Great last albums? (or last great albums...)

xSkarloey

To follow on from the great debuit albums thread which I've had fun reading (thanks for all the listening suggestions folks...:) )


Here's a twist on that, then: what are your favourite final albums by a particular band who ended it thereafter? e.g. Abbey Road.

And to get a debate going, you might want to pick a band who are still going or who made more records, but pick the record which you think was their last 'great' album before quality declined.

menamestom

L.A. Woman

Sporky

Meanwhile Gardens by Levitation - not the Australia-only release with that awful replacement singer, but the post-breakup release of the original album with Terry Bickers singing. It's magnificent and while I'd rather they'd carried on forever, it does provide a fitting bookend to their career.

xSkarloey

Sporky said:

Meanwhile Gardens by Levitation - not the Australia-only release with that awful replacement singer, but the post-breakup release of the original album with Terry Bickers singing. It's magnificent and while I'd rather they'd carried on forever, it does provide a fitting bookend to their career.

Blimey! Levitation!!! Not a name I've heard for a while.

I never got past the Copelia EP, although for a while it was all I listened to. I'll see if I can unearth them on YT or Spotify.

Sporky

Spotify has Need For Not (the first "proper" album - there was a compilation of singles and live stuff before that) and the good version of Meanwhile Gardens. Both excellent.

xSkarloey

@Sporky Cheers mate. I shall be wallowing in neo-psychedelic nostalgia soon...

DarnWeight

Fugazi - The Argument

BloodEagle

Last great albums -

Weezer - Green
Morbid Angel - Covenant
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Jesus Lizard - Liar
Faith No More- Introduce Yourself
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
ACDC - Highway to Hell

mudslide73

Strangeways here we come - The Smiths

Voice of the Heart - The Carpenters

Mystery Girl - Roy Orbison

Ooh La La - The Faces

RocknRollDave

+1 for Strangeways Here We Come
+1 for Abbey Road

Does The Holy Bible count, as it is the last album from the 4 piece version of the Manics...?


The Jam - The Gift
Stone Roses - Second Coming
Marion - The Programme
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The.....

bigjon

Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step

thecolourbox

Jeff Buckley - Grace in the spirit of quoting Abbey Road (quite correctly!) as the Beatles' last

I always though Bridge over Troubled Water was a brilliant swansong for Simon and Garfunkel which led on nicely to what they (well, Paul anyway) did afterwards.

Annnnd I'll do my cliched usual alusion to White Stripes - whilst technically there was an EP released after it, as their last album proper I always think Icky Thump gets a harsh rap. Yes the production isn't great (very overly clippy) but the songs for me are much more akin to their earlier albums but expanded - kind of how like Let It Be was meant to be a return to basics but then got powered up. It's obviously not on a level with Let It Be, but a good solid album nonetheless

richardhomer

bigjon;1045779" said:

Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step

Actually that's a great example - as is Abbey Road.

Tough thinking of others.

The Endless Drivel by Pink Floyd definitely doesn't count....

axisus

BloodEagle said:

ACDC - Highway to Hell

What a killer album! 

stimpsonslostson

Reuben- In Nothing We Trust.

guitarfishbay

Elliott Smith - From a basement on the hill.

Technically he didn't fully finish it, and there has been unreleased material released afterwards. But there are some excellent songs on that album.

Neil

Pink Moon - Nick Drake.

In fact, his last album.

DarnWeight

Big Black - Songs About F**king

They recorded it in the full knowledge that it was going to be their swan song.  As it says in the liner notes, "Breaking up is an idea that has occurred to far too few groups".  I couldn't agree more.

guitarfishbay

Neil;1045963" said:

Pink Moon - Nick Drake.



In fact, his last album.

My favourite of his.

Moss

Closer

xSkarloey

Is anyone going to suggest In Through the Out Door? Please do. I haven't had my daily rant about 'Hot Dog' yet.