The 4th/5th album blessing

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I've noticed that many bands made their most appriciated work(s) on their 4th/5th albums, Or made a big progress as a band with those releases. Some examples :
Yes - Fragile + Close To The Edge 
Genesis - Foxtrot + Selling England By The Pound
Jethro Tull - Aqualung + Thick as a Brick
Gentle Giant - Octopus + In A Glass House
Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts + Godbluff
Opeth - Still Life + Blackwater Park
The Who - Tommy + Who's Next (In this site there's a big hype for 'Quadrophenia', but in the history of rock the 2 I mentioned are much more appriciated)
And some other bands that made a real masterpiece on their 4th/5th album :
Iron Maiden - Powerslave (By far their best in my opinion)
King Crimson - Larks Tounges In Aspic (Not their best, but one of their most appriciated and it marked a big change in their sound)
Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Camel - Moonmadness (I don't realy like it, but many people believe it's their masterpiece)
Radiohead - Kid A (A real masterpiece!!!)
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (And 'Houses Of The Holy' is also one of their best)
Symphony X  - V: The New Mythology Suite
So, what do you think? Is there a blessing? Do you know other examples? 

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King Winter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: June 04 2010 Location: Israel Status: Offline Points: 51	Topic: The 4th/5th album blessing Posted: January 14 2011 at 12:49
	I've noticed that many bands made their most appriciated work(s) on their 4th/5th albums, Or made a big progress as a band with those releases. Some examples : Yes - Fragile + Close To The Edge Genesis - Foxtrot + Selling England By The Pound Jethro Tull - Aqualung + Thick as a Brick Gentle Giant - Octopus + In A Glass House Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts + Godbluff Opeth - Still Life + Blackwater Park The Who - Tommy + Who's Next (In this site there's a big hype for 'Quadrophenia', but in the history of rock the 2 I mentioned are much more appriciated) And some other bands that made a real masterpiece on their 4th/5th album : Iron Maiden - Powerslave (By far their best in my opinion) King Crimson - Larks Tounges In Aspic (Not their best, but one of their most appriciated and it marked a big change in their sound) Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory Camel - Moonmadness (I don't realy like it, but many people believe it's their masterpiece) Radiohead - Kid A (A real masterpiece!!!) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV (And 'Houses Of The Holy' is also one of their best) Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite So, what do you think? Is there a blessing? Do you know other examples?

The T Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: October 16 2006 Location: FL, USA Status: Offline Points: 17493	Posted: January 14 2011 at 12:53
	Don't try to find numeric logic in the progression of good or bad albums in a band, is my main advice. It's as random as possible. Though I would say odds are against the first album being the masterpiece of a band (though there are exceptions).


rushfan4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 22 2007 Location: Michigan, U.S. Status: Offline Points: 65961	Posted: January 14 2011 at 13:00
	Some would argue that 2112 and A Farewell to Kings are Rush's best albums, although some would say number 3 Caress of Steel was their best, and many would say their 5th and 6th were their best with A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres. My favorite are their 7th and 8th Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures.


TheOppenheimer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: May 29 2010 Location: Buenos Aires Status: Offline Points: 228	Posted: January 14 2011 at 13:32
	In that case i'll sign a contract for 5 albums, hoping i will break a masterpiece. Jokes apart, i think there is no classification of good or bad albums, but albums that more or less people like. Besides, you listed 14 bands, out of 87684325468514 and counting.
	//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// A veces es cuestión de esperar, y tomarte en silencio.

Gerinski Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: February 10 2010 Location: Barcelona Spain Status: Offline Points: 5093	Posted: January 14 2011 at 13:37
	Interesting, but obviously it also has to do with the period when the band was active. Bands who started in the 60's will probably have their best prog works in the early 70's (by the way Quadrophenia is my Who's favourite), while for bands starting in '74 maybe their early works were better than their '80's releases. Edited by Gerinski - January 14 2011 at 13:45

timburlane Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: March 09 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 58	Posted: January 14 2011 at 17:34
	One of the reasons for 60's/70's making great albums once their careers were "established" is that record companies didn't expect a million seller straight out of the blocks as they do now. It was quite common for bands to make three albums before the company expected them to break big whereas now, for artists signed to the majors, there is little or no time to develop. The pressure is on to hit the ground running and artists have no time to "find themselves" in the modern age. Because many prog bands today record for independant labels or even self-produce this pressure doesn't exist. There aren't the mega-star big bucks to be made but there is a living. In some ways prog has become like Jazz in this way.
	never eat anything bigger than your head

jammun Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: July 14 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3449	Posted: January 14 2011 at 18:01
	I've long had a sort of theory that most bands are three and out, which is to say, once they hit their stride (so as to negate the effect of early, often so-so albums), they are basically good for three excellent albums. This of course can vary by band -- and I generally give leeway to bands that have significant personnel changes over a career -- but it seems to hold true in most cases.
	Can you tell me where we're headin'? Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.

King Winter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: June 04 2010 Location: Israel Status: Offline Points: 51	Posted: January 15 2011 at 04:12
	I know we can find many opposite expamples (The Beatles started making intresting music only on their 6th album Rubber Soul). So of course I don't believe it's a rule. From the other hand, I don't think it's totally random, and the theory of "timburlane" seems reasonable to me (But I also gave examples of modern bands, and not all of them are prog bands).

Snow Dog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 23 2005 Location: Caerdydd Status: Offline Points: 32995	Posted: January 15 2011 at 04:14
	Trouble is your argument is flawed. Some of the albums you claim to be big leaps forward are not. Some albums you say are the best I disagree with.


King Winter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Groupie Joined: June 04 2010 Location: Israel Status: Offline Points: 51	Posted: January 15 2011 at 04:51
	That's true, but I don't talk about my opinion or your opinion. I talk about general opinion. For me Aqualung and Godbluff aren't even close to be masterpieces, and I like Tales From Topographic Oceans more than I like Fragile. But the average person will probably be ROFL when he hears that...