What Came Next...

Episode 15: The Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord

The Moody Blues may have been an afterthought of the 1960s, a one-hit wonder in most countries with their version of the R&B song "Go Now".  However, in 1967, they were asked to appear on a stereo demonstration record for their label, Deram.  That album, Days of Future Passed, became a major hit and revitalized their career.  However, needing to sustain their success and without a symphony orchestra in tow, the Moody Blues released In Search of the Lost Chord, with the members playing all the instruments and Michael Pinder's use of the Mellotron making up for the absence of an orchestra.  It was successful, but helped set up the pattern for their future releases. 

Episode 14: Deep Purple - Who Do We Think We Are

Machine Head was the culmination of everything Deep Purple had worked for since reinventing themselves on Deep Purple in Rock.  The 1972 album spawned a hit single in "Smoke on the Water" and became a heavy metal classic.  At the time the band were on par with Led Zeppelin in terms of popularity.  However, a worldwide tour, followed by label and management pressure to immediately return to the studio to make a follow-up to Machine Head, resulted in an album that sounds tired and increased tensions within the band.  After an abortive tour this version of Deep Purple would not work together again until 1984. 

Episode 13: Electric Light Orchestra - Face the Music

After is work with conductor and orchestral arranger was a success on Eldorado, Jeff Lynne decided to build on his hit single "Can't Get It Out of My Head", but simplify the music.  The result was Face the Music, maintaining some nods to progressive rock, but going in a decidedly more pop direction.  It was the beginning of a formula that would spell success for ELO. 

Episode 12: Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger

Afte the success of Rio the pressure was on to keep Duran Duran a hitmaking machine.  Despite going to exotic locations to film videos, wearing the latest fashions and being featured on the cover of a number of magazines, the sudden fame was weighing on the band, and their fortunes were in danger of being seized by the British government.  In tax exile they began working on what was originally a concept album, but soon became Seven and the Ragged Tiger.  It would spawn their first number one hit in the U.S., but it would be the last the classic version of the band would record for over two decades. 

Episode 11: Metallica - Load

Five years after their album Metallica made them the biggest heavy metal band in the world, Metallica returned with a new album, Load.  Though the lyrical content was more personal and still quite dark, the appearance was of a lighter, more mainstream Metallica, with short hair and eyeliner.  While the album still sold well it was obvious the old Metallica was gone. 

Episode 10: The Residents - Commercial Album

After giving up on their reel-to-reel video movie Vileness Fats and spending a good portion of the 1970s working on the album Eskimo, the Residents had found some critical and cult acclaim.  During that time they had released a 7-inch EP called Duck Stab! and, as they were working on Eskimo, came up with a similar EP called Buster and Glen.  Rather than release it on its own, it was combined with Duck Stab!, and the resulting collection of songs remains one of their most popular releases to date.  Expanding on that, in 1980, instead of another huge concept album, the Residents released Commercial Album, which consisted of 40 one-minute songs.  The result was some of the most memorable music of their career. 

Episode 9: Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Goes to Hell

After Welcome to My Nightmare, and especially a hit single with "Only Women Bleed", Alice Cooper as a solo artist was continuing the same success as he had with the band called Alice Cooper.  The problem was that success was catching up with him in the form of alcoholism, sapping both his health and his creativity.  Still, guitarist Dick Wagner and producer and keyboard player Bob Ezrin managed to keep Alice going through the end of the '70s.  A second ballad, "I Never Cry", kept him on the charts, even if his second solo album was a warning of things to come. 

Episode 8: Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters

While Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was definitely the album that solidified Dead Kennedys' spot in hardcore punk, I have always felt their sophomore effort, Plastic Surgery Disasters, was the stronger of the two albums.  It sees them start to move away from the conventions of punk music while remaining true to the spirit, both in the aggressiveness of the music and in their politics.  

What Came Next...: Episode 7 - The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

After the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles released a series of singles with a related sound to the album throughout 1967, without releasing any songs from the album as actual singles.  Toward the end of the year they planned a double-disc E.P. release of newly recorded soundtrack music for a one-hour BBC Boxing Day special, Magical Mystery Tour.  While the film itself was one of the first major stumbles the band did, most of the music on the E.P. reflected further expansion on the sound of Sgt. Pepper.  In the United States, however, the singles were combined with the EP to make a new Beatles album. 

Episode 6: Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

Yes had achieved chart success in the U.S. beginning with their third LP, The Yes Album.  Original keyboard player Tony Kaye would be let go after that album, with former Strawbs keyboard player Rick Wakeman joining in mid-1971.  Both the albums Fragile and Close to the Edge would be considered both fan and critical favorites, with a successful tour a triple-album live album and concert film in Yessongs.  However, during that tour drummer Bill Bruford left for King Crimson and was replaced by Alan White, and Jon Anderson and Steve Howe began working on new music that would become one of the band's most controversial albums - Tales from Topographic Oceans.