Artists who last album was their worst.

[Metro]

Ghost’s latest album, Impera, has completely killed my interest in the band. Sounds like a parody.

Same with Muse. Simulation Theory made me not want to listen to the band for years. The singles for the upcoming album have me curious, but moreso cautious that it will be a disaster like the last one.

[Lonk]

I have not contributed to this because I thought it was asking for inactive/retired artists, which I couldn't think of any.

If we are including active artists the list might be long 

[Buddyhunter1]

The LTE I was a little excited for, mainly for the nostalgia/uniqueness factor, but the music on it really doesn’t do anything for me.

I think LTE 3 is the best of the three, funnily enough!

[Sacul]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

Have a Nice Life Sea of Worry
Portishead Third
Massive Attack Heligoland
DJ Shadow Our Pathethic Age

None of these are bad (except the DJ Shadow one, that one was boomer af), just not as good as what came before.

[Stadler]

If we're including active artists whose most recent album is their worst...

Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
Liquid Tension Experiment III
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (this is a weird one, because I still like it a lot)
Caligula’s Horse - Rise Radiant (thanks romdrums!)
Flying Colors - Third Degree
Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence (close call between this one and Sky Blue)

You know, I was going to say something smart or sarcastic, but other than Caligula's Horse, which I'm not familiar with, I can't exactly argue with those either.  Doesn't mean they SUCK, necessarily, because I do like most of those albums, but for example, I like the first two Flying Colors better.

The LTE, Transatlantic and Flying Colors were all disappointments for me, which is a shame because I really like Flying Colors’ first record (they’ve been progressively worse if you ask me) and I think Bridge Across Forever is in my top 25 albums ever. The LTE I was a little excited for, mainly for the nostalgia/uniqueness factor, but the music on it really doesn’t do anything for me.

The Caligula’s Horse album was easily their worst. Uninspired and boring. The Devin Townsend Project one might not be a fair mention.. I think I like it more than Sky Blue actually and I agree with LithoJazzoSphere that it doesn’t really make sense to distinguish between Devin’s different projects. The Mr. Bungle is a funny one; it was one of my favourite albums released that year, in part due to being hugely unexpected, but their other three albums are all so damn good and personal favourites, that I do think it’s their ‘worst’.

Whether you intended it or not, that is a world class pun right there, since that's my one knock on Flying Colors; they went from an almost perfect first album, with short, concise, well-crafted almost "pop" tunes to letting the prog creep in, and while it's not bad, by any stretch, it's not what made it unique to start with.

[Skeever]

I agree that Flying Colors has been "progressively worse" heh.
I was really excited after the first album, but each since just feels more disjointed. The project seems a bit rudderless, like it's become a channel for each songwriter's b-sides rather than a project with it's own mission.

[SoundscapeMN]

I kind of agree with Flying Colors, Transatlantic (Bridge being better than SMPTe though), LTE (although it's kind of splitting hairs between the 1st and 2nd, but if I had to prefer 1, I'd go with LTE 1), and even OSI perhaps. Although I can honestly say I don't find a dramatic difference between their last 2, and see a big dropoff from the debut to Free, but upon review, I consider Free better than both Blood and Fire Make Thunder.

[Kram]

LTE - yes, they've gotten progressively worse (although LTE2 is close to LTE1). 

Transatlantic - No.  BAF is better than the debut and TAU is way better than Kaleidoscope. 

Flying Colors - I'm gonna say no again.  The debut is clearly the best, but I like Third Degree better than Second Nature

[lordxizor]

Thank You Scientist - Terraformer

What? I love that album! To each their own I guess

[Buddyhunter1]

Thank You Scientist - Terraformer

What? I love that album! To each their own I guess

I dunno, as an album I find it really bloated and drawn out, and while there's some highlights the highlights on the previous two albums are better (Caverns, Mr. Invisible, My Famed Disappearing Act...) It's not a bad album, just a case where the previous two were obviously better for me.

Their latest EP was pretty great though so I'm certainly still looking forward to their future output.

[UndercoverMyung]

Rush - Clockwork Angels

[Kwyjibo]

Yes - The Quest

[Elite]

If we're including active artists whose most recent album is their worst...

Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
Liquid Tension Experiment III
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (this is a weird one, because I still like it a lot)
Caligula’s Horse - Rise Radiant (thanks romdrums!)
Flying Colors - Third Degree
Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence (close call between this one and Sky Blue)

You know, I was going to say something smart or sarcastic, but other than Caligula's Horse, which I'm not familiar with, I can't exactly argue with those either.  Doesn't mean they SUCK, necessarily, because I do like most of those albums, but for example, I like the first two Flying Colors better.

The LTE, Transatlantic and Flying Colors were all disappointments for me, which is a shame because I really like Flying Colors’ first record (they’ve been progressively worse if you ask me) and I think Bridge Across Forever is in my top 25 albums ever. The LTE I was a little excited for, mainly for the nostalgia/uniqueness factor, but the music on it really doesn’t do anything for me.

The Caligula’s Horse album was easily their worst. Uninspired and boring. The Devin Townsend Project one might not be a fair mention.. I think I like it more than Sky Blue actually and I agree with LithoJazzoSphere that it doesn’t really make sense to distinguish between Devin’s different projects. The Mr. Bungle is a funny one; it was one of my favourite albums released that year, in part due to being hugely unexpected, but their other three albums are all so damn good and personal favourites, that I do think it’s their ‘worst’.

Whether you intended it or not, that is a world class pun right there, since that's my one knock on Flying Colors; they went from an almost perfect first album, with short, concise, well-crafted almost "pop" tunes to letting the prog creep in, and while it's not bad, by any stretch, it's not what made it unique to start with.

I agree that Flying Colors has been "progressively worse" heh.
I was really excited after the first album, but each since just feels more disjointed. The project seems a bit rudderless, like it's become a channel for each songwriter's b-sides rather than a project with it's own mission.

It was not intended as a pun, but jt does make sense, right?

I also agree with Skeever that the project does feel disjointed. I can’t help but think that this group really could have reached out to a wider audience than just the people who follow whatever Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy do. Their first album was really good and showed a lot of potential. It was accessible, musical and a lot of fun. With better marketing and - dare I say - better music, this band could have become bigger than they are. To me it seems like they’ve been phoing it in on every subsequent release.

[KevShmev]

Rush - Clockwork Angels

[ReaperKK]

Easily dredg with Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, they had such a good streak of albums only to be completely ruined when they decided to work with Dan The Automator.

Another good contender is The Endless River by Pink Floyd.

Finally, and not really sure this counts because they've released an EP since but 8 by Incubus was pretty disappointing, it just further affirms that they've lost the spark and the sound they once had.

[Deadeye21]

Transatlantic - No.  BAF is better than the debut and TAU is way better than Kaleidoscope. 

Oh, really? So don’t listen to Kaleidoscope ever, gotcha. TAU was one of the worst albums I have ever heard.

[Mladen]

I'll add another vote for Simulation theory by Muse. Also, I'll be your girl by The Decemberists.

[Stadler]

If we're including active artists whose most recent album is their worst...

Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
Liquid Tension Experiment III
Mr. Bungle - The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo (this is a weird one, because I still like it a lot)
Caligula’s Horse - Rise Radiant (thanks romdrums!)
Flying Colors - Third Degree
Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence (close call between this one and Sky Blue)

You know, I was going to say something smart or sarcastic, but other than Caligula's Horse, which I'm not familiar with, I can't exactly argue with those either.  Doesn't mean they SUCK, necessarily, because I do like most of those albums, but for example, I like the first two Flying Colors better.

The LTE, Transatlantic and Flying Colors were all disappointments for me, which is a shame because I really like Flying Colors’ first record (they’ve been progressively worse if you ask me) and I think Bridge Across Forever is in my top 25 albums ever. The LTE I was a little excited for, mainly for the nostalgia/uniqueness factor, but the music on it really doesn’t do anything for me.

The Caligula’s Horse album was easily their worst. Uninspired and boring. The Devin Townsend Project one might not be a fair mention.. I think I like it more than Sky Blue actually and I agree with LithoJazzoSphere that it doesn’t really make sense to distinguish between Devin’s different projects. The Mr. Bungle is a funny one; it was one of my favourite albums released that year, in part due to being hugely unexpected, but their other three albums are all so damn good and personal favourites, that I do think it’s their ‘worst’.

Whether you intended it or not, that is a world class pun right there, since that's my one knock on Flying Colors; they went from an almost perfect first album, with short, concise, well-crafted almost "pop" tunes to letting the prog creep in, and while it's not bad, by any stretch, it's not what made it unique to start with.

I agree that Flying Colors has been "progressively worse" heh.
I was really excited after the first album, but each since just feels more disjointed. The project seems a bit rudderless, like it's become a channel for each songwriter's b-sides rather than a project with it's own mission.

It was not intended as a pun, but jt does make sense, right?

I also agree with Skeever that the project does feel disjointed. I can’t help but think that this group really could have reached out to a wider audience than just the people who follow whatever Neal Morse and Mike Portnoy do. Their first album was really good and showed a lot of potential. It was accessible, musical and a lot of fun. With better marketing and - dare I say - better music, this band could have become bigger than they are. To me it seems like they’ve been phoing it in on every subsequent release.

I generally hate it when people say "[insert my favorite band, that plays 1,000 seat clubs] should be huge!" because 99.9% of the time, bands are as famous/popular as they should be.   But I have a small sliver of my brain that wonders if the ONE TIME the guys in Flying Colors just said "we're going to try that again" and made FCII be a sequel of sorts to the first one, if they wouldn't have gotten a little more traction.  I can definitely see a song like "Better Than Walking Away" being played over a montage at the end of an original cable series (Sopranos, Sons of Anarchy that kind of thing) or hitting one with something like The Storm on a national sports broadcast, playing out to the commercial.  Or "Kayla" in a movie and having it hit big.   The integrity of those guys is so much not in question that to give them one piece of broad commercial success doesn't undermine everything they've accomplished, but how cool would that be?  To have a song or an album that can be a sort of "reward" for all the other stuff, all the club dates, all the package tours, etc.? 

No, I haven't been drinking....

[Zantera]

I don't know if I can agree with the 99% bands are as popular as they deserve to be because there's just too many factors too consider. Right place right time is a big one. Yeah a lot of smaller bands maybe didn't hit it big for a number of reasons but I think also a lot of semi-big bands probably got a bit luckier than maybe they deserved (possibly due to right place right time) and the universe works in mysterious ways and all that.

[pg1067]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

[Stadler]

I don't know if I can agree with the 99% bands are as popular as they deserve to be because there's just too many factors too consider. Right place right time is a big one. Yeah a lot of smaller bands maybe didn't hit it big for a number of reasons but I think also a lot of semi-big bands probably got a bit luckier than maybe they deserved (possibly due to right place right time) and the universe works in mysterious ways and all that.

I hear you; maybe I'm getting too existential with this, but I figure all that is part of the equation.   

[KevShmev]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

The problem here is that you are one of the co-leaders of the Power Windows Hate Brigade, therefore your tastes need to be called into question.

[Stadler]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

You are all wrong.  All of you have S&A WAY too low. There can't be any meaningful standard under which S&A is below T4E or VT.  Pah! 

Signals>Presto>HYF>C>S&A>POW>>CA>>>>>T4E>VT>RTB>GUP

[Metro]

Power Windows may be the only good thing Rush ever did

Fuel, meet fire.

[soupytwist]

I'll add another vote for Simulation theory by Muse. Also, I'll be your girl by The Decemberists.

SIM Theory for me at least was an improvement over 2nd Law and Drones, if still along way from thier best.   Do however completely agree on the Decemberists - considering how great their discography was 'I'll be your girl' felt so half assed.

[pg1067]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

You are all wrong.  All of you have S&A WAY too low. There can't be any meaningful standard under which S&A is below T4E or VT.  Pah! 

Signals>Presto>HYF>C>S&A>POW>>CA>>>>>T4E>VT>RTB>GUP

This always sounds like a silly thing to say, but I WANT to like S&A more than I do, but there's just not much there.  Far Cry and Armor and Sword are top notch, and Workin' Them Angels and The Way the Wind Blows are solid, but after that, you've got a nice acoustic guitar piece, a solid instrumental, a vaguely interesting instrumental, and half a dozen songs that are just there.  Is VT this low on the list solely because of the production?

[Stadler]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

You are all wrong.  All of you have S&A WAY too low. There can't be any meaningful standard under which S&A is below T4E or VT.  Pah! 

Signals>Presto>HYF>C>S&A>POW>>CA>>>>>T4E>VT>RTB>GUP

This always sounds like a silly thing to say, but I WANT to like S&A more than I do, but there's just not much there.  Far Cry and Armor and Sword are top notch, and Workin' Them Angels and The Way the Wind Blows are solid, but after that, you've got a nice acoustic guitar piece, a solid instrumental, a vaguely interesting instrumental, and half a dozen songs that are just there.  Is VT this low on the list solely because of the production?

Largely.  It's a harsh record for me.  I don't get a lot of melody from it.

[JediKnight1969]

Yes - The Quest

I didn't like The Quest, but for me, Open your eyes is the worst Yes record.

[nick_z]

Hmmm...I'm tempted to trigger some folks by saying Rush, but Clockwork Angels is better than at least Roll the Bones and Hold Your Fire (and maybe also Power Windows).

Clockwork Angels was easily the best thing Rush did since Counterparts.

You spelled "worst" wrong.  VT > T4E >>> S&A > CA

As for Chris's edit:  Signals >>> Presto > VT > Counterparts > T4E > GUP > POW > S&A > CA > HYF > RTB

Clockwork Angels has three really good songs and a bunch of meh.

You are all wrong.  All of you have S&A WAY too low. There can't be any meaningful standard under which S&A is below T4E or VT.  Pah! 

Signals>Presto>HYF>C>S&A>POW>>CA>>>>>T4E>VT>RTB>GUP

Oh, are we doing a post-MP ranking? 

Ok then:

Counterparts>POW>GUP>Signals>HYF>RTB>T4E>CA>VT>Presto>S&A

T4E and CA are pretty different albums, but I like them more or less the same. VT I liked a lot when it came out. Still enjoy it, but it lost a bit of its luster. S&A is a very "pretty" album and it sounds good. It just doesn't have a ton of "wow" Rush moments for me (generally agree with pg on the highlights, perhaps minus Workin' Them Angels and plus Good News First)...Sorry, Stadler! 

[pg1067]

Is VT this low on the list solely because of the production?

Largely.  It's a harsh record for me.  I don't get a lot of melody from it.

Fair enough.  I felt the same way initially, but eventually it clicked for me.  One Little Victory is good; the title track is excellent; Earthshine might be the band's best post-Presto song.  The real treasures are the last three tracks.  Alex's playing on those songs is so good.

[Cool Chris]

As someone who loves 2112-MP (and would consider that my top 5-album run by any band), and is at best lukewarm and at worst ambivalent toward the rest of their catalog, I wish I could explain (or even understand!) why I like CA so much.

[jammindude]

Everyone just goes on and on about Earthshine. I love the riff, but the vocal mix just kills it for me. The pre-chorus sounds like a bad Slim Whitman imitation.

Anybody ever seen Mars Attacks? That’s what I think of when I hear Earthshine.