Amazing bands that turned amzingly shit...
 

The first that comes to mind is SPK. Jesus, they were incredible! The first three eps and "Information Overload Unit" are some of the best dada freeform electronics noise ever created, and with beats to boot! People called them industrial or post punk because there really wasn't any better term to describe them with. But SPK were the original in the lineage of bands that includes Runzilstern and Gurgelstock, Nautical Almanac, Rubber O Cement, Crank Sturgeon, and others. But damn, they then became a motherfuckind disco band? Not even a decent disco band with a couple catchy hits, but just iredeemable trash. Aklnos tarnishshes the SPK name.

that's right, i went there

Throbbing Gristle. I think they're just embarrassing themselves now.

hahahha.

right on man.

I find the early industrial work kind of boring in hindsight. I still have
Zamia Lehmanni: Songs of Byzantine FlowersLP 1986 which has amore Cocteau Twins favor and is closer to his contemporary work as Graeme now does studio film soundtracks. I go to see action movies and then get surprised to see Graeme listed. I don't see SPK in the same lineage as you do, they were on Industrial records which puts them in the TG/Cab Voltaire world. They were a late 70's band! Those other bands are followers, 3rd generation.

You just can't have enough dada freeform electronics noise in your life.

xiu xiu.... from knife play to women as lovers.......

Dinosaur Jr.

Yeah, Industrial was just a term used to describe late 70s/early80s electronic music that couldn't be playe in a club. The bands were drastically different. I'm actually glad TG is still touring, as long as its touring and releasing unreleased material and not recrding new full lengths I'm cool with it. But, they don't compare to the level of lameness that SPK acheived.

Unfortunately, there's this hunk of shit:

Butthole Surfers

the endless not sucked but they have a new tour disc that's pretty good.

i wouldn't say cat power is amazingly shitty now, but she's definitely taken a turn for the worse (musically) once she sobered up and quit being so loopy.

C'mon, Chan.
We want our lush back.

I think with a lot of 'alternative' bands, once they've lost it, they've lost it. Anyone who's heard Johnny Cash 76-90 knows how drastic the turnaround can be. That goes for Dolly 86-97 as well. All about country, I tells 'ee.

Strict.

This happens alot in hip-hop/rap. Almost everyone eventually turns to shit and becomes a parody of their former selves.

Yeah, right.

aw hells naw son, you take that back.

radiohead.

I thought they were really onto something with kid a. In Rainbows was one of the worst albums of all time though.

I've always liked her stuff.
When do you think she 'lost it', like album-wise.