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Best band never to release a truly great album?

Yeah, I know, another poll, but these are kind of fun and this one may be a little different. Let's limit it to no earlier than the late 60's (when the album began to be more important than the single). What musician/band do you really like, but has never quite put it all together to make that brilliant album you know is in them.

I'll start by nominating Jethro Tull. Lot's of great songs, but I cannot think of a single Tull record I would call an unqualified success.
curbach
martykl
3,578 posts
 
Not surprisingly, BDP nails this one,

Little Village, Possibly the most promising supergroup of them all, released that?  It's not bad at all, but it is an absolutely pedestrian album.  I like it a fair bit, but great it ain't.

I'm not sure that any of The Replacements' albums are great.  Several are really good, but all have some dead weight.  I think Westerberg's solo albums were probably more consistent and overall better records.

The Pentangle, with two spectacular guitarists in Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, had lots of great music spread over a bunch of very good, but IMO not great albums, too.


acman3
4,259 posts
 
Agree on Little Vilage being a subpar outing, but Little Village made me remember another mediocre outing by the newly formed Tiny Town in the late 90's. Pat Mcglaughlin and half of the disbanded Subdudes. 
acman3
4,259 posts
 
Maybe the key is to never buy a recording by a group that starts "small, little, tiny, ect.. City, village, town, ect..."

otherone's avatar
otherone
66 posts
 

I didn't read all these responses, but the Grateful Dead's studio material is pretty bad. Every one!

On the other hand... some of the finest musicianship there is (if that's your thing... jammmin').

Nothing beats Live Dead. For me.

garebear
1,154 posts
 
Hello Otherone .....Workingman's Dead and American Beauty is pretty darn good taking into consideration the time.   
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