Artists which have released a bench mark album....then topped it.

[Icy Gull]

Pink Floyd?

I think Wish You Were Here is a better album than Dark Side of the Moon. I'm guessing most people would call the latter a Benchmark Album!

I wouldn't agree with it being a better album but Wish You Were Here was a fantastic way to follow up DSOTM. To be able to bring out a follow up that wasn't inferior is a massive achievement as DSOTM is as iconic as albums get.

Going back to the beginning Piper At The Gates of Dawn was definitely topped by Saucerful of Secrets.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Isn't that a regression?

It definitely went down hill from there

 

[Machiavelli]

It definitely went down hill from there

It did. We can all get precious about alighting on a band early (which I did with The Pixies), but there's something about the sheer exuberant rawness, raucousness and rapidity about their earlier stuff that still does it for me (the joy of Isla de Encanta, for instance). The tunes probably got a bit better by the time of Doolittle.

 

[Pevenseagull]

They continued improving until Let it Be, with the exception of Revolver (which is nearly as good as Abbey Road) and The White Album (which is too erratic; my missus characterises it as self-indulgent).

Erm, I going to be a bit of pedant here, but that's 'Sergeant Pepper' s', (which nobody ever actually listens to in it's entirety because half of it is a bit shit), 'Magical Mystery Tour' and Yellow Submarine.

Hey Bulldog's pretty good.

 

[Albumen]

I don't think Meat is Murder is as good as Smiths & Queen is Dead. So no-one say the Smiths, OK?

 

[Machiavelli]

Erm, I going to be a bit of pedant here, but that's 'Sergeant Pepper' s', (which nobody ever actually listens to in it's entirety because half of it is a bit shit), 'Magical Mystery Tour' and Yellow Submarine.

Hey Bulldog's pretty good.

You're merely illustrating the value of pedantry. Corrected I stand on MMT and YS (which are film scores -- or something else entirely -- rather than albums), although I will differ on SP -- it's nowhere near as good as Revolver but you're being a bit harsh (and it's popularly regarded to be their greatest album), and is well worth persevering to the end.

 

[Machiavelli]

I don't think Meat is Murder is as good as Smiths & Queen is Dead. So no-one say the Smiths, OK?

Unknown Pleasures is pretty much imperious, so no-one say Joy Division, OK?

 

[Stato]

Terence Trent D'arby!

He burst onto the scene with the 'Hardline According to...' and then once he wrestled for creative control and was freed to do his own thing he...

Oh.... sorry.... Move on..... Nothing to see here.

 

[brakespear]

Radiohead: The Bends, Ok Computer, Kid A, In Rainbows.

They did it 3 times.

Not really lesser known though.

No, no The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Hail to The Thief They should have stopped then

 

[brakespear]

I'd say Sparklehorse, topped two bench marks with: it's a Wonderful Life.

Not listened to the albums before 'It's A Wonderful Life' that much but it's a brilliant album so I'll agree with this (and also best hidden track ever imo on the UK version).

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I understand where you're coming from. For me Let England Shake was a truly wonderful and complete album; the back ground, narrative, songs, art work, every element just seemed to come together in perfection. This is why I thought it stood above all her others.

She will never improve on Stories from the city stories from the sea IMHO.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Isn't that a regression?

Nope!
I agree with Pevenseagull.

Doolittle> Surfer Rosa

 

[Pevenseagull]

Galaxie 500, 'Today'. Essential and phenomenal.
Galaxie 500, 'On Fire'. Better

The third one is pretty good.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

She will never improve on Stories from the city stories from the sea IMHO.

I won't argue against this.

 

[Pevenseagull]

Terence Trent D'arby!

He burst onto the scene with the 'Hardline According to...' and then once he wrestled for creative control and was freed to do his own thing he...

Oh.... sorry.... Move on..... Nothing to see here.

Knock knock .....

Who's there?

Terrence Trent D'Arby


....etc

 

[brakespear]

PWEI - 'This Is the Day....This Is The Hour....This is This!' to 'Cure for Sanity'

They Might be Giants - 'Flood' to 'Apollo 18'

The Wedding Present - 'George Best' to 'Bizarro' to 'Seamonsters'

Do these have to be consecutive albums?

 

[ManOfSussex]

Oasis's brilliant debut album Definitely Maybe was bettered by their second album What's the Story Morning Glory. Musically, they never reached those dizzying heights again.

The 3rd Album 'Be Here Now' was one of the great letdowns.

 

[Pevenseagull]

You're merely illustrating the value of pedantry. Corrected I stand on MMT and YS (which are film scores -- or something else entirely -- rather than albums), although I will differ on SP -- it's nowhere near as good as Revolver but you're being a bit harsh (and it's popularly regarded to be their greatest album), and is well worth persevering to the end.

Oh yeah, it ends well .... It's just I can't heavily rate an album that has a couple of songs that sound like material from the undercard of a Tommy Trinder gig

 

[Albumen]

PWEI - 'This Is the Day....This Is The Hour....This is This!' to 'Cure for Sanity'

They Might be Giants - 'Flood' to 'Apollo 18'

The Wedding Present - 'George Best' to 'Bizarro' to 'Seamonsters'

Do these have to be consecutive albums?

I was mulling over these earlier. Their eponymous first is the landmark, and Lincoln didn't quite hit the consistency of the first, nor any of the following.

 

[Pevenseagull]

PWEI - 'This Is the Day....This Is The Hour....This is This!' to 'Cure for Sanity'

They Might be Giants - 'Flood' to 'Apollo 18'

The Wedding Present - 'George Best' to 'Bizarro' to 'Seamonsters'

Do these have to be consecutive albums?

Team Wedding Present