The "magnum opus" is typically said to be OK Computer, their 3rd album, 2 after Pablo. While it was certainly a departure, the band generally said they wanted a total artistic change in direction.
Interesting though is the song "Iron Lung" on The Bends, which is a song about "Creep" where they refer to it as, among other things, a "total waste of time".
But other times, a musician feels that although their earlier work may be new and exciting to you, they are finding other things more engaging today and tire of answering questions about the old work with the same rote, trite answers. Over and over again.
For someone constantly seeking fresh ground to cover, this attitude is an asset.
p.s. In this discussion about comedy, Louis CK talks about a tip he got from George Carlin, namely to throw the old material out after a year and start over again, forcing yourself to find new things to say about the Universe.
In the same discussion, Jerry Seinfeld explains that some of his material is ten years old, and he is still finding ways to sharpen and refine it. There is clearly no one right way about this.
I imagine there are a lot of people in this industry who feel that way about some their creations…
