Graduated a Junior: What's the best THIRD album released by an artist?

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― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire's "154" should rank pretty high.

― no opinion, Friday, 12 March 2004 08:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Steely Dan - "Pretzel Logic"

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Either...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001EKZ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

...or the more obvious...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004BZ0N.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

these are my three fave third albums released by a minneapolis artist, in rough order:

1. replacements, let it be
2. prince, dirty mind
3. husker du, zen arcade

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:40 (twenty-two years ago)

big star or pe, but this is waaay too close to a 'what's the most bestestest album of all time' deal

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

If you skip over "Totale's Turns" as a "non-studio" album, does that make "Grotesque After the Gramme" the Fall's third?

Now that I think about it, maybe "Totale's Turns" IS the best third album released by an artist...

― Dr Benway (dr benway), Friday, 12 March 2004 08:43 (twenty-two years ago)

ummm.....
01. Radiohead - OK Computer
02. The Velvet Underground - Self-Titled
03. Blur - Parklife

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Midnight Marauders and Daily Operation are contenders

― oops (Oops), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd say Trout Mask Replica but I've responded to too many Beefheart threads recently that I'm sick of mentioning it!

So: A tie between the Byrds' Fifth Dimension and the Butthole Surfers' Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac (more accurately their FIRST LP, following two EPs, but so what?)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Metallica - Master of Puppets
Black Sabbath - Master of Reality

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:46 (twenty-two years ago)

galaxie 500 "this is our music"
fairport convention "unhalfbricking"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:50 (twenty-two years ago)

nick drake "pink moon"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Velvet Underground", surely?

― Rob M (Rob M), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

rob OTM

the cannanes "caveat emptor"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Does "Raw Power" count? Cause I like me some of that. Even w/the Doors songs.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Friday, 12 March 2004 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Apart from Trout Mask Replica? Tough choice:
A Different Kind Of Tension?
London Calling (as Alex rightly suggests)?
Machine Gun Etiquette?
The Correct Use Of Soap?
We're Only In It For The Money?
Rocket To Russia?
The Queen Is Dead?
Fear Of Music?
Drums & Wires?

If this is a "Pick Only One" deal 'though I think I'm gonna have to go with:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000026YFS.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

For some reason I've never bothered looking up it's often not regarded as an album PROPER but "Introspective" by the Pet Shop Boys is my fav by them so yeah it should get mentioned I guess

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:17 (twenty-two years ago)

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Primal Scream - Screamadelica

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Electric Wizard - Dopethrone

― M Carty (mj_c), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Mouse on Mars: Autoditacker

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Fear Of A Black Planet
The Colour of Spring
Aquemini

Can't think of anything else, I fear my brain has melted.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Soft Cell - This Last Night in Sodom.

― anode (anode), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Born to run?

― Jim Janse, Friday, 12 March 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't Stand Me Down, OBVIOUSLY.

― Buffalo Stan (Buffalo Stan), Friday, 12 March 2004 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"Raising Hell"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 12 March 2004 12:04 (twenty-two years ago)

dmx - and then there was x
blur - parklife
smiths - the queen is dead
radiohead - ok computer
massive attack - mezzanine
mbv - loveless

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 12 March 2004 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

geogaddi

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 12 March 2004 12:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Kish Kash

― Nick H (Nick H), Friday, 12 March 2004 12:46 (twenty-two years ago)

i don't really believe that "loveless" is truly a third LP, considering "ecstasy and wine" is really a compilation and "this is your..." is a joke

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 12 March 2004 12:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"Toys In The Attic"

― John Fredland (jfredland), Friday, 12 March 2004 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

The Monkees - Headquarters

― Joseph McCombs, Friday, 12 March 2004 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

supergrass's eponymous album

― devon powers (popmatters devon), Friday, 12 March 2004 13:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Off the top of my head I'd have to go with:

1. The Velvet Underground
2. Dig Me Out
3. Dirty Mind

Let it Be only counts if you don't consider Stink an album.

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

My pick is Jawbox, For Your Own Special Sweetheart

Other favorites not yet mentioned:
Brian Eno Another Green World
Talk Talk The Colour of Spring
Gillian Welch Time (the Revelator)
Led Zep III
Jane's Addiction Ritual de lo Habitual
D.A.F. Die Klienen und die Bösen

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Other candidates:

Elliott Smith, "XO"
Autechre, "Tri Repetae"
Peter Gabriel, "3"
Neil Young, "After the Gold Rush"
Roxy Music, "Country Life"
Missy Elliott, "So Addictive"
OutKast, "Aquemeni"

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf300/f358/f35823wr7xh.jpg

― ModJ (ModJ), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

OZMA -melvins
The 3rd Royal Trux lp
AND
FOREVER CHANGES -Love !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― sexyDancer, Friday, 12 March 2004 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

the best album ever:
http://www.progweed.net/reviews/m/mr_bungle-california.jpg

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Ween's Pure Guava is also an excruciatingly awesome third album.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Not as good as a few listed above (VU, London Calling, Dirty Mind...) but *The Rolling Stones Now!* is pretty great.

― Not That Chuck, Friday, 12 March 2004 14:37 (twenty-two years ago)

The Roots Illadelph Halflife!
Fishbone Truth and Soul!
Beck One Foot in the Grave!
I'm addicted to the exclamation point!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Medeski Martin and Wood Friday Afternoon In the Universe!
DJ Shadow The Private Press!
Morphine Yes!
Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders!
Talking Heads Fear of Music!
Tom Waits Nighthawks at the Diner!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 12 March 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and "Architecture and Morality" - OMD

― Rob M (Rob M), Friday, 12 March 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Stewart OTM!!!!! I'm all over "Doolittle"

It's hard to believe "Don't Stand Me Down" was only the third Dexys album, but it is fabulous and so underrated

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Friday, 12 March 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Public Enemy's 3rd!

― djdee2005, Friday, 12 March 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/drc400/c487/c48702nu62e.jpg

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 12 March 2004 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Ok Computer is the best, but these also came to mind...

Spiritualized -- Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
Siouxsie and the Banshees -- Kaleidoscope

― rainman (rainman), Friday, 12 March 2004 15:55 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.kompaktkiste.de/cd/virgin/cdv2192.jpg

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 12 March 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Though arguably it's really a debut.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 12 March 2004 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Velvet Underground - self titled
Big Star - Sister Lovers
The Smiths - The Queen is dead
The Boo Radleys - Giant Steps
Television Personalities - The Painted Word

― holojames (holojames), Friday, 12 March 2004 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Spacemen 3 - Playing With Fire
The Prisoners - The Last Fourfathers
Soft Machine - Third
Can - Tago Mago

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 12 March 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate

― Sym (shmuel), Friday, 12 March 2004 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

http://i14.ebayimg.com/03/i/01/7d/3a/68_1.JPG

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 13 March 2004 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Velvet Underground (if I had to pick one).
If you consider "New Riot" to be an album (some do), then Godspeed's "Levez vos Skinny Fists ..." is up there.
Suede's "Coming Up" is very underrated, and is probably their most listenable album in 2004.
MBV -- why the argument? If you consider "Ecstacy and Wine" to be an album, then "Isn't Anything" is their third album, which is a damned fine choice. Otherwise, it's "Loveless", which is an even finer choice and would win the award hands down (but I disagree, because I do believe it is their fourth).
Plus: Chameleons, "Strange Times".

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Suede's "Coming Up" is very underrated, and is probably their most listenable album in 2004.

You, sir, are a wise man.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Ned, but how did I beat you to the punch on the Chameleons? (unless I'm counting wrong and it wasn't their third).

Kudos to the revived ILM Top 100 thread for reminding me about the AWESOME "The Holy Bible". True, nobody likes MSP these days, with one exception "THE MF'IN HOLY BIBLE".

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Ned, but how did I beat you to the punch on the Chameleons? (unless I'm counting wrong and it wasn't their third).

Easy, I mostly don't respond/read to threads like these but you actually had explanations with your choices, which always catches my eye.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuck, I was just about to say the Holy Bible too.
(xpost)

― ailsa (ailsa), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I am sorry, but I just have to rectify this:

Let it Be only counts if you don't consider Stink an album.

LP1: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (I count it as an album, due to it being an album, also notable for predicting Johnny Thunder's drug overdose a good ten years before it happened, proving Paul Westerburg is not only a fine songwriter, but quite possibly a seer as well)
LP2: Hootenanny (again, this is an album)
LP3: Let it Be (One of the better third albums by a artist/band)

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Electric Ladyland

― pete s, Saturday, 13 March 2004 01:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Wonderful Rainbow
Evol
Lapsed
and especially Tago Mago

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 13 March 2004 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Amon Duul II - Tanz Der Lemminge
Area - Crac!
Art Bears - The World As it Is Today
Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
Bjork - Homogenic
Can - Tago Mago (though I usually think of Ege Bamyasi as being their real third album)
Tim Buckley - Blue Afternoon
Faust - The Faust Tapes
Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
Ground Zero - Consume Red
Kraftwerk - Ralf & Florian
Led Zep - III
Magma - MDK
Randy Newman - Sail Away
Tangerine Dream - Zeit

― dleone (dleone), Saturday, 13 March 2004 02:13 (twenty-two years ago)

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 13 March 2004 02:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Burning Spear Marcus Garvey

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 13 March 2004 02:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Lifter Puller - Fiestas & Fiascos
Chemical Brothers - Surrender
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Minutemen - What Makes a Man Start Fires?
Van Halen - Women and Children First

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 13 March 2004 02:31 (twenty-two years ago)

stereo total 'jukebox alarm'.

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 13 March 2004 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Spoon's "Girls Can Tell" is a pretty nifty third album.

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Saturday, 13 March 2004 04:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Todd Rundgren: Something/Anything 1972
The album spans:

Pop: (Couldn't I just Tell You, I Saw The Light)
Metal: (Black Maria, Little Red Lights, I Went To The Mirror,)
Romantic: (Hello, Its Me, It wouldn't Have Made Any Difference)
Humorous: (Piss Aaron, You Left Me Sore, Slut)
Rock with a message: (Some Folks Is Even Whiter Than Me)
Todd-ish: (The Night The Carousel Burned Down, Sweeter Memories)

And, of course, it's a double album.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 13 March 2004 04:59 (twenty-two years ago)

more of a third major release...
http://www.jpc.de/jpcimages/big/6975575.jpg

― bnw (bnw), Saturday, 13 March 2004 05:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Excellent choice, bnw!

Here's mine:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d556/d55664f5n78.jpg

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 13 March 2004 05:42 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre400/e451/e45117xwknd.jpg

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Saturday, 13 March 2004 06:16 (twenty-two years ago)

zen arcade was third album, but metal circus was third release. both are good.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 13 March 2004 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Pavement - Wowee Zowee
Whichever Sonic Youth album you count as #3
Check Your Head

― dieblucasdie (dieblucasdie), Saturday, 13 March 2004 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

MBV's third album is indeed 'Loveless'. 'This Is...' is their first, and 'Isn't Anything' is their second. 'Ecstacy...' is two EPs collected!

Anyway, the answer is Leatherface's 'Mush'.

― John 2, Saturday, 13 March 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000251VW.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 13 March 2004 21:42 (twenty-two years ago)

considering this board's make-up, it is absolutely inexcusable that THIS one has been ignored ... till now:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf300/f313/f31306a1lsg.jpg

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 14 March 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

depending on how strict one's definition of "third album" is, neither of these two are all that shabby:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd700/d758/d75819rx62j.jpg

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c473/c47355gt72t.jpg

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 14 March 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

New Order - Low-Life
Luna - Penthouse
Bjork - Homogenic
Orbital - Snivilisation
Peter Gabriel (the Melt cover)

― turkey (turkey), Sunday, 14 March 2004 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

US Maple - Talker

― dlp9001, Sunday, 14 March 2004 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

ditto "talker," "buhloone mindstate," "aquemini"
how about "walkie talkie"?

― duke steely, Sunday, 14 March 2004 19:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Low-life OTM

― dieblucasdie (dieblucasdie), Sunday, 14 March 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe it's because i'm tired, but i don't understand the concept of this thread. what do you mean by "the best third album released by an artist"? no artist has more than one third album, so obviously The Velvet Underground was their best third one.

are you guys listing third albums that were also the artists' best albums? in that case, The Velvet Underground disqualifies since their first one was better. or are you comparing different third albums (by different artists) to eachother? then yeah i say The Velvet Underground could be a winner.

― tod (tod), Sunday, 14 March 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, Tod, I share your confusion. I saw only one artist mentioned in the dozens of posts above...*sigh*

― John 2, Sunday, 14 March 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

re "third albums": i posted 2 zappa albums b/c lumpy gravy was the 3d thing that he actually released -- but it was under his name, not that of the mothers of invention (under whose name his first 2 records were released). (the 3d album released by zappa, w/t the mothers' impromptur, was chunga's revenge, which is OK but not great). the 3d album under the mothers' name was we're only in it for the money.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 14 March 2004 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

VU shits all over VU & Nico

― the surface noise (electricsound), Sunday, 14 March 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Soft Machine's 'Third'

Anyone else have a more appropriate title as well?

― Sasha (sgh), Sunday, 14 March 2004 22:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Rock Action
Amanita
TREASURE!!!!!!

― O.Leee.B. (Leee), Sunday, 14 March 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

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