Past the Due Date On The Prime Meats
Very few bands have made 3 or more worthwhile albums. Dexy's made 3
of the best albums ever and then split after making the best album ever. The
Go-Betweens made 5 great lps (we can forget about their debut), the Byrds
made 8 great lps, Belle and Sebastian are in with a chance of making more
than 3 great lps, if they don't split up next year. Love made 3 great lps
and then
some ok stuff...until Arthur Lee and Love 20 years later, which is a
superb lp. How did that happen? Why hadn't Lee made superb lps in the
preceding 20 years? How could he pull something that good out of the hat?
That is a pop mystery. Any ideas?
Then there's someone like Aretha whose voice you never tire of.
There are 7 Aretha lps worth their weight in gold. She had first rate
songwriters and arrangers, but if, say, Carole King had sung the songs, they
wouldn't stand up.
All good bands should make 3 singles then split up unless they have
a great lp inside them.