Consistently Excellent Bands

[captain2man]

It's hard for me to think of a more consistent 40-year stretch of music than the Husker Du/Bob Mould/Grant Hart lineage.

And maybe not a popular opinion around these parts - but Bad Religion has 17 albums and I have yet to hear one I don't like - and yes - that includes all the Unknown records made in this New America that you might feel have No Substance.

[gregpolard]

After playing through the Lungfish catalog last week in order I can safely say that:

1) Midge is wrong, as per usual
2) VS is right

[Hal]

and yes - that includes all the Unknown records made in this New America that you might feel have No Substance.

Well played

[JGJR]

It's hard for me to think of a more consistent 40-year stretch of music than the Husker Du/Bob Mould/Grant Hart lineage.

And maybe not a popular opinion around these parts - but Bad Religion has 17 albums and I have yet to hear one I don't like - and yes - that includes all the Unknown records made in this New America that you might feel have No Substance.

To be completely fair, I haven't really listened to most of the later albums in about a decade since I went through the entire catalog, but I (like most on here, I think) am just much more attached to the 1980-1992 material partly because I grew up with it, got into them when No Control was new, etc. They were also my first hardcore/punk show (City Gardens in December 1991).

But (and this is a big but), I do think they've never made a bad record. I enjoyed all of it the last time I went through the catalog, but I do think there are peaks of their more recent work. The Process of Belief is one I loved when it was new (and still dig a lot) and New Maps of Hell also stood out as a particularly strong record.

Agreed on Bob/Grant, btw, even Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, etc.

[Neal]

samiam
nada surf

[captain2man]

To be completely fair, I haven't really listened to most of the later albums in about a decade since I went through the entire catalog, but I (like most on here, I think) am just much more attached to the 1980-1992 material partly because I grew up with it, got into them when No Control was new, etc. They were also my first hardcore/punk show (City Gardens in December 1991).

But (and this is a big but), I do think they've never made a bad record. I enjoyed all of it the last time I went through the catalog, but I do think there are peaks of their more recent work. The Process of Belief is one I loved when it was new (and still dig a lot) and New Maps of Hell also stood out as a particularly strong record.

Agreed on Bob/Grant, btw, even Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, etc.

So - my first punk show was ONE DAY before yours. Bad Religion/Vandals at the Marquee, NYC - 12/20/91. They played City Gardens the following night. WEIRD!!!

And yes - of course - the trilogy of Suffer-No Control-Against the Grain remains untouchable. I strayed away around Recipe for Hate - ignored Stranger Than Fiction - and then returned to check out what I had missed when I heard Gray Race and really dug it.

Also agree about Bob's stuff. I actually like Modulate quite a bit, although I've never heard LPG.

[FormerLurker]

To be completely fair, I haven't really listened to most of the later albums in about a decade since I went through the entire catalog, but I (like most on here, I think) am just much more attached to the 1980-1992 material partly because I grew up with it, got into them when No Control was new, etc. They were also my first hardcore/punk show (City Gardens in December 1991).

But (and this is a big but), I do think they've never made a bad record. I enjoyed all of it the last time I went through the catalog, but I do think there are peaks of their more recent work. The Process of Belief is one I loved when it was new (and still dig a lot) and New Maps of Hell also stood out as a particularly strong record.

Agreed on Bob/Grant, btw, even Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, etc.

So - my first punk show was ONE DAY before yours. Bad Religion/Vandals at the Marquee, NYC - 12/20/91. They played City Gardens the following night. WEIRD!!!

And yes - of course - the trilogy of Suffer-No Control-Against the Grain remains untouchable. I strayed away around Recipe for Hate - ignored Stranger Than Fiction - and then returned to check out what I had missed when I heard Gray Race and really dug it.

Also agree about Bob's stuff. I actually like Modulate quite a bit, although I've never heard LPG.

It's awful.

[JGJR]

To be completely fair, I haven't really listened to most of the later albums in about a decade since I went through the entire catalog, but I (like most on here, I think) am just much more attached to the 1980-1992 material partly because I grew up with it, got into them when No Control was new, etc. They were also my first hardcore/punk show (City Gardens in December 1991).

But (and this is a big but), I do think they've never made a bad record. I enjoyed all of it the last time I went through the catalog, but I do think there are peaks of their more recent work. The Process of Belief is one I loved when it was new (and still dig a lot) and New Maps of Hell also stood out as a particularly strong record.

Agreed on Bob/Grant, btw, even Modulate, Long Playing Grooves, etc.

So - my first punk show was ONE DAY before yours. Bad Religion/Vandals at the Marquee, NYC - 12/20/91. They played City Gardens the following night. WEIRD!!!

And yes - of course - the trilogy of Suffer-No Control-Against the Grain remains untouchable. I strayed away around Recipe for Hate - ignored Stranger Than Fiction - and then returned to check out what I had missed when I heard Gray Race and really dug it.

Also agree about Bob's stuff. I actually like Modulate quite a bit, although I've never heard LPG.

We have a lot in common then! I also started to lose interest around Recipe for Hate, but I still think "Modern Day Catastrophists" is one of their best songs and obviously "American Jesus" is a banger, too. I have the 7" with that funny cover. I like it (Recipe) a lot more now and in fact, I think the previous album Generator is now my favorite of all of their work. I didn't feel that way initially when it came out, but it was a real grower. It just took time to get used to the addition of more mid-tempo tracks instead of just at the end of side 1 on the previous records, slightly more overt '60s/'70s pop influence, etc. and years later I ended up becoming friends with Bobby Schayer (99.9% sure you know, but Generator was his debut on drums) and told him how much I loved that record and the fond memories I still have of seeing him at City Gardens and elsewhere with BR in the '90s. But back to my point, I mostly ignored them starting in the mid-'90s, but really came back into the fold when The Process of Belief came out.

I've only heard parts of LPG, but don't mind it for what it is. We seem to be some of the only folks who appreciate Modulate at all. It's a very misunderstood, good 3 AM type of record, so I was mostly talking about that one.

[Markonomicon]

Samiam
Steve Adamyk Band
Out Cold
Scared Of Chaka
Big Boys
Funeral Oration
(yes, I realize the last 4 are long defunct)

Snuff was until the last couple EPs, which weren't good at all.

[JGJR]

Big Boys

100%

[FormerLurker]

Big Boys

100%

How did I miss this one? Yes, flawless discography.

[JGJR]

Superchunk - flawless discography, plus I think they're even better now than they were in the '90s and early '00s. My favorite album of theirs is 2010's Majesty Shredding. They're also increible live.

[Neal]

forgot snuff, and anything duncan related. the newer stuff isn't quite as good, but still really good, i think.

was only thinking of bands that are still around.

[jaybird]

Superchunk - flawless discography, plus I think they're even better now than they were in the '90s and early '00s. My favorite album of theirs is 2010's Majesty Shredding. They're also increible live.

I dunno, I thought their string of mid-to late 90s albums from Indoor Living to Here's to Shutting Up were a bit of a slump... not terrible, but they sounded like a band in need of a long break by 2000. I saw them on their last tour before they went on indefinite hiatus and definitely thought it was the end of their run.

I agree Majesty Shredding is excellent beginning to end though... one of the best "comeback" records ever.

[scannest]

Superchunk - flawless discography, plus I think they're even better now than they were in the '90s and early '00s. My favorite album of theirs is 2010's Majesty Shredding. They're also increible live.

I dunno, I thought their string of mid-to late 90s albums from Indoor Living to Here's to Shutting Up were a bit of a slump... not terrible, but they sounded like a band in need of a long break by 2000. I saw them on their last tour before they went on indefinite hiatus and definitely thought it was the end of their run.

I agree Majesty Shredding is excellent beginning to end though... one of the best "comeback" records ever.

As JGLR would say, 100% THIS.

I love Superchunk, but in no way do I celebrate the whole catalog. All of their records have dead spots, even if the best ones (ON THE MOUTH, MAJESTY SHREDDING) have many more hits than misses.

[JGJR]

I agree Majesty Shredding is excellent beginning to end though... one of the best "comeback" records ever.

This! Also, R.E.M. I know many will likely disagree, but they never made a bad record. Come at me.

[jaybird]

I agree Majesty Shredding is excellent beginning to end though... one of the best "comeback" records ever.

This! Also, R.E.M. I know many will likely disagree, but they never made a bad record. Come at me.

Now in $2.00 cutout bins and Salvation Army stores everywhere!

[version sound]

I pretty much only like REM’s IRS run. I don’t care that they moved to a major, that just seemed to coincide with their music getting worse. Can any of you honestly say that you like “Stand”??? There were still good songs here and there, but I haven’t heard a single complete album that I would willingly sit through after the IRS period. That said, I’ve never been a huge REM fan, so YMMV.

[jaybird]

I pretty much only like REM’s IRS run. I don’t care that they moved to a major, that just seemed to coincide with their music getting worse. Can any of you honestly say that you like “Stand”??? There were still good songs here and there, but I haven’t heard a single complete album that I would willingly sit through after the IRS period.

Bronzed 'n' huged.

[drew]

After the IRS run only AUTOMATIC....is a truly great album. Everything else is spotty at best and terrible at worst.

[scannest]

R.E.M. I know many will likely disagree, but they never made a bad record. Come at me.

I don't mean to pile one, but yikes...
And listen, I'm no purist. There is a case to be made for several of their post-IRS records (my faves are OoT, AftP and Accelerate), but they were mostly running on fumes once Bill Berry retired. You're nuts if yer gonna claims that Up, Reveal, Around the Sun and Collapse Into Now are anything other than mediocre.

[gregpolard]

R.E.M. you say?

My take: they're my favorite band, but I cannot call "Around The Sun", "Up" or "Reveal" EXCELLENT - which is in the title of the thread. I DO agree that they don't have any BAD albums, though.

"Collapse Into Now" is my favorite Bill Berry-less album.

[JGJR]

R.E.M. I know many will likely disagree, but they never made a bad record. Come at me.

I don't mean to pile one, but yikes...
And listen, I'm no purist. There is a case to be made for several of their post-IRS records (my faves are OoT, AftP and Accelerate), but they were mostly running on fumes once Bill Berry retired. You're nuts if yer gonna claims that Up, Reveal, Around the Sun and Collapse Into Now are anything other than mediocre.

I know I likely won't get much agreement on here, but sometimes I think that Up is their best album, certainly of the WB era aside from maybe Automatic for the People.

[captain2man]

R.E.M. you say?

My take: they're my favorite band, but I cannot call "Around The Sun", "Up" or "Reveal" EXCELLENT - which is in the title of the thread. I DO agree that they don't have any BAD albums, though.

"Collapse Into Now" is my favorite Bill Berry-less album.

The only time I saw R.E.M. was on the "Up" tour - which I think was the first one without Bill Berry. I'm pretty solid with R.E.M. through Green (which I do like despite some overplayed radio hits)....but I remember playing "Up" quite a lot leading up to that show to get familiar with it & digging it. But don't ask me to hum any of those songs for you now, because I couldn't. I still have the tape in my collection....I'll have to give it a whirl at some point. I think I also like 'Monster'. I'm just not as familiar with the post-Green records....and I hated Losing My Religion - I completely lost interest after that song came out.

[JGJR]

The only time I saw R.E.M. was on the "Up" tour - which I think was the first one without Bill Berry. I'm pretty solid with R.E.M. through Green (which I do like despite some overplayed radio hits)....but I remember playing "Up" quite a lot leading up to that show to get familiar with it & digging it. But don't ask me to hum any of those songs for you now, because I couldn't. I still have the tape in my collection....I'll have to give it a whirl at some point. I think I also like 'Monster'. I'm just not as familiar with the post-Green records....and I hated Losing My Religion - I completely lost interest after that song came out.

Yep Up was their 1st without Bill Berry. I saw them on that tour, too, Labor Day 1999 at what was then the PNC Bank Arts Center (not sure what it is now). They were OK that night, but were incredible in 2003 at MSG and very good in 2008 at the Mann Center n Philly.

I don't mind "Losing My Religion." Of their huge hits from that era, I like it more than say, "Shiny Happy People" or "Stand" from Green) but it just got way over-played. That album (Out of Time) has some great deep cuts.