Biggest sound changes between albums

Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn >> Saucerful of Secrets

IMO it's almost two different bands. Just to backtrack my entry point into the Floyd was Meddle - not long afterwards I first heard Piper and couldn't believe how different they sounded with Syd in the band.

Edited by Floydoid - 4 hours 32 minutes ago at 14:09

Mellotron Storm wrote: From Moving Pictures to Signals. A huge shift in sound with the synths dominating on Signals. And this was personal for me. Signals was so different, I just couldn't get into it back then, but taking a break from it and then returning for round two at least allowed me to appreciate it for what it is. I started to like the songs. And it grew from there.

Roll the Bones to Counterparts was also a significant shift … to less synths and a bit of grunge.

Yeah, I don't think of that as a big change. Sort of a myth amongst the progheads who just think of ATTWT as a step down in quality from W&W. In terms of sound, they aren't that different. The biggest change (as in, non-gradual) between Genesis albums in terms of overall sound has to be their first album to Trespass. The rest of their changes have been very gradual over time. Outside of Follow You Follow Me, what song on ATTWT sounds like pop to the point where the prog/art rock roots are undetectable? And what song on W&W doesn't include any elements of pop whatsoever? The latter album even has Your Own Special Way and Afterglow that can qualify as "pop" too. In fact, lots of classic prog acts incorporate elements of pop (in the context of the era) all the time.

I think Genesis, Wind and Wuthering to ...And Then There Were Three...
A huge transition from their progressive rock roots to their modern pop songs.

From Jade Warrior ....Last Autumn's Dream to Floating World.
The early albums contained Rock songs with the influence of Asia music. The piece "Dark River" is a good example of this.

When Jon Field and Tony Duhig signed with Island they extended more on the influence of Asia music and remained an instrumental band releasing the following:

Floating World
Waves
Kites
Way Of The Sun
Horizon
At Peace
Breathing The Storm
Distant Echoes
....until reforming with singer Glyn Harvard and returning to their early style ..but with a more modern sound..

How about Mike Oldfield from Incantations to Platinum and his 80's albums? I'm sure he had many other dramatic leaps in his sound from one album to the next. Rick Wakeman should have some very notable changes of sound between some of his albums, going from prog rock (or at least rock) to solo piano or New Age.

Edited by Dellinger - April 13 2025 at 16:06

Logan wrote: Cristi wrote: DoobieBrother6 wrote: Somebody help me here. Can this truly be the same band??? From the excellent first "Gravedigger" hard rock lp to the limp Kitaro/Yannish newage slobber-pap of "Journey". I for one do not know who you're talking about. The band is Janus, although I believe that Out of Time came out before Journey. that's huge gap between albums. Journey came out in 1991 and Gravedigger in 1972. Different times.

The OP said no albums with a gap longer than 5 years. It makes sense.

Edited by Cristi - April 13 2025 at 11:57

DoobieBrother6 wrote: Somebody help me here. Can this truly be the same band??? From the excellent first "Gravedigger" hard rock lp to the limp Kitaro/Yannish newage slobber-pap of "Journey".

I for one do not know who you're talking about.

moshkito wrote: Jacob Schoolcraft wrote: ... however my personal preference was in the deepness of Bridget Wishart. I liked her costumes ...her theatrics...her masks!! and renditions of Robert Calvert songs. I really liked her emulation and original style the best. She could role play characters and her stage presence was unique in Hawkwind. Hi, Not sure what the whole thing was about, but she was definitely a special touch in the life of Hawkwind, but it never got off that macho thing in loudness, and not allow for Bridget to shine even more and that album is really good and has some far out touches ... but I suppose that DB thought it would sidetrack the "trip" for the band ... something that nowadays, looks a bit ridiculous and very silly, and for me, the band died after those albums. I have not enjoyed listening to anything since, and in fact, stopped buying altogether, including side albums.

That is very sad and I agree with you. Hawkwind did have a good run of albums from different time periods. The early albums were unique and then by 1975 they used a Mellotron on Hall Of The Mountain Grill and then Warrior On The Edge Of Time. Hawkwind and Man toured the U.S. together in 74' and then things changed when Bob Calvert became the frontman for Hawkwind and wrote stories about the future...which I found fascinating.

After Calvert Hugh Lloyd Langton who had a brief stay and appeared on the first album..returned...and along with Ginger Baker the Levitation album along with 5 or 6 more albums was a good run of material. Then Bridget Wishart...then Hawkwind as a 3 piece band...then Ron Tree joining which was okay...however I wasn't thrilled with the direction they took thereafter. Arthur Brown would sometimes perform with the band and forget the words to the songs...then Blood Of The Earth...Insomnia and others were not magical to me. I can certainly understand why fans of Hawkwind would like those albums and perhaps it's just my preference and they didn't grow on me. I wish I could still enjoy their music. I was always thrilled over the idea that they hired real Sci-Fi writers to create concepts and of course lyricism

Jacob Schoolcraft wrote: ... however my personal preference was in the deepness of Bridget Wishart. I liked her costumes ...her theatrics...her masks!! and renditions of Robert Calvert songs. I really liked her emulation and original style the best. She could role play characters and her stage presence was unique in Hawkwind.

Hi,

Not sure what the whole thing was about, but she was definitely a special touch in the life of Hawkwind, but it never got off that macho thing in loudness, and not allow for Bridget to shine even more and that album is really good and has some far out touches ... but I suppose that DB thought it would sidetrack the "trip" for the band ... something that nowadays, looks a bit ridiculous and very silly, and for me, the band died after those albums. I have not enjoyed listening to anything since, and in fact, stopped buying altogether, including side albums.