40 greatest one album wonders.

DiscoStu

Interesting article from Rolling Stone on the 'greatest' one album wonders.
I haven't heard of half of these acts or albums so could be a great way to find some 'new' music.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-one-album-wonders-14916/scratch-acid-just-keep-eating-1986-212066/

EricTheWeary

I’ve heard of most of them, although heard quite a few less. Some are supergroup outings or spin offs from successful bands so I think it’s probably stretching the definition of one album wonders. 

Rolling Stone continue to be oddly obsessed with Lauryn Hill; their process seems to be ‘we are doing a list and need a black artist in there any new ideas? no, okay Lauryn Hill it is then.’

You’ve got to wander how many people will make The Shaggs their next favourite thing. Certainly an acquired taste. 

Fuengi

I loved that Temple of The Dog album, I think I had to get it from the import section of HMV or Virgin in Portsmouth, it cost a fortune.

EricTheWeary

We mentioned the self titled Hughes Thrall album on here not long ago so I'll throw that into the mix. Although, again, basically a super group project. 

Neill

The glaring omission from this list is The Rich Kids "Ghost of Princes in Towers" which as many will know featured Glen Matlock, Rusty Egan and Midge Ure.  It was as good as anything else around at the time.

There's a live version of the title track on YT and the rhythm section is just stonking.  If Glen had stuck with one band instead of being a wandering gun for hire I honestly think he would be regarded as one of the greats. 

I was also going to nominate X Ray Spex "Germ Free Adolescents" as I always think of them as a one album band but I see they did reform in the late 90's and released a "second" album.

Blueingreen

I thought The Good The Bad and The Queen released two albums and I'm not sure what they're doing on that list.

Blueingreen

EricTheWeary said:

I’ve heard of most of them, although heard quite a few less. Some are supergroup outings or spin offs from successful bands so I think it’s probably stretching the definition of one album wonders. 

Rolling Stone continue to be oddly obsessed with Lauryn Hill; their process seems to be ‘we are doing a list and need a black artist in there any new ideas? no, okay Lauryn Hill it is then.’

You’ve got to wander how many people will make The Shaggs their next favourite thing. Certainly an acquired taste. 

I absolutely don't get the Lauryn Hill comment.  Whatever anybody's personal response to the album I can't think of any criterion - sales, cultural importance, general critical reputation whether or not you ignore Rolling Stone, by which she wouldn't be an automatic choice for this list.

The album has sold more than 20 million worldwide, got 10 Grammy nominations and 5 awards (the only time that's ever been achieved by a female artist).  She had a 20th anniversary world tour of the album which sold out arenas everywhere.

EricTheWeary

Blueingreen said:

EricTheWeary said:

I’ve heard of most of them, although heard quite a few less. Some are supergroup outings or spin offs from successful bands so I think it’s probably stretching the definition of one album wonders. 

Rolling Stone continue to be oddly obsessed with Lauryn Hill; their process seems to be ‘we are doing a list and need a black artist in there any new ideas? no, okay Lauryn Hill it is then.’

You’ve got to wander how many people will make The Shaggs their next favourite thing. Certainly an acquired taste. 

I absolutely don't get the Lauryn Hill comment.  Whatever anybody's personal response to the album I can't think of any criterion - sales, cultural importance, general critical reputation whether or not you ignore Rolling Stone, by which she wouldn't be an automatic choice for this list.

The album has sold more than 20 million worldwide, got 10 Grammy nominations and 5 awards (the only time that's ever been achieved by a female artist).  She had a 20th anniversary world tour of the album which sold out arenas everywhere.

I think we are talking at cross purposes as I’m not in the slightest bit criticising Hill ( indeed I wrote about the album on this forum not all that long ago). 

The lists that RS produce seem to show an in depth knowledge of relatively obscure rock bands which is fine but then they throw in one or two black/RnB acts as if afraid of not being seen as diverse and Hill seems to be there go to artist for this. Either they need to show more depth of knowledge or refine the criteria ( ‘one off albums you probably haven’t heard’ or ‘one off rock albums’ even). 

I don’t have that depth of knowledge either, I’m not suggesting I do, it just presents itself as a rehash. 

ICBM

Does The Velvet Underground & Nico count? OK, VU continued, but without Nico...

It's hard to argue with the top two on the list though.

DiscoStu

There's gonna be the (acceptable) argument that Jeff Buckley had more than one album, but he only had one studio release during his lifetime. 

guitarjack66

I thought The Sex Pistols also released The Great Rock n Roll Swindle too?

blobb

Italian progressive movement was fertile ground for one album bands. Things like Maxophone etc..

Kebabkid

Rosie Vela's 'Zazu'. Produced by Steely Dan's Gary Katz and featuring both Becker and Fagan.

Here's the single which some of you might recognise


Last thing I saw her involved in was as a backing singer for ELO (not on their most recent comeback run) and I believe she was dating Jeff Lynne

axisus

Fuengi said:

I loved that Temple of The Dog album, I think I had to get it from the import section of HMV or Virgin in Portsmouth, it cost a fortune.

Cracking album. Chris Cornell's vocals sounds so powerful on that record. Reach Down and Say hello 2 Heaven are both EPIC songs.

I bought Soundgarden's Superunknown after this, and was pretty disappointed. Great songs but the production was like mud, so muddy and stifled compared to the superb production of Temple of the Dog. 

Neill

Kebabkid said:

Rosie Vela's 'Zazu'. Produced by Steely Dan's Gary Katz and featuring both Becker and Fagan.

Here's the single which some of you might recognise


Last thing I saw her involved in was as a backing singer for ELO (not on their most recent comeback run) and I believe she was dating Jeff Lynne

That's right, it was the band Lynne put together for the ill fated "Zoom" tour in 2001.  

Personally I think that incarnation of The Electric Light Orchestra was much better than the vast array of musicians Lynne commandeered more recently eg for Glastonbury and that Wembley stadium concert.  He didn't even have a violinist for the Zoom performances, just two cellos, and all the backing vocals were handled by Rosie and the excellent Bisonette brothers on bass and drums.  He did have the evergreen Richard Tandy though. 

Rosie's solo career never took off, inexplicably really as she had it all there, but the debut album is such a disappointment, a good example of 1980's synth pop production, put her in front of a real band and it could have been very different.   

munckee

The las one of my favourite ever albums iou, son of a gun, freedom song, feeling, looking glass a really strong album from a high point in british music in the late 80s early 90s. Runour has it the egos were so fragile that the album was pieces together from a very few sessions as they imploded almost immediately after getting the songs together. 

sticker

guitarjack66 said:

I thought The Sex Pistols also released The Great Rock n Roll Swindle too?

Malcolm McClaren released the Great Rock n Roll Swindle … offcuts , demos and substandard filler . 

Kebabkid

Neill said:

Kebabkid said:

Rosie Vela's 'Zazu'. Produced by Steely Dan's Gary Katz and featuring both Becker and Fagan.

Here's the single which some of you might recognise


Last thing I saw her involved in was as a backing singer for ELO (not on their most recent comeback run) and I believe she was dating Jeff Lynne

That's right, it was the band Lynne put together for the ill fated "Zoom" tour in 2001.  

Personally I think that incarnation of The Electric Light Orchestra was much better than the vast array of musicians Lynne commandeered more recently eg for Glastonbury and that Wembley stadium concert.  He didn't even have a violinist for the Zoom performances, just two cellos, and all the backing vocals were handled by Rosie and the excellent Bisonette brothers on bass and drums.  He did have the evergreen Richard Tandy though. 

Rosie's solo career never took off, inexplicably really as she had it all there, but the debut album is such a disappointment, a good example of 1980's synth pop production, put her in front of a real band and it could have been very different.   

Interesting. The 'vast array of musicians' was actually the Take That Band minus the boys. I've seen ELO twice over the few years, once with Tandy and once without, and they were superb!

As to that Zoom Tour, I remember seeing the violin parts being played by the guitarist on a guitar synth.

Funkfingers

Sausage - Riddles Are Abound Tonite.
Oysterhead - The Grand Pecking Order
Victor - Victor
Trio Of Doom - Trio Of Doom
Y Kant Tori Read - Y Kant Tori Read

Stuckfast

Not quite sure how they overlooked Jackson C Frank's Blues Run The Game, which is one of the most famous one-album wonders ever.

Neill

munckee said:

The las one of my favourite ever albums iou, son of a gun, freedom song, feeling, looking glass a really strong album from a high point in british music in the late 80s early 90s. Runour has it the egos were so fragile that the album was pieces together from a very few sessions as they imploded almost immediately after getting the songs together. 

It's hard to know what to believe, there's been so much talk about the "band" and that album, much of it revolving around Lee Mavers obsession with recording perfection, and who "The La's" actually were, there were so many personnel changes.  The number of Liverpudlians claiming to have been in The La's is getting close to the multitude of east enders who claim they were at school with the Kray twins.

Mavers is on record saying that the ensemble who recorded the album "hated" the final result, but I remember reading in the music press back then that several of the musicians who contributed were of the opinion that nothing was ever good enough for Mavers.  

I bought the album when it was released and before all the hype, and I share your opinion - it's a true classic.