Bands that dramatically changed their sound for the better?

[fretno]

The Cult

 

[dkelley]

Inspired by the following exchange in another thread:





Here are a few examples off the top of my head of bands who became something very different, and better, than they started as.

Radiohead
Pantera
Talk Talk
Beastie Boys
Ministry

Can we add to this list?

Please, only bands that changed dramatically -- enough to be considered a different genre -- and that most people would agree improved as a result. We can all name a million bands that simply got old and lazy, or sold out.

IMHo the best Radiohead sounded was on the album The Bends. Everything after that was less band, more Yorke being an (Admittedly brilliant) intellectual an creative genius, and the band doing their own also brilliant things, but no longer a fantastic crossover rock band. Planet Telex is, imho, one of the greatest album opening rock songs of all time, and far surpasses much of what they did on later albums.

The other groups you listed aren't in the same legendary status as radiohead, musically speaking, and I don't know much about them, other than thinking the beasties were always very cool and I loved their unique concept, and talk talk had a very cool sound.

But radiohead - that's a band where I have STRONG opinions, and I respect everything they've done including all of their later very odd stuff (I focused on making music like that for years myself long before radiohead existed, so I love that they went that route for a while).

But as a rock group? They were never as good after "the bends".

 

[honeydorick]

How about the Doobie Brothers,With the addition of Michael McDonnald.Wow they kept on cranking out hit after hit.With the new vocal and style blended together with the original sound.I love the Doobies with or without Michael.What a combination!

 

[josephbass86]

Michael Manring said when he first met Michael Hedges he was a straight up Neil Young clone, singing simple songs and strumming G, D, and C. But within like a year of playing with him he started doing all the tapping stuff that became so signature to his style, so he definitely changed for the better.

 

[Hammerfield]

King Crimson

 

[coyote1]

Miles Davis is the king of stylistic evolution, or even revolution. Better or worse? That 's disputed.

But I know that rock is the relevant genre around here, so I offer Deep Purple. Huge change, and improvement, between debut and subsequent albums methinks.

I love Purple. And Rainbow could arguably be said to have, on Rising, invented the category of prog-metal.
That said, Purple were already rocking pretty hard on their debut. It was an evolution, not a revolution, for them to get to In Rock. And the psychedelic jam band component certainly lived on; items such as Wring That Neck, Child In Time and Space Truckin’ changed, sometimes significantly, on a nightly basis.

 

[slagbass]

The Clash.
How they went from barely capable of playing to London Calling in less than 5 years still blows my mind.

 

[devnulljp]

but: genesis.

Not for the better in my book.

Depeche Mode evolved nicely from a bland cookie cutter new wave 80s synthpop band to ... whatever you could call what they became.
Not a band, but Elvis Costello is a prime example of someone who matured as an artist.
The Cult sure did a huge about face, becoming an ACDC cover band

 

[lermgalieu]

Radiohead

Obviously a pretty subjective discussion, but I wouldn't place Radiohead in this category. They flat out just *changed* but it wasn't like they improved what they did. They changed what they did. Consciously. They went from being a guitar-driven rock band (with hugely successful rock anthems like Creep, Fake Plastic Trees, etc.) to a more eclectic mix of rock and electronic/experimental stuff. In other words, OK Computer wasn't successful merely by dint of Radiohead becoming "better at rock," but by them consciously realizing they had taken a certain approach to its logical end (for them) and deciding to do something different.

 

[butterfingers1]

A lot of interesting things have been said in this thread.

I think the Beatles pioneered artistic change and evolution. Did even Beethoven or Michelangelo change like this? I’m asking.

 

[Paul New]

Fleetwood Mac is an obvious example as they went from their Peter Green era to their Bob Welch era to their Buckingham/Nicks era.

Yes, but the thread is supposed to be about bands that improved, not the opposite.

 

[tbz]

As someone else mentioned Tull probably fits into this category.

They started as a very mundane, run of the mill, British blues band, with their only notable differentiator being Ian Anderson’s flute playing.

By Thick As A Brick/Passion Play they were a full bore, classically influenced prog band. With proto metal leanings.

 

[jbhaugh]

The first band that popped into my head when I read your question was Talk Talk. I happen to be listening to "Spirit of Eden" right now, so that might be a reason. Anyway, I love their New Wave stuff and their later post rock stuff equally. Talk Talk is easily one of my favorite bands.

 

[Richland123]

Before they changed their name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive and became a straight forward rock band, they released two albums as Brave Belt that were country rock style.

 

[2112]

"Better" is too subjective for my opinions to lay wide claim to. Even the amount that any band could be considered to evolve depends largely on the individual listener... it may be spake from on high by fanbois that minute changes in a band's sound or style will herald its rapid demise while casual listeners are all like "what are you even on aboot m8".

For me, some bands that have changed significantly in my ears are listed below. Interesting how they are all bands I've listened to heavily over the years.

Tool
Jefferson Airplane >> Jefferson Starship >> Starship
Porcupine Tree
Rush
Chicago
Radiohead
Beatles
Pink Floyd
King Crimson
Davis Bowie

Also... the Doors... not because they spent significant time in one style and switched to another before a awhile but because they seemed to have two main styles: blues rock and what I like to call progressive dirges.

 

[jbhaugh]

I don't necessarily think that any era is better or that there is an improvement over the career, but Beck has made albums in several genres. "Midnite Vultures" is a personal fave.

 

[4stringfarley]

Corrosion of Conformity, started as a very heavy punk and went more southern rock
TooL, the best era was right when they stopped putting out albums.

 

[Boundary Effect]

The Tubes. My preference was for the first two studio albums and early live material. Remote Control produced by Todd Rundgren was okay. They lost me with material produced by Steven Foster, yet they achieved air play. Because of this thread, I'm only now giving their last album a list. Thank you.

 

[Relayer71]

That was my point. Anyone anti 80s will despise the sound if any 60s or 70s band that survived long enough to make it to, amd through, tue 80s. Throw in OP's very specific definitions and we don't have much to talk about.

I'm a child of the 80s; I love the 80s. But 70s Genesis was still better to me (and this is including the 3 albums with Phil on vocals). And I like Duke (1980) as well, but their stuff after that album was mediocre, at best.

Has anyone mentioned Journey yet? They sound fully transformed from their first few albums.

 

[yodedude2]

o i thought 'better' meant 'better sales'

haha j/k!