots of talks of lawsuits, but yet still the fans waited...now remember here in the Boston area, the radio is going to push Boston. So we heard about the album constantly for a very long time...and it was pure crap...but I admit the last part is complete bias because of the betrayal I feel from them....

[bduffy]

Boston! Yeah - they're one of the great "fizzle" stories, for sure! Good one, Hink.

[Hink]

Boston! Yeah - they're one of the great "fizzle" stories, for sure! Good one, Hink.

what's truly amazing is Tom Schultz managed to duplicate the same failure with the Rockman, but this time no one cared enough to wait for a better rockman...

[rockstar_not]

Careful,

I liked the title cut "Don't Look Back".

But "Third Stage" was an abysmal failure. Not a good song on the whole album.

I was going to say that U2 never did better than "October", but the last 2 CDs have brought me back to the fold.

I long for other 70's stuff, however. Brian Eno stuff from late 70's early 80's is still unmatched by his later stuff.

-Scott

[Hovmod]

Only problem I have with the Boston story is that the first album is pretty much manure as well

[rockstar_not]

Only problem I have with the Boston story is that the first album is pretty much manure as well

Hovmod - how dare you!!!

That cool track that you laid down for the contest a couple months back with the Satriani like tone.....

Where do you think the inspiration for that tone came from?

Maybe you didn't like the songs - but the power-soaked distortion/chorus doubled guitar things that Boston did on their first album defined a new guitar tone not unlike Hendrix did 10 years before.

Just my opinion - but I believe that tone credit is due to Scholz & co.

-Scott

[Hink]

I liked the title cut "Don't Look Back".

that was you I heard rumors but never believed em...so you're the guy that liked don't look back...

Really I'm sure a few people liked it, but it really didn't sell very well...

[rockstar_not]

I liked the title cut "Don't Look Back".

that was you I heard rumors but never believed em...so you're the guy that liked don't look back...

Really I'm sure a few people liked it, but it really didn't sell very well...

Let me just say that I liked the sounds they came up with. That was cool.

Their lyrics all stunk - these guys, at least Scholz, was an engineer, not a poet.

C'mon, you didn't think their doubled lead lines and power chords sounded cool? And I did like the sound of their lead singer, Brad Delp I think was his name.

-Scott

[bduffy]

Only problem I have with the Boston story is that the first album is pretty much manure as well

Hovmod - how dare you!!!

That cool track that you laid down for the contest a couple months back with the Satriani like tone.....

Where do you think the inspiration for that tone came from?

Maybe you didn't like the songs - but the power-soaked distortion/chorus doubled guitar things that Boston did on their first album defined a new guitar tone not unlike Hendrix did 10 years before.

Just my opinion - but I believe that tone credit is due to Scholz & co.

-Scott

That album was considered a production milestone for its time. "More Than a Feeling" is a catchy-ass song - but obviously Boston is too creamy for some.

("Boston Cream???")

[Hink]

I liked the title cut "Don't Look Back".

that was you I heard rumors but never believed em...so you're the guy that liked don't look back...

Really I'm sure a few people liked it, but it really didn't sell very well...

Let me just say that I liked the sounds they came up with. That was cool.

Their lyrics all stunk - these guys, at least Scholz, was an engineer, not a poet.

C'mon, you didn't think their doubled lead lines and power chords sounded cool? And I did like the sound of their lead singer, Brad Delp I think was his name.

-Scott

I absolutely thought they were cool...on the first album...the second album they should of expanded on the concept instead of trying replicate it.

SR&D was the same way...the first rockman was groundbreaking, the second wave were less feature packed and cheaper made...then they brought back the original, but with obvious cheaper parts and I think the chorus was different....then he sold out to dunlop who stamps out cheap and crappy versions. The rockman's did prove to not last very long, I know so many people who had them crap out (I got a busted one) and the sound was fun for about 15 minutes...