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Bands Whose Later Albums Are Better...

Music For RhinosMusic For Rhinos Posts: 1,693
edited October 2008 in Other Music
...than their early stuff.

I was just thinking today about how most bands produce their best albums early on and the later stuff usually doesn't match up.


What bands' later albums are actually better than the early stuff?

I'll start it off:

Tool - I'll take Lateralus and 10,000 Days over Undertow and Aenima anyday.

Radiohead - Albums like Kid A and Hail To The Thief are much better than Pablo Honey and The Bends.

Pearl Jam - I prefer No Code, Binaural and Riot Act to the angst of Ten and Vs. and even Vitalogy.
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Comments

  • josevolutionjosevolution Posts: 30,539
    the beatles ....
    jesus greets me looks just like me ....
  • NewDamageNewDamage Posts: 1,913
    Music For Rhinos wrote:

    Tool - I'll take Lateralus and 10,000 Days over Undertow and Aenima anyday.

    I don't see that at all. Granted 10,000 Days is far better than Lateralus, but what's with all the drawn-out noise shit that dominates their records now? I much prefer a song-oriented album like Undertow
    I am lost, I'm no guide. But I'm by your side...

    8/25/92, 10/4/96, 10/5/96, 9/1/98, 9/4/98, 8/4/00, 8/6/00, 4/15/03, 4/16/03, 10/6/04, 6/16/08
  • keeponrockinkeeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    josevolution wrote:
    the beatles ....
    +1

    Also, I prefer Floyd after Syd left.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,240
    FLAMING LIPS
    soft bulletin & Yoshimi far better then some of the early albums
    Charlotte 00
    Charlotte 03
    Asheville 04
    Atlanta 12
    Greenville 16, Columbia 16
    Seattle 18 
    Nashville 22
    Ohana Festival 24 x2
  • TrailerTrailer Posts: 1,431
    Music For Rhinos wrote:

    I'll start it off:

    Tool - I'll take Lateralus and 10,000 Days over Undertow and Aenima anyday.

    :eek: I'm speechless..
    Whoa, chill bro... you know you can't raise your voice like that when the lion's here.
  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    The Beatles

    Pearl Jam

    Kings Of Leon

    Coldplay

    Soundgarden

    Tom Waits


    and I'm also currently listening to Dylan's Tell Tale Signs, and I think his new stuff is just as strong as his earlier work.....just in different ways.....
    'The more I studied religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.' - Sir Richard Francis Burton
  • muppetmuppet Posts: 980
    Soundgarden. In fact I'd go as far as to call their early stuff a bit rubbish.
  • Joe2TheRevengeJoe2TheRevenge Posts: 904
    Failure.

    Fantastic Planet was better than Magnified and Comfort combined.
    You can't spell "dumb" without DMB
  • itsevobabyitsevobaby Posts: 1,809
    ok computer is quality, but radiohead made a HUGE comeback with in raindows

    tripping daisy

    nada surf

    chili's hit their straps with blood sugar, shame about what came after

    soundgarden

    sigur ros are getting better & better

    tv on the radio

    i'd agree with the beatles as well, not taking anything away from their pop-masterpieces, i just prefer the latter days of abbey road, let it be & the white album

    the polyphonic spree

    death cab, even though they may have peaked with transatlantacism

    jimmy eat world

    the phoenix foundation

    nirvana, i prefer in utero MUCH more than nevermind

    rage against the machine, battle of LA is THE shit.

    built to spill

    wilco
    Look Alive,
    See These Bones
  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    itsevobaby wrote:

    sigur ros are getting better & better


    indeed they are.....
    'The more I studied religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.' - Sir Richard Francis Burton
  • NewDamageNewDamage Posts: 1,913
    muppet wrote:
    Soundgarden. In fact I'd go as far as to call their early stuff a bit rubbish.
    :eek:
    I am lost, I'm no guide. But I'm by your side...

    8/25/92, 10/4/96, 10/5/96, 9/1/98, 9/4/98, 8/4/00, 8/6/00, 4/15/03, 4/16/03, 10/6/04, 6/16/08
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    NewDamage wrote:
    I don't see that at all. Granted 10,000 Days is far better than Lateralus
    uh...
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • NewDamageNewDamage Posts: 1,913
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    uh...
    Yeah that's right. The only thing with replay value on Lateralus for me was "The Grudge."
    I am lost, I'm no guide. But I'm by your side...

    8/25/92, 10/4/96, 10/5/96, 9/1/98, 9/4/98, 8/4/00, 8/6/00, 4/15/03, 4/16/03, 10/6/04, 6/16/08
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    NewDamage wrote:
    Yeah that's right. The only thing with replay value on Lateralus for me was "The Grudge."
    The Grudge, The Patient, Parabol/Parabola, Schism, Lateralus > anything on 10,000 days besides the title track, in my opinion.
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • NewDamageNewDamage Posts: 1,913
    Eh, I'll say Vicarious and Jambi stand up to anything they've ever done
    I am lost, I'm no guide. But I'm by your side...

    8/25/92, 10/4/96, 10/5/96, 9/1/98, 9/4/98, 8/4/00, 8/6/00, 4/15/03, 4/16/03, 10/6/04, 6/16/08
  • NeilJamNeilJam Posts: 1,191
    Modest Mouse
  • Jeremy1012Jeremy1012 Posts: 7,170
    NeilJam wrote:
    Modest Mouse
    What?!

    Their albums up to and including The Moon and Antarctica in 2000 are OBJECTIVELY superior to their albums after.

    This is a matter of fact :)
    "I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead, I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land — every colour, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike — all snored in the same language"
  • Strangest TribeStrangest Tribe Posts: 2,502
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    What?!

    Their albums up to and including The Moon and Antarctica in 2000 are OBJECTIVELY superior to their albums after.

    This is a matter of fact :)
    agreed...

    but I do like johnny marr
    the Minions
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    the black keys
    Alice in Chains

    Pearl Jam peaked in the middle with No Code and Yield.
  • pjoasisrulepjoasisrule Posts: 3,412
    The Beatles, The Who (not the last couple albums but the 70's stuff blows away their 60's tunes), Tom Petty (I like his albums now more as a whole but some of the best tunes are on the early ones), Pink Floyd
    Alpine Valley 2000
    Summerfest 2006

    "Why would they come to our concert just to boo us?" -Lisa Simpson
  • Kilgore_TroutKilgore_Trout Posts: 7,334
    itsevobaby wrote:
    ok computer is quality, but radiohead made a HUGE comeback with in raindows

    chili's hit their straps with blood sugar, shame about what came after

    soundgarden

    sigur ros are getting better & better

    tv on the radio

    i'd agree with the beatles as well, not taking anything away from their pop-masterpieces, i just prefer the latter days of abbey road, let it be & the white album

    wilco
    i agree with almost all this... but sigur ros getting better?? i love them live and love their new album but it was nothing compared to what they've already done... it lacks the nuances of takk... curiously ive found that the best albums of this year - the new KOL, MMJ, beck, and sigur ros - are also the weakest from those bands IMO

    everything else though is spot on... ive really been diggin the newest tv on the radio despite hating them before... and sky blue sky was great until i killed it by overlistening (and VW commercials)

    i wouldnt go so far as to say radiohead made a comeback since i dont consider HTTT that much of a disappointment... theres some great tracks on there... "go to sleep" being one of my favorites from them ever

    and old SG was great in a more comic way whereas BMF, superunknown, and DOTU are MASTERPIECES
    "Senza speme vivemo in disio"

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  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    NewDamage wrote:
    Yeah that's right. The only thing with replay value on Lateralus for me was "The Grudge."

    Wow, thats surprising. Lateralus was a masterpiece from start to finish. There are so many hidden messages in that album. But I agree with the OP. Ill take new tool over old tool. EXCEPT Aenima. That was my favorite album from them. Third Eye owns.

    Soundgardens later albums were certainly better. You'd have to be crazy if you think Screaming life/FOP, Ultra Mega OK, and even Louder Than Love is better than Badmotorfinger,Superunknown, and their masterpiece DOTU.
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
    8/7/08, 6/9/09
  • facepollutionfacepollution Posts: 6,834
    Jeremy1012 wrote:
    uh...

    +1

    I mean I like 10,000 Days (more so than most people seemed to), but Lateralus is an entirely different beast.
  • phatuciniphatucini Posts: 399
    Tool's best album is and will always be Ænima!! That's not even up to discussion! You can maybe say that any other album is better than the other but please leave Ænima out of the equation. That record is sacred ground man!!
  • iamicaiamica Chicago Posts: 2,628
    The Beatles, definitely. Their stuff from 1967-1970 was the best.
    Chicago 2000 : Chicago 2003 : Chicago 2006 : Summerfest 2006 : Lollapalooza 2007 : Chicago 2009 : Noblesville (Indy) 2010 : PJ20 (East Troy) 2011 : Wrigley Field 2013 : Milwaukee (Yield) 2014 : Wrigley Field 2016
  • goldrushgoldrush everybody knows this is nowhere Posts: 7,640
    John Butler Trio - just keep getting better
    Powderfinger - ditto
    Kings Of Leon - really evolving into somethinga bit special I think
    Wilco - way ahead of most these days
    Nirvana - Bleach and Nevermind sound so dated now, only In Utero and Unplugged are worth listening to
    “Do not postpone happiness”
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  • SoonForgotten2SoonForgotten2 Posts: 2,245
    Screaming Trees
    <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmgphotos/sets/72157600802942672/">My Pearl Jam Photos</a>

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  • LineOneMightyFineLineOneMightyFine Posts: 347
    I'm not sure if its even fair to include a band like Nirvana in this discussion. I'd be more interested in hearing people's opinions on bands that have put out at least 5 albums or have been together for 10+ years. Bands like The Beatles, Soundgarden, Pink Floyd seem like good choices.

    Pearl Jam is a tough call. While I listen to the later albums much more than the earlier ones (Ten, Vs), I'm not sure I can objectively say they're better or not. If it hadn't been for those 2 albums I'm not sure I would have ever paid much attention to them.
  • Jearlpam0925Jearlpam0925 Deep South Philly Posts: 17,286
    Against Me's last album I think was their best.
  • Sian-of-the-deadSian-of-the-dead Posts: 8,963
    Pantera.

    No one liked that hair metal shit ;)
    Been to this many PJ shows: Reading 2006 London 2007 Manchester & London 2009 Dublin, Belfast, London, Nijmegen & Berlin 2010 Manchester 1 & Manchester 2 2012...

    ... and I still think Drive-By Truckers are better.
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