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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 13:47:53 GMT
Back on the topic, I can't help but keep thinking about Sheriff John Stone's comment about how many bands had three great albums in a row, but not four. I keep looking at catalogs of bands and musicians I like, and finding that same thing over and over. Example, Bob Dylan. (I know a lot of us like him quite a bit.) He's a legend, he has got plenty of classic albums--surely he had a 4-album stretch of pure greatness, right? I'm sure some people would say yes but for me he never really did. It stopped at three. Very few rock fans who like or even appreciate Dylan would argue that Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde all qualify as great. But is there a fourth in there? It would have to be either Another Side of Bob Dylan or John Wesley Harding. Both are very well regarded. Allmusic.com rates both a perfect 5 stars. They went gold and platinum, respectively, in the US. But to me, they're both at least one full rung below the trio I mentioned, if not more. I'd lean toward going Bringing It... to John Wesley Harding as Bob's best stretch of four albums, but I'm not sure I really think that fourth is great.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 13:50:24 GMT
It seems like Led Zeppelin is a good choice. I'm not a Zeppelin diehard. Are Led Zeppelin II and III considered "great" pretty much universally? Among Zeppelin and that kind of harder rock fans, I think so, yes. Allmusic.com--which I find to be a pretty good barometer of general opinion--actually has all of their albums up through Physical Graffiti as a perfect 5 stars. I'd say III in particular is universally acknowledged; there are more questions about the first two albums. Personally I do think II is right up there, as well (though I find I lower on the scale).
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Post by kds on Apr 25, 2024 13:56:38 GMT
It seems like Led Zeppelin is a good choice. I'm not a Zeppelin diehard. Are Led Zeppelin II and III considered "great" pretty much universally? Among Zeppelin and that kind of harder rock fans, I think so, yes. Allmusic.com--which I find to be a pretty good barometer of general opinion--actually has all of their albums up through Physical Graffiti as a perfect 5 stars. I'd say III in particular is universally acknowledged; there are more questions about the first two albums. Personally I do think II is right up there, as well (though I find I lower on the scale). LZIII is actually my favorite album of theirs. Funny thing about that album, for a band that's often credited as a pioneer of heavy rock, that album is relatively laid back.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 13:59:00 GMT
My choice is another group I grew up with - KISS. How about these four:
1. KISS 2. Hotter Than Hell 3. Dressed To Kill 4. Destroyer
Most of KISS's compilations have several songs from those four albums, as did their setlists through the years. For me, I would do the following for Kiss: Dressed to KillDestroyerRock and Roll OverLove GunBut that said, just like with Dylan and many others, I'm not sure I'd actually give them any 4-album stretch as "great." I think Destroyer through Love Gun qualify, and are their absolute best run of albums. But then it's between Dressed to Kill and Dynasty for a fourth, and I'd go DtK. But if those other three are great for their genre, I don't think that fourth one is: I think it's solid. If I could stray from strict original band studio albums and cheat a little, though, I'd imagine that Ace Frehley's solo album came out just a second before the other three, and then I'd go Destroyer through Ace Frehley! Or for a bigger stretch both in terms of the rules of the exercise and the strangeness of this opinion, I'd also be happy to add Alive II, because I think it's better than Alive and I really like the five studio songs that many people don't!
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Post by kds on Apr 25, 2024 14:00:40 GMT
Back on the topic, I can't help but keep thinking about Sheriff John Stone 's comment about how many bands had three great albums in a row, but not four. I keep looking at catalogs of bands and musicians I like, and finding that same thing over and over. Example, Bob Dylan. (I know a lot of us like him quite a bit.) He's a legend, he has got plenty of classic albums--surely he had a 4-album stretch of pure greatness, right? I'm sure some people would say yes but for me he never really did. It stopped at three. Very few rock fans who like or even appreciate Dylan would argue that Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde all qualify as great. But is there a fourth in there? It would have to be either Another Side of Bob Dylan or John Wesley Harding. Both are very well regarded. Allmusic.com rates both a perfect 5 stars. They went gold and platinum, respectively, in the US. But to me, they're both at least one full rung below the trio I mentioned, if not more. I'd lean toward going Bringing It... to John Wesley Harding as Bob's best stretch of four albums, but I'm not sure I really think that fourth is great. I was running into that too. The Doors's first three albums are great, then there's The Soft Parade. Not a bad album per se, but not great. Ghost is a more recent band that I think came out of the gate with three stellar albums, then the fourth - Prequelle - while still good, even up to the same standards. Def Leppard had those first three Mutt Lange albums - High N Dry, Pyromania, and Hysteria. But, I've always seen Adrenalize as a bit of a step down from Hysteria. I was even considering The Beach Boys post Pet Sounds and their run from Wild Honey - Holland. While I enjoy all of those albums, I'd struggle to put four of them consecutively and call it one of the great four album runs of all time.
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Post by carllove on Apr 25, 2024 14:55:22 GMT
Other than The Beatles and The Boys - These are two of my favorite album runs:
The Rolling Stones ( I Love me some early Stones)
1. December's Children (And Everybody's) - 1965 2. Aftermath - 1966 3. Between The Buttons - 1967 4. Their Satanic Majesties Request - 1967
King Crimson
1. Lark's Tongue in Aspic - 1973 2. Starless and Bible Black - 1974 3. Red - 1974 4. Discipline - 1981
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 15:03:04 GMT
The Rolling Stones ( I Love me some early Stones) 1. December's Children (And Everybody's) - 1965 2. Aftermath - 1966 3. Between The Buttons - 1967 4. Their Satanic Majesties Request - 1967 My Stones picks are the same as the original article in UCR had it: Beggars BanquetLet It BleedSticky FingersExile on Main StreetI also really like the three-album stretch that you have as #1-3, but I am not as high on Satanic Majesties. I wouldn't go too far and call it bad or anything, but to me it's well below the three before it AND the four after it. Actually, that 8-album stretch is pretty phenomenal overall. Not many bands would have something similar across eight consecutive albums. The Beatles, arguably Zeppelin, maybe. Queen.
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Post by carllove on Apr 25, 2024 16:00:36 GMT
The Rolling Stones ( I Love me some early Stones) 1. December's Children (And Everybody's) - 1965 2. Aftermath - 1966 3. Between The Buttons - 1967 4. Their Satanic Majesties Request - 1967 My Stones picks are the same as the original article in UCR had it: Beggars BanquetLet It BleedSticky FingersExile on Main StreetI also really like the three-album stretch that you have as #1-3, but I am not as high on Satanic Majesties. I wouldn't go too far and call it bad or anything, but to me it's well below the three before it AND the four after it. Actually, that 8-album stretch is pretty phenomenal overall. Not many bands would have something similar across eight consecutive albums. The Beatles, arguably Zeppelin, maybe. Queen. Satanic Majesties is a very polarizing album - sort of like the Stones version of Love You, but that side two, with “She’s A Rainbow” and “2000 Light Years From Home”, is magnificent IMHO. I just like the earlier Stones music better than the stuff than came post Brian Jones. There is some great, all time stuff in the late 60’s to mid 70’s by the Stones, but when I when I feel like listening to that band, I will 9 times out of 10 grab a pre 1968 album.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 18:46:06 GMT
I don't think we've got any other fans of this group on the board, but in the late 90s and early 00s I thought Radiohead was fantastic. And I think they did have one four-album run of legit great stuff.
The Bends (1995) OK Computer (1997) Kid A (2000) Amnesiac (2001)
Alas, in the 23 years since, they've only released four more studio albums, and I don't think any of them are nearly as good as that quartet. Sometimes music is just right for the moment but its lifespan is short. That's how I feel about Radiohead. (I feel the same about Beck and Eels, too, and during that same time frame. Some great late 90s and early 00s stuff, and then just ... more stuff.)
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Post by lonelysummer on Apr 25, 2024 19:00:49 GMT
I've probably said this before, but the responses these kinds of threads get are not what I would expect on a Beach Boys board. What would I expect Beach Boys fans to be listening to? Well, not Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Van Halen, AC/DC. Am I the only one hear who favors softer sounds? I kind of assumed Beach Boys fans would be listening to Jan and Dean, the Beatles, the Turtles, the Lovin' Spoonful, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Eric Carmen, By the way, you're questioning our picks for bands with great four album runs. Where's your list(s)? I'm hiding it out of embarrassment.
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 25, 2024 20:06:23 GMT
By the way, you're questioning our picks for bands with great four album runs. Where's your list(s)? I'm hiding it out of embarrassment. Considering all of this board's active participants have talked about favorite bands and artists that few or nobody else on the board seems to consider favorites, I don't think you need to be embarrassed. Nobody's out to put down anybody else's taste. It's all just fun, and fodder for discussion or debate.
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Post by carllove on Apr 25, 2024 21:17:38 GMT
By the way, you're questioning our picks for bands with great four album runs. Where's your list(s)? I'm hiding it out of embarrassment. I admitted my love for Kanye West (not Ye though) and Bread. I’ve seen Air Supply live. As long as it’s not Cardi B, you are good. Heck - I even enjoy hearing folks play Taylor Swift in the office.
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Post by jk on Apr 25, 2024 22:24:11 GMT
Satanic Majesties is a very polarizing album - sort of like the Stones version of Love You, but that side two, with “She’s A Rainbow” and “2000 Light Years From Home”, is magnificent IMHO. I just like the earlier Stones music better than the stuff than came post Brian Jones. There is some great, all time stuff in the late 60’s to mid 70’s by the Stones, but when I when I feel like listening to that band, I will 9 times out of 10 grab a pre 1968 album. Lovely album, very spacey. Apparently Brian J hated it! My favourite track from it is "Citadel":
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Post by Kapitan on Apr 26, 2024 15:32:59 GMT
Here is another one to consider from an artist we did a comprehensive albums-review thread about: Bruce Springsteen.
For me, this is almost a no-brainer ... but the problem as I see it is, you can only include one of his two best albums! It's a 5-album streak to incorporate both, which is just beyond the exercise.
Born to Run, 1975 Darkness on the Edge of Town, 1978 The River, 1980 Nebraska, 1982 Born in the USA, 1984
I haven't decided which of the two stone-cold classics to cut. If I could, I'd give Darkness the boot, but that's not what we're doing here...
Regardless, this is a fantastic 5-album stretch.
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Post by kds on Apr 26, 2024 15:51:26 GMT
I actually considered Bruce, but I'm just not as into Nebraska. And, while I like The Wild, the Innocent, & the E Street shuffle quite good, I don't think it's on the same level as Born to Run, Darkness, or The River.
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