One Album Wonders

[DA Baracus]

On 7/5/2018 at 09:05, Sweet Pete said:

Having a think about bands who had one great album, but their other work never reached the same heights. Could be that their first record was great but subsequent albums were poor, or that they had one standout album in amongst a career of dross.

One that comes to mind for me is Hundred Reasons. Ideas Above Our Station was a classic record, but their albums that came later never seemed to have the same quality. Ideas has great songs, a dreamy feel, a bright, sparkly production and transcends genres, whereas their later stuff seemed to peg them as a post-hardcore genre band and as well as not matching the songwriting quality of Ideas, the production was never on the same par either.

Should be loads of bands out there who've had a brief flare and then faded into obscurity. Care to name some?

Ideas Above Our Station is brilliant. Still listen to it.

 

I'll go for;

At The Drive In: First two albums (three if you include Vaya which I would say is more of an EP) are totally meh to me. Relationship of Command though is fucking sensational.  Haven’t heard the newest one though.

 

The Avalanches: Since I Left You was their only album for a long time.

 

Coldplay: Yes, seriously. Parachutes is fantastic. I absolutely love that. Then they released utter dreck, including some of the worst shit ever.

 

Billy Talent: First album is full of great songs. Second album has it’s moments but isn’t close to the first. The others; meh.

 

The Datsuns: Their debut album is incredible and one of my all time favourites. However the second album was decent but no more, the third was better but the fourth was turgid. Not even heard the one after that.

 

Young Heart Attack: Astonishing debut album. Second album is brilliant as well, but that was it for them. No idea why they weren’t massive. They had a great sound that could have been huge and would have played very well to the mainstream.

 

The Music: Discussed on this forum many times. Their first album was amazing. It was like nothing else around at the time. It was an absolute revelation. The second album was average and the third a bit better, but that first album should have seen them become a headline act.

 

Hell is For Heroes: The Neon Handshake is brilliant. Their second album was pish and that was it for them. But The Neon Handshake is still great to listen to.

 

Finch: Their first album was cracking. The second was not.

 

Rocket From The Crypt: Scream, Dracula, Scream is banging. Their other stuff is just a bit ..eh.

 

Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime is awesome. Their albums are cheesy pish.

 

Klaxons: First album; very, very good. Second album; very, very shite.

 

Sub Focus: Torus; yes. Sub Focus; no.

[Sweet Pete]

Agreed with an awful lot of your post. I had actually swithered on whether to include Neon Handshake in my original post, but plumped for Hundred Reasons as I was listening to Ideas Above Our Station at the time. Relationship of Command, too. I'm sure I read them say when they originally split up that they only had one album for their ten years working together, as though the band themselves don't count anything before Relationship of Command as an official release. Not heard the new one yet, but I'll get round to it. Agreed on Finch and Coldplay too, although I'd say Rush Of Blood To The Head has some good tunes on it.

[Ross.]

27 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Coldplay: Yes, seriously. Parachutes is fantastic. I absolutely love that. Then they released utter dreck, including some of the worst shit ever.

Seen them at T in 2000 or 2001 around the time that album was released. They were playing the Sunday in the King Tuts tent, or "The Wee Tent" as it was referred to. I didn't think much of them as live performers but the album, when I listened to it later, was excellent.

Thinking about it, I am sure it would have been 2000. I also remember David Gray opened the Saturday at 11am or so on the main stage. Very small crowd but his music was perfect for starting an event like that. Everyone fairly chilled and just getting started on their bevvy. A year later he was second from top of the bill, and as good as he is, that sort of gig just didn't suit him. He could also be included in this thread, if based on the sales of White Ladder v everything else he released, though he had been around for ages before that with plenty of releases that weren't really successful.

[Sweet Pete]

3 minutes ago, Ross. said:

Seen them at T in 2000 or 2001 around the time that album was released. They were playing the Sunday in the King Tuts tent, or "The Wee Tent" as it was referred to. I didn't think much of them as live performers but the album, when I listened to it later, was excellent.

Thinking about it, I am sure it would have been 2000. I also remember David Gray opened the Saturday at 11am or so on the main stage. Very small crowd but his music was perfect for starting an event like that. Everyone fairly chilled and just getting started on their bevvy. A year later he was second from top of the bill, and as good as he is, that sort of gig just didn't suit him. He could also be included in this thread, if based on the sales of White Ladder v everything else he released, though he had been around for ages before that with plenty of releases that weren't really successful.

I think White Ladder was just of it's time. As you say, the guy was already a long time professional musician, but the musical top 40 climate around then had taken a mellow, acoustic-y trend and stuff like Coldplay, Norah Jones, I Am Kloot, Badly Drawn Boy etc was all over the radio, so his timing for his latest album which was a similar style to what he'd always done (inoffensive, mellow acoustic singer/songwriter stuff) happened to coincide and make his album sell better than he probably would've expected in a normal year, had it not been that mellow music was the fad that year. Definitely not the kind of guy who could carry a large gig, on a big stage in front of a big crowd. I saw Colplay at Bellahouston years ago and thought the same about them. I found the support act, Supergrass, better able to carry the crowd as their music has a bit more get up and go about it. Suppose certain styles don't really travel well and better suit more intimate surroundings.

[Ross.]

2 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

I saw Colplay at Bellahouston years ago and thought the same about them. I found the support act, Supergrass, better able to carry the crowd as their music has a bit more get up and go about it. Suppose certain styles don't really travel well and better suit more intimate surroundings.

Agree with what you say on David Gray, but above I highlighted as you mention Supergrass. They are a fantastic live band. While I am a fan of a lot of their stuff anyway, as a live band they are much better than they really should be based on their recorded material.

As for Coldplay, I seen them at Hampden when Jay-Z was supporting them on tour. Got freebies from a mate who was one of the lighting technicians for the tour. Performance wise they were OK that day but much like the other time I seen them, there was just something not quite there. I think perhaps it's the fact that Chris Martin sounds like the most boring man in the history of the universe when he starts talking between songs. It certainly doesn't help them anyway.

[BallochSonsFan]

On 05/07/2018 at 13:59, Pampered Adolescent said:

Punk:

Sex Pistols - arguably just the one 'proper' album

Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material pisses on anything else

Tom Robinson Band - Power In The Darkness ditto

X-Ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents ditto

Television - Marquee Moon ditto

Indie:

Elastica - Elastica ditto

Of course, this can be subjective. I personally prefer the debuts from the Skids, Joy Division, Sleeper, Supergrass, and erm, Urusei Yatsura, where my nom de plum originates...., to their later stuff, albeit that others possibly see said acts later stuff to be more 'mature'  

Cheers

PA

 

 

Not having Sleeper.

They hit their high point with The It Girl. Smart is a good album but it isnt The It Girl. Pleased To Meet You was the weakest of the 3.

[Barney Rubble]

Jeff Buckley 

Derek and the Dominos - although their live album was good too.

The Fleet Foxes

[CountyFan]

On 06/07/2018 at 14:05, DA Baracus said:

Ideas Above Our Station is brilliant. Still listen to it.

 

I'll go for;

At The Drive In: First two albums (three if you include Vaya which I would say is more of an EP) are totally meh to me. Relationship of Command though is fucking sensational.  Haven’t heard the newest one though.

 

The Avalanches: Since I Left You was their only album for a long time.

 

Coldplay: Yes, seriously. Parachutes is fantastic. I absolutely love that. Then they released utter dreck, including some of the worst shit ever.

 

Billy Talent: First album is full of great songs. Second album has it’s moments but isn’t close to the first. The others; meh.

 

The Datsuns: Their debut album is incredible and one of my all time favourites. However the second album was decent but no more, the third was better but the fourth was turgid. Not even heard the one after that.

 

Young Heart Attack: Astonishing debut album. Second album is brilliant as well, but that was it for them. No idea why they weren’t massive. They had a great sound that could have been huge and would have played very well to the mainstream.

 

The Music: Discussed on this forum many times. Their first album was amazing. It was like nothing else around at the time. It was an absolute revelation. The second album was average and the third a bit better, but that first album should have seen them become a headline act.

 

Hell is For Heroes: The Neon Handshake is brilliant. Their second album was pish and that was it for them. But The Neon Handshake is still great to listen to.

 

Finch: Their first album was cracking. The second was not.

 

Rocket From The Crypt: Scream, Dracula, Scream is banging. Their other stuff is just a bit ..eh.

 

Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime is awesome. Their albums are cheesy pish.

 

Klaxons: First album; very, very good. Second album; very, very shite.

 

Sub Focus: Torus; yes. Sub Focus; no.

Ah, have I discovered one of the 200 and something people who apparently still listen to HIFH on Spotify monthly?  

Finch is a great shout as well. Huge fan of the early noughties emo. 

[DA Baracus]

6 minutes ago, CountyFan said:

Ah, have I discovered one of the 200 and something people who apparently still listen to HIFH on Spotify monthly?  

Finch is a great shout as well. Huge fan of the early noughties emo. 

Nah but I have their two albums on my iPod, although The Neon Handshake is the only one I listen to, which I do fairly often.

[GoTeamGaz]

Mansun - Six

[The_Judge]

On ‎05‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 12:39, 11thHour said:

Fratelli's - Only album that I fully like is Costello Music.
Guns 'n' Roses - Appetite for Destruction is one of the best albums ever made and again they have other singular songs that will live forever but more than one full album that I love? Nope.

I think Costello Music is excellent and am always happy when one of the tracks pops up via shuffle..although in the past music snobs I've know have tried to rubbish it.

Sales wise I think it's safe to say that AFD can hold off debut albums from just about anyone. 

On ‎05‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 13:59, Pampered Adolescent said:

Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material pisses on anything else

I can understand why this album caused excitement at the time but for me Nobody's Heroes, Go For It, Now Then...and even Hanx were better.

On ‎06‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 14:05, DA Baracus said:

Coldplay: Yes, seriously. Parachutes is fantastic. I absolutely love that. Then they released utter dreck, including some of the worst shit ever.

Parachutes is fantastic BUT I think Rush of Blood is also excellent although [see earlier comment re Music Snobs].

 

The Wonder Stuff - Eight Legged Groove Machine

Amy MacDonald - This is the Life

Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour of Bewliderbeast

Hard-Fi - Stars of CCTV

Hipsway - Hipsway

Kula Shaker - K

Reverend and the Makers - The State of Things

Scissor Sisters - Scissor Sisters

 

 

[The Moonster]

On 08/07/2018 at 14:01, Barney Rubble said:

The Fleet Foxes

I assume this is the self titled album you're referring to?  I've got to disagree, Helplessness Blues is fucking tremendous. Crack Up, not so tremendous but it does have a few good songs on it.

I am slightly biased though as Robin Pecknold is a bit of a god for me.

[Tommy Nooka]

40 minutes ago, GoTeamGaz said:

Mansun - Six

Eh?

Apart from a couple of songs it's not a patch on Attack of the Grey Lantern, I do like a bit of Mansun though.

Paul Drapers recent solo effort is pretty good.

[GoTeamGaz]

18 hours ago, Tommy Nooka said:

Eh?

Apart from a couple of songs it's not a patch on Attack of the Grey Lantern, I do like a bit of Mansun though.

Paul Drapers recent solo effort is pretty good.

 

I think the opposite, AOTGL has a couple of songs on it, Six, start to finish, as a whole album, is an experience. 

[dorlomin]

JJ72

[G-MAN]

Lo Fidellity Allstars - How to operate with a blown mind

absolutely loved that album.

Follow up was played once then binned.

[Nutz_the_Squirrel]

Some good shouts incl. Mansun, Hundred Reasons, Finch etc.

Can add in The Used, My Virtriol, Nirvana (for me- controversial perhaps), Rage Against the Machine, Bluetones and Ocean Colour Scene

[Sweet Pete]

33 minutes ago, Nutz_the_Squirrel said:

Some good shouts incl. Mansun, Hundred Reasons, Finch etc.

Can add in The Used, My Virtriol, Nirvana (for me- controversial perhaps), Rage Against the Machine, Bluetones and Ocean Colour Scene

I'm not having Rage Against The Machine. Three cracking records. Nirvana's second and third albums were both excellent, too. Bleach maybe hasn't aged all that well though.

[tongue_tied_danny]

On 10/07/2018 at 23:29, G-MAN said:

Lo Fidellity Allstars - How to operate with a blown mind

absolutely loved that album.

Follow up was played once then binned.

Agreed, I still listen to it from time to time. The follow up was shite... 

[Boostin' Kev]

Although I think it's legacy from Mavers/There She Goes has made the album overrated I'm very surprised to see people preferring Cast over the La's, they were real C level British indie imo. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by Boostin' Kev