Not keen on an awful lot pre-TMC, personally.
The Madding Crowd would be my benchmark for audible solidity. To my ear, it's when they found 'their sound' as a collaborative band, and as individuals... and splendid it all is too.
The writing was always there, but everything else seemed to fall into place audibly at the TMC crossroads for me. Despite whatever relations they might have with the big 'S' now, I'm not going to try and deny that their brush with the bigtime didn't do wonders for everything they've done since.
Whether it's conscious or not, I think the people they got to work with during their time under Sony did a lot more for ND than simply to release their record.
It added clarity, and the realisation to each and every member of the band that they really were, good enough. I don't think either John or Brian would still be persuing solo ventures if they weren't riding with the knowledge that they have what it takes.
That's my perspective on 'the old' anyway. Take or leave it.
I'll stop rambling now... and go do some work.
Post Edited (09-21-05 15:56)