I’m one who prefers late 80s Maiden, but those early albums are also really good, and it’s not just the singer that makes them seem like they are from a different band.
I haven’t enjoyed much from them post Fear of the Dark.
I agree. I wasn’t into late-80s and beyond Aerosmith. That said, early Aerosmith was also very successful —Toys in the Attic is apparently still their best-selling album. But, yes, relative to their later success, they were less successful then, technically.
My artsy poncey “new wave” friends quite liked the first Mike and the Mechanics album.
Phils first two solo albums are quite nice. Tonys The Fugitive is an…interesting 80’s artifact.
And I’ll take Peter’s solo work over their early “prancing among the meadows” progrock Genesis days anytime.
Mike and the Mechanics made the worst schlock ever associated with a Genesis member. Even worse than Phil Collins later solo work, and that counts for something. Uuuurgh.
I kinda agree with that. Peter Gabriel improved after leaving Genesis, while his former band declined.
But nothing I know from everybody’s output (I don’t know Banks’ and Hackett’s solo work) beats *Foxtrott *IMHO.
I thought Fleetwood Mac’s best lineup was Danny Kirwan, Bob Welch, Christine McVie, and, of course, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.
I also agree with RealityChuck about Blood, Sweat, and Tears.
No mention of Styx yet? :eek:
How about Bon Jovi? I liked their first album or two, which were edgy and fresh-sounding, but Slippery When Wet brought them fame and fortune, and IMHO their sound became formulaic and predictable at that point.
How about ZZ Top? I much prefer the first three albums, through Tres Hombres. More grit and rawness.
The Replacements
I know, never really successful, but their first EP Sting and first Album Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash were wonderful. All the rest…meh.
The Who weren’t exactly unsuccessful before then.
Oh, good one! I wholeheartedly concur.
I’m not sure how someone would script a biopic of New Order that doesn’t mention Joy Division…
Aw hell no, The Who had 5 more years of GREAT stuff after 68’. They were still a singles band at that point…give me the Leeds version in 70’ and Who’s Next in 71’ any day of the week. Nothing wrong with 68’ but they were still feeling themselves and discovering what they could be.
Agreed, to a point. Who’s Next is the Who at their peak. They’ve gone steadily downhill since then, and with the death of John Entwhistle, have gone over the cliff and become the World’s Most Expensive Who cover band.
AC/DC. Bon Scott, IMO, was an outstanding frontman and singer. Brian Johnson? No thanks.
The best Stones lineup for me, but hardly less successful.
My entry: also not a band, but Boz Scaggs was a far more interesting musician before he started wearing suits and blow-drying his hair. Successful as he was with (and after) Silk Degrees, I thought it was cornball lounge lizard stuff.
I much prefer *Horses and Radio Ethiopia *to any subsequent Patti Smith Group albums.
I prefer Burn The Priest to Lamb of God.
I prefer early KISS (say 1976 and earlier).
I prefer Ramones up until 1980. Once they became movie stars their output went way down in quality. Their concerts were still fucking awesome, but their recordings were mostly shite.
Those three come off the top of my head but I’m sure there are lots of artists that changed stylistically and found great financial and popular success with what is essentially pablum.
I much prefer the ‘68-‘70 Deep Purple lineup of Nick Simper, Ian Paice, Rod Evans, Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord to the “classic” ‘70-‘73 lineup of Jon Lord, Roger Glover, Ian Gillan, Ritchie Blackmore, and Ian Paice.
I realize i’m very much in the minority, but god, I loved those covers of “Hush,” “Kentucky Woman,”
“River Deep Mountain High,” “Lalena,” “Hey Joe,” etc., etc.
Dexys Midnight Runners
Their early singles and first album are excellent neo-soul. Very few people in the USA would have heard them, though they were big hits in the UK and parts of the commonwealth.
Then they went celtic, had a massive worldwide smash hit, and while I like that stuff, I much prefer the earlier stuff.
For that matter, UB40’s early singles and first album are far superior to their bland reggae-lite cover-version hits.