Pick a band you used to enjoy, then tell us the point when you think they "jumped the shark."

[bbernardini]

Got to thinking about this today, as I'm transferring and editing a live recording of Barenaked Ladies I made in 1996. I really used to enjoy their studio and live work up until "Stunt" (the album with "One Week" on it). After that, the songwriting just seemed to go downhill, with the exception of one or two songs on each album.

[taterguy]

1. Husker Du when they signed with Warner Bros

Well, maybe the first record was ok but after that it went downhill quickly.

Not sure how much that had to do with the major label or just aging in general.

[bbernardini]

2. On the brighter side...

...at least it got them away from SST. In the words of Negativland, "Corporate SST Still Sucks Rock."

[vi5]

17. That was only 2 albums...

Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs and Stories. While they weren't their BEST works, each album still has a ton of great songs on them.

And yeah, I think it was more their ridiculous level of internal strife and animosity that caused them to decline more than anything else.

[bbernardini]

18. Side discussion: when, if at all, did Bob Mould's post Husker Du career jump the shark? nt

[Common Sense Party]

45. Whenever he went techno.

His first two solo albums were great. I liked the first "Sugar" album.

[asthmaticeog]

37. "Warehouse" could have been edited down to an AWESOME single album, though. nt

[WinkyDink]

3. Chicago---"Chicago 3". Yep, been a while.

[Richardo]

4. I say it's when Terry Kath killed himself.

He got them through eight or ten I think.

[bertha katzenengel]

9. I agree. (but he was only cleaning his gun)

Poor guy. Suicide is about the saddest thing I can think of.

:hi: R.

[Richardo]

12. Horrible accident

Took the heart (and guts) out of the band

:hi: B!

[av8rdave]

26. I liked them up until that point as well

They have been pure schmaltz since then.

[BeachBaby]

5. STYX.

They were a rock band, even with sappy stuff like "Babe".

And then......."Mister Roboto" happened. Bleck. :)

[bbernardini]

10. Perhaps, but going back to my original post...

There's a few good songs on the "Kilroy Was Here" album. I particularly like "Heavy Metal Poisoning" and "Haven't We Been Here Before."

[Zavulon]

29. Pieces of Eight was good, as was everything before it.

Everything after...well, as you say, "bleck."

"Mister Roboto" stopped just short of "crime against humanity" status.

[qb]

6. Metallica... until they went mainstream and then got all pissy about music downloads. nt

[LynneSin]

7. Aerosmith - the moment the all rehab themselves

I'm glad that they are clean and all but it seems their music took a nose dive from there.

I will say this much - the death of John Bonham probably kept Led Zeppelin from 'jumping the shark'. I suspect that "In Through the Out Door" put them on the edge of the shark tank but they never had a chance to jump.

[bbernardini]

11. Re: Led Zeppelin...

I've always thought that Jimmy Page's riff-writing ability went downhill or disappeared altogether after John Bonham died. But that's just me.

[Zavulon]

33. This was my first choice as well.

Once they went pop, they lost my interest and earned my contempt.

"In Through the Out Door" had two killer tracks. I had little use for the rest of it.

[bertha katzenengel]

8. Captain & Tennille - when they got a TV show, that was it.

I was a 12-14 yr old groupie. Now, I never quit digging them back then. I mean, being almost obsessed. But in retrospect, I see that's when they jumped it.

[mitchum]

13. Rolling Stones in 1974...

I just pretend that the post-Mick Taylor Rolling Stones is a different (and very inferior) entity.
I imagine that many Who fans make the same accomodation for the post-Keith Moon abomination

[Beer Snob-50]

27. the mick taylor rolling stones

are the best incarnation of the band. i realize that to many brian jones was the stones but love taylors work better.

[Chan790]

14. Alkaline Trio

:hide: I know I'm going to take crap for liking ALK3.

Crimson. Really? That's what the world needed, Matt? An electronica/death-emo fusion album of you navel-gazing about the fact you're thirty and single and that you attract mentally-ill women. Where is the self-destructive sarcastic fuck-it-all-ness of Mr. Chainsaw? The socio-political commentary of Warbrain? The coy wordiness of All On Black?

You...Dan Andriano! You're not getting off easy either. Just because you were kickass when I ran into you in downtown Philly and you signed an autograph for me...in the middle of a crosswalk; it doesn't mean you can suck. You used to sing amazing love ballads that I could admit to liking. Now I get The Poison and Settle For Satin? Leave the death references, faux-satanism, mope, and discussion of bodily viscera to Matt Skiba. He does it better.

[SCDem]

15. Red Hot Chili Peppers

Not sure exactly when they did - but point is that they did.

[EnviroBat]

49. Kalifornication, I believe...

[raccoon]

16. Los Tigres del Norte. I have 2 CD's by them, one called Herencia,

which I like a lot. Another more recent one I bought absolutely sucks. Nothing but guns and shooting and dying. I know, that's what they sing about, but their Herencia lp wasn't all about that. I don't know at what point they jumped el tiburon but they sure did.

[MrScorpio]

19. Van Halen

When DLR left

[bbernardini]

20. See, I would have said from "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" onward...

I liked the three "love" singles (When It's Love, Why Can't This Be Love, Love Walks In) and "Finish What Ya Started." "Poundcake" lost me.

[Zavulon]

32. When they released Diver Down.

A half hour, five covers, not a single decent track.

I looked for 1984 to make up for it, but "Jump?" Made me sick.

[Common Sense Party]

44. 1984 jumped the shark. The synthesizers spelled doom.

Not to mention DLR getting more and more cartoonish.

[Carnea]

21. Jefferson Airplane/Starship

"We built this city"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxGGckAc1rs

They didn't jump the shark with this song they got eaten buy it.*

*BTW Jump the shark is so eighties the kids today say Nuked the Fridge (Indian Jones 4)

[WannaBeGrumpy]

22. Dude I love this song....

I don't understand why everyone slams on it...It's one of my favorites yet considered one of the worst songs ever.
Best dancing song ever!

[Forkboy]

23. Metallica...the Black Album using Bob Rock as producer.

That album started a cavalcade of crap that's still ongoing. Though to be fair, once Burton died the soul of the band was gone anyways. If he was around he'd be in a band like Electric Wizard, and he'd be cranking out the serious stoner jams.

[Guava Jelly]

39. Dude, I was going to say the same thing.

I haven't like a single thing they have done since that album.
And who the hell told James he could sing? Fucking scream dammit!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iOmo0ZuyNk
(Pulling Teeth)
Cliff was the shit!

[asthmaticeog]

24. R.E.M., "Green."

There was just no freakin' way that "Stand" crap was going to be any kind of acceptable.

[bbernardini]

28. I have a soft spot for that album...

I came pretty late to the R.E.M. game, so I enjoyed that album a great deal. After that...meh. A few things here and there (I particularly like "Ignoreland"), but otherwise, I gave up.

[asthmaticeog]

36. That's something I've noticed...

"Green" may be R.E.M.'s borderline album. Often, their way early fans see it as the first sign of their heroes starting to lose it, later fans seem to think of it as one of the band's great early albums! Gotta say, though, their new one bests anything they've done in the last two decades, I'm really enjoying it. Took 'em long enough, though...

[Zavulon]

30. UGH.

"Stand" still ranks as one of the ten worst songs I've ever heard. Inexcusable.

[driver8]

38. I hate to say it, but you are right.

REM has (had?) been my favorite band for years.

Green sucked big time.

They kind of made up for it with "Out of Time", but "Shiny Happy People" sucked the big one, also.

I have not liked much since Bill Berry left the band, but the new album rocks!!

[Common Sense Party]

43. I think it was more like "Automatic for the People."

But as soon as you could clearly hear and understand Stipe's vocals, the writing was on the wall.

R.E.M. was my favorite 80s band, and I can't stand anything they've done for the past 15 years.

[BlueIris]

53. I held on until the one after "Up." Which I don't even remember because...blech. nt

[RubyDuby in GA]

25. DMB - and all I have to say is Glen Ballard

Dave for the love of god, put down the electric guitar. I mean...c'mon....

[michreject]

31. Ten Years After

When Alvin Lee went solo.

SSSSSHH still rocks.

[deucemagnet]

34. lol! When I read the thread title, my first thought was "The Barenaked Ladies"

And I agree with your assessment: they jumped the shark right around the time they broke through in the US. I still enjoy their older stuff, though. :)

[NightWatcher]

35. U2: they jumped the shark when they sold iPods loaded with all their tunes

from then on it has been all U2 all the time all over the place....to include satelite radio

[bif]

40. Yes. Tormato was beginning of their downfall

[Systematic Chaos]

46. I have to completely disagree with you there.

They've had some rocky moments, but their most recent couple of albums (The Ladder, Magnification) are every bit as good as their 70s work.

Some of the YesWest material with Trevor Rabin was really excellent, especially the Talk album.

[AspenRose]

41. Heart

"These Dreams" :puke:


And Sting...with a few exceptions, most everything he's done from the mid-90s on.... :puke:

[Tommy_Carcetti]

42. I would think "All I Want To Do is Make Love To You" would have been the shark jumping moment

IMHO

[EnviroBat]

47. Crypes, That's easy... Def Leppard

Early albums, "On through The Night..." great stuff. Real rock. "Bringing on the Heartbreak", one of the all-time best rock ballads EVAH.

"Pour some Sugar On Me"? The next fucking time I hear that song I'm going to find the nearest bimbo, (who will no doubt be dancing to it), and puke right down her butt-crack. I don't think Def Leppard jumped the shark per se. I think the shark came along AND BIT THE FUCKING DRUMMERS ARM OFF! They've sucked ass ever since...

[mdmc]

48. KISS

jumped when Peter Criss left

[Iggo]

50. Queensryche.

Anything after their original EP.

[ashling]

51. Abba - when I found out that Grumpy McChimpbutt likes them

Not really, but I can't get that damn "take a chance on me" off of the teleprompter in my head!!!!
:rofl:

[TroglodyteScholar]

52. The Cure

They were a force of nature for more than a decade...then Porl left after Wish, they waited 4 years to release another album, and what they came up with was Wild Mood Swings. Not so hot.

:(