Acts whose entire album output has always been on the decline, with no exception

Eric B and Rakim might hold true. I think the first 3 songs of their second album are their strongest, but then the album sounds rushed. Their first was a collection of a couple of singles, and the album...so it's a bit disjointed - but if you didn't hear those singles prior...

EPMD fucking mumble over Zapp. I like thier first few singles, but lost interest quick.

Run DMC's debut changed my life. Their 2nd album seemed to me like the first marketed piece of Hip-Hop...like, let's cash in on our image and let's make a song for every situation or whatever. That damned reggae song and such. I think the intro on that album is the best thing on it. Raising Hell was mostly a stronger marketing album, with some superb Rick Rubin driven tracks next to some Rick Rubin driven novelties. Their 4th album is sorely overlooked. Beats to the Rhyme is incredible.

Fat Boys...

I think this back-and-forth can easily stir up more thoughts on Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons marketing and visions than anything else. Rick's use of the 808 is the cornerstone of Bass music. Russell's marketing schemes made Hip-Hop known, but tarnished many of the acts. Beastie Boys, Fat Boys, and Run DMC all fall into this to some degree.

Grandmaster Flash's work is before my time, so I just buy it and lisen and sing along and forge no opinions about its relevancy.

No more bait taking for a bit. I need a bite to eat.

They had more than one album?

Liz Phair's most recent album is either her best one or her second best one (after the debut), depending on what my mood is that day.

Totally disagree with Motley Crue.

Surprised no one's said Elvis yet.

Nope.

Rum, Sodomy > If I Should Fall >> Red Roses >> Peace And Love >>> the "rump" Pogues as an album band

(xpost)

"Boys for Pele" better than "From The Choirgirl Hotel" and "To Venus and Back"? Nope.

Oh yeah, also: Whitechocolatespaceegg > Whip-Smart

I retract my enthusiastic endorsement of Douglas' nod to Liz Phair on the basis of fact. In my defense, I can only say that I was beitched by the magnitude of the post-Exile drop-off.

I like Choirgirl OK, but I just don't think it's got the goods to beat, say, "Blood Roses," "Professional Widow" and "Marianne." Although the Choirgirl-era b-sides are my second-favs, so I guess I could give you that.

(xpost)

Dom P OTFM. And I'm sticking to my guns on this one.

Counting Crows

Well the quality difference between the debut and Shout at the Devil is negligible, but beginning with Theater of Pain the downhill slide began gaining speed.

Also, the last Liz Phair is probably my favorite or it's the one I listen to most frequently anyway.

I was going to disclaim that with something, but fuck it, that's a close to an objective statement about music as I'm gonna get.

Nobody would claim "Ummagumma" was better than anything that followed, would they?

Also, I expected to see Oasis here. It is of course way wrong, as their first album is still their worst IMO :-)

doesn't work. One Foot in the Grave is his best album

Singles-wise, sure. But I completely blow my argument because "Wild Side" came out between them and is one of the band's finest moments.

Poison might work, though.

motorhead
pet shop boys

Ridiculous. Very is better than everything before or after.

This is a good thread. I'm w/ pappawheelie re: run dmc's 4th album, "beats to the rhyme" is probably my favorite rdmc track.

not Company B, though - their second album is a true classic!

flatline is no decline

I like Animals more than WYWH or DSotM. And even though I love Syd, I think Echoes is my favorite.

Pink Floyd only works if you start counting at Meddle for me. And then yes.

And when I wrote Echoes, I obv meant including the other half of Meddle haha.

This is more or less true for most bands. Only a few reach a peak at the end. Immediately springing to mind: Talk Talk.

The 3rd and the Mortal