Why can't bands keep their level

5 to 6 is the average number for the super bands like Yes or Genesis. But that's rare.

Atavachron wrote: Making quality music year after year is really, really hard.   One only has a finite amount of good ideas without repeating oneself, and the listening public is unforgiving, impatient and unrealistic.   A band that is together for ten years and puts out consistent work isn't the norm but instead is lucky, has unusual chemistry and works hard.   That's a rare thing. Albums like Crest of a Knave or 90215 or Abacab are even more impressive in this context and saw these bands digging deep into their creative coffers, bravely releasing music that was both new and of high quality even though the work may not considered their best.

It's good of David to bring this question back down to earth. Just writing material for one good album is a major accomplishment let alone a string of 5 or 6.

The Unifaun wrote: ... Why does so many super-prog-groups e.g. Yes, ELP, Genesis etc. made their best albums in the early years, while all releases afterwards never had the quality of their predecessors. To a certain extend it must be frustrating to be in business for 40 years and longer, and having your historical and cultural climax so far in the past.

There are so many reasons why the output of certain bands diminished over the years, many of which have been mentioned here.  But there are many that didn't necessarily diminish.  Frank Zappa, as has been mentioned, didn't diminish in his compositional talents.  His discography is inconsistent through his entire career.  There is not a period of time where he has had both masterpieces and failures, sometimes one right after the other.  His ingenuity never really diminished though, it's just that some of his music didn't always appeal to everyone.  If you listen to "Civilization Phase 3", for example, you might think it is strange, but it is actually an amazing piece of work.  Same thing with "The Yellow Shark" and "Jazz From Hell".  But, of course there are many less than perfect albums released in the same time period, just as there were though his entire career

Jeffro wrote: Some bands simply have a shelf life and once they hit that, they are done creatively. Sometimes, they implode due to personal issues between the members, sometimes members perish, sometimes they just run out of ideas.  The idea of a constantly changing lineup aka King Crimson is an interesting one as it can infuse a band with new life. However I prefer bands that maintain more of a consistent lineup. It seems odd to me when bands have no original members anymore and yet still have the same name. Are they even still the same bands anymore? I would say no. KC is a bit different in that there was always Fripp leading the way.

If today´s Thin Lizzy didn´t call them Thin Lizzy, I believe they would have plenty less gigs. I think it´s audience decision do they want to hear old classics played by some members that have been at least some time in the original band or by some totally tribute band. Also, you have to remember some original members have wanted their bands continue. For example Daevid Allen wanted Gong to continue & Lee Brilleaux Dr. Feelgood.

Thinking specifically about bands (rather than individuals as in my earlier posting), it is also probably rare that different members develop in the same or compatible ways over time. Some bands would have their trademark style and for the members it may only be one thing among many they're interested in, and at some point they may drop it completely while still going on making music (Phil Collins in Brand X comes to mind). It is certainly harder for a band with several strong egos than for an individual to develop and change approach in a consistent manner, which is well illustrated by the different King Crimson lineups with one constant member. People are just different and the chemistry between people make work for some years and then no longer. It may work more easily between musicians who have a weaker drive to innovate and change, and who are happy to still play the same style and largely the same material after 20+ years. No wonder that this class of bands then doesn't come out with great new things anymore.

To me it seems eighties were mostly the worst time in prog, many progbands had to turn into pop or split, because there were no audience to the ambitious music. But in the nineties there seemed to become again audience to the prog, although not as much as in the seventies at least in the UK. I think Faust is quite good example of this, it disbanded already in the seventies, but started again in the nineties and since then had made mostly great albums, the last one become last year.

There's a lot of factors that have already been mentioned. Record label control, getting old, etc. But I don't think prog-bands going pop was ever a lack of creativity or selling out, at least not initially. Art-rock started making its way into the scene in the 70s, and one if its underpinning philosophies was the blend of high and low culture. I think a lot of prog bands picked up on this, and INITIALLY it was a fresh creative choice to make - but then most people favoured the pop over the prog and prog-bands followed that tide.

Atavachron wrote: Logan wrote: The effectiveness of a solo depends so much on the context. A good solo doesn't just support the music, it is the music (of course it's a part of the music). How integral it is and how integrated it should be into the greater piece depends on context and an individual's assessment. Sometimes a solo adds another dimension to the music, and an interesting opportunity to explore themes and create contrasts. It can work well in juxtaposition, or can be used in a more cohesive, straight-forward musical manner. Well observed and quite correct.   It is the music around the solo that makes it work and be engaging, and a soloist's understanding of how music works in context with the chords and harmonies, both emotionally and technically.

Very much agree with both of you fine gents. Punk Flute is the quintessential band to showcase this imho.