Today, quite accidentally, I have two albums with me that were the "comeback" albums from the respective bands' extensive layoffs. And, while one album isn't too great, the other one isn't the least bit embarrassing.

Os Mutantes - Haih... has just gone through one listen for me, and it's a pretty fun listen. The feedback that I've heard from their shows from the past couple of years has been very good.

And, when I saw Big Star in 1994, it was one of the greatest shows that I have ever seen. Period. Although, by all accounts, the album they recorded wasn't so hot. So, I guess "worked" is a relative term here.

Mission of Burma is the poster child for this thread

Worked like made that $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, then probably most of them, but worked as in made good music, almost none.

Although I do have high hopes for the Libertine reunion, even though it's main purpose might have been for more drug money.

The latter. Which is why I am posing the question in this thread. Because you are correct; but there are a few who actually made good music.

good thread. and good call sk though i thought you'd mention smile. i really tried to like that loretta lynn record but could never get into it. i'm hopeful i won't have the same reaction to the new wanda jackson material although the single's pretty weak. i did like the vashti bunyan release from a few years ago.

Wire did well with those first couple of Read & Burn EPs. And they seem to have maintained a decent quality level since then.

Its pretty subjective, but when KISS got back together, put on the make-up, and recorded "Psycho Circus" it was received very well by fans. Made oodles of money on the tour, etc.

I can't think of many where someone really good with a big catalog reformed and put out albums that were as good as they were at their peak but I can't think of a lot of trainwrecks either so I guess it really depends on how tight your standard is.

Joe Bataan's comeback album might be the best thing he's ever put out. I enjoyed the two Os Mutantes' live shows and think "Haih..." is pretty enjoyable. Glad you seem to like it too Todd. I think the Buzzcocks, the Meat Puppets and the New York Dolls haven't embarrassed themselves with any of their post comeback albums and put on pretty good live shows. I don't really have much interest in listening to the albums though. Someone mentioned Wanda Jackson. I didn't realize she ever really left music but I liked that tribute to Elvis album if she did and saw a couple of good live shows by her a couple of years ago. Gang of Four put on a good reunion tour but I didn't pay any attention to their subsequent album re-recoring old material. I didn't really get the point of it. Rodriguez was incredible live and I really enjoyed the opportunity to see Love a bunch of times before Arthur Lee died.

There's a lot of soul artists that could go one way or the other depending on your point of view. I can't think of many comebacks where I think they came close to their creative work at their peak but I guess its a welcome opportunity to be able to see some old greats live. Solomon Burke's recent output has been pretty strong but I'm not sure whether he ever stopped or whether he just came back into vogue.

On the negative side, I heard bad things about the Stooges' live show and albums and I hated that first Wire comeback album although a lot of people liked it. While not embarrassing, I haven't liked the two Dinosaur Jr albums much and I loved J Mascis & the Fog's last album so I would have just as soon he kept working in that vein.

The Go-Betweens.

i didn't care for that Os Mutantes at all.

The Wrens... . Sorry, not really that funny.

Jay-Z was "retired"....

that new fall record is pretty damn good...though they've always been around in some form or another.

I'd say The Flaming Lips...they didn't go away, but I think they were certainly written off before The Soft Bulletin came out.

The reunion tour was very lucrative. The subsequent album, Psycho Circus, is not a popular record with the fans, mainly because it was billed as a reunion album but audibly obvious that Criss and Frehley played very little on the record itself.

Their most recent album is their best effort since at least 1983.

The Friends of Rachel Worth and Bright Yellow Bright Orange were solid albums but not great IMO. Oceans Apart is one of my favorites of the decade---that 3 album run was an impressive return-to-form. And based on Forster's The Evangelist (some of which was co-written with G. McLennan), they had another great album in them.

Too bad.

I think Bright Yellow Bright Orange is a bit better than solid...there's a warmth in those recordings that they never achieved elsewhere. Some of the lyrics are a bit goofy at times, but the whole of the thing just gels...it's the G-B album I listen to most these days.

I guess you could argue for Aerosmith, though I don't see why.

Anybody seen the Stiff Little Fingers of late?

I guess if you consider that their comeback was in 1989 you could call it a success, they've been releasing decent if not spectacular albums ever since. I would peg their post-Hanx peak at '96/'97 when Bruce Foxton was in the linu-up.

Go-Betweens is really the only right answer here for me.

Not only did they come back, they improved with every subsequent release and had McLennan not kicked it, would have been making great albums for years to come.

Forster has said that McLennan was really starting to hit his straps as a songwriter right before he died, and thought his best work was remarkably yet to come. Judging by the quality of songs like No Reason To Cry and Finding You on Oceans Apart, not to mention the sketches he left for Forster to paint from on The Evangelist, I have no reason to disagree.

Maybe the Pixies... They were quite well received upon returning, yet we are all still waiting for them to put out an actual record though, so we'll see.

I'll admit a bit sheepishly that I'm a little curious to see what the newly reformed Soundgarden will do, but I certainly know not to get my hopes up for most likely it'll be a black hole sun of suck.

I'm pretty stoked about Blur reuniting, and have high hopes and expectations for it.

I was introduced to the go betweens from Friends of Rachel Worth...picked up the catalog when I interned at beggars the next year.

the verve's comeback with Urban Hymns worked out pretty well. unfortunately their "second" comeback was pretty weak.