What are bands that have never let you down with an album?
There are a small number of bands out there who have put out album after album that I’ve liked. Some albums more than others, but they’ve never released somehting that I didn’t like, or that I felt let down by (great bands who HAVE put out let down albums are far more numerous).
The top two for me have been Neubauten and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. These two groups have continued to impress over long periods of time. And I think the key is that they have continued to change and continued to put effort into it.
One of the easiest ways for a great band to dissapoint, I think, is to run on auto-pilot. I think the biggest problem with the KMFDM album Tohuvabauhu (sp?) is that it was just flat-out lazy, like The Last Sucker - just paint-by-numbers kind of stuff.
Skinny Puppy is another band that has not let me down, and they have certainly changed (especially from The Process onwards). I like the old stuff better than the new, but I’m still a big fan of the new stuff.
Bowie is someone I’m almost tempted to add to this list, but the 80’s stuff was a let down (hence the joke in the thread title). Although, even the 80’s stuff has that Bowie theatricality that makes it hard not to like. But I do think that it was sufficiently weak by the standards of the 80 and earlier stuff (Scary Monsters and back) and the post 80’s stuff (from Black Tie White Noise, to the latest) to disqualify him. Though Bowie remains my favourite regardless of Never Let Me Down and Tonight and, to a lesser extent Let’s Dance.
What are the groups/solo musicians who have never let you down?
Are there any?
Honestly? Tears For Fears. Even when they broke up, each of them released really good music. Elemental and Raoul & The Kings of Spain both didn’t have the other member Curt Smith and were both really good albums. And of course when they got back together their new album was really good.
What’s the requirement to qualify? Minimum #of albums or certain longevity? Like, would Joy Division qualify? I can’t think of many who are still active and churning out qualiity stuff. Usually it’s bands that are around a decade or less, released a handful of solid efforts, then disbanded and cemented their legacy.
Cabaret Voltaire
Aphex Twin/RD James
808 State
Talk Talk
Suicide
Squarepusher?
Maybe Japan?
There are SO many groups that are “almost but not quite” in this category (Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, the Swans, Art of Noise, Faith No More, NIN, Beastie Boys)
I hadn’t really even been thinking about bands that were only around for a short time. It certainly does make it easier. I was thinking of artists with long careers who have had lots of opportunites to fuck up but hadn’t.
Short lived acts like Scratch Acid certainly have not let down, but then again, they were only around for a short run.
NIN aren’t in my list because of With Teeth. It’s ok, but not much more than that.
Type O Negative are another one I can add. The silly Catholic stuff on the most recent album is well… silly, but it’s still a good fun album. I always feel like I’ve got my money’s worth buying their albums. They are still funny even though it’s the same joke over again.
Closest I can think of is Eno, but something like “Nerve Net” (fine but not great) and a few others of its ilk keep him out. Cabaret Voltaire has “Body and Soul”. Rapoon went through a rather same-y phase. In fact, most artists I really like put out a poor album or two because most artists I like a lot are always experimenting and there are going to be some experiments that work for me and some that don’t.
I guess I’ve never heard a Laurie Anderson album that wasn’t solid. Peter Gabriel might be in the same boat. Hmmmm, who else?
NIN - Pretty Hate Machine sounds very dated 20 years later, but it’s not actually bad.
Pink Floyd - I even like the stuff most people dismiss, like Division Bell or Atom Heart Mother
I might also mention my newer favorites like William Elliott Whitmore or Antony & the Johnsons, but I don’t think they’ve been around long enough to count yet.
I think Division Bell is alright. I certainly can’t stand A Momentary Lapse of Reason, or Final Cut though. If they would’ve stopped at The Wall, they might have had a flawless track record with me.
syd barrett
alice in chains
mr bungle
pig
john frusciante
david bowie (“never let me down” is a great cd… i swear)
Tool
Radiohead (though they’ve come close)
Fiona Apple
Jane’s Addicton/Porno for pyros