1. Fleetwood Mac: Rumors -- Following the critical and commercial success of their self-titled 10th album, the band went in to record album #11 fully confident of success. A year later the band was still trying to record the album, while the band's personal lives turned into a soap opera starring each other -- keyboardist divorces bass player and takes up with Beach Boy, vocalist/resident mystic breaks up with guitarist, drummer gets divorced and takes up with mystic. And of course there was this equation: California + 1970s + rock band = lots of cocaine. It should be noted, however, that whereas most #11 albums turned out to be artistic failures, Rumors is almost universally regarded as a masterpiece and the summit of Fleetwood Mac's long career, which is why the gods continued to harass them during the recording of album #12.

Why were the gods angry? -- In 1975 Fleetwood Mac made several personnel changes that distinctly changed the sound of the band, such that the earlier version and the new version sounded like two different bands. In situations like these the gods require a name change, ala Joy Division into New Order. Fleetwood Mac's insistence on retaining their original name led to all that misery, and months of remixing.

2.The Fall: I Am Kurious Oranj -- By the time of recording I Am Kurious Oranj, the Fall had already recorded 10 albums in 8 years and gone through approximately 14 different line-ups. The only constant was leader Mark. E. Smith, who decided that the band's #11 album would be the soundtrack of a ballet based on the life of the 17th century English king, William of Orange (again, sometimes this stuff just writes itself). The album turned out to be the last for lead guitarist and occasional vocalist Brix Smith, who departed the band and divorced the band's leader soon after. When the gods can break up a band and a marriage at the same time, they go for it. Mark E. Smith has continued the Fall to this day in spite of these setbacks, and even had his ex-wife back in the band for a spell.

Why were the gods angry? -- At first it appeared that the gods were going to give the Fall a pass on album #11. Then Mark E. Smith decided he was going to co-author a song with the poet William Blake (see track #3, "Dog Is Life/Jerusalem" by William Blake/Mark E. Smith). The problem here was that at the time of the song's composition William Blake had been dead some 200 years, and though during his lifetime he claimed he could talk to spirits, it remained unclear whether as a spirit he could talk to Mark E. Smith. Regardless, the gods were not amused.

3. Ramones: Brain Drain -- According to Dee Dee Ramone, the recording of the Ramones #11 album, Brain Drain, was marred by drug problems, girlfriend problems and internal fighting. The once-happy band had deteriorated to squabbling, and Dee Dee decided he didn't want to be a Ramone anymore. The album wasn't any fun either.

Why were the gods angry? -- As you recall, the gods had no qualms with the Kinks and felt similarly towards the Ramones. In fact, the gods are said to be major Ramones fans, one of them even going so far as to change his name in honor of the band (Hermes Ramone). Perhaps the gods were saying that a band with the Ramones style and image should by definition never record 11 albums? Or perhaps they stood by and watched helplessly like the rest of us as the band floundered?

4. R.E.M.: Up -- It appeared that the gods had already done everything they could to prevent R.E.M. from even recording a 10th album by forcing three of the four members into major surgery during their mid-90s Monster tour. The band persisted in recording album #10 mostly on the road, then went back into the studio to record album #11, which they eventually titled Up. During the recording drummer Bill Berry decided he'd had enough, and took his steady beats and memorable tunes with him.

Why were the gods angry? -- Where to begin? Ten albums and not a single picture of the band on any of the covers, an album that came with two titles (Fables of the Reconstruction and Reconstruction of the Fables), a song without a title on Green...these guys were taunting the gods with their irreverence toward the album format. And they paid for it.

5. Sonic Youth: NYC Ghosts and Flowers -- The band had recorded 10 official studio albums when it had all its guitars stolen while on tour. [Ed.: See Sonic Loot List.] While for most bands this would mean nothing more than a trip to the guitar store, for Sonic Youth it meant a crisis of confidence. The band's resulting 11th album, NYC Ghosts and Flowers, was largely ignored by critics (and of course the public, though this was always true re: Sonic Youth albums). It should be noted though, that based on our year-end lists the album is highly regarded at DAA, and would often be heard playing in our editorial office, if we had one.