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The.Crimson.King 
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 Topic: Consistently Great Bands
Posted: March 30 2016 at 19:02 |
Was thinking the other day about all the bands that had a major dip in quality in the middle of their discography, or even worse...kept going long after they should have retired and tarnished their legacy. It happens all too frequently...maybe it's a blatant attempt to go commercial, a singer you love gets replaced with one you hate, the guitarist becomes a heroin junkie and loses it, etc. Then I thought about the flip side and began trying to list the bands that never faltered from their 1st album to their last (or just their latest in the cases of still active bands). In other words, bands that I'm just as happy to listen to their 1st, last, or any album in between.
For the purpose of this discussion, let's limit this to bands that released at least 5 official albums (live and studio albums count but best of compilations don't). Also, I put this in the general discussion forum so bands that aren't considered prog can also be included.
So, what bands consistently delivered the goods at all points of their 5+ album discographies for you?
For me, the list is much shorter than I expected...
1) The Beatles 2) Pink Floyd 3) Van Der Graaf 4) Pulsar 5) Devil Doll 6) The Minutemen
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zravkapt
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 19:33 |
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Led Zeppelin
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Magma America Great Make Again
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InstrupsychedeMental
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 19:34 |
That's actually quite tough. Tons of artists who've released at least 5 solid discs but asking for complete domination is difficult. I love Pink Floyd--my fave for years, now--but I can't get into The Final Cut, as just one (and my primary) example. Looking over some notes, and considering the same in my current haze, I'll submit one: Porcupine Tree Consistently solid, in my opinion; can't think of a disc that drops in quality to any significant degree. I'd add Jimi Hendrix, but I don't think he reached 5 before passing. If you said 4 I'd add some more, especially My Brother the Wind, counting Live at Roadburn. Perfection is overrated.
Edited by InstrupsychedeMental - March 30 2016 at 19:41
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micky
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 19:44 |
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fail....
Yes rules this category... it took a point in which most bands were footnotes in history before they uncorked a stinker (Big Generator IMO)
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The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip
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Nogbad_The_Bad
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 20:00 |
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Univers Zero
Henry Cow
Thinking Plague
Present
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Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/
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The Dark Elf
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 20:45 |
Jethro Tull from 68 to 79. Even their one or two middling albums in more than a decade had some fantastic songs:
This Was Stand Up Benefit Aqualung Thick as a Brick Living in the Past A Passion Play War Child Minstrel in the Gallery Too Old to Rock and Roll Songs from the Wood Heavy Horses Storm Watch
The Beatles, of course, I would also add The Doors, perhaps David Bowie.
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...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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Magnum Vaeltaja
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 21:09 |
Geez, that's very tough to answer. For prog bands, Gryphon maybe?
As for non-prog bands, the only ones that come close for me are The Marshall Tucker Band (original line-up anyway, I don't consider them the same band without the Caldwell brothers), who released 9 straight quality albums from 1973 to 1981, and Joe Satriani. 15 albums in and that man is still going strong.
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when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents
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Atavachron
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 21:13 |
 zravkapt wrote:
Led Zeppelin
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Hell yeah, in spades, especially for never going commercial.
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"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy
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infocat
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Posted: March 30 2016 at 22:08 |
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Riverside. SONGS may be a slight dip, but I'd still say they belong on this list.
Echolyn. Not a bad album yet.
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--
Frank Swarbrick
Belief is not Truth.
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Mascodagama
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 00:24 |
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Steely Dan
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Pastmaster
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 00:38 |
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Clutch is the definition of consistent.
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Cristi
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 02:17 |
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Marillion
Rush
Riverside
Threshold
Enchant
Pink Floyd
Deep Purple
Happy the Man
Camel
Beardfish
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chopper
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 03:22 |
zravkapt wrote:
Led Zeppelin
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Yep, I agree, for me they didn't really have a duff song until Prescence (Hots on for Nowhere).
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someone_else
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 04:01 |
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Modrigue
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 04:17 |
Pink Floyd The Cure Led Zep Queen Magma Ashra Archive Radiohead Porcupine Tree Dead Can Dance Jamiroquai Ozric Tentacles (easy one, the style doesn't change very much) Subarachnoid Space (same remark as above)
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Cambus741
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 05:49 |
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Can I include non prog artists in this?
Adam Ant
Mostly Autumn
Queen
Porcupine Tree
Rhapsody (of Fire)
Paul Roland
Roger Waters
I can think of quite a few artists with long discographies where IMO they did just one duff album;
Al Stewart - Zero She Flies
Ayreon - Actual Fantasy
Pink Floyd - Ummagumma
IQ - Subterrainia
Marillion - Somewhere else
Pendragon - Kowtow
I think Hawkwind are a bit of a special case in that they made so many albums and I can only think of three duff ones;
Choose Your Masques
Distant Horizons
Hawkwind
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TheLionOfPrague
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 06:16 |
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Iron Maiden.
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I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place
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Guldbamsen
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 08:18 |
Tangerine Dream...  Nahh not really.
Dungen however has never released a dud and can do absolutely no wrong imho. The Doors roam that category as well. Of newer bands I'd say Vespero and Elephant9. Then there are those acts with only a couple of releases under their belt, but I strongly suspect both Fire! Orchestra and Syd Arthur will continue to get my juices flowing.
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
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Guldbamsen
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 08:23 |
I was tempted to go with Floyd as well, but The Final Cut stands in the way 
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
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Modrigue
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Posted: March 31 2016 at 08:27 |
Guldbamsen wrote:
Tangerine Dream... Nahh not really. |
During 1970-1986 only. After that... there will be (too) rare good moments
Edited by Modrigue - March 31 2016 at 08:31
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Consistently Great Bands
