An Artist's Pinnacle


We've had so many threads about favorite releases by an artist, best debut recordings etc., but I'm don't think that I have seen anyone ask this before. My question is this: Pick one or more solo artists, or bands or music from any genre. What release do you think marked the pinnacle of their artistry?
I could think of many, but the idea was sparked in my mind yesterday when I was thinking once again that for REM, it was Life's Rich Pageant. They were once a favorite band, but I eventually got really tired of Michael Stipe's nonsense. Anyway, that's not the point. Continuing with the rock genre, I will say Dirt was the peak for Alice in Chains, and Rocks was the top for Aerosmith. Only thinking of those examples because I was just listening to them yesterday.
I'm really interested in everyone else's thoughts, and I'll have a whole lot more as I think about it.
128x128roxy54

John Prime. His debut is perfect and his final, "Tree of Forgiveness" is perfect.

Every Picture Tells A Story - by Rod "the Mod" Stewart. I saw him twice: Central Park, July '69 with the original Jeff Beck Group. Later, in March '75 at San Francisco's Cow Palace fronting The Small Faces. Dynamite live performer! His previous recording - Gasoline Alley - can certainly occupy the top spot. Both have crack backing musicians and great songs!

Also Sprach Zarathustra by Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony - recorded at the dawn of the stereo era by Lewis Layton - THIS is how an orchestral recording should sound!

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane - the most spiritually advanced Jazz musician of the 20th Century! Black Saint And The Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus. Zawinul by Joe Zawinul - an overlooked masterpiece! Free Jazz by Ornette Coleman. 

In Search Of The Lost Chord by The Moody Blues: "Timothy Leary's dead. No he's not! He's outside listening in!" Who's Next by The Who: Behind Blue Eyes. Abbey Road by The Beatles. Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd: a go to recording "Let's hear how it sounds on your stereo".

 

Happy Trails by Quicksilver Messenger Service - side one is a great live cover of Bo  Diddley's Who Do You Love?  Crown Of Creation by Jefferson Airplane: "Lather was thirty years old today. They took away all of his toys ..."

@jasonbourne52:

Miles Davis is one of a very small circle of artists whose oeuvre displays multiple peaks. 

"Dirt was the peak for Alice in Chains, and Rocks was the top for Aerosmith. "

roxy54-funny you should mention AIC-Dirt. A millennial had a T shirt with that album cover. I mentioned to him it was their  best, but he never heard it.

"Toys in the Attic"  IMO will slug it out with Rocks as Aerosmith's peak. "Get your Wings" kills too.  After Rocks-I punt.

How about Tom Petty's "Damn the Torpedoes?"

Who's Next? 

Rush-Moving Pictures

Van Halen debut

Ted Nugent-Ted Nugent

Devo-debut

Stuck in the 70's and unashamed

Mahler Symphony 5 by Sir John Barbirolli and the Berlin Philharmonic. Still a contender for best performance/interpretation of such a monumental work!

Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. The start of a new subgenre of Jazz and a new younger set of musicians and audience!

@larsman:

I'm speaking specifically of the original 3 LP "Europe '72' album.

The vocal overdubs are common knowledge and very easily verified, now that the warts and all Europe shows are available (or were) in their entirety. 

The consistently in-tune vocals on the 3 LP set are a strong contrast with their more  ragged, "unimproved" counterparts. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kate Bush - 'The Dreaming'

Soundgarden - 'Superunknown'

The Clash - 'London Calling'

Elvis Costello - 'This Year's Model' 

Gang of Four - 'Entertainment'

The Jam - 'Setting Sons'

Love -  'Forever Changes'

PJ Harvey - 'Let England Shake'

Siouxsie and the Banshees - 'The Scream'

Squeeze - 'Argybargy'

Plenty more where those came from! 

 

Three more...

Wishbone Ash: Argus. I've sampled a few other W. A. titles, but to my ears, nothing else comes close. The fusion of lyricism and power make this an underrated Rock (no-- it's not Prog) masterpiece, IMHO. 

Fleetwood Mac: Then Play On. It's a shame that P. Green was losing his grip on reality just as Danny Kirwan was coming into his own but nevertheless, I'd assert this recording comprises the band's artistic peak, along with the Live in Boston recordings. While I very much enjoy Kirwan's work on Kiln House, Future Games and Bare Trees, I much prefer P. Green's playing and compositions to those of  J. Spencer and B. Welch. 

Janis Joplin: Pearl. I realize there are an awful lot of folks who, preferring the recordings with Big Brother, characterize Pearl as a "sell out" and "too slick". The fact is, Pearl shows off the best singing of Joplin's career. She's arguably less caught up in and hampered by, the "little girl lost" persona and she's singing from a place of greater personal strength, confidence and stability. Her mastery of dynamics, phrasing and vocal technique as means of conveying emotion were never more evident than on these recordings. 

@stuartk - where did you see that the Grateful Dead overdubbed vocals on Europe '72? Not saying they didn't, but I've got the box set of the entire Europe '72 tour - I know there weren't any overdubs on THAT! 😃 I loved that 2nd album from The Band, too - Jerry Garcia Band used to cover 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down', and very, very well, too... 

Three examples spring to mind, immediately

The Band's second album. For me, this is their best collection of songs and studio performances. Music From Big Pink sounds less artistically mature and Stage Fright is disappointingly inconsistent (attributed by R. Robertson to the impact of drug use), both in terms of performances and material. Although others will disagree, I'd assert this is the best Americana album ever made, despite the fact that most of the members were Canadian. 

Hendrix: "First Rays of the New Rising Sun"...for my taste, songs such as Night Bird, Angel, Drifting, Freedom, Straight Ahead, etc. constitute his artistic peak. With the incense and Patchouli cleared away, what is left is a more focused, grounded, mature artist. His ability to structure compositions with multiple guitar parts is stunning and the music comes across as much more direct and personal. 

G. Dead: Europe '72. The musicianship speaks for itself. I could never be a deadhead-- the band's maddening inconsistency drives me nuts-- but fair's fair, even allowing for the fact that they went back and overdubbed the vocals.  And this "Americana" phase in their songwriting is my favorite. They were mining a very similar vein as The Band and that's a very good thing, indeed. 

 

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Electric Light Orchestra: Face the Music

This thread reminds me of something I’ve been pondering about musical groups/artists. They appear and in their first several albums develop their talent, and then at some point (if they are lucky/talented) became really popular but also their work becomes too e.g. poppish, diluted, not sure exact words. ELO New World Record sold 5 million and I did like some of the songs, and yet somehow Face The Music, is better, more real, more purely them for me.

Renaissance Turn of the Cards. You could argue Song for All Seasons.

 

 

The issue with bands like Fleetwood Mac that have been so great throughout their many band member/generational changes, you kind of have to pick, which generation of this band one is referring to.
Having said that, for the latest generation of FM, it's got to be "Rumours"

The Beatles: Revolver

Brian Wilson: Smile

The Band: s/t (brown album)

Neil Young: Harvest

Randy Newman: Good Old Boys

The Flamin' Groovies: Shake Some Action

Procol Harum: A Salty Dog

AC/DC: Back In Black

The Ramones: Road To Ruin

Moby Grape: s/t debut (sad but true)

Fleetwood Mac: Kiln House (my favorite, at least)

The Kinks: Something Else By

Gram Parson: Grievous Angel

The Byrds: Sweethearts Of The Rodeo

John Hiatt: Bring The Family


Fortunately, most of my current faves are still on the ascend.

TooBlue:

I love Smokey, and it's a good listen.

However, the girl in the Fitz band nails it way, way, way beyond the original and/or any other version I'm aware of.

DeKay
@dekay , Sarah Smile is such an amazing song and the version you referenced is really really good, would love to get your opinion of the version with Daryl Hall and Smokey Robinson, also from Daryls House. Enjoy the music
Roxy:

Yes, you are correct as "Sara Smile" was later on.

Memory is an odd thing, but with your prod I now recall where I was living when it (the song) was often/continuously played on radio, which would place it to the mid 70's.

Never owned any of their LP's, but this particular song (as well as a handful of others) have been earwigs that live with me to this present day.

In the late 70's I did an off the cuff instrumental of "Sara Smile", in a dive bar on East Sunset in Hollywood during a band break, and the audience loved it (I was backed by a killer keyboard player who also did not take smoke/other breaks).

This became a regimen @ this bar and the keyboard player eventually brought in a few Beatle'ish songs to blend with "Sara Smile".

One was "Baby I'm Amazed" and I don't recall the title of the other, but LOVE was in the chorus.

We also did a LOUNGE version of "Over the Rainbow".  

I was always a mediocre musician, but sometimes had moments when playing with stellar/IMO musicians.

What's your opinion of the version (from Daryl's House) with the young girl from Fritz's band?

Based upon his series "Daryl's House" I have gained the utmost respect for Daryl Hall, which is odd (for me) as I've always been an R&B fanatic, though apparently with limited exposure to later works.

I'll have to think about other artists and Jeff Beck/Clapton would perhaps be a good place to start.

DeKay 


Just Won't Burn by Susan Tedeschi, comes to mind as it was her second album and never really equalled by her later offerings.
+1
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Just Won't Burn by Susan Tedeschi, comes to mind as it was her second album and never really equalled by her later offerings. Enjoy the music
Interesting dekay. As a longtime fan of there earlier work, ending with Beauty on a Backstreet, I consider War Babies as their pinnacle, although it's not typical of their blue eyed soul as some called it. I think Sara Smile was on Bigger than Both of Us, their third or fourth. I love Abandoned Luncheonette from the early period.
Hall and Oates never again achieved the artistry of "Sara Smile", which I believe was on their very 1st album.

Here’s an awesome version from Daryl’s House.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQEwpS8_uZY

DeKay