Bands That Went out on a High Note

[Incandenza]

Two albums is enough to count. Three of the albums I've posted in this thread were second and final albums.

 

[AA484]

I think this is a "duh", but others may not:

 

[FLAM]

My favorite band, but Strangeways is my least favorite of theirs. I can understand why a lot of people regard it as their best though.

 

[Sesquipedaliantique]

Erm, do they? I've always thought it was underrated in the context of their oeuvre. The Smiths is 'Marr'ed ( ;D) by its muddy production and has a few embarrassing songs but seems to compete w/ Meat Is Murder as their second most well-regarded. It really shouldn't.

 

[The Coat Is My Father]

There's not a Smiths album I don't love, but Strangeways is surely not their best. If, however, one were to hypothetically eliminate Unhappy Birthday and Death At One's Elbow, a much stronger case could be made.

 

[Wario Lemieux]

The Smiths is better than Meat Is Murder, but I suppose people who think the opposite also like "How Soon is Now", and if you take a big leap and operate under the assumption that song is listenable then it becomes much closer.

 

[Precious Roy]

Actually, Loaded is my favorite VU album, so I'm going to nominate that, even though it's not a VU album proper I suppose due to lack of John Cale

I hear Czech is not a fan of that album

 

[Kinetic]

Cale didn't play on the third VU album either. Loaded definitely counts.

 

[AA484]

I don't necessarily think Strangeways is their best either, but I think it's far from being a "low note."

 

[Incandenza]

I don't get how the absence of Cale means something can't be a "proper" VU album. Bands change members all the time. And Lou Reed wrote most of the songs, anyway!

 

[Cerebus The Aardvark]

Strangeways is fine...I'd honestly put it on par with the self-titled and Meat Is Murder, with a slight preference for the latter (which has nothing to do with "How Soon is Now?", FTR). Of course, Louder Than Bombs blows away their entire catalog, but it's not an actual album, so whatevs.

And Inc, your avatar just makes me think of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and I keep viewing you as Judge Reinhold.

 

[OldSchoolWrestling]

NWA
efil4zaggiN

 

[Precious Roy]

I don't get how the absence of Cale means something can't be a "proper" VU album. Bands change members all the time. And Lou Reed wrote most of the songs, anyway!

Yeah, you're right, but for whatever reason that album is looked at as being apart from the rest of the catalogue

 

[The Coat Is My Father]

That's because it's far and away the most conventional, radio friendly thing they ever recorded.

Although that's still not entirely fair, as each Velvets album constituted a pretty clean break from what came before.