The Beatles
The Smiths
Bob Marley
Nirvana
The National

lots and lots more.

nirvana

The National
Of Montreal
Hold Steady
Johnny Cash got good again near the end after years of gash...

their first like 4 albums were rubbish!

if so, i'd say coldplay, and blur.

Slanted & Enchanted just isn't as good as people make out.

Interpol.

Would be the obvious.

Though actually I am quite partial to their early stuff as well...

the smiths
!!!
of montreal
radiohead to a certain extent.

I like Computer World most. .

I imagine most people prefer Scott Walker's later records.

MBV. .Although I like some of their C86 era stuff. .

I can't believe Jamie_Bummers is the only person to have said that so far. I think Of Montreal's new one is their most consistent, but I really like some of their older stuff as well, I just can't stomach entire albums of it, so I'm not sure that counts. If I liked Radiohead, I'd probably say Radiohead, but I don't. Ooh, Heatmiser. That's a good one. Their first 2 albums are barely worth listening to, but their last is ace-o. Okay, I just opened my "My Music folder" for inspiration. Hmm. Nope, that's it.

Some Girls

Radiohead.
Fugazi.
At The Drive-In.
Modest Mouse.
Bright Eyes...ish.

Oneida - bit too much classic rock posturing at first but came up good with Anthem of the Moon.

Mclusky - Just got better and better and better and better and... see their last b-sides for proof.

"From a Basement on a Hill" is my favourite album.

As a general rule I prefer Nick Cave's albums from Henry's Dream onwards although there's some of my favourite songs before that.

I prefer REM's mid-late period stuff - not the last album but Green though to the mid-90s.

hidden cameras
elliot smith
my morning jacket
black rebel motorcycle club

Obviously not Silver Sun.

Huh, thinking about my top 5 of 2007, four of them fit the description. I never cared much for either Low, Mice Parade, the Magik Markers and Asobi Seksu. But I certainly do now.

forget the early stuff. the ropey recording i made on my mobile phone from the first practice session - you know, the one before they had songs and were mainly tuning up – is without a doubt their best work.

If only i'd recorded the conversation in the pub when they decided to form a band in the first place...

Brand New
Radiohead
Death Cab For Cutie (as in transatlantism)
My Bloody Valentine
Refused
Nirvana
Regina Spektor
At the Drive-in
AFI (Although Decemberunderground went a bit average)
Primal Scream (again, except the last album)

Fuzzy Logic was good.

Rings Around The World was awesome.
They were always pretty fucking special though.

Most obvious answer.

at how many people have read the question wrong. its only 2 lines!

most bands do produce their best stuff early on (also heavily related to the fact that lots of bands don't get beyond 2 or 3 albums).

Anyway,
ATDI
Pulp
Fugazi (sort of, basically I prefer the Argument to first album but one of the only bands ever who continue to be great for a whole long career).

The National
Casiotoneftpa

+lots of others. but i have to go!

Shit first album.

Quite alot of bands get better. Quite a few get worse. Even more have ups and downs.

But its all subjective. Innit.

Brand New
The Cinematic Orchestra
Camera Obscura

Hmm, that's all I can think of right now.

Byrds (to a certain extent)
Gram Parsonz
No-one else really. Everyone goes crap.

low
sleater-kinney
brand new

however; modest mouse- no!

Envy
Mineral
Bright Eyes (haha)
Graham Coxon.

I shivered and died a little inside.

i reckon almost any band. it's were they had the most time working on songs and their approach wasn't too slick - usually. Also the preassure to churn out an album that must sell equally and better than the first to keep the contract isn't necessarily a great way to let that creativity flow.