Which band has the best discography?

how you guys feel about the Sinatra/Ellington album (which I have never listened to)

The only obvious to me contender that does not appear to have been mentioned is Saint Etienne, for reasons similar to Stereolab - lots of b-side and outtake comps that hold up, every era has its boosters and even the weakest effort (for me, Good Humor) is pretty great.

I feel like artists/groups that released less than say 5 albums don’t really count here.

xp I haven't heard that album, but the track list looks disappointing; there's only one Ellington original. Except for "Mood Indigo" (not on Francis A. & Edward K.) Sinatra doesn't seem to have recorded any of Duke's standards.

Fuck it, I'm campaigning for Depeche Mode and and Orbital

Both awesome groups that have released some pretty inessential material.

I think the following are all good suggestions:

Fela Kuti
Kraftwerk
Cocteau Twins
Sade
Stereolab
Autechre

deftones btw

saint etienne fits perfectly great suggestion

Man if you cut out their entire discography, Lividity's catalog is immaculate

I suggested three earlier, but the more I think about this, the more reggae (and jazz) artists spring to mind. If you made good reggae in the 70s and managed to not put anything about post-1985 (and there are good exceptions even to that) your discography is likely to be very strong. Someone mentioned record labels earlier, and if there's a bad Studio One release, I've never heard it

I have never heard a bad King Tubby record (as has already been noted)

the problem with a lot of prime-era reggae artists is it's fucking *hard* to hear absolutely everything people did, and credits are generally a mess. But I'd be surprised if Linval Thompson or Yabby You or Prince Jammy put out shitty records (Scientist has some later-period collabs I'm not wild about, and Lee Perry fell off hard in the 80s)

Funkadelic would've counted if George hadn't got the rights to the name back a few years ago to release a triple album under the name

parliament had a couple of stinkers at the end of their run before anyone mentions them

Trombipulation is a wild album

yeah i’ve definitely never heard a shitty yabby you song

Labradford

New Radicals

Said already but Galaxie 500 is a great shout.

But for me, the discography I would save above all others in my collection is American Music Club's.

how you guys feel about the Sinatra/Ellington album (which I have never listened to)

― Οὖτις, Thursday, January 30, 2020 4:57 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Only heard it once, and I thought it was fine, but a 1967 Ellington record should be much better than "fine," especially with Sinatra. Apparently, Frank had a cold that day, and for whatever reason (likely Duke's insane touring schedule) the date couldn't be rescheduled.

Kraftwerk is probably the best single answer, other than Electric Cafe what is skippable? The first three albums add to the mythos as well. Cocteau Twins surely the most consistent.

There must be some country artists with insanely long and consistent discographies? Willie Nelson maybe, although I don't believe that anyone has listened to all of it.

There must be some country artists with insanely long and consistent discographies?

haha actually I think the opposite is true - their discographies are insanely long because they're littered with garbage. This goes for most (if not all - I'm hard-pressed to think of an exception, even Merle had a string of crappy records) of the big names that might spring to mind: Willie, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Buck Owens, Waylon Jennings etc.

if I had to namecheck one country artist for consistency it would be the Louvin Bros.

Saint Etienne is an excellent suggestion IMHO

I haven't heard the Ellington/Sinatra, but I do find much to enjoy in Ellington's sixties dips into pop and kitsch, much more than, say, Armstrong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oCnFvz8YKc

But for me, the discography I would save above all others in my collection is American Music Club's.

alas, San Francisco is a real step down. Otherwise I agree wholeheartedly. Still waiting on that reissue campaign...

Go-Betweens
― TikTok to the (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

I guess I can see this working in a 'their flaws only make them more charming' sort of way, but a debut LP that seems to be classed as 'strictly historical interest' by almost everyone who wasn't hip to it at the time seems a little problematic. Plus the insistence on giving an official release to barrowloads of never-progressed-beyond-demo-stage juvenilia seems almost like Forster actively ensuring that their record is anything but flawless.

Just thought of one more: Sisters of Mercy. I like all three albums, and even the early EPs (which a lot of people like a lot more than I do) are solid. I can't think of a single song I actively dislike.

Go-Betweens

Hm, now that you mention Australian post-punk bands... this is a very boutique suggestion but I think every Laughing Clowns release is pretty amazing (albeit they're such an acquired taste that it's kind of in for a penny in for a pound)

Autechre, forever.. all of it

~ sparks ~

just so ned will present a case

What about Soundgarden? I’m not a huge fan of the early stuff, but I don’t think it’s considered “bad”.

NIN? Godflesh?

Did A Tribe Called Quest ruin their legacy with the one after Midnight Marauders?

no way, i love all the tribe albums except the one they dropped a few years ago

XXXP: Yes, Laughing Clowns were pretty consistently good! Can only help that they disbanded after barely five years.

Drive By Truckers? First two albums are pretty weak.

Cocteau Twins? One of my top 5 bands but I think the 90s is a big letdown.

Brilliant one album band not mentioned yet: TOWERING INFERNO!

I'm hoping Trance To The Sun might qualify, but I haven't heard their newest album or the compilation appearances.

This might seem like too big a caveat, but enough dirt digging might prove that the band's newer albums are a case of stolen identity: Jacula.

no way, i love all the tribe albums except the one they dropped a few years ago

I have never encountered this opinion before

also Beats, Rhymes and Life did not destroy their legacy. The Love Movement is not well-regarded tho

The Love Movement is mostly bad except for the parts where it's really good

I have never encountered this opinion before

I don't know if you're being ironic or not but: me neither, and I'm more than a little baffled by it.

born again: somehow still underrated despite recent rehabilitation, one of my favorite sabbath records

Born Again is in that zone of records that's been "underrated" for so long I think it's almost becoming overrated

not ironic at all!

baffled that any Tribe fan would prefer the Love Movement to We've Got It From Here (which is incredible/probably the best "comeback"/reunion record ever)

xps

i don't think ATCQ ever destroyed their legacy (tho there was the whole Georgie Porgie thing which was obviously fucking awful and shameful), they just coasted on their last couple albums before WCTIFH...TYFYS, which it could be argued is their best one.

I wouldn't say "coasted" because both Beats, Rhymes and Life and The Love Movement are ambitious records. The first one wasn't understood in its time, which is not Tribe's fault. The second one is weak, which is.

Saint Etienne is a good suggestion tho I don't think Good Humor is their weakest (not sure what i would call their weakest, though i probably put on Sound of Water less than anything else, and it's really good nonetheless).

Ramones? I thought they were supposed to have years and years of bad albums?

What is the ILX verdict on '80s Miles Davis?

I think Alfred considers it his best era

some of it is fine, some of it is v bad imo

yeah. 80s production cheese was a menace.

Ramones? I thought they were supposed to have years and years of bad albums?

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, January 31, 2020 2:13 PM (forty seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

I don't think they have any outright BAD albums, but they have like four classics, two or three actually p dope post-70s joints and a buuuuunch of middling-to-weak stuff flailing around in the metal '80s and alt-rock 90s.