Bands that lasted TOO long

[Spaz]

We all feel disappointed when one of our fave bands breaks up, especially in what seemed like the prime of their creativity, right?

Well, what bands from the new wave did you think went on for too long? Which bands did you think released maybe one album too many or maybe even more than that?

Here's a few at the top of my head. I've enjoyed various songs by these bands after the albums I've listed, but not enough to really recommend them to anyone:


THE CHURCH
should have broken up right after after Starfish.

THE CLASH
Although Sandinista should have been their final album, I'll give them Combat Rock just because they were able to reach a wider audience, but Cut The Crap was just awful!

DURAN DURAN
Seven & The Ragged Tiger was bad enough, but they actually got worse!

XTC
English Settlement should have been the end of the band

ABC
This is kind of tough. They should have split after Alphabet City because Up and Abracadabra are kinda crappy, but their 'comeback' album Skyscraping was really good!

DEVO
New Traditionalists was the last great Devo album

ERASURE
The Innocents should have been the final album

SPANDAU BALLET
Parade was the last good Spandau album

HOWARD JONES
The first two albums are really good. The rest aren't.

EURYTHMICS
Savage was their last gasp and they should never have done anything beyond that


That's just a few that I can think of.






SPAZ
Born of innocence. Free of ignorance.

[Bitter Almonds]

NewOrder

Sometime around or after [i]Republic[/i]. [i]Technique[/i] was their last solid album. [i]Republic[/i] was spotty at best, but to this day I skip tracks on that and the rest of the junk that came after it[}:)]



Depeche Mode

They should've stuck to releasing the odd single or two a la "Only When I Lose Myself", but not albums choke-full of filler material. [i]Songs Of Faith And Devotion[/i] was their last full-length album one could listen to from beginning to end. [i]Ultra[/i], [i]Exciter[/i], and the newest one could be combined into one album with the better tracks and the rest should be thrown out as b-sides or unreleased shit.


Madonna

Holy carp! I'm surprised at my compulsion to buy up the shit the material girl wreckords in the studio. It is bona fide crap and has been crap since around the time of [i]Ray Of Light[/i]. The occasional single is decent, but the last album was completely unlistenable drek[xx(]

[randy]

Hell--ABC and Spandau Ballet should never have gotten together in the first place!!!![}:)]

[Frayo]

I just wish U2 would die.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Rfrayo/nerd2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> "I ain't a-Frayo-No Ghost!!!"

[newwavepunkgirl]

STING! QUIT NOW FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD! I wish he'd quit when The Police broke up he hasn't done anything good since the early 90s, QUIT STING QUIT! (The latest I heard he's planning on doing a lute feuled album of medievil music, quit please[:0])[xx(][:(!]

Devolution is real

[newwavepunkgirl]

[quote][i]Originally posted by randy[/i]
<br>Hell--ABC and Spandau Ballet should never have gotten together in the first place!!!![}:)]
[/quote]

I'll actually go along with that and you can add in Bloody Culture Club and Wham![xx(]

Devolution is real

[newwavepunkgirl]

[quote]Originally posted by Spaz
[br]We all feel disappointed when one of our fave bands breaks up, especially in what seemed like the prime of their creativity, right?

Well, what bands from the new wave did you think went on for too long? Which bands did you think released maybe one album too many or maybe even more than that?

Here's a few at the top of my head. I've enjoyed various songs by these bands after the albums I've listed, but not enough to really recommend them to anyone:


THE CHURCH
should have broken up right after after Starfish.

THE CLASH
Although Sandinista should have been their final album, I'll give them Combat Rock just because they were able to reach a wider audience, but Cut The Crap was just awful!

DURAN DURAN
Seven & The Ragged Tiger was bad enough, but they actually got worse!

XTC
English Settlement should have been the end of the band

ABC
This is kind of tough. They should have split after Alphabet City because Up and Abracadabra are kinda crappy, but their 'comeback' album Skyscraping was really good!

DEVO
New Traditionalists was the last great Devo album

ERASURE
The Innocents should have been the final album

SPANDAU BALLET
Parade was the last good Spandau album

HOWARD JONES
The first two albums are really good. The rest aren't.

EURYTHMICS
Savage was their last gasp and they should never have done anything beyond that


That's just a few that I can think of.






SPAZ
Born of innocence. Free of ignorance.
[/quote]

That's cool as I don't have a DEVO album past that one except a compilation...

Devolution is real

[Bitter Almonds]

ABC had that one good debut album[V]

[Grunch]

Just my opinion, but ABC - Skyscraping is the best release they ever had.

Also many great Church releases even to this day.

Yes, bands evolve, and for me, it's okay if their sound changes. Hey, it's their career, their choice, and like us, we might change jobs, or have to change within the same job to stay with the times, so I am guessing artists do this for sometimes similar reasons. Or, with their creative ability, go in a direction that interests them. If they reach a musical point that no longer statisfies my aural palate, I just don't buy the release. But I don't think they should have to give up their career to suit me. Sting is a good example. Remember, it's is career, his livelihood, and I am guessing he has made multiple multiple millions of dollars post-police, sounds like a good career move if it made him happy and gave him the financial stability he wanted. Just my thoughts. I DO get the drift of this post, but I just think evolution, even in music, happens.

XTC........I. for one, am very thankful for some outstanding releases even after English Settlement. I agree on it's greatness, but still am glad for more good music from them just the same.

Depeche Mode has not interested me in a number of years, except for a trach here and there. But gone are the days when I automatically pick up their releases. I guess maybe they have a new legion of fans, and probably many old fans that still dig their sound. I don't care for it myself, but hey, they can record until their 100 I suppose.

Not trying to discredit any post here whatsoever. Just don't honestly care who records what, when. If I like it, I buy it. If I don't, less money spent.

I can't remember how many times over the years in conversation with friends we'd be discussing some artist, and how their new release was not bad, or inevitably we'd compare to earlier work, and somehow one of us would say the release in and of itself was actually pretty good, but we were always trying to compare it to their release, or sound, we liked best. So when we would just look at the release as a sole pieve of work, it actaully many times was pretty damn good. Can't tell you how many times this happens.

[KYYX4ever]

[quote]Originally posted by Spaz
[br]XTC
English Settlement should have been the end of the band
[/quote]

[i]Skylarking[/i] is an incredible album; one that I can listen to from beginning to end and not skip any tracks.

[Mechi]

[quote][i]Originally posted by newwavepunkgirl[/i]
<br>STING! QUIT NOW FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD! I wish he'd quit when The Police broke up he hasn't done anything good since the early 90s, QUIT STING QUIT! (The latest I heard he's planning on doing a lute feuled album of medievil music, quit please[:0])[xx(][:(!]

Devolution is real
[/quote]

Ahhhh....you make the Sting fan that I have inside arise [;)]. I have to admit that certain solo Sting albums are pretty mediocre but there are others that are really good like Nothing like the sun, Ten Summoner's tales and Mercury falling. Those three albums are filled with good songs... nice arrangements and kick-ass lyrics [:D]. Of course, I like The Police better (god knows I love The Police... maybe more than Joy Division [:D]) but Sting as a solo artist has also made great albums.
Medieval-inspired album??? Let's see how that turns out.. I'm interested in it.

"Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way
anything that may desert you so it cannot hurt you"

[Grunch]

Agree about Skylarking, it is wonderfully done, and works so well as a whole piece. Can't imagine them not going on to do this great release.

[Mechi]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Frayo[/i]
<br>I just wish U2 would die.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v204/Rfrayo/nerd2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> "I ain't a-Frayo-No Ghost!!!"
[/quote]

Ohhhh.. no!!!! I totally see that one coming.
Yes, U2 is not the same band that it was in the 80s (in my opinion, the first 4 albums are the best) but Bomb is a good album and they are so good live.
The thing is that when you have a very long career in music, people start measuring your work in comparison to previous one. And if you make an excellent album, you are very likely to have to listen for the rest to the career "it's not as good as....".


"Destroy everything you touch today
Destroy me this way
anything that may desert you so it cannot hurt you"

[rotator]

I guess my list will be the bands last good album. or on the cusp (I'll give the bands the benifit of the doubt)

•Devo: "Oh No, It's..." (Spaz, you should really give this another chance)
•Depeche Mode: - "Violator" (I used to stop at Black Celebration --but...)
•U2 - "Achtung Baby"
•Simple Minds -"Sparkle In The Rain" (just barely worthwhile)
•Spandau Ballet" -"True" (just barely worthwhile)
•OMD-"Crush"(just barely worthwhile)
• Killing Joke -"Brighter than 1000 suns" (just barely worthwhile)
•The The : "Infected"
Ok --Im getting away from Spazs original question..

[Barmy]

•R.E.M.-"Chronic Town"--after that, they were useless.