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Disappointing follow-up albums

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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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    Posted: July 24 2024 at 12:23
You know how it goes (or should I say: how it went?). One of your favorite bands/artists releases an album that exceeds all expectations or returns them to the media spotlight. You wait/waited with baited breath for the follow-up (or sequel), only to be...well, if not dumbstruck, at the very least disappointed with the drop in quality. How could they let you down like this, when you just knew one more outstanding album would surely lead to world domination? Then, when asked about it, the band/artist says something like, "The producer ruined it/You have to try 'new things'/We decided to go 'back to basics'."

If this has happened to you, please list the albums you loved and the disappointing follow-ups. Off the top of my head, here's mine:

1. YES - 90125/Big Generator
2. YES - Going for the One/Tormato
3. RUSH - Signals/Grace Under Pressure
4. E.L.P. - Black Moon/In the Hot Seat
5. LED ZEPPELIN - Physical Graffiti/Presence
6. QUEEN - News of the World/Jazz
7. STYX - Pieces of Eight/Cornerstone
8. ALAN PARSONS PROJECT - Eye in the Sky/Ammonia Avenue
9. PETER GABRIEL - I (Car)/II (Scratch)
10. SAGA - Heads or Tales/Behaviour
11. BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST - Ring of Changes/Victims of Circumstance
12. THE WHO - Quadrophenia/By Numbers 
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Psychedelic Paul View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 12:25
Oh, I wrongly assumed you were looking for examples of those difficult second albums until I saw your list. Smile
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote omphaloskepsis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 12:41
Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

You know how it goes (or should I say: how it went?). One of your favorite bands/artists releases an album that exceeds all expectations or returns them to the media spotlight. You wait/waited with baited breath for the follow-up (or sequel), only to be...well, if not dumbstruck, at the very least disappointed with the drop in quality. How could they let you down like this, when you just knew one more outstanding album would surely lead to world domination? Then, when asked about it, the band/artist says something like, "The producer ruined it/You have to try 'new things'/We decided to go 'back to basics'."

If this has happened to you, please list the albums you loved and the disappointing follow-ups. Off the top of my head, here's mine:

1. YES - 90125/Big Generator
2. YES - Going for the One/Tormato
3. RUSH - Signals/Grace Under Pressure
4. E.L.P. - Black Moon/In the Hot Seat
5. LED ZEPPELIN - Physical Graffiti/Presence
6. QUEEN - News of the World/Jazz
7. STYX - Pieces of Eight/Cornerstone
8. ALAN PARSONS PROJECT - Eye in the Sky/Ammonia Avenue
9. PETER GABRIEL - I (Car)/II (Scratch)
10. SAGA - Heads or Tales/Behaviour
11. BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST - Ring of Changes/Victims of Circumstance
12. THE WHO - Quadrophenia/By Numbers 

I agree with most of your choices.  However, I like the Big Generator more than 90125.  I like Jazz more than News of the World.  
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Jared View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 12:43
Focus: Hamburger / Mother Focus
Curved Air: Air Cut / Midnight Wire
Camel: Nude / Single Factor
Tull: Broadsword / Under Wraps
Oldfield: Amarok / Heaven's Open
TD: Tyger / Optical Race
Beggar's Opera: Pathfinder / GYDOM!
Hawkwind: Warrior / Astonishing Sounds
Styx: Paradise Theater / Kilroy Was Here
Yes: KeyStudio Sessions / Open Your Eyes 


There you go Steve, something to have a chew on...
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Saperlipopette! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:13
1. Dedalus: Dedalus/Materiale Per Tre Esecutori E Nastro Magnetico (those who know, know)
2. Comus: First Utterance/To Keep From Crying
3. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band: Clear Spot/Unconditionally Guaranteed
4. Nektar: Recycled/Magic Is a Child
5. Swans: Children of God/The Burning World
6. Robert Wyatt: Rock Bottom/Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard
7. Curved Air: Air Cut/Midnight Wire
8. Blue Öyster Cult: Fire of Unknown Origin/The Revölution by Night
9. Klaus Schuze: "X"/Dune
10. Tangerine Dream: Force Majeure/Tangram (sorry, it just bores me)
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Saperlipopette! View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Saperlipopette! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:15
Originally posted by Jared Jared wrote:

Beggar's Opera: Pathfinder / GYDOM!
Good one - or a bad one. Would have been in my top five had I remembered it:)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote someone_else Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:24
Yes: Close to the Edge / Tales from Topograpic Oceans, Going for the One / Tormato
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick / A Passion Play, A Passion Play / Warchild
Rush: Hold Your Fire / Presto
Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbers / Alt


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote progaardvark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:40
I agree with Yes' 90125/Big Generator and Keys to Ascension/Open Your Eyes. The latter was really, really disappointing. The former was kind of expected.

Some more that come to mind:
Spock's Beard: Snow/Feel Euphoria
Present: Le poison qui rend fou/C.O.D. Performance
Eloy: Retromania/Ra
Rush: Counterparts/Test For Echo
Anima Mundi: I Me Myself/Insomnia
Arena: Pepper's Ghost/The Seventh Degree of Separation
Atoll: Tertio/Rock Puzzle
Mike Rutherford: Smallcreep's Day/Acting Very Strange
David Bowie: Scary Monsters/Let's Dance
Cairo: Conflict and Dreams/Time of Legends
Crucible: Tall Tales/Curtains
Easter Island: Easter Island/Mother Sun
ELO: Out of the Blue/Discovery
ELP: Brain Salad Surgery/Works Voume 1
David Gilmour: About Face/On an Island
IQ: The Wake/Nomzamo
Moon Safari: Blomljud/Lover's End
Neal Morse: Neal Morse/It's Not Too Late (his first two before he left SB)
Le Orme: Contrappunti/Smogmagica
Pendragon: Not of This World/Believe
Renaissance: Azure d'Or/Camera Camera
Supertramp: Brother Where You Bound/Free as a Bird
Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbers/Alt
Zen Rock and Roll: The Birthright Circle/Undone


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:46
Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:


Nektar: Recycled/Magic Is a Child

It had also crossed my mind, but for some reason I have bit of a soft spot for it.. I've never understood why it scores less than Man In The Moon, which is plain uninspired 1980 AOR 
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Jared View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:49
Originally posted by progaardvark progaardvark wrote:

Arena: Pepper's Ghost/The Seventh Degree of Separation
Pendragon: Not of This World/Believe
Supertramp: Brother Where You Bound/Free as a Bird
Van der Graaf Generator: A Grounding in Numbers/Alt


I'd agree with all of those..
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Saperlipopette! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 13:58
Originally posted by Jared Jared wrote:

Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:


Nektar: Recycled/Magic Is a Child
It had also crossed my mind, but for some reason I have bit of a soft spot for it.
I don't think that it's horrible, but Recycled is a such a ride packed with memorable moments and so much fun (in a "Proggy-ELO" sort of way). While Ifind Magic is a Child completely forgettable. Never heard the 1980 album of theirs.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 14:12
Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

3. RUSH - Signals/Grace Under Pressure


IMO, that's one of Rush's strongest double-punches. Diff'rent strokes!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 14:33
ALAN PARSONS PROJECT – Pyramid / Eve
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – The Revölution by Night / Club Ninja
CAMEL – Nude / The Single Factor
GOBLIN – Contamination / Volo
HAWKWIND – Electric Tepee / It is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous
JEAN-MICHEL JARRE – Rendez-Vous / Révolutions
KANSAS – Point of Know Return / Monolith

With an asterisk (*)

EMERSON, LAKE & POWELL / 3 – To the Power of Three
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 14:34
Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

6. QUEEN - News of the World/Jazz
12. THE WHO - Quadrophenia/By Numbers 

TBH, I think Jazz is probably Queen's hottest since Night. I found NOTW rather tedious

Of course, BN simply could not compete with Quadro
Who Are You is so much better, IMHO

Originally posted by Saperlipopette! Saperlipopette! wrote:


10. Tangerine Dream: Force Majeure/Tangram (sorry, it just bores me)

I'd place the cursor on Tangram (which is still good, despite Schmoelling's presence) and its follow-up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:03
Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

I'd place the cursor on Tangram (which is still good, despite Schmoelling's presence) and its follow-up


TD circa 1980-1985 is amazing. Team Schmoelling!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:05
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:


JEAN-MICHEL JARRE – Rendez-Vous / Révolutions

Now that's an interesting one... is it because of the variable quality of the later pieces or the mechanical nature of the former?
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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Jared View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jared Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:08
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

I'd place the cursor on Tangram (which is still good, despite Schmoelling's presence) and its follow-up


TD circa 1980-1985 is amazing. Team Schmoelling!

I have no qualms about TD up to Poland, they are then a little more inconsistent through to Live Miles, but still very enjoyable... thereafter, not so much...
Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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verslibre View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:13
Originally posted by Jared Jared wrote:

Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:


JEAN-MICHEL JARRE – Rendez-Vous / Révolutions


Now that's an interesting one... is it because of the variable quality of the later pieces or the mechanical nature of the former?


Mechanical pertaining to Rendez-Vous? Interesting take, I never thought of it that way. It feels much more organic and a return to formula after the (very interesting, admittedly) detour that was Zoolook. (Les Chants Magnétique ended up being my overall favorite.)

Revolutions has its moments but, like you say, the variance is too steep. It feels like a backslide compositionally.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve Wyzard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:14
Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by Steve Wyzard Steve Wyzard wrote:

3. RUSH - Signals/Grace Under Pressure


IMO, that's one of Rush's strongest double-punches. Diff'rent strokes!

From the day it came out, I always found Grace Under Pressure to be a gloomy/morose album. It has some good moments, and it's still in my collection, but I rarely listen to it. My favorite Rush double-punch is Hemispheres/Permanent Waves.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 24 2024 at 15:20
Originally posted by Jared Jared wrote:

Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

I'd place the cursor on Tangram (which is still good, despite Schmoelling's presence) and its follow-up


TD circa 1980-1985 is amazing. Team Schmoelling!


I have no qualms about TD up to Poland, they are then a little more inconsistent through to Live Miles, but still very enjoyable... thereafter, not so much...


The departure of Christopher Franke was a critical blow that took the band nearly twenty years to fully recover from, with some flashes of brilliance along the way (Miracle Mile, Goblins Club, The Seven Letters from Tibet).
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