So I recently downloaded the Hold Steady's latest album Stay Positive. And, while there are several songs I like a lot, I found the whole thing a bit disappointing.

But I realized I'm being a bit unfair. I mean, it's a pretty good album, and "Slapped Actress" is about as good a song as you're likely to hear all year. The only problem, really, is that The Hold Steady set the bar too high with Boys and Girls in America.

Boys and Girls in America is a masterpiece, one of those albums that defines an artist's career, that joins the Best Albums Ever canon. So, while I went into Stay Positive with really high expectations, I realized they weren't really fair.

Because, as far as I know, only two artists have ever produced two masterpieces in a row.

Prince, whose 79-88 winning streak is unmatched by almost anybody (This is a guy with such a surplus of good material that he released both "Erotic City" and "She's Always in my Hair" as B sides!), still had a break between masterpiece albums. Dirty Mind in '79, Purple Rain in '84, and Sign O' The Times in '87. There were amazing singles in between, but no masterpiece albums.

I must confess I'm not that familiar with all the Stones' albums, but I do know that their masterpiece, Exile on Main Street, was followed by Goat's Head Soup. (underrated and good, but not a masterpiece.)

X's masterpiece, Under the Big Black Sun, is followed by good-not-great More Fun in the New World.

Husker Du's Masterpiece, Zen Arcade, is followed by New Day Rising, which has only 2 listenable songs on side 2.

The Replacements' masterpiece, Let it Be (some contend that the presence of "Gary's Got a Boner" and "Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out" disqualifies this record from masterpiece status, an opinion I respect but don't share) leads to the lackluster Tim.

The Clash follow London Calling, the best album ever, with Sandinista!, which, even if you cut out the two thirds that suck, would still not be as good.

This leaves only the Beatles, who followed Rubber Soul with Revolver (and then disappointed with the overblown Sgt. Peppers, the most overrated album of all time.), and the Ramones, who followed Rocket to Russia with Road to Ruin.

So if the Hold Steady's new album is merely very good instead of a decade-defining masterpiece, well, I guess they're in good company.

(And I know there must be other artists who released 2 masterpieces in a row. Does Sticky Fingers qualify? Who am I missing?)