Bands with One Album That is Much Better Than the Others

[Brett]

I thought of another one for my own categorization: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, I've not really bothered to dive deep into their catalog, but I've heard a few others from the discography, and a handful of songs beyond those, but that one album's still tops. In fact, I rank it as one of my favorite albums by anyone. I guess I just wish more of Wilco's music was similar to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert than what it really is.

[Norah]

I thought of another one for my own categorization: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, I've not really bothered to dive deep into their catalog, but I've heard a few others from the discography, and a handful of songs beyond those, but that one album's still tops. In fact, I rank it as one of my favorite albums by anyone. I guess I just wish more of Wilco's music was similar to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert than what it really is.

get the fuck out of here

[Heathen]

I thought of another one for my own categorization: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, I've not really bothered to dive deep into their catalog, but I've heard a few others from the discography, and a handful of songs beyond those, but that one album's still tops. In fact, I rank it as one of my favorite albums by anyone. I guess I just wish more of Wilco's music was similar to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert than what it really is.

get the fuck out of here

For real. All Wilco albums suck in equal measure.

[kreng]

I thought of another one for my own categorization: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, I've not really bothered to dive deep into their catalog, but I've heard a few others from the discography, and a handful of songs beyond those, but that one album's still tops. In fact, I rank it as one of my favorite albums by anyone. I guess I just wish more of Wilco's music was similar to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert than what it really is.

get the fuck out of here

For real. All Wilco albums suck in equal measure.

[stip]

Yeah, I can't fathom there aren't hundreds of exceptions. In addition to what you are saying, I think with widely recognizable artists it is easier to identify a sort of widespread "perception" of certain records, which helps steer the conversation away from just being a list of artists that people (meaning individuals) generally dislike but happened to produce one record that they can tolerate. I think the only interesting spin on this conversation almost has to involve a recognition of these more widespread perceptions, such that it looks at artists who really managed to make a splash -- not just commercially but also critically and/or culturally -- with one record but otherwise ultimately ceased to be relevant. Otherwise the thread just becomes a list of various artists' best albums, or what I described above.

What about Liz Phair?

Liz Phair is a good choice

[stip]

Hole and Bush

[Norah]

Of all the bands I came up with, Violent Femmes is the one that fits this the most.

[epilogue]

What about Liz Phair?

I really love all of her first three albums. But it's probably fair to say that Exile is far better than the others. I'm just comfortable being the one to say it.

[epilogue]

Of all the bands I came up with, Violent Femmes is the one that fits this the most.

Yeah, Violent Femmes is a great one. Well played, Petern. Maybe the best answer in this whole thread. Given how fucking, blindingly amazing their debut is.

[epilogue]

Hole and Bush

Bush's second album is only marginally worse than their first, I'd say. And some of the individual songs are better than anything on that first record.

[Norah]

Of all the bands I came up with, Violent Femmes is the one that fits this the most.

Yeah, Violent Femmes is a great one. Well played, Petern. Maybe the best answer in this whole thread. Given how fucking, blindingly amazing their debut is.

Exactly.

[Brett]

I need to find more bands that fit the bill for this so Chud can tell me to get the fuck out of here again.

[stip]

Hole and Bush

Bush's second album is only marginally worse than their first, I'd say. And some of the individual songs are better than anything on that first record.

yeah, but since we're not talking about game changing songwriting the first album is the one that was the never ending hit factory.

[bodysnatcher]

[Heathen]

[kreng]

Agree with the first 2, only heard that one yellow swans album but can't imagine any other of their albums being better than that

[epilogue]

Hole and Bush

Bush's second album is only marginally worse than their first, I'd say. And some of the individual songs are better than anything on that first record.

yeah, but since we're not talking about game changing songwriting the first album is the one that was the never ending hit factory.

That's true. But I don't see how that fills the thread title requirement.

[Alex]

I thought of another one for my own categorization: Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Granted, I've not really bothered to dive deep into their catalog, but I've heard a few others from the discography, and a handful of songs beyond those, but that one album's still tops. In fact, I rank it as one of my favorite albums by anyone. I guess I just wish more of Wilco's music was similar to their NPR Tiny Desk Concert than what it really is.

get the fuck out of here

For real. All Wilco albums suck in equal measure.

now that's the straw that broke the camel's back, lord of the dark. consider yourself shunned.

[nyquillyn]

None of the bands I am familiar with that have been listed thus far belong here -- certainly not Pink Floyd, AIC, or Bruce. The one I keep coming back to is "Illmatic," but even then I can't quite bring myself to write off some of Nas's other stuff. This is an interesting thread simply because it seems that if you interpret the thread as I did -- which is the same as how Spenno did, basically to mean an anomalous masterpiece amidst an otherwise disposable body of work -- there really isn't a good answer to the original question. I figured I would be able to come up with at least a dozen examples.

Agree with Illmatic, unfortunately. His rhymes are as good as ever, but some of the music choices, beats and production on his albums are laughable. He's the complete opposite of Kanye.

[Alex]

None of the bands I am familiar with that have been listed thus far belong here -- certainly not Pink Floyd, AIC, or Bruce. The one I keep coming back to is "Illmatic," but even then I can't quite bring myself to write off some of Nas's other stuff. This is an interesting thread simply because it seems that if you interpret the thread as I did -- which is the same as how Spenno did, basically to mean an anomalous masterpiece amidst an otherwise disposable body of work -- there really isn't a good answer to the original question. I figured I would be able to come up with at least a dozen examples.

Agree with Illmatic, unfortunately. His rhymes are as good as ever, but some of the music choices, beats and production on his albums are laughable. He's the complete opposite of Kanye.

illmatic is the best example provided so far in this thread