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Bands that got better and better
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The Anders View Drop Down
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Points: 3529 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Anders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2021 at 16:09
That's a tough question. I think almost all musicians or composers have had ups and downs. Very often, musicians become increasingly mature over a period of time, and then they top, after which their output is of mixed quality.

If we allow the world of classical music into this discussion, I would mention Mozart as a composer whose work simply became better and better. Just hold his earliest child compositions up against Die Zauberflöte...


Edited by The Anders - August 26 2021 at 16:22
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As an artist, the closest I can think of with a sizable career is David Bowie. I like the debut, but it is commonly low rated (maybe not the lowest studio, that might be Never Let Me Down, which I haven't heard), and sure some 70s albums might commonly be considered better than Blackstar, but for me Blackstar is an awesome album, and the one of his that I have been most obsessed with of his since it came out. And yes, this topic is in the Prog section, but to me David Bowie is a kind Crossover Art Rock Prog for plenty of material to make his considerable for a Progressive Music lounge forum.
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Hard for me to think of too many, it's more a case of reaching a level of consistency and then maintaining it over an extended period. These may qualify

Nik Bartsch Ronin
Henry Cow
Led Bib
Vezhlivy Otkaz
Ian

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I combed through my entire collection and found this to be an especially difficult task. The only artist I found that qualifies is Versus X (four albums all better than the previous; PA also reflects this). Two other artists where I feel like they've been better with each album, but isn't reflected with PA ratings is Discipline and The Horse Lords.

It seems many bands followed a bell curve pattern (with some wobbles) or wobbled around a bit. A few start off going in the opposite direction: great debut, but each following release was slightly less interesting.

I'm not familiar with Talk Talk, but they have been on my list of future things to listen to for a long while now.
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Agree with Lewian, Talk Talk is the right answer.

Another great band that evolve is Enslaved
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If you'd asked me a year ago I would have answered Rascal Reporters (and I apologize for talking about this band too much). Their debut is a bit patchy and meandering but every album they've made after that has been great, and while I don't think they followed a consistent upward line of quality the whole time, their 2019 album Redux 1 is one of my favourite albums of all time. Their latest release from this year is still really good but not quite up to that standard in my opinion.
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

I wrote in the "best album worst album" thread that Talk Talk's worst album is the first and their best album is the last. The latter one may be an unpopular choice (most probably think that The Spirit of Eden is best), however I think that they really became better with every single album (if over the last three only by 0.01% per album Wink).

 fans tend to be nostalgic...)

Funnily enough, while we're talking about Talk Talk, their "best album" for me is their debut and their "worst album" is a Laughing Stock, which is no laughing matter. Wink

Now mine may be a minority position, and I do realise that the last two albums are not for everyone, but yours seems to be even more outlandish. You seriously prefer The Party's Over to It's My Life and The Colour of Spring? Shocked

I'm with you Lewian
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

^ Maybe music interested people around the world are a strange bunch of people. Big smile
Perhaps. People that aren't interested in music probably recognizes It's My Life and Life's What You Make It (+ maybe It's A Shame), but probably doesn't don't know the name of the band behind them. They most certainly doesn't have any Talk Talk album preferences.
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Talk Talk is the right call here. All five albums are super cool but they got better and better.
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^ Maybe music interested people around the world are a strange bunch of people. Big smile
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

^ Nice one. I tend to think that this illustrates how strange a bunch of people RYM raters are. I'm fine with that of course.
Not really. It reflects what music interested people around the world are into - and still listen to. You'd find the same "result" at Allmusic, Pitchfork (where only their two last albums are reviewed). Here's the incoming result from Sputnikmusic (and you'll find a similar trend at PA, except that Spirit of Eden is 1 and Laughing Stock 2):
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Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Going back to the subject of your original question, I think YES are one of the bands that have improved over time, with Talk (1994) and The Ladder (1999) being my two favourite YES albums overall. Yes, really! Smile

I'll also mention ELP too, where Works Vol. 1, Love Beach and Black Moon are all preferable to Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery, although I realise that's a minority opinion here. Wink
As you say, minority opinions and the op says bands who's best album is their last. You're not going to convince many people that Heaven & Earth is Yes' best album (or the next one when it comes out). Same with ELP.
Even I wouldn't go so far as to claim that Heaven & Earth is the best Yes album, or that Love Beach is the best ELP album, although they're both in my respective Top 7 albums lists for each band. Smile
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Points: 20030 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote chopper Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2021 at 07:06
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Going back to the subject of your original question, I think YES are one of the bands that have improved over time, with Talk (1994) and The Ladder (1999) being my two favourite YES albums overall. Yes, really! Smile

I'll also mention ELP too, where Works Vol. 1, Love Beach and Black Moon are all preferable to Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery, although I realise that's a minority opinion here. Wink
As you say, minority opinions and the op says bands who's best album is their last. You're not going to convince many people that Heaven & Earth is Yes' best album (or the next one when it comes out). Same with ELP.
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

I wrote in the "best album worst album" thread that Talk Talk's worst album is the first and their best album is the last. The latter one may be an unpopular choice (most probably think that The Spirit of Eden is best), however I think that they really became better with every single album (if over the last three only by 0.01% per album Wink).

 fans tend to be nostalgic...)

Funnily enough, while we're talking about Talk Talk, their "best album" for me is their debut and their "worst album" is a Laughing Stock, which is no laughing matter. Wink

Now mine may be a minority position, and I do realise that the last two albums are not for everyone, but yours seems to be even more outlandish. You seriously prefer The Party's Over to It's My Life and The Colour of Spring? Shocked
Actually, I think yours is the majority opinion here at ProgArchives, seeing as many PA members regard Spirit of Eden as being Talk Talk's best album by far, but yes, in my case I really do like The Party's Over album best of all. After all, it's the only Talk Talk album I bought on the original vinyl and it also features the two hit singles, "Today" and "Talk Talk" Thumbs Up

Going back to the subject of your original question, I think YES are one of the bands that have improved over time, with Talk (1994) and The Ladder (1999) being my two favourite YES albums overall. Yes, really! Smile

I'll also mention ELP too, where Works Vol. 1, Love Beach and Black Moon are all preferable to Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery, although I realise that's a minority opinion here. Wink
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Points: 14728 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2021 at 06:43
^ Nice one. I tend to think that this illustrates how strange a bunch of people RYM raters are. I'm fine with that of course.

@BrufordFreak: Nice list. I don't know all Battlestations and Motorpsycho albums, but from those I know I tend to agree that they got better and better.
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Points: 11621 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Saperlipopette! Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2021 at 06:33
Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

I wrote in the "best album worst album" thread that Talk Talk's worst album is the first and their best album is the last. The latter one may be an unpopular choice (most probably think that The Spirit of Eden is best), however I think that they really became better with every single album (if over the last three only by 0.01% per album Wink).

 fans tend to be nostalgic...)

Funnily enough, while we're talking about Talk Talk, their "best album" for me is their debut and their "worst album" is a Laughing Stock, which is no laughing matter. Wink

Now mine may be a minority position, and I do realise that the last two albums are not for everyone, but yours seems to be even more outlandish. You seriously prefer The Party's Over to It's My Life and The Colour of Spring? Shocked
Yours is not a minority position really. The ratings (and number of ratings/reviews) at RYM is close to "consensus" among music interested people and critics alike in regards to their album post break-up popularity. 
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Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

A rare thing--especially for bands with long careers. These are the only ones that come to mind for me:

maudlin of The Well
Pendragon
Cicada (the Tiawanese Post Rock chamber band)
Monobody
Weserbergland
John Holden
Karnivool
Bubblemath
Motorpsycho
Midas Fall
Landberk
Battlestations
Anna Von Hausswolff

That's a good list.  Ciccada (Greek Eclectic Prog) has a solid three album run...alas one short. 
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Points: 8192 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2021 at 06:18
A rare thing--especially for bands with long careers. These are the only ones that come to mind for me:

maudlin of The Well
Pendragon
Cicada (the Tiawanese Post Rock chamber band)
Monobody
Weserbergland
John Holden
Karnivool
Bubblemath
Motorpsycho
Midas Fall
Landberk
Battlestations
Anna Von Hausswolff
Drew Fisher
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