New Wave bands whose sound changed drastically

[budaniel]

While some artists stuck true to their original sound even when it went out of fashion, many bands altered their sounds to either grow, because it's what they really wanted to do in the first place, or just try to keep up with the times. Which sound changes did you like and which did you not? Here are some of mine:

Pseudo Echo--they gave up the keyboards completely for guitars by their third album. Loved them as a new wave/synthpop band, never even heard their third album because a friend warned me away.

Berlin--although Count Three and Pray showed very few shadows of their previous synthwave perfection, I actually love Berlin's third album with the harder edge.

Depeche Mode--after Violator, I couldn't really listen to them anymore and bought none of their albums in the 90s when they went grungy/industrial/goth I don't know what...

ABC--Went total house in the 90s. While I became a big fan of deep and hardhouse in the 90s, i just didn't find Martin's voice was made for that style.

The Cult -- While She Sells Sanctuary is one of my favorite 'new wave' songs and I like the shades of new wave on Love, most of their stuff is much harder. not a diehard fan of their sound, but I do like several of their singles.

Duran Duran -- drastic sound changes after their first two albums, but I've always found something to like on their albums, from their pop stuff to their odd experiments in 'funk' and 'freestyle'.

U2 -- don't really love anything past Joshua Tree, just an occasional song here and there.

Ministry -- LOVE With Sympathy and the singles after and occasionally like an industrial track here and there but it mostly starts and ends with With Sympathy for me (and Halloween, of course).

Bananarama -- always considered them more girl group pop than new wave, so I had no problem with their hi-nrg pop phase, especially since I'm a big fan of SAW productions.

Talk Talk -- fan of their first two synthpop albums, couldn't get into their experimental phase.

[Frau_Blucher]

Some discussion on "dramatically" vs "drastically"...

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20462

[budaniel]

that's way too much drama for me. I like things drastic.

[InvisibleMan]

Red Flag went from a happier dance/synth sound to a darker industrial sound [:D]
I kinda prefer their earlier work

[Frank_Chickens]

Landscape - From jazz-fusion to new wave.

[Ollie Stench]

Eurythmics going from icy synth to robust American R&B was the first thing that came to my mind.

[firefall]

The Christian band Daniel Amos-from mid seventees long bearded country rock,to arty post/punk and even some grunge in the ninetees.

[zill]

I was thinking about the Damned, although maybe they just evolved as opposed to changing drastically overnight. Big difference between the early New Rose days and the Grimly Fiendish era.

[oldnewwaver]

here is a few that I can think of

The Psychedelic Furs: big jump from Forever Now to Mirror Moves to Midnight to Midnight
I like their first 4 LPs the best, but Midnight to Midnight was too overly produced and less fun and loose
If you see them on tour of late, they rarely play anything after Mirror Moves, they they tried to regain their sound with World Outside

Oingo Boingo: love the A & M Years (81-83) the best over the MCA years
Their sound started to have a more slicker and smoother sound compared to their earlier work . I lost interest with them after Bo-oingo LP in 87 when Danny started to incorporate more of his composing film style in the musi

[thegoldenyear]

Gang Of Four -- bracing white funk with money-go-round political screeds >>> funky, start-stop, dance-pop >>> "Hard".

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http://thegoldenyear.wordpress.com/

[KYYX4ever]

good mentions with Duran Duran (who changed their sound almost COMPLETELY after [i]7 & the Ragged Tiger[/i]--there are many who say after [i]Rio[/i] ) and Ministry.

I remember a few times in the 90s, talking with some people who were big big Ministry fans--noisy, industrial Ministry--and telling them about [i]With Sympathy[/i]. I persuaded a couple to listen to that album. Oh my gosh, they were freaked out. They could hardly believe that it was the same band. That defines drastic right there.

Scritti Politti is another. Started out minimalist funk jerkiness ("Skank Bloc Bologna") but segued into smoother, R&B with [i]Cupid & Psyche[/i] and beyond.

Jesus and Mary Chain: Starting out all sneering, dense feedback guitar, became soft country rock pop, all melodic and boring.

Elvis Costello: his early stuff was snarly, fast punkpop. Over the years, he drifted into jazz, easy listening, and pseudo-classical.

The Cure changed a LOT. Think [i]Pornography[/i]. Then think [i]Wild Mood Swings[/i]. But maybe this fits Frau Blucher's "dramatic is different than drastic" point.

REM evolved into a whole different sound. "Radio Free Europe" and [i]Chronic Town[/i] before that was jangly new wave psychedelia. I can't even listen to them anymore. It's all bombastic whiny guitar yuk.

Cyndi Lauper: silly cheezy 80s dance fluff to her "adult" renditions now is a real trip.

IMHO, Roxy Music, Stranglers, and Sparks sound completely different in their later work than their earliest albums. Could be more of a dramatic change, though (re: Frau).

NOT new wave, but the Bee Gees get a mention. Lots of people will forever associate them with disco, but that's not at all how they began in the 60s ! I know, b/c my pop had their folksy albums !