Return to form albums

The Cowboy · March 31, 2017

Currently listening to the frankly superb new Soulwax album 'From Deewee'. Their first major release was back in 1998, and apart from the iconic 2 Many DJs album, their output has been pretty average. Until now.

Just wondering which other bands have managed to produce a great album after many years of middling output? Tends to be the case that bands struggle to ever recreate the heights of their debut.

bicycleheader · March 31, 2017

Neil Young springs to mind when this conversation comes up. A 70s God who had wildly varying output throughout the 80s with some great tracks sprinkled amongst utter crap until he came back to the top of his game in the 9ps with the great, albeit very MOR, Harvest Moon.

Armaghtoffee · March 31, 2017

Rewind the film by the Manics. Possibly a reinvention rather than a return to form but an album I love.

To an extent they had brought their protest genre as far as it could be done but still found a way to label Tories as scum in an acoustic song.

Is right.

bicycleheader · March 31, 2017

Johnny Cash's work with Rick Rubin on the American trilogy is another great example. He was so far off the radar at that point.

Black Belt Jones · March 31, 2017

Honestly can't think of one. Great album after a sustained period of mediocrity has to be pretty rare.
Loads of bands stick out very average debut albums, and then just catch fire once they know what they're doing [Radiohead, War on Drugs, Jane's addiction, Primal Scream, probably hundreds more]. But to be consistently middle of the road and then just get it together? It's a good question - interested to hear some more examples to the ones above.

ilikecheese · March 31, 2017

Aerosmith. At the top in the mid 70's to rock bottom in the mid 80's to back on top in the late 80's and early 90's.

The binman chronicles · April 1, 2017

I would put forward Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge as one. I would say that in general the 80's were fairly barren for them in terms of great albums and when this came out in 94 people were saying it was the best since the early 70's stuff.

Donald Twain · April 1, 2017

That new one by Robbie Williams kicks bottom!

ste d' indica · April 1, 2017

Really good question this, been pondering it last night and this morning.

I'm not a fan but Springsteen's 'The Rising is a good example, he was kind of nowhere in the 90s and as I understand it his output was pretty average, but that was a strong comeback album.

For me, Aphex Twin's Syro was superb after a decade of hit and miss.

ste d' indica · April 1, 2017

Also, Morrissey's 'You Are The Quarry' was his best since 'Viva Hate' and The Smiths.

CahillsCornerFlag · April 1, 2017

Weezer's Everything Will Be Alright in the End...hadn't made a good album in about 15 years then suddenly upped the quality massively.

davmaher · April 1, 2017

Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind was a brilliant return to form after absolute dross for several years. Started to slip again, though.

Black Belt Jones · April 1, 2017

ste d' indica said:
Really good question this, been pondering it last night and this morning.

I'm not a fan but Springsteen's 'The Rising is a good example, he was kind of nowhere in the 90s and as I understand it his output was pretty average, but that was a strong comeback album.
.

The Rising is a good shout. Bruce's two albums in the early 90s - human touch and lucky town, were shockingly bad. I mean people gasped when they were released because he'd not put out a bad record in 20 years.
He steadied the ship with The ghost of Tom Joad - went back to his roots. Still not all that good an album IMHO, but had a couple of belting tracks on it. The rising was the one that re-connected him to a mainstream audience [which is where he has to live if he's going to call himself Bruce Springsteen].