Ten Disappointing Fifth Albums That Comprise "Sink-O de Mayo"
Neil Young Had A Setback With Record Number Five
Because of the quarantine imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the traditional spring fiesta day was more like "Stinko Dr Mayo." Any gatherings of more than a half dozen people have been frowned upon, so there were few parties taking place on May 5 .
Celebrations instead centered around Mexican food, which could only be acquired via drive thru or carry out. Most states, again because of the virus, have banned all in-restaurant dining.
This particular fifth may have bombed, but it has plenty of company in the area of music. Fifth albums have been notorious flops, even from some great bands.
Here are ten examples of rock groups who seemed to be progressing and developing their sound through four albums, only to hit a snag on their fifth studio releases.
1. Aerosmith
Dream On kicked off their career, which grew even better with Get Your Wings and Toys in the Attic. Album four Rocks proved to be their peak, for the declines began with the next effort, Draw The Line.
2. Squeeze
Sweets from a Stranger was mostly sour, except for "Black Coffee in Bed" and "I've Returned." The quintet had sounded so sharp and clever on East Side Story, so this 12 song effort was a disappointment.
3. Ambrosia
Gorgeous arrangements and delightful experimentation marked the first two records, while the ensuing pair were filled with most of their biggest hits. Unfortunately, Road Island was neither daring nor accessible.
4. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The rocker built on success after success through Damn the Torpedoes and Hard Promises before hitting a mighty dud with Long After Dark.
5. Wilco
With A Ghost Is Born died Jeff Tweedy's creativity, which had fostered such great records such as Summerteeth and Yankee Foxtrot Hotel. The only redeeming tracks on the fifth album are "Theologians" and "The Late Greats."
6. Fountains of Wayne
Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlessinger must have sensed that the collaboration was past its peak on Sky Full of Holes, for the band broke up after a solid twenty year run of making catchy power pop.
7. Billy Joel
Granted, it would have been nearly impossible to top The Stranger, so it was not surprising that 52nd Street paled to its predecessor. Fans, however, certainly expected more than a half-hearted disk with just eight songs, two of which sounded like Neil Diamond throwaways. Not even "Stiletto" and "Zanzibar" could save this forgettable fifth record, but the Piano Man did bounce back a year later with Glass Houses.
8. John Lennon
Neither structure in the title could hold up the mish-mesh of clunkers called Walls and Bridges, even though it spawned Lennon's only number one hit "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." As for me I would prefer spending the evening with predecessors like Imagine and Mind Games.
9. Oasis
Heathen Chemistry's title sounds like a bad lab experiment, and that description also applies to the songs therein. The Gallagher brothers had gone down a little after Be Here Now, but their fifth effort is almost embarrassing to their discography.
10. Neil Young
Constantly improving on his solo career after the demise of Buffalo Springfield, Young had become super on Harvest and After the Gold Rush. He hit low tide On the Beach, a seven song disc of which a fourth is filled with the interminable "Ambulance Blues."
