Bands/artists whose major label work you like better than the indie stuff

Not that I necessary dislike the indie stuff, mind you...

Built To Spill
My Morning Jacket
Screaming Trees
Sonic Youth (just cuz Goo and Washing Machine are my faves)

I think Jawbox is one of the archetypal examples of a group whose major label stuff was its best. Just listened to "For Your Own Special Sweetheart" this morning, in fact, and it's still great.

Yep, Goo's one of my faves, too.

Camper Van Beethoven's "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" - they made great use of the big budget; songs like "She Divines Water" really benefited from the full-on psychedelic pstudio psound. (Psorry, I'll pstop now.)

I agree wholeheartedly with Built to Spill, MMJ and the Trees (even though I think their indie stuff is fab, too.) My favorite Sonic Youth record - indeed, the only one I still own - is Daydream Nation, which was originally on an indie label, so that leaves them out for me.

I expect to get thoroughly villified here for saying this, but I've always loved Husker Du's Warner Bros. records the best, especially Warehouse. I think they're the rare case of a band that actually got better every record. (Let the flaming begin!)

I also think Soul Asylum's A&M records are better than their Twin/Tone albums, but I think that has less to do with major label bucks and more to do with A&M signing them just as they were really coming into their own.

I don't know if this counts, since the band's career is nothing if not inconsistent, but my favorite Dinosaur Jr. album is Where You Been, their second Warner Bros. album. But none of their other WB stuff is as good as their indie stuff.

Agree with Toland re. Soul Asylum and especially Hüsker Dü. That was definitely a band that improved with every record. And I thought (and still do) that the fans who vilified the Hüskers for signing to WB just didn't consider the ensuing albums on their own terms. Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse both include plenty of top-notch songs. And considering how thick and pressurized the the Hüskers' music always sounded, both records made very good use of the bigger studio budgets.

That said, Flip Your Wig remains my favorite Hüsker Dü album.

Bah! You're all encouraging bad behaviour! Bands that leave indie labels for majors are SELLOUTS! Nothing but filthy, stinking SELLOUTS!

Cripes, I'm in a weird mood today.

you're not alone. this often happens as we travel @ 33 and a third speed.

round and round we go.

finally achieving dizzyness!

I like Candy Apple Grey and Goo as well, but I can't honestly say I'd take them over Evol, Daydream Nation, "Death Valley '69", Flip Your Wig, or Zen Arcade (inconsistent to be sure, but considering it has "Chartered Trips", "Pink Turns to Blue", "Turn on the News", "Whatever", etc....).

And Warehouse is the only Husker Du record I've ever purged from my collection.

here is a former indy band who i liked the indy stuff and than liked better the major label first two albums and than went downhill- the goo goos dolls.

first major label album superstar car wash was great
the first few ones on metal blade were good /

im not sure on the record labels of social d but judging from the sound of the records i would think they improved when they went with a major label but i think its just more of a expansion of sound for many punk bands that evolved into something else more

definitely agree with your opinions on soul asylum n husker.

personally i like when a punk or harder edged group goes a little more poppy or countryish ala social d . replacements/soul asylum

Poster Children are an interesting example here. I think the albums they recorded for Sire were the best ones, but to me, they've been consistently good after they went back to indiedom too.