An intellectual music discussion #1

[Elvis Presley]

Team,

There is an important question facing all of us as we dive into today. It makes up the very fabric of our musical tastes, opinons and listening habits. This question will pull many opinions from many different sources and likely even start some well meaning internet debates. And so, I pose to you, "superfan" this quandry......


What band or individual has released the best 3 albums to begin their career. Albums 1-3 are the only ones that count. So if #1 was brilliant but #2 was an obvious step down, they likely dont qualify. Example.

Radiohead-

#1 Pablo Honey
#2 The Bends
#3 OK Computer

While #2, and 3 are brilliant. #1 Pablo Honey was less than stellar and therefore I dont think they make this discussion.

So, I throw it out to you, musically overeating consumer.....

 

[Popmartijn]

Elvis Costello with My Aim Is True, This Year's Model and Armed Forces. And for good measure you may add Get Happy!! and Trust too.

 

[Aardvark747]

Marilyn Manson with,

Portrait Of An American Family
Antichrist Superstar
Mechanical Animals

 

[manwiththespinninhead]

COLDPLAY they have only recorded 3 albums , and they are all great!

 

[Layton]

This is a no-brainer. Jimi Hendrix is the obvious choice. 'Ladyland', 'Bold' and 'Experienced' are 3 of the most important and best albums in rock history. His first and only 3 make this no contest. Hate to end the debate so soon---lol.

On a side note, I think age differentials make this an apples and oranges comparison in many cases. Take the 2 examples cited already; Radiohead and Coldplay. Each of their first 3 albums just about spanned thier entire 20's. Whereas, a group like U2 knocked out their first 3 by the age of 22. I shudder to think what Coldplay and Radiohead would've sounded like at 20. Actually, I'm glad we never got the chance to hear it----lol.

 

[Sparkysgrrrl]

Babes In Toyland

1. Spanking Machine
2. To Mother
3. Fontanelle

They never released a bad album, so for me that's an obvious one.

 

[If you shout...]

Layton is the only person who's even come close to a decent answer, if you ask me. You peoples, and I say this with as much respect as possible, is insane.

The Velvet Underground:

The Velvet Underground and Nico
White Light/White Heat
The Velvet Underground

You can close the thread, now.

 

[Canadiens1131]

Elvis Costello for the win!

 

[lazarus]

Steely Dan's Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown To Ecstasy, and Pretzel Logic.

Peter Gabriel's first three self-titled releases.

Pavement's Slanted & Enchanted, Crooked Rain, and Wowee Zowee.

 

[Elvis Presley]

Layton is the only person who's even come close to a decent answer, if you ask me. You peoples, and I say this with as much respect as possible, is insane.

The Velvet Underground:

The Velvet Underground and Nico
White Light/White Heat
The Velvet Underground

You can close the thread, now.

So far you win.....

 

[Elvis Presley]

bear in mind, my Radiohead example dis-qualified them in my opinon, I wasnt offering them up as my choice.....

Hendrix is a good one...

Gabriel is also good, but I still defer to VU

Pavement lost me with Wowee Zowee, sorry

Steely Dan , nice choice, but not the best

I can buy Costello, if you dont include Live at Mocambo, but it was in there

I wont even dignify the Manson comment.....

 

[Elvis Presley]

Here are a couple worthy of consideration...

Bruce Springsteen

Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ
The Wild the Innocent and the EStreet Shuffle
Born to Run

Uncle Tupelo
(im sure to get pummled for this one, they stack up for me, but not against these other heavyweights)

No Depression
Still Feel Gone
March 16- 20 1992

more to follow

 

[Popmartijn]

Hendrix is a good one...

Indeed, had to come up with that one too.

Gabriel is also good, but I still defer to VU

And also should've thought of the VU.

I can buy Costello, if you dont include Live at Mocambo, but it was in there

Live at Mocambo is an excellent live record, but it was never released commercially. At least, not until the Nineties as part of the 2 1/2 years boxset. So I don't count it as part of the string My Aim Is True to Trust.

 

[Aardvark747]

I wont even dignify the Manson comment.....

shame

 

[WinnieThePoo]

Queen

Queen
Queen II
Sheer Heart Attack



Pablo Honey is a terrible record

 

[Total U2 Nut]

Green Day:
Dookie
Insomniac
American Idiot

 

[Popmartijn]

Green Day:
Dookie
Insomniac
American Idiot

Well, those weren't their first three records.

 

[Popmartijn]

Queen

Queen
Queen II
Sheer Heart Attack

Are those better than, say, A Night At The Opera, Jazz and/or Innuendo?

 

[barlowdog]

For consideration:

The Smiths:

The Smiths (1984)
Meat is Murder (1985)
The Queen is Dead (1986)

You could also throw in Hatful of Hollow, though it's a collective and, as such, may be disqualified.

 

[Dalton]

Its gott be The Velvet Underground. They released The Velvet Underground and Nico, White Light/White Heat, and The Velvet Underground.


I can't think of any band who has started out like that.

 

[financeguy]

The Stone Roses first two albums were the best they ever released.

 

[Dalton]

Sorry, I should have read through the thread before posting.

Does this disqualify me from the "intellecual" music thread?

 

[Popmartijn]

Sorry, I should have read through the thread before posting.

Does this disqualify me from the "intellecual" music thread?

Not if you also mention The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Elvis Costello.

 

[Dalton]

LOL

Well I considered Jimi, but Elvis did not come to my mind. Sadly.

 

[Popmartijn]

 

[Dalton]

Alright - to add something original to this thread:

Beastie Boys:

Licensend to Ill
Pauls Botique
Check Your Head (is this better than Ill Communication though???)


or Michael Jackson (if you start with the albums when he got away from his family's control)

Off the Wall
Thriller
Bad

 

[Zoots]

Pearl Jam!!! Can't believe nobody mentioned them yet!

Ten
Versus
Vitalogy

although, in my mind Ten will always be towering high above most of the albums.

 

[kakvox]

Nick Drake:
Five Leaves Left
Bryter Layter
Pink Moon

Smashing Pumpkins:
Gish
Siamese Dream
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Radiohead:
Pablo Honey
The Bends
OK Computer

Madonna:
Madonna
Like a Virgin
True Blue

Led Zeppelin:
First 6 records

The Velvet Underground:
The Velvet Underground & Nico
White Light/White Heat
The Velvet Underground

The Talking Heads:
first 4 albums

 

[corianderstem]

How about REM?

Murmur
Reckoning
Fables of the Reconstruction

 

[Zoots]

That's right!!! Led Zeppelin!!! Of course!