Boards
five albums that were great then the band went on to become rubbish thereafter
Rated on a subjective trade off between just how good the album in question was and just how rubbish the albums were that followed in comparison, and in general. I don't really know anything pre-late 80's so apologies if I haven't included the Talking Heads or something. I'm just bored.
1 - You're Living All Over Me - Dinosaur Jr - A clear winner. One of the best albums of all time, and as a result Dinosaur Jr's place in history as one of the best bands of all time. Following this album, Bug was alright, but not half as good, then after that, apart from the odd song, utter cack. But it didn't matter.
2 - Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible - It makes me cringe when I see the Manic Street Preachers on the TV now. This album is a classic, but some people refuse to accept this now following the complete embarrassment that has been the last three albums. And I don't blame them. (NB. to be fair, Everything Must Go and TIMTTMY were both quite good).
3 - Placebo - Placebo - A quite brilliant album if you're honest about it. Nothing quite like it before it or since. Apart from four Placebo albums that aren't anywhere near as good.
4 - Idlewild - 100 Broken Windows - I was tempted to put "Captain" but I thought that would be too controversial. Anyway, what the fuck has happened to this band? Not so much their albums, which have been alright, but as a live band, this lot went from one of the most exciting in the world to almost unwatchably dull, seemingly over the course of about a year around 2001.
5 - Bush - Razorblade Suitcase - ...and the most controversial entry! Not because of the rubbish albums bit, I think we all agree that everything after this was complete nonsense, but I can't see why everyone hates this album so much. True, it's no classic, and Gavin Rossdale is a detestable character, but seriously, some of the guitar on this album is brilliant, and (even more controversial) I think this could well be Steve Albini's defining moment as an engineer, the atmosphere he's created on the album, just the complete emptiness of the sound, it fits Bush perfectly - possibly the emptiest band in the world.