What Came Next...

Episode 54: Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town

Born to Run made Bruce Springsteen a star, but he had a major problem with manager and producer Mike Appel.  Appel wanted to control how Springsteen's career went while the Boss thought he should definitely be the boss.  It came to legal blows, delaying the recording and release of a new album for three years.  When Darkness on the Edge of Town was released in 1978 it had a darker tone than its predecessors and a more focused lyrical style.  At first a critical and commercial disappointment, it is now considered one of his best albums. 

Episode 53: Thompson Twins - Here's to Future Days

Thompson Twins combined intelligent lyrics, sparking synth-pop and a unique visual image to spawn an international hit with their 1983 album Into the Gap.  For the follow-up they didn't change the formula much, but producer Alex Sadkin was out and, eventually, former Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers was in.  Several factors delayed production of the album but, in the end, it was still a moderate success, although nowhere near as good as the two that came before it. 

Episode 52: Foreigner - Agent Provocateur

Foreigner was immediately popular from the start, with their 1977 album being a major hit.  Things just got better until 1981's 4, which spawned a number of hit singles and hand multi-Platinum success.  When Agent Provocateur was released in late 1984 it produced a number one hit with "I Want to Know What Love Is", but failed to reach the heights of its predecessor. 

Episode 51: U2 - Zooropa

Achtung Baby was an even bigger hit for U2 than The Joshua Tree. With a change of sound they increased their worldwide fandom yet continued to make challenging music. During a lull in their tour they decided to make a quick EP of new material, but that soon expanded into 1992's Zooropa. While still a hit with fans and critics it would signal a turnaround in the fortunes for the Irish band.

Episode 50: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

It took a while for Pink Floyd to regain their focus but, when they did, it eventually resulted in the 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon.  One of the most popular and well-known albums in the world, it shot the band to a level of stardom they previously failed to achieve.  After a long tour, a long recording session and Roger Waters coming more to the forefront of the band, Wish You Were Here was released in 1975.  Partially a tribute to Syd Barrett, partially a warning about the music industry, it gives their previous album quite a challenge for the best in the group's catalog. 

Episode 49: Genesis - We Can't Dance

The three-piece version of Genesis became increasingly popular from 1978 onward, with 1986's Invisible Touch being their biggest yet.  Phil Collins managed a successful solo career starting in 1981 and was popular enough that Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks expected him to leave.  However, he came back for one more album, We Can't Dance, in 1991.  It again spawned a number of hits, but also was their longest since The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. 

Episode 48: Deep Purple - The House of Blue Light

After nearly a decade apart the Mark II version of Deep Purple reformed and made a successful comeback album with Perfect Strangers.  It wasn't long before the same tensions that led to lineup changes previously resurfaced and, between a long tour behind the album and slow-going coming up with new ideas, it was three years before The House of Blue Light was released.  The album was a blatant attempt to sound like the bands they had influenced.  

Episode 47: Aerosmith - Get a Grip

After leaving for two albums Joe Perry returned to Aerosmith for 1985's Done with Mirrors, which also saw the band moving to Geffen Records.  The band was clean and sober, but the album didn't click with the public.  In order to change that Bruce Fairbairn, the producer behind Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, was brought in, as well as an army of writers to make Permanent Vacation in 1987.  The pattern was repeated with Pump in 1989, which solidified the band's comeback, and on Get a Grip from 1991.  The latter became the band's bestselling album, but was filled with even busier production, more guests and more outside writers.  For better or worse it solidified the direction Aerosmith would take for the rest of their career. 

Episode 46: The B-52's - Good Stuff

The B-52's suffered a major tragedy with the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson and, though they managed to get 1986's Bouncing Off the Satellites put together and released, it appeared that may be their final album.  In 1989, however, they came back in a big way with Cosmic Thing and the hit "Love Shack".  Cindy Wilson left to focus on her family in 1990 and, tired, with one member down and under pressure to replicate the success of "Love Shack", the B-52's went into the studio and recorded 1991's Good Stuff. 

Episode 45: The Residents - Animal Lover

Molly Harvey became both a recognizable voice for the Residents beginning with 1999's Wormwood and the ensuing tour, singing lead on many songs from 2002's Demons Dance Alone.  Her influence and vocals are still heavily felt on her last album with the band, Animal Lover, from 2005, which is often considered one of the best of the latter-day Residents recordings.