POP

Somehow I found myself listening to Triple M yesterday in the car. The announcer said that every U2 album was great except POP. I nearly crashed! POP is my favourite U2 album.
I went off U2 after POP. It seemed they had lost something, it was if they had made it to the creative top of their game and where going to back to tried and true formulas after this. Formulas which are good but didn't challenge me in moving onwards in music.

I think the same could be said with a lot of band who reach their climax of there creative peak. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's. The Cure's Disintergration.
Some bands are still pushing it to the limits Radio Head is a classic. Every time I listen there is something new musically for me.
Strangely I don't see it as much with individual artists. There is something about a group that works together on a project

The Cure

Having a drop of "The Cure" tonight with friends. A white riesling. Interstingly name after one of my favourie 80's bands.

Double Albums

I think for me one think that elevates a good band to something even better is, the double album. Not just a crappy, cheap double 'live' album, a double studio album. At times you get these overlapping themes almost like a symphony.

My top five are::

The Beatles :: White Album

Pink Floyd :: The Wall

The Cure :: Kiss me, Kiss me, Kiss me

The Whitlams :: Little Cloud

Nick Cave :: Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Its interesting U2 hasn't got there with a double though I think Achung baby, had enough material left over for Zooropa. I think this should have been a double. But then again I can only listen to Bono for a short while before his voice gets on my nerves...