Have any reformed bands made a really great album?

[darkandrew]

You know how it is - you make a torturous album that turns out to be an amazing masterpiece but the self destructive process of creating it inevitably leads to the band breaking up soon after its release. A decade or so later the band decide they have unfinished business, get back together and release the best album of their career (or not). You see, I've been trying to think if there are any comeback albums by reformed bands that rival their back catalogue but I just can't think of any. Can you?

[Graham]

The new Faith No More record Sol Invictus is great and their first since getting back together.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1457875183' post='3002536']
The new Faith No More record Sol Invictus is great and their first since getting back together.
[/quote]

That was my first thought.
Also, Van Der Graaf Generator split in the 70s, re-formed a couple of years later and recorded Godbluff and Still Life, masterpieces both.

[dannybuoy]

Black Sabbath - 13

[chris_b]

Little Feat - Let It Roll

[Wooks79]

The new Refused album is good. Different for them, but good!

Edited March 13, 2016 by Wooks79

[chriswareham]

Killing Joke have - several times!

Skinny Puppy have made several albums since reformong that rank with their best, and more obscurely a band called 1919 reformed after almost thirty years and put out a brilliant album last year.

[GazWills]

Janes Addiction - Strays

Also, the Alice in Chains record from 5 or 6 years ago was pretty good

Edited March 13, 2016 by GazWills

[ahpook]

Makes me wonder if the 'I' that liked the original material would like the new material as well, or has everyone aged and so no direct comparison is possible.

Make me wonder if I think too much as well.

[darkandrew]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1457875183' post='3002536']
The new Faith No More record Sol Invictus is great and their first since getting back together.
[/quote]
Good call, I'd forgotten about that one.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1457878928' post='3002571']
Makes me wonder if the 'I' that liked the original material would like the new material as well
[/quote]

FWIW, the reformed ahpook puts out better posts than the old one.

[ahpook]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1457879800' post='3002580']
FWIW, the reformed ahpook puts out better posts than the old one.
[/quote]



Brilliant, especially as I used to be an alcoholic !

Edited March 13, 2016 by ahpook

[ras52]

King Crimson, at least twice! I'm thinking of Discipline and The Power to Believe.

[Bilbo]

It's an interesting question. I would like to know if any bands have broken up, the parties STUDIED music and then, when they reformed, were better. I suspect not.

Jazz acts rarely reform as the idea is mostly to keep moving forward but there have been a few reunions 'for old times sake'. My favourite is the trio of Sam Rivers, Dave Holland and Barry Altschul. Their 'Reunion' album is superb.

[spongebob]

Only one that I can think of is Dinosaur Jr. - 3 corkers since they got back together.

I could probably add Sleater Kinney to the list.....but I'm ashamed to say I've not heard the new one yet (only been out a year!) but they were great on 'Later', and it got super reviews.

[ras52]

[quote name='Meddle' timestamp='1457883758' post='3002632']
Godbluff by Van Der Graaf Generator is probably a bit better for them having had some time off.
[/quote]

I find myself swimming against the tide here, as I rate both Still Life and World Record above Godbluff! And after another 30 years off, Trisector is also a blinder!

[Luulox]

Can't believe no one as mentioned this one yet, so i will have to step up - take that and beautiful world! A definite improvement on their releases first time round.

[KevB]

When the Deep Purple Mk2 lineup reformed in the 80's and made 'Perfect Strangers', many fans see it as one of their strongest albums.

[leroydiamond]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1457887285' post='3002666']
When the Deep Purple Mk2 lineup reformed in the 80's and made 'Perfect Strangers', many fans see it as one of their strongest albums.
[/quote]
Unreal. I was just going to post these exact words. Great album.

[Cato]

'First You Gotta Shake the Gate' by Funkadelic is a pretty decent set of tunes. Although whether it counts as a reunion album or a George Clinton solo project with a lot of guest musicians who he's just happened to work with in the past I'm not sure.

[4stringslow]

Status Quo have played so many 'final' gigs that they must surely be in with a chance of meeting the criterion of this topic, though I don't know their catalogue well enough to propose an example.

[RockfordStone]

would "brave new world" by iron maiden count?
it wasn't a reformation as such but did mark the return of adrian smith and bruce dickinson and turned out to be a pretty darn good album

[Graham]

The Carcass reunion album - Surgical Steel - is great, just as good as their material from the 80s

[Mister RLP]

Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate. Lovely quote on the sticker on the cd sums it up more eloquently than I could: 'Norton Folgate is Peter Ackroyd writing for The Kinks, it's Sherlock Holmes in Albert Square, it's a Mike Leigh movie of Parklife, it's Passport to Pimlico meets Brick Lane and it's Madness's masterpiece.' THE WORD

Edited March 13, 2016 by Mister RLP

[franzbassist]

I've liked all of Cold Chisel's albums since they reformed.