the body electric Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 (edited) A few years back I asked myself which albums are the three greatest back-to-back-to-back rock albums ever recorded. While I love Led Zeppelin infinitely more than The Rolling Stones, I have to admit that my choice is three albums recorded by the Stones. I am not sure if the word should be “greatest,” or “favorite.” A blend of both, I guess. Looking at band’s discographies to arrive at this list can be a challenge. I would have loved to have included The Red Hot Chili Peppers, but cannot, because of One Hot Minute. Pink Floyd would be a shoe-in, except that some can get hung up on Wish You Were Here, or Animals, depending on your personal preference (I’m not the biggest fan of WYWH, but love Animals, for example). I would love to include U2, but cannot because of The Unforgettable Fire and Rattle And Hum. Et cetera. Led Zeppelin has two albums in my personal Top Ten albums of all-time (fourth album and Physical Graffiti), and the Stones one (Let It Bleed). It’s not that these three albums are better than any of Zeppelin’s, its just that I feel that between 1968 and 1972 The Rolling Stones hit a extremely rare sweet spot and recorded three stunning albums, all in a row. Implicit in my choice in this three-in-a-row thing is the fact that Led Zeppelin III and Houses Of The Holy, while awesome, are not among my favorite Zeppelin albums for various sundry reasons. Are Signals, Synchronicity, or El Loco three of the greatest rock albums ever recorded? Probably not. And that’s where subjectivity comes into play. I just happen to love those three albums, and saw the tours. I have a soft spot for them, and they happen to be connected to two other great albums by Rush, The Police, and ZZ Top. While my choice is three albums by the Stones, I feel this post belongs in Other Bands, not The Rolling Stones, since the thread may wind up being what your answer is to the same question. The list of bands that put together two great albums in a row is long. But three in a row is really hard to pull off. In preparing this post I had an interesting time in considering other albums that are great examples of the three-in-a-row thing. Perhaps you love some of the ones listed below or have some others in mind. Here then, are my three greatest back-to-back-to-back rock albums ever recorded. (and some others that I am very fond of) Let It Bleed/Sticky Fingers/Exile On Main Street Super F***cking Honorable Mention: Tommy - Live At Leeds - Who’s Next Toys In The Attic – Rocks - Draw The Line Fourth Album - Houses Of The Holy - Physical Graffiti Black Sabbath – Paranoid - Master Of Reality Sgt. Peppers - Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin III Permanent Waves - Moving Pictures - Signals Fresh Cream - Disraeli Gears - Wheels Of Fire Pretty Hate Machine – Broken - The Downward Spiral Nevermind - In Utero - Unplugged In New York Also: Killer - School’s Out - Billion Dollar Babies Diamond Dogs - Young Americans - Station To Station Zenyatta Mondatta - Ghost In The Machine - Synchronicity The Clash - Give ‘Em Enough Rope - London Calling Van Halen - Van Halen II - Women And Children First Sheer Heart Attack - A Night At The Opera - A Day At The Races In Color - Live At Budokan - Heaven Tonight Aenima – Lateralus - 10,000 Days Tejas – Deguello - El Loco Rated R - Songs For The Deaf - Lullabies To Paralyze The Yes Album – Fragile - Close To The Edge Powerage - Highway To Hell - Back In Black Badmotorfinger – Superunknown - Down On The Upside Kill ‘Em All - Ride The Lightning - Master Of Puppets Everybody Knows This Nowhere - After The Gold Rush - Harvest Maybe not “rock,” but sublime nonetheless: Discipline - Beat - Three Of A Perfect Pair Road Games - Metal Fatigue - Atavachron In The Light since 1972. Trampled Under Foot. My life with Led Zeppelin. http://petedelorean.tumblr.com/ Edited December 12, 2012 by the body electric Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fishhead Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 My thought is The BOSS.... Born to Run/ Darkness on the Edge of Town/The River..........then Nebraska and then Born In the USA.....could be a fiver! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAS Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Ted Nugent - Free For All - Cat Scratch Fever Quote Link to post Share on other sites
in_the_evening Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Dylan - Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stryder1978 Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Queen I, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack Quote Link to post Share on other sites
weslgarlic Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Dylan - Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde Blood On The Tracks = Desire Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SEBASTIAN_V3TTEL Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 the BeatSteaks : Living Targets, Smack Smash, .limbo messiah Faith No More : The Real Thing, Angel Dust, King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime And they're not rock, but still: all albums by Kraftwerk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
reswati Posted December 12, 2012 Share Posted December 12, 2012 Blizzard of Ozz/ Diary of a madman/ Bark at the moon Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stryder1978 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Electric/Sonic Temple/Ceremony - The Cult Quote Link to post Share on other sites
badgeholder Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Rubber Soul / Revolver / Sgt Peppers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the body electric Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 My thought is The BOSS.... Born to Run/ Darkness on the Edge of Town/The River..........then Nebraska and then Born In the USA.....could be a fiver! Dylan - Bringing it all Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde Electric/Sonic Temple/Ceremony - The Cult Nice. In The Light since 1972. Trampled Under Foot. My life with Led Zeppelin. http://petedelorean.tumblr.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WChrisMullen Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Are You Experienced/Axis: Bold As Love/Electric Ladyland Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Strider Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Some off the top of my head: Beatles: Rubber Soul-Revolver-Sgt. Peppers Rolling Stones: Beggars Banquet-Let It Bleed-Sticky Fingers-Get Your Ya-Yas Out-Exile on Main St.(5 in a row!) Led Zeppelin: I-II-III-IV-HotH-PG-Presence(sorry...tried to limit it to three...but I couldn't) Radiohead: Bends-OK Computer-Kid A Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere-After the Gold Rush-Harvest-On the Beach-Tonight's the Night-Zuma(6 in a row!!!) Bob Dylan: Bringing It All Back Home-Highway 61 Revisited-Blonde on Blonde Velvet Underground: VU w/ Nico-White Light White Heat-Velvet Underground Stevie Wonder: Talking Book-Innervisions-Fulfillingness' First Finale-Songs in the Key of Life Joni Mitchell: Clouds-Ladies of the Canyon-Blue-For the Roses-Court and Spark Alice Cooper: Love it to Death-Killer-School's Out Elton John: Honky Chateau-Don't Shoot the Piano Player-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run-Darkness on the Edge of Town-The River Elvis Costello: My Aim is True-This Year's Model-Armed Forces Van Halen: I-II-Women and Children First-Fair Warning The Cure: 1) 17 Seconds-Faith-Pornography; 2) Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me-Disintegration-Wish Cocteau Twins: Treasure-Victorialand-Blue Bell Knoll Sonic Youth: Evol-Sister-Daydream Nation-Goo-Dirty Stereolab: Transient Random Noise Bursts with Announcements-Mars Audiac Quintet-Emperor Tomato Ketchup-Dots and Loops Wilco: Being There-Summerteeth-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-A Ghost is Born Goldfrapp: Felt Mountain-Black Cherry-Supernature PJ Harvey: To Bring You My Love-Is This Desire?-Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea I'll think of more tomorrow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 (edited) Queen : Queen I, Queen II and Sheer Heart Attack Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin I, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced?, Axis : Bold As Love and Electric Ladyland Oh and if I may include a very recent band: Graveyard : S/T, Hisingen Blues and Lights Out Edited December 13, 2012 by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the body electric Posted December 13, 2012 Author Share Posted December 13, 2012 About to slit my wrists because I forgot the following bands: Surfer Rosa - Doolittle - Bossanova OK Computer - Kid A - Amnesiac Are You Experienced - Axis Bold As Love - Electric Ladyland In The Light since 1972. http://petedelorean.tumblr.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charles J. White Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 My list would contain the following: Led Zeppelin, Houses of the Holy, and Physical GraffitiEdges of Twilight, Transmission, and TriptychIt Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, Apocalypse 91High n Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria Survival, Uprising, Confrontation Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DewieCox Posted December 13, 2012 Share Posted December 13, 2012 Floyd-Meddle, DSOTM, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall Pearl Jam-Ten, Vs, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield, Binaural Black Crowes-The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, Amorica, 3 Snakes and One Charm Tool-Undertow, Aenima, Lateralus Zeppelin-I,II,III,IV, Houses, Physical Graffiti Radiohead-The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A Beatles-Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper's..., White Album, Abbey Rd Hendrix-Are You Experienced, Axis:Bold As Love, Electric Ladyland My Morning Jacket-At Dawn, It Still Moves, Z Neil Young-Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, After the Goldrush, Harvest Red Hot Chili Peppers-Californication, By The Way, Stadium Arcadium Rolling Stones-Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky FIngers, Exile On Main St. The Who-Tommy, Live at Leed's, Who's Next, Quadrophenia Quote Link to post Share on other sites
in_the_evening Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow, Wired, There and Back Dire Straits - Making Movies, Love Over Gold, Alchemy, Brothers in Arms (actually most anything DS does is great) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
weslgarlic Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 ROBET PLANT The Principle of Moments=The Honeydrippers: Volume One= Shaken 'n' Stirred Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Strider Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Jane's Addiction: Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking - Ritual de lo Habitual Jesus and Mary Chain: Psychocandy - Darklands - Automatic Pixies: Surfer Rosa - Doolittle - Bossanova - Trompe le Monde Aimee Mann: Whatever - I'm With Stupid - Bachelor No. 2 - Lost in Space Elliott Smith: Either/Or - XO - Figure 8 Talk Talk: Colour of Spring - Spirit of Eden - Laughing Stock Sigur Rós: Ágætis byrjun - ( ) - Takk... Miles Davis: 1) Porgy & Bess - '58 Miles - Kind of Blue - Sketches of Spain; 2) Filles de Kilimanjaro - In A Silent Way - Bitches Brew - A Tribute to Jack Johnson - Live-Evil - On the Corner Frankly, you could list a longer run than even that above...the man was frighteningly prodigious. John Coltrane: 1) Blue Trane - JC w/ the Red Garland Trio - Soultrane - Giant Steps- Coltrane Jazz - My Favorite Things - Olé Coltrane; 2) Coltrane - Ballads - John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman - Impressions; 3) A Love Supreme - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays - Ascension Another giant with so many albums to his credit. Frank Sinatra: Songs for Young Lovers - Swing Easy! - In the Wee Small Hours - Songs for Swingin' Lovers! - Close to You - A Swingin' Affair! Nina Simone: Pastel Blues - Let It All Out - Wild Is the Wind Anita O'Day: Pick Yourself Up - Anita Sings the Most - Anita Sings the Winners - Anita O'Day Swings Cole Porter with Billy May David Bowie: 1) Hunky Dory - Ziggy Stardust - Aladdin Sane; 2) Station to Station - Low - Heroes The Stooges: The Stooges - Fun House - Raw Power Robin Trower: Bridge of Sighs - For Earth Below - Robin Trower Live Pink Floyd: Meddle - DSotM - Wish You Were Here Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the body electric Posted December 14, 2012 Author Share Posted December 14, 2012 Strider- Can't believe you listed both Anita O'Day and Sigur Ros. U got mad skills brother. A close friend of mine met Anita back in L.A. in the 80's or thereabouts. I think she was on a book tour or some type of signing. She sat on his lap and spoke of her druggy days. I have Pick Yourself Up With Anita O'Day on original vinyl. Jane's Addiction is one of my Top Ten bands, but I have never had their first album. I need to get it. Do you have Live At The Palladium boot? If not I will mail one to you. I wanted to include Miles but I couldn't find three in a row that I am partial to. My favorites are Miles Smiles, E.S.P., and Bitches Brew. Same with Eric Dolphy. My favorite Jazz musician but not one with three in a row. In The Light since 1972. Trampled Under Foot. My life with Led Zeppelin. http://petedelorean.tumblr.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the body electric Posted December 14, 2012 Author Share Posted December 14, 2012 (edited) Graveyard : S/T, Hisingen Blues and Lights Out A co-worker of mine is a fanatic about Graveyard! I heard them yesterday for the first time! It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, Apocalypse 91 Someone plays the P.E. card. Love it! In The Light since 1972. Trampled Under Foot. My life with Led Zeppelin. http://petedelorean.tumblr.com/ Edited December 14, 2012 by the body electric Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Strider Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 (edited) Strider- Can't believe you listed both Anita O'Day and Sigur Ros. U got mad skills brother. A close friend of mine met Anita back in L.A. in the 80's or thereabouts. I think she was on a book tour or some type of signing. She sat on his lap and spoke of her druggy days. I have Pick Yourself Up With Anita O'Day on original vinyl. Jane's Addiction is one of my Top Ten bands, but I have never had their first album. I need to get it. Do you have Live At The Palladium boot? If not I will mail one to you. I wanted to include Miles but I couldn't find three in a row that I am partial to. My favorites are Miles Smiles, E.S.P., and Bitches Brew. Same with Eric Dolphy. My favorite Jazz musician but not one with three in a row. Your friend is a lucky devil. Anita was one sexy dame. If you only can have one Anita album, "Pick Yourself Up w/ Anita O'Day" is a great one to have. The way she plays with the time and rhythm in "Pick Yourself Up" is dazzling...and IMHO she owns "Sweet Georgia Brown". I had the same problem with Dolphy and Dave Brubeck...two in a row, no problem. But not three in a row. Brother, you could say I was addicted to Jane's back in the 80s. From 1986 to 1991, I saw JA around 40 times. I even taped quite a few of their shows, including the last night of their 3-night stand at the Hollywood Palladium in Dec. 1990. It was among the cache of live tapes that were stolen during a home invasion robbery on Nov. 18, 1992. I do have a video of the first night, Dec. 18, and I have a boot tape and the official release of the second night of Dec. 19. The only JA show that I taped that I managed to salvage from the robbery was one of two Universal Amphitheatre shows I taped the following Jan-Feb 1991. Unfortunately, none of the opening sets I taped...Pixies and Primus in 90, Nine Inch Nails in 91...survived. You win some...you lose some. In this case, I lost about 200 or so concerts I taped from 1983-1992. Back on topic...my rap choices: Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - Paul's Boutique - Check Yo' Head - Ill Communication - Public Enemy: Yo! Bum Rush the Show - It Takes a Nation of Millions... - Fear of a Black Planet A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels... - Low End Theory - Midnight Marauders Run-DMC: Run-DMC - King of Rock - Raising Hell Wu-Tang Clan: Enter the Wu-Tang - Wu-Tang Forever - The W Edited December 14, 2012 by Strider Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chillumpuffer Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Orbital - Orbital 2 - Snivilisation Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Old Shep Posted December 14, 2012 Share Posted December 14, 2012 Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk - Forever Now Feeding of the 5000 - Stations Of the Crass - Penis Envy QOTSA - Rated R - Songs For The Deaf Riddle Box - The Great Milenko - The Amazing Jeckel Brothers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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