Everything Better Than Everything Else

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Has there ever been a band or musician who has released three or more albums and every single album they?ve ever released has been better than the one before?

I?m buggered if I can think of one ? what about you lot?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 15:58 (twenty years ago) link

Nick Drake?

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:00 (twenty years ago) link

Blur.

Up till Great Escape. That's three anyway.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:01 (twenty years ago) link

OK Trying again.

Nirvana. Official proper albums, that is.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:01 (twenty years ago) link

Nick Drake did cross my mind but I think there'd be more people who'd disagree than agree.

Nirvana? Not a chance. Nevermind's way better than In Utero - in fact personally I prefer Bleach to In Utero!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:07 (twenty years ago) link

Quite a lot of respectable people claim that Immortal (7 albums, currently) pulled this off - I'm not convinced though.

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:07 (twenty years ago) link

Mouse on Mars, four albums up 'til "Niun Niggung". Their latest album wasn't as good, though...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:08 (twenty years ago) link

Blur don't even get the first 3 in a row, 'cos Modern Life Is Rubbish is miles better than Parklife.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:08 (twenty years ago) link

Drake - true I like album 1 better than 2.
Nirvana, i stand by, my opinion obv.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:09 (twenty years ago) link

Nirvana? Not a chance. Nevermind's way better than In Utero - in fact personally I prefer Bleach to In Utero!

In Utero is their best. Bleach is good, but you can't put it before In Utero.

― Aja (aja), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:09 (twenty years ago) link

Neu! possibly, arguably, well that's why we're here.

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:11 (twenty years ago) link

In Utero is my favorite because it was their most challening. Milk It is probably my favorite Nirvana song.

― Shaun (shaun), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:11 (twenty years ago) link

I'm not that familiar with Mouse On Mars and I don't know Immortal at all - but AMG (who I've just decided are to be the final arbiters if I don't have, or can't be bothered to form, an opinion of my own) don't appear to agree with you.

Next?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:12 (twenty years ago) link

I like all 3 Drake LPs but my preferred order is 3-2-1.

I don't think ANYONE on ILM will agree but I think the Sugababes have done this. I suspect that 5ive, Steps, S Club 7 may have done too - teenpop is a good place to look for this as they usually only get 3 albums before the game is up, and then they put out a greatest hits which is plainly better than any of them.

You could make a case for ABBA though Arrival is better than Voulez-Vous IIRC. (And I like Super Trouper more than Visitors)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:12 (twenty years ago) link

Hole

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:14 (twenty years ago) link

I like it because the drumming is acoustic and the songs are good. My favorite song on In Utero is "Senceless Apprentice". You can probably guess why if you've heard it.

― Aja (aja), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:14 (twenty years ago) link

"In Utero is their best. Bleach is good, but you can't put it before In Utero."

"In Utero is my favorite because it was their most challening. Milk It is probably my favorite Nirvana song"

No, I'm sorry, this is my thread so I'm Queen and I wonlt be argued with.

Neu? No, sorry: "75"'s certainly their best but I reckon "1"'s better than "2" and anyway I believe there's a "4" which I haven't heard but it isn't supposed to be up to much and that's without including La! Neu?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:18 (twenty years ago) link

Neu - true.
Queen - wouldn't know. Prob not.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:20 (twenty years ago) link

up until '93 rockbeards era (songs of faith...) you could make the very best case for depeche mode, altho pedants will say 'black celebration' is better than 'music for the masses'.

― piscesboy, Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

I was going to say the Small Faces, but I believe they reformed and made a new album some time in the mid-70s, I'm guessing it's not as good as "Ogden's".

La! Neu? doesn't count but I'd forgotten about that "Neu 4" album - but then I think Michael Rother wishes Klaus Dinger had forgotten about it too and not put it out at all.

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:22 (twenty years ago) link

Definitely NOT Queen - how could anyone prefer "Space" to "Sheer Heart Attack"??!??!?!!??!!??

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:23 (twenty years ago) link

Jimi Hendrix?

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:26 (twenty years ago) link

The Beatles? (first three obv).

Public Enemy?

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:27 (twenty years ago) link

Hendrix? No way - "Are You Experienced" is the biznis

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:28 (twenty years ago) link

Steps, S Club 7, Abba, Hole - can't be bothered to have opinions about these myself and AMG doesn't agree.

I can't believe 5ive released even ONE appreciably good album, let alone three that it's possible to compare in any meaningful way.

Queen, definitely not, it was all downhill from A Night At The Opera onwards.

The Small Faces back catalogue confuses me greatly as to what were actually official, band-sanctioned, proper albums - but you're right, I'm saved from having to work this out by 1977's Playmates and 1978's '78 In The Shade

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:29 (twenty years ago) link

Ornette Coleman? (first three again)

― Marcello Carlin, Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:30 (twenty years ago) link

Actually, if it wasn't for Leisure I personally think Blur have managed to achieve the precise opposite of what we're looking for here.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:31 (twenty years ago) link

5ive's third album is good - they went baggy! The second album has better singles on it than the first one did so I assume it's better. Anyway nowhere in yr question did you say that ANY of the albums had to be good, just better than the last.

Thinking about it Steps peaked quite early.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:31 (twenty years ago) link

Big Star - no
Faust - no
Stevie Wonder - up to a point then rapid decline
Throbbing Gristle - possibly
Wire - debatable (oh no it isn't, they reformed and eventually put out "Manscape")

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:32 (twenty years ago) link

It's got to be someone who's released 3 or more albums, but it's also got to be that all their albums.

Just coming up with three in a row isn't quite as taxing!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:33 (twenty years ago) link

The "first three" thing is a copout - we're basically looking for bands/artists that prematurely died/disbanded.

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:33 (twenty years ago) link

xpost

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:34 (twenty years ago) link

The clash, if you ignore cut the crap.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:35 (twenty years ago) link

Henry Cow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh no, hold on, I'm forgetting about "Western Culture"

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:35 (twenty years ago) link

This is zero to 100 posts in 15 mins I reckon

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:36 (twenty years ago) link

It's My Life
The Colour Of Spring
Spirit Of Eden
Laughing Stock

Obviously it's debatable as to whether LS is that much better than SoE but they're pretty close to fulfilling the criteria.

I think Ideology is better than Niun Niggung, Tuomas.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:37 (twenty years ago) link

Ignoring Talk Talk's debut, obv. That would make five in a row of increasing goodness.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:37 (twenty years ago) link

"nowhere in yr question did you say that ANY of the albums had to be good, just better than the last."

I think there's an implicit assumption that the quality has to measurable in order for the improvement to be measurable.

That said, if 5ive had released 5ive's 1st album; then something innocuous and average-ish like say, In Utero; then something great like Modern Life Is Rubbish; then something extraordinary like The Shape Of Jazz To Come; then released Trout Mask Replica; then split up - they would definitely have qualified.

But they didn't, did they?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:38 (twenty years ago) link

I love Laughing Stock and Spirit Of Eden bores me silly - I absolutely cannot work out why this should be.

But Stewart the quality is measurable (obv no quality is measurable but let's assume you mean 'noticeable to the individual listener'): average pop album - above average pop album - good pop album. You can't win (without being a moderator and changing your question)

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:39 (twenty years ago) link

Talk Talk almost make it, as do Buffalo Springfield and Van der Graaf Generator (unfortunate reformation tho 1st reformed album almost counts)

― The Spotlight Kid (kid), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:39 (twenty years ago) link

Joy Division - if you include Ideal For Living and exclude posthumous works.

― Jonathan Z., Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:39 (twenty years ago) link

average-ish like say, In Utero

In Utero is not average! It is great!!!!!!!

― Aja (aja), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:40 (twenty years ago) link

"The clash, if you ignore cut the crap."

Nope, even then The Clash is better than Give 'Em Enough Rope and and both The Clash and London Calling are better than Sandinista! or Combat Rock.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:40 (twenty years ago) link

Ghostface Killah?
The RZA?
I agree on Sugababes.
N*SYNC?
Slint.

Artists with small catalogs are totally the way to go, also those with an evolving style.

I'm sure some ppl. would argue for Outkast.

Velvet Underground! (if you don't count Squeeze)
Daft Punk
Basement Jaxx?
Bikini Kill
Ja Rule

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:41 (twenty years ago) link

Oh, yes, Jaxx seconded I think.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:41 (twenty years ago) link

Re the clast xpost to the maxxx.

I know, I thought I'd have a laff. Tho I like Sandinista best.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:42 (twenty years ago) link

Mystikal? (I suspect but I don't know all the No Limit albums)
Lil Romeo!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:42 (twenty years ago) link

Ooo Ooo Ooo

Pulp.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:42 (twenty years ago) link

Orbital Green
Orbital Brown
Snivilisation
In Sides

Falls down with Snivil...

Outkast would definitely probably work.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:43 (twenty years ago) link

"The "first three" thing is a copout - we're basically looking for bands/artists that prematurely died/disbanded."

The less albums someone's done, the easier it's going to be certainly!

"Joy Division - if you include Ideal For Living and exclude posthumous works."

It's got to be official, band-sanctioned, proper albums, so on that basis I reckon JD on;y released 2 albums and if I had to choose I'd probably come down in favour of Unknown Pleasures anyway.

"In Utero is not average! It is great!!!!!!!"

Who's Queen?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 16:46 (twenty years ago) link

Skipping 24 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Beach Boys Up till "Summer Days..." if you don't count live albums and stuff. At least their first three albums were clear progressions. Summer Days wasn't exactly a step backward though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:25 (twenty years ago) link

What if, whenever bands gave their albums 'numbers' for titles, the titles were then the ACTUAL record ratings

― dave q, Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:26 (twenty years ago) link

Scooter totally qualifies.

― Siegbran (eofor), Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:28 (twenty years ago) link

queens of the stoneage. 1st 3 lp's each getting better. my opinion.
madness - 7 being better than absolutely which was better than one step beyond, and i prefer Rise and Fall .. so four in a row all getting better. Keep Moving then upset the applecart.
compulsion. not that anyone will care about that lot. but damn their stuff rocked my world for about a year they were everything with noise and guitars.

there are more i could dig out of my recesses. but i need to rest now.

― mark e (mark e), Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:45 (twenty years ago) link

Blur: everything up to and including Great escape. I'm going to think more about this. A lot of people say the white stripes improve with each album, also with the chemical brothers first 3.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Thursday, 27 November 2003 17:54 (twenty years ago) link

hmm, things fall apart was better than phrenology, and illadelph too, in my opinion.
what about fugazi? their last three have been great.
missy elliot? then again, 'under construction' was underwhelming...

― paulhw (paulhw), Thursday, 27 November 2003 21:32 (twenty years ago) link

I think I've got one that very few people are going to argue with (and I can't believe no-one else has suggested this yet): how about.... My Bloody Valentine?!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:03 (twenty years ago) link

:-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:07 (twenty years ago) link

at the drive-in
isis

― sean marvin (williamtell), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:13 (twenty years ago) link

yo la tengo up to including "i can hear the heart...". after that it was a bit more water-treading

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:21 (twenty years ago) link

the lucksmiths

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 27 November 2003 22:22 (twenty years ago) link

Japan
adolescent sex, obscure alternatives, quiet life, gentlemen take polaroids, tin drum
musically and compositionally, these guys made enormous strides in the space between album releases.

― bahtology, Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:18 (twenty years ago) link

mr bungle!!!!

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 27 November 2003 23:25 (twenty years ago) link

So in summary:

My Bloody Valentine (only arguable on the basis that I havent heared any previous to isnt anything. But I can believe this one)

Nirvana (everyone thinks so. except u)

Nick Drake (for 30% of people...)

White Stripes (10%?)

and a bunch of people whos albums are slightly less crap than previous.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 09:20 (twenty years ago) link

Don't gloat Ned - that first MBV album is nothing to be proud of!

Japan - Adolescent Sex was better than Obscure Alternatives, wasn't it?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 November 2003 09:21 (twenty years ago) link

Aaliyah
Elephant Man
Radiohead up to Amnesiac

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 28 November 2003 09:37 (twenty years ago) link

Hail to the thief is better than amnesiac. But Kid A is better than both...

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 09:39 (twenty years ago) link

I second Talk Talk.

― man, Friday, 28 November 2003 09:44 (twenty years ago) link

Scott Walker

― NickB (NickB), Friday, 28 November 2003 09:50 (twenty years ago) link

a ha ha ha ha ha. Scott Walker. a ha ha ha ha.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 28 November 2003 10:00 (twenty years ago) link

Outkast is so the answer, as someone pointed out.

― Shmuel (shmuel), Friday, 28 November 2003 10:06 (twenty years ago) link

oh please! the new one's nowhere near as good as the last two

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 28 November 2003 10:08 (twenty years ago) link

yeah, but it works for the first four

― Shmuel (shmuel), Friday, 28 November 2003 10:18 (twenty years ago) link

There's lots of qualifiers to this, but, eno vocal~
4. Here Come the Warm Jets
3. Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
2. Another Green World
1. Before and after Science

― otto j, Friday, 28 November 2003 18:44 (twenty years ago) link

sorry, eno vocal i rate in the opposite direction. it's ALL great, but warm jets is too delightfully twisted thru n thru.
Agree with MBV, Fugazi, Bungle
Add Cornelius, Black Dice
Wish I could say Talking Heads (spoiler the last two) and Unwound (spoiler challenged)
So far everything !!! has put out is getting better, but there's only one full LP.

― Dr. Annabel Lies (Michael Kelly), Friday, 28 November 2003 20:05 (twenty years ago) link

Outkast seems like a good answer, but I like Southernplayalistic.. and ATLiens more than Aquemini. If I pretend that Aquemini doesn't exist, then they totally fit with this.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 28 November 2003 20:16 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

Not only did Sonic Youth improve with every release, they also moved to a larger record label (nearly) each time out! (Well, higher-profile label, anyways.) If only Goo (DGC debut) hadn't reversed the trend by not being nearly as good as Daydream Nation...

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Sunday, 8 May 2005 12:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes from "Yes" through "Close To The Edge" (5 albums)
The Beatles from "Help!" through "Sgt. Pepper" (4 albums)
Kent from "Verkligen" through "Våpen & Ammunition" (4 albums)
Depeche Mode from "Speak And Spell" through "Construction Time Again" (3 albums)
Radiohead from "Pablo Honey" through "OK Computer" (3 albums)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 12:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Kate Bush The Kick Inside through to The Dreaming (if, like me, you slightly prefer her second album to her first due to its gonzo qualities) - 5 albums

OMD Organisation through to Dazzle Ships - 4 albums

The Auteurs New Wave through to How I Learned To Love The Bootboys - 4 albums and band's entire ouevre.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Sunday, 8 May 2005 13:00 (eighteen years ago) link

OMD Organisation through to Dazzle Ships - 4 albums

Just three. You sure you don't mean from their debut onwards?

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 17:26 (eighteen years ago) link

If Vespertine wasn't such a cluker, Björk would be the definitive example, as Medulla is her best IMO.

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Sunday, 8 May 2005 17:47 (eighteen years ago) link

Rammstein! (Reise, Reise > Mutter > Sehnsucht > Herzeleid)

― Siegbran (eofor), Sunday, 8 May 2005 18:02 (eighteen years ago) link

This is a controversial one, but R.E.M. have IMO now improved on five albums in a row since "Monster".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 18:05 (eighteen years ago) link

"Ummagumma" - "Atom Heart Mother" - "Meddle" - "Dark Side Of The Moon" - "Wish You Were Here". That is five. (Those movie soundtracks just don't count)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 18:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Pixies

― donut debonair (donut), Sunday, 8 May 2005 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link

(granted, my opinion, not the masses)

― donut debonair (donut), Sunday, 8 May 2005 18:21 (eighteen years ago) link

True dat, donut — at least as far as Tromple Le Monde being their masterstroke. (I dunno about Bossanova though...)

― Dr. Gene Scott (shinybeast), Sunday, 8 May 2005 20:51 (eighteen years ago) link

I might say this of GYBE!. Possibly Radiohead, though the last three are fairly equal in my eyes.

― Sundar (sundar), Sunday, 8 May 2005 21:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Radiohead have done this twice. First with their first three albums. Then "Kid A" was an absolute disaster compared to "OK Computer", but later on they have again improved with each album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 22:51 (eighteen years ago) link

But Kid A is so much more melodic than Amnesiac?

― wiffle, Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:00 (eighteen years ago) link

But Kid A is so much more melodic than Amnesiac?

Snap!

― giboyeux (skowly), Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:06 (eighteen years ago) link

In fact, no. For instance, "Knives Out" is by far the most melodic moment on either.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Amnesiac is probably a bit more complex melodically, e.g. "Life In a Glasshouse". I think the melodies on Kid A are more straightforward, even compared to OK Computer.

― Sundar (sundar), Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:36 (eighteen years ago) link

Maybe it has more to do with the relationship between the main melodies and the rhythm or harmonic motion of the accompaniment than with the melodies themselves? I don't know.

― Sundar (sundar), Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:37 (eighteen years ago) link

The songs on "Amnesiac" are less minimalist and less repetitive. I absolutely despise all kinds of minimalism.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 23:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Super Furry Animals! *ducks*

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Monday, 9 May 2005 05:01 (eighteen years ago) link

also, Low!

― Simon H. (Simon H.), Monday, 9 May 2005 05:02 (eighteen years ago) link

SFA are for me extremely not OTM in this thread, in that each time I thought they were on their way down, they would always surprise with an excellent album following a less excellent one.

Not that they have ever made a bad album, but their best ones have been scattered across their career chronologically IMO.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 9 May 2005 09:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Super Fury Animals are cacophonous, atonal junkies who cannot sing or write a melody if Himmler were to hold a gun to their heads. It is the overly beneficial supply of drugs in unemployed Wales, no? You need to listen to artists who perform properly constructed and melodic songs, such as Katie Melua and Norah Jones.

― Comstock Carabinieri (nostudium), Monday, 9 May 2005 09:46 (eighteen years ago) link

nine years pass...

I think it's fair game to consider this in terms of incarnations - if so, the first three Wire albums could qualify although they're all great.
and with the potential quibbling over faves, maybe it's easier to look at whether an artist/band keeps evolving (in a good way), in which case Japan (above) fits the bill better than most. they certainly went out on a peak of interest/exposure.

a couple of incarnations that might work are:
Van Der Graaf Generator first incarnation up through Pawn Hearts.
Roxy Music second incarnation Manifesto -> Avalon, at least in the sense of refinement.

― Paul, Monday, 24 November 2014 22:47 (nine years ago) link

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