Broken Base: The divide started when the band released Ocean Beach. Some heralded the lighter folk rock oriented album as a step forward , while others preferred the darker more reverb drenched sound of the first three albums. This split only got worse when Songs For A Blue Guitar and Old Ramon were released. And that's not even accounting for the Red House Painters vs Sun Kil Moon dichotomy.
Non Sequitur Scene- The opening track to Ocean Beach. It's so out-of-style for the band that many fans thought the song was a joke. Luckily, the rest of the album sounds different. Listen for yourself.
Magnum Opus- Rollercoaster and Ocean Beach. Sometimes even Songs For Blue Guitar is given this nod as well.
Some people believe that their debut album Down Colorful Hill" qualifies as this
Vindicated by History: Though always loved by the critics, the band was never known for being commercially successful. It wasn't until the 2000s that their fanbase really started to grow and people started recognizing them as one of the greatest bands of the 90s.