Most Improved Bands?

HangTime · 29 Apr 2006 at 12:35

Are there any bands which you used to think were a bit poor or average, but as time has progressed, you think they have got significantly better?

I'm starting to think that about Embrace. I used to find them incredibly mundane and boring, and indeed "Come Back to What You Know" is an incredibly irritating track, the success of which I could never understand.

However, their 2004 album "Out of Nothing" seemed to be a marked improvement and was probably one of my favourite records that year (I thought it was a pretty damn poor year for music, to be fair). Having listened to some of their new album, "This New Day", I'm finding myself quite enjoying their music. It's still lacking that je ne sais quoi to lift them up to being a truly top band, but for me it certainly matches up to a lot of the modern Indie stuff.

Arcade Fire · 29 Apr 2006 at 12:42

Primal Scream got better and better, cuminating in XTRMNTR, and then went downhill a bit after that.

Nix · 29 Apr 2006 at 12:56

Lostprophets, Placebo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Eat World.

Arcade Fire · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:09

Nix said:
Lostprophets

Eww, no! They didn't start off too well to being with (Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja, weren't it?) and they just went downhill from there.

Placebo

Nah, they improved from their first album to their second and I suppose you could make the case that Black Market Music was better again, though I don't agree, but their most recent two albums were dire. Urgh!

I think that The Flaming Lips have been consistently improving, but I realise that that's a controversial opinion

. John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats also got better and better for quite a while, even though his newest album was a bit of a disappointment.

penski · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:13

The Chilis. Can't stand their early stuff, like their californication-on stuff...

*n

THMRK · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:15

At the Drive-In. Refused. It could be argued that Dillenger Escape Plan got better depending on your perspective on Miss Machine.

Arcade Fire · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:28

Woody__ said:
At the Drive-In. Refused. It could be argued that Dillenger Escape Plan got better depending on your perspective on Miss Machine.

My opinion is that they peaked with Irony is a Dead Scene, but Miss Machine is certainly leagues ahead of their earlier stuff.

Big Chris · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:31

Nix said:
Red Hot Chili Peppers

penski said:
The Chilis. Can't stand their early stuff, like their californication-on stuff...

Couldn't disagree more actually, I love the Chilis up to and including 1995's One Hot Minute, everything they've released since then has been bland and unimaginative.

THMRK · 29 Apr 2006 at 13:35

Arcade Fire said:
My opinion is that they peaked with Irony is a Dead Scene, but Miss Machine is certainly leagues ahead of their earlier stuff.

I really like Irony is a Dead Scene a lot. But Miss Machine is more accessible which I think might be why I'd rate it slightly ahead.

Darkest Hour are getting better with age. I'd say Mendeed but they're only at their first album.

scoobyrichuk · 29 Apr 2006 at 16:45

Big Chris said:
Couldn't disagree more actually, I love the Chilis up to and including 1995's One Hot Minute, everything they've released since then has been bland and unimaginative.

I have to agree, I thought Nix and Penski's posts were jokes. I mean come on please, the chili's were an awesome, funky, psychadelic rock band in the early days (blood sugar sex magik and one hot minute are legendary albums IMO, mothers milk/uplift mofo party plan are pretty good) and from Californication onwards everything went downhill (Californication has a few ok tracks I guess.) By the way was an absolute disgrace, I honestly couldn't believe that one of my favourite bands could release such utter tripe. The new single I've heard is rubbish as well. They've turned into a terribly bland pop-rock band IMO. They were much better when they were messed up on drugs...

SidewinderINC · 29 Apr 2006 at 17:02

Avenged Sevenfold!

William · 29 Apr 2006 at 17:28

Arcade Fire said:
Primal Scream got better and better, cuminating in XTRMNTR, and then went downhill a bit after that.

Definately, they were my first choice.

Supergrass are my second. From a kiddiepunkpopband to the greatest culmination of 60s and 70s rock I have ever heard. I think Supergrass are the greatest pop band ever.

The Beatles, the early stuff was absolutely SHOCKING, not so much for its time as in terms of music in the UK at that time it was pretty poor, so it was great then, but the USA was far ahead. I think the trip to India was one of the best things that ever happened for The Beatles.

m3csl2004 · 29 Apr 2006 at 17:31

SidewinderINC said:
Avenged Sevenfold!

i have to disagree

SidewinderINC · 29 Apr 2006 at 17:37

m3csl2004 said:
i have to disagree

many people do, depends what kind of music you like more. i'm not saying i dislike their old stuff, but i really rather like guitar prominent music with more singing vocals and less screaming/shouting what have you.

dont get me wrong, i love those style of vocals, what with having plenty of killswitch to listen to heh.

nobody is wrong in this thread really, because bands change and then other people like em hehe.

with A7X its definately a 50/50 split between city of evil and their older stuff.

Big Chris · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:32

McHaMmEr said:
I have to agree, I thought Nix and Penski's posts were jokes. I mean come on please, the chili's were an awesome, funky, psychadelic rock band in the early days (blood sugar sex magik and one hot minute are legendary albums IMO, mothers milk/uplift mofo party plan are pretty good) and from Californication onwards everything went downhill (Californication has a few ok tracks I guess.) By the way was an absolute disgrace, I honestly couldn't believe that one of my favourite bands could release such utter tripe. The new single I've heard is rubbish as well. They've turned into a terribly bland pop-rock band IMO. They were much better when they were messed up on drugs...

hehe, you sure we're not long lost brothers? That's exactly the way I feel about the Chilis, I just couldn't be arsed to type it all.

Get them back on skag (and get Navarro back on guitar) and we'll see what happens...

Nix · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:43

McHaMmEr said:
I have to agree, I thought Nix and Penski's posts were jokes. I mean come on please, the chili's were an awesome, funky, psychadelic rock band in the early days (blood sugar sex magik and one hot minute are legendary albums IMO, mothers milk/uplift mofo party plan are pretty good) and from Californication onwards everything went downhill (Californication has a few ok tracks I guess.) By the way was an absolute disgrace, I honestly couldn't believe that one of my favourite bands could release such utter tripe. The new single I've heard is rubbish as well. They've turned into a terribly bland pop-rock band IMO. They were much better when they were messed up on drugs...

I love the Chili's old stuff too. But, and you can't deny this: Californication > earlier stuff. If you listen from the early stuff, right through Blood Sex Sugar Majik, then to Cali' and then By The Way, you really hear the band maturing. I guess we'll really know who's right when their new album comes out next week.

Arcade Fire said:
Eww, no! They didn't start off too well to being with (Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja, weren't it?) and they just went downhill from there.
Nah, they improved from their first album to their second and I suppose you could make the case that Black Market Music was better again, though I don't agree, but their most recent two albums were dire. Urgh!

I think that The Flaming Lips have been consistently improving, but I realise that that's a controversial opinion . John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats also got better and better for quite a while, even though his newest album was a bit of a disappointment.

Have to say, I do agree with you on the Lostprophets side. It did go downhill, but you can hear the band changing.
I disagree with Placebo though as I think Sleeping with Ghosts > *, although Without You I'm Nothing has some fantastic tracks. I haven't heard Meds yet, so I could be prooved wrong.

v0n · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:58

I'm with Penski brigade on this one. Early Chillis sounded like poor man's Faith No More and bay funk metal scene. I think they slowly found their sound in late nineties.

William · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:59

Then they went naff again.

What is it with the chillis and the word "california"? Its an unhealthy obsession.

Nix · 29 Apr 2006 at 20:04

William said:
Then they went naff again.

What is it with the chillis and the word "california"? Its an unhealthy obsession.

Dani is also mentioned "Beneath the marquee" in By The Way

Nix · 29 Apr 2006 at 20:12

Big Chris said:
hehe, you sure we're not long lost brothers? That's exactly the way I feel about the Chilis, I just couldn't be arsed to type it all.

Get them back on skag (and get Navarro back on guitar) and we'll see what happens...

John > Dave.

Californication > One Hot Minute.

I'm actually quite intriqued to imagine what route the chili's would've taken if Hillel Slovak didn't die.

John Frusiante is as part of the chili's as Flea, Chad and Anthony. Possibly my favourite song by chili's is Under The Bridge.

If you think about it, heroin has played a huge influence on the band. Under the bridge was written about it (Anthony's addiction), they lost Hillel to an OD and John nearly went the same way.