What Came Next...

Episode 25: Devo - New Traditionalists

Devo scored a top-20 hit with the song "Whip It" in 1980, from their third album, Freedom of Choice.  Unfortunately, it meant that even though the band had worked hard on its concept and identity through music, touring and visuals, it was now known as a novelty act by most people.  They followed it up by upping the synthesizers in their sound, as well as the cynicism, for 1981's New Traditionalists, forging ahead rather than consciously trying to repeat the success of "Whip It". 

Episode 24: Def Leppard - Adrenalize

After dominating late '80s pop and hard rock radio with seven singles from their album Hysteria it took a while for Def Leppard to get a new album out.  During that time guitarist Steve Clark passed away and longtime producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange decided to go on to other projects.  Still, the band carried on briefly as a quartet, using what they could of Clark's work on Adrenalize and still scoring a major hit album even though it was clear the formula was wearing thin. 

Episode 23: Genesis - A Trick of the Tail

Peter Gabriel, the unique and flamboyant lead singer of Genesis, decided to part ways with the band in 1975 after the conclusion of their tour supporting their 1974 album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.  That album had been a major hit and, like the one before it, almost broke them on U.S. radio.  With Gabriel gone the search was on for a new singer, and much of the British press thought the band should just call it quits.  Instead, after a fruitless search, they settled on drummer Phil Collins, who had sung the odd song on some of their previous albums.  A Trick of the Tail was a hit in the UK and, surprisingly, did moderately well in the U.S. as well. 

Episode 22: Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding

After the double album Blonde on Blonde became one of the biggest selling and most lauded of his career Bob Dylan decided, either for health or other reasons, to pull back on his exhaustive touring schedule.  After abortive sessions with the Band, he went to Nashville and, with a small group, recorded an album of country and folk inspired songs that almost harkened back to his acoustic roots. 

Episode 21: Pink Floyd - A Saucerful of Secrets

After releasing one of the most influential albums in history Pink Floyd found itself without its guiding light, Syd Barrett.  With new guitarist David Gilmour the band was tasked with recording a follow-up to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.  In 1968 they released A Saucerful of Secrets which, though it was largely made without Barrett's involvement, so continued in the spirit of what he had started. 

Episode 20: Jethro Tull - A Passion Play

Although it was a parody of progressive rock - Ian Anderson wasn't too happy about Aqualung being lumped in with such - Thick As a Brick reached number one on the Billboard 200 despite the fact the album was one song that took up two sides of the record.  Efforts to do a follow-up at the Château d'Hérouville in rural France proved fruitless, being renamed by Anderson and crew "Château d'Isaster" and the entire album they had planned abandoned.  Returning to the UK they quickly recorded A Passion Play.  What was supposed to be a concept album of mini-suites following a man's journey through the afterlife was released, like Thick As a Brick, as one complete work.  While it again reached the top of the charts it was hated by critics and the band itself, although it has developed a following over the years. 

Episode 19: The Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid

Alan Parsons cut his teeth as an assistant on the Beatles' Abby Road, and by 1973 he was the main engineer for Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon.  Producing was the next step and, in 1975, the Scottish band Pilot had a top five it with the song "Magic".  Parsons joined with songwriter and keyboardist Eric Woolfson and arranger Andrew Powell and, with Pilot and a number of session musicians vocalist, produced Tales of Mystery and Imagination in 1976.  What was originally a one-off collaboration began a full studio band, stripped down for their first hit album I Robot and even further for the third album, Pyramid.  Though pretty much an overlooked album in Parsons's catalogue, it features excellent songwriting by Eric Woolfson and the first vocal performances of bassist David Paton and former Zombies vocalist Colin Blunstone on one of the Project's records. 

Episode 18: Chicago - Chicago III

Chicago's second album, simply titled Chicago but at times retconned to Chicago II, is what really broke the band.  The singles from Chicago Transit Authority didn't exactly light up the charts in 1969, but a year later they were re-released and shared the spotlight with the ones from Chicago.  The band went on a massive tour and then right back into the studio for Chicago III, having to come up with all new material.  In contrast to the hit machine that was Chicago, Chicago III saw the band taking the jazz part of their much more seriously, as well as adding in some funk and R&B.  It was decidedly non-commercial, and would be their last double album for quite awhile. 

Episode 17: Traveling Wilburys - Vol. 3

Traveling Wilburys were a surprise dream come true of a supergroup and their 1988 album, Vol. 1, was one of the best of the decade.  It pretty much brought out the best in every member and put them on the comeback trail.  Unfortunately, Roy Orbison died shortly after its release.  Still, it was successful enough that George Harrison decided to give it another go and get Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Bob Dylan to do a second album.  While still a quality album, Roy Orbison was sorely missed. 

Episode 16: Air Supply - Now and Forever

After becoming one of the biggest pop bands of the early 1980s Air Supply realized the ballads were where it was at.  That meant that the rock and disco songs from the previous albums were no more, but the ballads were enhanced by the orchestral arrangements of keyboard player Frank Esler-Smith, elevating Air Supply's music for a short time above that of their soft-rock counterparts.