The new thread topic today regarding Artists who maintained the quality of their work for their entire careers brought me back to my realization that many of my favorite albums were made by exactly the opposite type of Artist---the one whose initial burst was the bright, but, alas, short. Here are the ones that spring to mind immediately:
- The Dwight Twilley Band. Their---and I say their because drummer/singer Phil Seymore was atleast as important to the group as was Dwight himself---debut album is unbelievably great. If you haven't hear the Sincerely album, you want to. Phil stayed only for the debut and second album---Twilley Don't Mind, then leaving for a solo career. Twilley needed Seymore as much as Lennon and McCartney needed each other. Dwight had some success as a solo Artist, but his stuff just isn't as good.
- Jellyfish. Only two albums, but oh man are they great. Power Pop of the highest order. Complex harmonies---part Brian Wilson, part Queen, and great musicianship.
- Rockpile. Only one official album, but it contains the playing and singing of pure American Rock 'n' Roll as good as has ever been made. All killer, no filler!
- Moby Grape. Great, incredibly great S/T debut, poor follow-up. Even worse third and fourth albums, then a return to form with the fifth---20 Granite Creek. Then it was over; Skip Spence was sent to the looney bin (acid casualty), bad management and lack of success bringing the band to it's end. By far the best of the San Francisco bands.
- Emitt Rhodes. Emitt spent a year recording what became his S/T debut album, playing every instrument and singing every part in his home studio. One of the greatest Pop albums ever released (it was better than McCartneys solo debut in many peoples---including mine, opinion), it was his only good one. He signed a terrible deal, in which he agreed to provide the label with a second and third album in six month intervals. When he didn't deliver the second on time, the label sued him for breach of contract. He finally gave them a second and third, but the experience soured Emitt on the music business, and he wasn't seen on stage again for a quarter of a century. I was privileged to be part of his band when he finally took the stage again in 1998. Emitt has a recent album which I haven't yet heard.
- Gram Parsons. Gram is just one example of Artists who were done in by their success at a young age. After being brought into The Byrds by bassist Chris Hillman, he lead them into their groundbreaking Sweethearts of the Rodeo album, which pretty much created the Country-Rock genre. He and Chris left to start The Flying Burrito Brothers, playing hardcore Country music. Gram then went solo, making two commercially modest-selling but artistically-influential albums that hold up to this day. Keith Richards liked his stuff a lot, and invited Gram to come over to France where The Stones were living and recording. You can hear Grams influence in Keiths writing and playing of the early 70's. What Gram got from Keith was a taste for heroin, which an overdose of did him in.
These are just a few of the hundred examples available. I'm sure ya'll have your own.
The Champs They recorded "Tequila," which was called the birth of Latino Rock. Then...nothing. Tequila went to No. 1 in 1958, before I listened to music; but it is still very familiar. It was featured in Pee Wee's Big Adventure in 1985.
@onhwy61 - based on your response, I picked up a really clean used copy of David and David - "Boomtown" for $3.99 while perusing my local record store this past weekend. Thanks for the reminder. It's a pretty good record and the price was right.
"
Ah, okay 2channel8...I had different criteria for my picks. High quality coupled with short career (in terms of years) regardless of output volume" Actually ghosthouse has it right. Somehow I got on this one hit wonder track which was not part of the OP's invitation.
Mea Culpa! (Weren't they a Bluegrass duo from the 80's?)
Ah, okay 2channel8...I had different criteria for my picks. High quality coupled with short career (in terms of years) regardless of output volume during that time. Hits (or not) weren’t a determinant of quality, for me.
"Don’t understand, either, how Procol Harum fits here, 2channel8 (Also, Big Head Todd...they have a pretty extensive discography and are still out there touring)
Great call on Sandy Denny, dogma"
Yes, Procol Harum and Big Head Todd have recorded several albums. But I am not aware of either having more than one hit. Maybe Procol was a little before my time; but BHT has only had Sister Sweetly (album) crack into single digits on Billboard, and I've not heard anything other than Broken Hearted Savior on the radio more than a handful of times. Ture, I do live within the jaded greater NYC airwaves.
Meanwhile Sandy Denny had released 4 solo albums before her death, not including her work with Fairport Convention and a bunch of posthumous releases. She belongs because she only had one song with considerable airplay, although maybe some covers got even more. Unless you count The Battle of Evermore. Afterall, she does almost half the vocals. ;^)
Never understood the "reviewer hate" directed at The Knack.
Don’t understand, either, how Procol Harum fits here, 2channel8 (Also, Big Head Todd...they have a pretty extensive discography and are still out there touring)
Toy Matinee. Their debut self-titled album is a pop masterpiece and it's a terrible shame that the creative genius behind it, Kevin Gilbert, died so young. I have to believe that he had more to give. If you haven't read about it, it's interesting and tragic how Sheryl Crow used him as a springboard to her own success.
Jeff Buckley I would agree but how does his demise connect to Parson's addiction. Both do share the trait of many more albums out now than in life. i would add Colwell Winfield Blues Band, a late 1960s true one album group but on par with early Fleetwood Mac blues. Saw them advertised once at Filmore East as Winfield Colwell and a few years ago found a truly bad live performance on CD. id also disagree on Procal Hsrum being one album; A Salty Dog was great album too.
not sure I would include Gran Parsons in your list. His output was cut down by an overdose, not by a decline in talent or craft. I would also disagree about where he got his love for heroine from. It predates Keith.
I saw saw all the sets that Gram and Emmylou did at Max's Kansas City in March of 1973.
Dragunski:
i disagree about the Airplane. Albums 2 through 6 are very different from each other, but uniformly excellent. Those LPs coincided with their classic lineup. Bark was good, but mainly due to the addition of Papa John, and except for a couple of Kantner science-fi numbers, it was becoming Hot Tuna.
All:
A few of my one hit wonders: ? And the Mysterians Barry McGuire Jeff Buckley (but see my comment about Parsons) Pergolesi (OK, two hits: Stabat Mater & La Serva Padrona) Dr Buzzards Savannah Band Richard Harris (McArthur Park) John Hartford (a number of excellent LPs but one hit: Gentle On My Mind) Sandy Denny (see Hartford but instead of "Gentle", substitute "Who Knows Where the Time Goes"
CCR was amazingly unique in their 34 month output. Prince, of course, was even more prolific, but most of it is in a vault st the moment.
One and done because the unique singer passed away before the album was released. A stunningly beautiful and emotional debut in the doom metal vein and my favorite album of this millennium.
"My friends, Listen my friends" I love the Grape and wore out my LPs. Fortunately, some CDs were eventually released! The best SF band no one ever heard was AUM. Wore that one out, too; but after years of looking a CD turned up on Amazon. I think I got the last one but if you find one; grab it! Motherlode - "When I Die" should have been a hit Crazy Elephant - "Gimmie Gimmie Good Lovin" Robert Knight - "Everlasting Love" Soul Survivor - "Expressway to Your Heart" The McCoys - "Hang on Sloopy" (the last 4 are from a One Hit Wonders collection CD - I can't take credit) Hootie & the Blowfish, Big Head Todd, Gerry Rafferty...
And if you want to go with "one and out", Buzzing’ Cousins gets the nod for "Sweet Suzanne". John Mellencamp, Dwight Yoakum, John Prine, Joe Ely and James Mcmurtry recorded "Sweet Suzanne" as the band - Buzzin’ Cousins for the 1992 movie Falling From Grace. They received a CMA Nomination for the song, but never recorded again as Buzzin’ Cousins. This is obviously an Alt-Country/Americana Super Group beyond compare. Good stuff...... for 3 minutes and 35 seconds........
One (song) and out.
Just having a bit of fun guys. I’m not comparing Buzzing’ Cousins to Schubert or even CCR.
And once I get over my pains re Soft Boys / Robyn Hitchcock I mourn the demise of "Miranda Sex Garden" (don't get me started on Girl's Groups, all my ladies friends say that I'm a chauvinistic Pig!) But these ladies should have been noticed! Now that Joanne Newsom and Lykke Li are in vogue, maybe they have a chance???!!! They sound like acapella singers with Bjork mentality: ultimate test for my hi-end stereo and my sanity!!!
last but not least, Schubert, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky must have gotten a "smile" and extra few decades from The Allah!!! Not so sure about Mozart, he did break the spell of Baroque but I am not so sure he would be able to push it!... Miles could and did, but he also proved that it it is only so far one single genius can push the envelope... Hit me!!!!!
For the collectors of EM (TD, KS, or DerSpyra as the younger follower of Berlin Skool of the genre) here is a tip: "As I Hide" by Witchcraft. Masterpiece not noticed and the band just disappeared...
I also love the Rockpile answer - you can make a good case that they are the mother of all one and dones. Still, "CCR", "Bayou Country", "Green River" , "Willie and the Poorboys", and "Cosmo's Factory" all within two years......
Nothin' like it in the world of rock n roll (before or since) IMO.
Any band that attempts to do one of the songs on that first album finds out it's harder than it sounds, or that they anticipated. I speak from experience!
A Grape note…I saw them in 1967 as the headliner over Hendrix and Tim Buckley…man…Moby Grape were (at that show anyway) one of the most powerful, kick ass and take no prisoners bands I've ever seen…friggin' fabulous as a kind of Eagles on Steroids act…just an astonishing live band.
moby grape's third album, '69, is arguably as good as the debut; the only skip spence song on the album, seeing, is amazing. i would also submit that twilley's solo debut, twilley, cuts the (unquestionably great) two albums w/phil seymour. as for bands that dazzled then burned, i'd throw out the las, the records and jeff buckley; also the sex pistols if that's your thing
After her debut, Ricky Lee Jones came up with, among many other things, "Pop Pop," an astonishing album with Robben Ford on classical guitar and Charlie Haden on bass, "Flying Cowboys," "Traffic From Paradise," "Pirates,"…and having seen her live recently I can say she's still amazing and sings like an angel. She only "fell apart" to somebody who maybe wasn't paying attention as she's a prolific artist who we're lucky to have around.
Also disagree on Waiting fir the Sun. The ballads are great, particularly "Love Street". While not quite on a level with Strange Days, still some great Doors music. The only Morrison era LP I'm not big on is The Soft Parade. More on subject, dare I say anything CSN did after their S/T (the boat) album. Let's face it, De Ja Vu is CSNY. So great, yet so Wasted on the Way. (-:
I have to disagree about "Waiting for the Sun." "Hello, I Love You" was a serious lapse in judgement, but the rest of the album is strong.
Rather than make The Doors III, the band used their creativity to come up with something different and succeeded. I love the ballads and Morrison shows that he can sing them with the best.
"Five to One" is a good closer and Morrison's spoken section is as spooky as "The End."
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
