Artists that start on a high and then never quite achieve that peak again

[Seeker_UK]

An astonishing debut that I didn’t realise at the time had hints of Santana about it but somehow seemed more sophisticated. I agree it was all downhill thereafter which is very sad.

I bought 'Today...' off the back of hearing 'White Bird' on the 'Rock Machine Turns You On' and expecting a US version of 'Air Conditioning'. It got traded quite quickly for something else. It was s**t.

 

[davidsrsb]

Boston.
The self titled first album is almost perfect

 

[AllyD]

Nina Hagen - 1. Nina Hagen Band
2. Unbehagen

Her third album (after a three year hiatus and a move to America) NunSexMonkRock, I actually liked. But I remember Annette Peacock giving it a scathing review.

 

[Joe Hutch]

The New York Dolls, obvs.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Boston.
The self titled first album is almost perfect

It should be. Tom Scholz took long enough to record it...

 

[Woodface]

Nearly all punk bands.

 

[Jonn]

Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties
Dire Straits- Dire Straits
Elvis Costello- My Aim Is True (marginally)

 

[tiggers]

Oasis - first two albums are still fantastic despite them being the latest band you have to hate, after that... well some good moments but nothing like their first two offerings.

 

[rough edges]

Ted Nugent

 

[Gingerbeard]

David Gray

 

[gingermrkettle]

Kasabian. One decent song in Club Foot then a general sequence of meh thereafter even before the singer was found to be a thug.

 

[billo]

I think Arcade Fire might fit into this category. Funeral was good and then it was downhill after that.

 

[Brown Bottle]

David Gray

Are you referring to 'White Ladder' by David Gray? I think he had a few releases before that came out.

Cheers BB

 

[Brown Bottle]

I thought The Killers debut album was great, everything since nowhere near. Kings Of Leon were decent too in their early days.

Cheers BB

 

[Euan]

Pink Fairies never bettered Never Never Land.

 

[david ellwood]

The obvious reason for many of these cases is the 10 years that went into the first album, before you knew who they were, and the six months of record company pressure that went into the second.

 

[palasr]

Liz Phair. Despite some commercial success down the road, she never equaled 'Exile In Guyville'.

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

Oasis - first two albums are still fantastic despite them being the latest band you have to hate, after that... well some good moments but nothing like their first two offerings.

I remember seeing a documentary which showed Oasis performing in a club long before they had a recording contract, and the song played ended up on their fourth or fifth album. I think Noel had written a huge stack of songs before any recording was done, so presumable the best went on Definitely Maybe, the next on Morning Glory and so on. As you say, there are good moments on later albums, but the ratio of good to filler changes with each album, and not for the better!

Mick

 

[Seeker_UK]

I remember seeing a documentary which showed Oasis performing in a club long before they had a recording contract, and the song played ended up on their fourth or fifth album. I think Noel had written a huge stack of songs before any recording was done, so presumable the best went on Definitely Maybe, the next on Morning Glory and so on. As you say, there are good moments on later albums, but the ratio of good to filler changes with each album, and not for the better!

Mick

Whilst I like a lot of Oasis' output, I think they never managed to top that snarling, snotty, swaggering 'F**K YOU' of "Rock 'n' Roll Star".

 

[Hip-Priest]

Some good candidates here, I'll add the Libertines who burned brightly for a short period before the smack took over.