'I prefer their later stuff'

[PlanktonSideburns]

They are a classic example of a band whose sound changed beyond recognition over the years and absolutely ripe for this thread's theme. I love most of their albums and eras but I can completely see why someone who's swooned over the bruised, orchestral romance of Apple Venus could then listen to White Music or Go 2 and think "What the fuck is this jerky bollocks and why is he singing like a sea lion?"

Polar opposite for me

Why did these neurotic lunatics get their perscriptions fixed and start making songs that sound like last of the summer wine theme with words on? Apart from river of orchids that's ace

[chveik]

The Ex

not really. 1983-1987 was already a great period for them. they've been pretty consistent

[purlieu]

Polar opposite for me

Why did these neurotic lunatics get their perscriptions fixed and start making songs that sound like last of the summer wine theme with words on? Apart from river of orchids that's ace

Starting with English Settlement, I definitely find a few XTC songs I like, but it's still only two or three per album. I'm just a sucker for lush arrangements and properly gorgeous pop songs over choppy, yelpy stuff. I get no emotional response from the first three albums at all.

[jobotic]

Got one. James Leyland Kirby. Loved the V/Vm stuff at the time but it has nothing on The Caretaker/Leyland Kirby releases.

[Thomas]

I'm sure there are those who feel this way about The Beatles or Nick Cave, and there must be people who prefer Blackstar to any of Bowie's '70s stuff. I've a friend who hates classic Bowie, but would certainly concede that there's a strength of intimacy and experimentation on that final record.

[chveik]

there must be people who prefer Blackstar to any of Bowie's '70s stuff.

weirdos. Blackstar is terrible

[non capisco]

Polar opposite for me

Why did these neurotic lunatics get their perscriptions fixed and start making songs that sound like last of the summer wine theme with words on? Apart from river of orchids that's ace

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong, I love the yelping fidgety years. But it is like two completely different bands.

[non capisco]

Starting with English Settlement, I definitely find a few XTC songs I like, but it's still only two or three per album. I'm just a sucker for lush arrangements and properly gorgeous pop songs over choppy, yelpy stuff. I get no emotional response from the first three albums at all.

There's four before English Settlement including IMO their all time masterpiece Black Sea. I concede that Andy is at his most Andyish on stuff like 'Living Through Another Cuba' off that, though. I love that song but I was listening to it at work once with other people in the room and the thought did strike me that it sounds a bit like Colin Hunt worrying about a nuclear holocaust.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

not really. 1983-1987 was already a great period for them. they've been pretty consistent

They were always good but when Andy joined they became a force.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Jeff Buckley

[idunnosomename]

Rush. yeah I'm always proverbially spinning Test for Echo over 2112.

well ok maybe not I'm not quite that biased but my favs these days still Grace Under Pressure and the stuff around it rather than 70s Ayn Rand rock stuff.

[buttgammon]

Yeah, now you mention it I think song for song The Argument might well be my favourite Fugazi album. Not a second of filler on the thing.

Increasingly think this is right. I'm not so big on End Hits but otherwise, they got better as they went on.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

There's some great ones but I think the songs let The Argument down, if we're ranking. I think it lacks the invention and the hooks of Red Medicine. The band is at their best though, the double drum tracks are superb - Ex Spectator!

I'd put it below the EPs and Red Medicine, about even with Repeater for me

[Brundle-Fly]

weirdos. Blackstar is terrible

You are a terrible weirdo, young lady.

[Brundle-Fly]

There's four before English Settlement including IMO their all time masterpiece Black Sea. I concede that Andy is at his most Andyish on stuff like 'Living Through Another Cuba' off that, though. I love that song but I was listening to it at work once with other people in the room and the thought did strike me that it sounds a bit like Colin Hunt worrying about a nuclear holocaust.

Believe me, we were all Colin Hunts worrying about nuclear war forty years ago, no?

[Petey Pate]

Don't think there's many, if any, Pantera fans who prefer their early hair metal albums.

[chveik]

You are a terrible weirdo, young lady.

well that goes without saying

[sutin]

Sparks. Lil' Beethoven from 2002 is their creative peak.

[purlieu]

There's four before English Settlement including IMO their all time masterpiece Black Sea. I concede that Andy is at his most Andyish on stuff like 'Living Through Another Cuba' off that, though. I love that song but I was listening to it at work once with other people in the room and the thought did strike me that it sounds a bit like Colin Hunt worrying about a nuclear holocaust.

I'll have to revisit Black Sea one day, having read so much about it being their best, but I just remember finding it as unlistenable as the first three when I listened before. I mean, the only albums from the original '78-'82 post-punk era that I still own are all on the darker, gothy end of things (Siouxsie, Wire's first three, The Cure's dark trilogy, Simple Minds' Empires & Dance) so I'm clearly not remotely the kind of person those early XTC albums are aimed at. It's just a shame that the 1985-1992 run is some of my favourite music ever and there's more of them out there yet I really can't stand it.

[Brundle-Fly]

Golden brow...

[willbo]

I probably prefer Iron Maiden's ambitious post-comeback/post-2000 albums now.

I can imagine a lot of people who would find Robert Plant's last couple of albums more interesting than Led Zep.

I really enjoyed Bruce Springsteen's Western Stars album despite him leaving me cold before.

I love the Jesus and Mary chain "grunge sell out era" stuff like Sidewalkin' (seriously Sidewalkin' sounds like some awesome cross between Nirvana, Motorhead and T-Rex to me)

I haven't heard that much Bob Dylan but I already know I prefer Blood on the Tracks, Desire and Nashville to his most famous 60s stuff.

I like the Slayer nu-metal era real fans are supposed to hate

[Z-Model Ford]

Possibly a consequence of Kristin Hersh having her very own solo career, separate band (50 Foot Wave) and record label, so they only record together when they want to, but for me the latest Throwing Muses is easily the equal of The Real Ramona/University/Limbo. *

*I'm aware that some diehard fans will always love the debut above all other things, but that seems to exist in its own separate, frankly terrifying universe.

[Neville Chamberlain]

I suppose one obvious choice here would be Talk Talk. Started out as a cut-above-the-rest synth-pop outfit before becoming off-the-map amazing on the final two albums (the seeds of which can definitely be heard on The Colour of Spring).

[Video Game Fan 2000]

Sparks. Lil' Beethoven from 2002 is their creative peak.

Its my favourite too but it'd be tough to say I like any period of Sparks over any other.

[willbo]

The first Motorhead album I tried was The World is Yours from 2010. I thought it was great, but when I tried listening to earlier stuff I was hearing a lot of the same ideas only with worse production. Anyone following them from the start probably found that record formulaic but to me it's their best stuff.

It happens pretty often for me that a respected metal/rock band that I've heard of but never listened to, releases a new album, I try it and love it, the reviews/fan reaction all say "this is average, this is just a rehash of the previous classic album", I try the previous classic album, and it just sounds like a duller, simpler, primitive version of the newer album I fell in love with.

[purlieu]

There's a lot of people in this thread who haven't read the first post.

Any bands/acts whose later stuff you think is better than what is generally considered their 'peak'?

[Norton Canes]

Kraftwerk, if we count 'formative' albums. Plus my favourite track of theirs is 'Vitamin' from Tour de France Soundtracks.

[Brundle-Fly]

<Tom Waits tiptoes into thread >

[Brundle-Fly]

Polar opposite for me

Why did these neurotic lunatics get their perscriptions fixed and start making songs that sound like last of the summer wine theme with words on? Apart from river of orchids that's ace

A friend has a theory that the success of the first Dukes Of Stratosphear mini-LP emboldened them to embrace their sixties musical heroes and somewhere along the line they 'lost' the essence of XTC that was truer to themselves.

[PlanktonSideburns]

A friend has a theory that the success of the first Dukes Of Stratosphear mini-LP emboldened them to embrace their sixties musical heroes and somewhere along the line they 'lost' the essence of XTC that was truer to themselves.

I'm feel like theyre both very true sounding to me, people have different sides, people change.

Sometimes they change into tedious folky cunts