I recently just did this same post on RYM and got a bunch of interesting responses/got reminded of some shit I left off, so I figured I would take it to the lesson as well
which is pretty much a list of artists that have released 4 great albums in a row, so the point of me making this post is so people can list off artists that have great 4 album runs, like to me that would be...De La Soul, Eric B & Rakim, Bjork etc
1. "This is easy and here are some Hip Hop artists with that" In response to Reply # 0
Scarface's 1st 4 albums Redman's 1st 4 albums Kanye West's 1st 4 albums (808's And Heatbreak, was cool to me, *shurgs*) Masta Ace's 1st 4 albums UGK's 1st 4 albums (Dirty Money is slept on!)
2. "EPMD and GangStarr on the Hip Hop side" In response to Reply # 0
no Hip Hop artist or group has released 5 great albums in a row, most don't have 5 great albums period
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16. "I don't mean producers" In response to Reply # 12
I mean solo artists/groups strictly if we go with producers you're talking guys with 7 or 8 deep with no problem
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17. "no to Kaney, not even close" In response to Reply # 14
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3. "Pink Floyd" In response to Reply # 0 Sat Jul-27-13 04:52 PM by johnbook
Dark Side Of The Moon Wish You Were Here Animals The Wall
THE DOOBIE BROTHERS The Captain And Me What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits Stampede Takin' It To The Streets
LED ZEPPELIN Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin III (untitled 4th album) Houses Of The Holy or for those who prefer their first album, remove Houses Of The Holy
EARTH WIND & FIRE Head To The Sky Open Our Eyes That's The Way Of The World Spirit or remove HEAD TO THE SKY and place ALL'N'ALL below Spirit
THE WHO My Generation A Quick One The Who Sell Out Tommy
WAR All Day Music The World Is A Ghetto Deliver The Word Why Can't We Be Friends
FUNKADELIC Funkadelic Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow Maggot Brain America Eats Its Young
IRON MAIDEN The Number Of The Beast Piece Of Mind Powerslave Somewhere In Time (although SEVENTH SON OF A SEVENTH SONG is a great album too)
BLACK SABBATH Black Sabbath Paranoid Master Of Reality Vol. 4
BIZ MARKIE Goin' All The Biz Never Sleeps I Need A Haircut All Samples Cleared
HERBIE HANCOCK could go a few ways: Crossings Sextant Head Hunters Death Wish (a soundtrack, but worthy of this list)
or
Head Hunters Thrust Man-Child Flood
GEORGE BENSON Breezin' In Flight Livin' Inside Your Love Give Me The Night
Just this list alone, the transformation of someone who was on the inner side of jazz guitar to someone who would become a pop hit sensation. Boom.
5. "your original list is really nice" In response to Reply # 0
Diverse, couple acts on there I need to dig into more (esp. your Brazilian stuff)
A few I'd add off the top: Elton John: - you could run it a couple of different ways, but I'd probably do Tumbleweed Connection/11-17-70/Madman/Honky Chateau ... Madman/Honky/Don't Shoot Me/Goodbye Yellow is a good contender, too, although DSM has a bit too much filler to be considered "great"
Prince is an obvious one, pick your run of choice
That recent Randy Newman post has me listening to him again, he's got four easy (Randy Newman/12 Songs/Sail Away/Good Old Boys)
David Bowie - again, hard to choose, but I'd say Diamond Dogs/Young Americans/Station to Station/Low
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes/Under the Pink/Boys for Pele/From the Choirgirl Hotel
Sly and the Family Stone (Stand!/There's a Riot/Fresh/Small Talk)
Nina Simone (hard to choose, but her RCA run that's included in the boxset is stellar)
More recently: Gillian Welch (five albums, all solid - yes, even Soul Journey, which I know a lot of folks don't like)
Fiona Apple
Neko Case (Furnace Room Lullaby/Blacklisted/The Tigers Have Spoken/Fox Confessor)
You took a lot of the folks I would list right away though - haven't looked at rateyourmusic before, need to check it out
41. "i've been getting into her actual discography lately" In response to Reply # 23
That RCA set is well worth the money - only 50 bucks for nine original albums, and they're all pretty wonderful. It's bare bones packaging, but you can find relevant info online and save the extra dough for finding Nina at the record store... I think popmarket has featured it once or twice, too, so you might be able to get it for less there if you keep an open eye
88. "I'd disagree, it's not bad, but not as compelling as earlier work...." In response to Reply # 49
It's easily the album of hers I've listened to the least. But it's not bad by any means. ______________________________________________________________________________
cscpov.blogspot.com
"There's a fine line between persistence and foolishness..." -unknown
18. "the easy ones...." In response to Reply # 0 Sun Jul-28-13 11:00 AM by Voodoochilde
some interesting stuff on the list in your link
cant remember if any of these below were on your list, but some easy ones that come to mind for me right away without thinking too hard are the ones below. (note: i've list JUST FOUR album runs, but IMO some of the artists** below's 'runs' continued beyond/started before the four i've listed, but with the "4" theme of the post, i've tried to pick the 4 that came to mind first....
Prince**: Prince Dirty Mind Controversy 1999
Earth, Wind & Fire Thats The Way Of The World Spirit All N All I Am
Marvin Gaye**: What's Going On Trouble Man Let's Get It On I Want You
Teena Marie Lady T Irons in the Fire It Must Be Magic Robbery
Sade: Diamond Life Promise Stronger Than Pride Love Deluxe
The Police: Reggatta de Blanc Zenyatta Mondatta Ghost in the Machine Synchronicity
25. "RE: I...criminally haven't dug into Sade's discog AT ALL" In response to Reply # 22 Sun Jul-28-13 01:26 PM by Voodoochilde
>I only have a greatest hits > >I'll pull the age card so people don't laugh at me though
no laughing here, i say we're never too old or too young to get hip to some new or old stuff....
Sade came outta the gate solidly with Diamond life, but in my mind REALLY hit their groove in the the next 3....
Promise Stronger Than Pride Love Deluxe
i worked at a record store (yes they used to have those ..when 'Promise' & 'Stronger than Pride' came out, and i would CONSTANTLY CRANK those two on the great soundsystem the store had....man those albums sound fantastic at full blast on a system with a good well balanced bass ....
24. "RE: the easy ones...." In response to Reply # 18
>some interesting stuff on the list in your link > >cant remember if any of these below were on your list, but >some easy ones that come to mind for me right away without >thinking too hard are the ones below. (note: i've list JUST >FOUR album runs, but IMO some of the artists** below's 'runs' >continued beyond/started before the four i've listed, but with >the "4" theme of the post, i've tried to pick the 4 that came >to mind first.... > > >Prince**: >Prince >Dirty Mind >Controversy >1999 > >Earth, Wind & Fire >Thats The Way Of The World >Spirit >All N All >I Am > >Marvin Gaye**: >What's Going On >Trouble Man >Let's Get It On >I Want You > >Teena Marie >Lady T >Irons in the Fire >It Must Be Magic >Robbery > >Sade: >Diamond Life >Promise >Stronger Than Pride >Love Deluxe > >The Police: >Reggatta de Blanc >Zenyatta Mondatta >Ghost in the Machine >Synchronicity > >Rufus Featuring Chaka >Rags to Rufus >Rufusized >Rufus featuring Chaka Khan >Ask Rufus > >Meshell Ndegeocello**: >Plantation Lullabies >Peace Beyond Passion >Bitter >Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape > >Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin****:
was looking at my ipod so, outside of the most obvious artists that others have already listed (ala Stevie, Zeppelin, Al Green, JB, etc) i thought i'd throw a few more out there that i came across while i was listening to my ipod doing yardwork....
Billy Joel: Turnstiles The Stranger 52nd Street Glass Houses
Cameo: Cameosis Feel Me Knights of the Sound Table Alligator Woman
Peter Gabriel (one of my favorites) & Elvis Costello also had some really strong runs that probably achieved or came pretty damn close to achieving 4 album in a row gems too....but unfortunately in both cases there was an album in the MIDDLE of a run that i myself hadn't heard yet, so i felt i couldn't definitively call it a 4 album run without having experienced 1 of the 4 records...but still wanted to mention them both in the discussion just the same....
45. "oh. im adding him to the list" In response to Reply # 27 Sun Jul-28-13 06:31 PM by Kosa12
the first 3 classics and then blackout
edit: I'm dumb El Nino came before blackout and I havent heard that album, I'll just listen to that and if I like it, he gets in, because the strength of the 1st three is undeniable
39. "what runs you choosing for Coltrane and Miles maxx?" In response to Reply # 28
obviously great choices, I'm just interested in what 4 albums in a row you rollin with, to see if its different than mine/if i have heard the ones you pick
59. "Miles 66-70/Coltrane 61-66" In response to Reply # 55
Miles: In a Silent way might be my favorite miles davis album, I've heard all the albums in this run, all dope, Neferiti is another stand out record to me from this run and of course you have bitches brew at the end
Coltrane: I've heard most of the studio stuff from this time too, stand outs being My Favorite things and Africa/Brass and obviously Live At The Villague Vanguard (I have the box set, dope as hell). That Duke Ellington and John Coltrane record is amazing...impressions...a love supreme.....just overall amazing shit
Stankonia has a messy tracklisting and the double is overrated in every way possible
__________________________________________ CHOP-THESE-BITCHES!!!! ------------------------------------ Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this
68. "lol swear i'm not trying to cop pleas.. but Stankonia's sequencing" In response to Reply # 43
is actually cool with me because of the BREADTH and ambition of that album... i think the pace is about right for a straight-through listen...i think it seems unbalanced and too jumbled when you pull it on casually... but it seems that each section of the album knows what it's doing and guides you through the chaos.. imo at least..
78. "for a compilation that would be fine with me" In response to Reply # 68
but for an album experience it hurts the end result I see what you're saying though and I agree, it seems to be broken up into quarters sonically
__________________________________________ CHOP-THESE-BITCHES!!!! ------------------------------------ Garhart Ivanhoe Poppwell Un-OK'd moderator for The Lesson and Make The Music (yes, I do's work up in here, and in your asscrease if you run foul of this
61. "Chicago (studio albums, so IV is out)" In response to Reply # 0
CTA II III V
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
I love all four of those albums every bit as much as the DYWM-Phren run.
But HIGO is also my favorite Roots album (any group for that matter), so I'm a bit biased.
there comes a time in every mans life when he's gotta handle shit up on his own Can't depend on friends to help you in a squeeze, please they got problems of their own---slim kid3
81. "fuck. I'm retarded" In response to Reply # 79 Thu Aug-01-13 06:27 AM by Kosa12
I'll add them right away
edit: oh I see that I didn't have them added because I haven't even rated Licensed to Ill on RYM which means I haven't heard it in forever. I'll relisten to it then add them
Minnie Riperton (Come To My Garden - Stay In Love) Marcos Valle (Marcos Valle-Previsăo Do Tempo) John McLaughlin (based on his work on miles fusion stuff In A Silent Way - Live-Evil) Sly & The Family Stone (Life - Fresh) Love (Da Capo - Out Here)
94. "I bought the One Day 25th anniversary reissue a few weeks back" In response to Reply # 93
Gave it a listen on Monday. I forgot how many songs that album has that I love. I think LWFC and Resurrection have Common at his best but the type of songs he made on One Day are the type that stay with you. He might also get cancelled for some of the conservative lyrics if he dropped them today lol
I know a lot of people didn't like Electric Circus but I always did and I think it has aged well. There are songs on it I don't like but I still think of it as a good/great album.
We should definitely rate his albums at some point.
95. "It's my personal favorite Common album." In response to Reply # 94 Wed Apr-26-23 09:26 AM by Brew
>Gave it a listen on Monday. I forgot how many songs that >album has that I love. I think LWFC and Resurrection have >Common at his best but the type of songs he made on One Day >are the type that stay with you.
I think you hit it on the head. IMO he was at his peak lyricism on One Day, one step above Resurrection, even if it's not *quite* as potent as an overall product as Resurrection was. I just think he'd hit a stride that not many MCs ever hit. His flow, his cadence, his wordplay .. he was on one on that album.
And I agree re: the songs that stick with you. I think the whole presentation of the album really played a part in that. i.e. Derek (sp), his longtime manager, writing about all the personal shit Common was going thru during the making of One Day .. that contributed to the content and the overall tone of his lyrics and album. And the sense of urgency he was displaying within his lyricism. Just made for some beautiful and timeless music.
>He might also get cancelled >for some of the conservative lyrics if he dropped them today >lol
?? not sure I know what you're referencing here ?! Haha.
>I know a lot of people didn't like Electric Circus but I >always did and I think it has aged well. There are songs on it >I don't like but I still think of it as a good/great album.
Yea agreed. It's definitely imperfect, but most concept/experimental albums are. I could do without 2 or 3 songs but like ODIAMS, he was on another level lyrically. It was clear he was really hungry to spit again after the success of LWFC, an album where IMO he toned down some of his traditional "lyricism," as it were, in the service of grooves and melody ("Funky for You" comes to mind. Great song, but he didn't exactly spit fire on that track .. just grooved w/the beat). And I agree with you re: EC aging well. Concept/experimental albums that are well planned out often age better than they're received at first. This is no exception. I still listen to many songs from this album often.
>We should definitely rate his albums at some point.
I agree ! I'll have a hard time with it. Even had a hard time rating the 4 albums above. For example I want to give One Day a 10 lol.
96. "RE: It's my personal favorite Common album." In response to Reply # 95
Retrospect for Life is basically a pro life song but obviously with much more nuance and very relatable. I think it's a song that focuses on the subject in such a good way. I could see someone nitpick certain lines take them out of context and claim that's he's anti women's rights lol I think a more fair summary of the song is that it's a tough decision that people don't and shouldn't take lightly. I don't at all think he's saying that women shouldn't have a choice but I can see someone twist it that way.
I think Common's albums from Res to EC are on my list of albums I can't live without. I don't know how big that list is but they are on it. Be is right there too but for me it has the least replay value of those 5.
I picked up Can I Borrow a Dollar over the weekend. I haven't gone back to it in years. Hopefully I enjoy it more than I remember lol
I think his post Finding Forever albums will be difficult to revisit but I don't think there's anything horrible. The Nas discog was hard to go through because of how many albums he has and many of them being mid. I'm thinking Common's will be a bit better.
97. "Gotcha. I think right wing nuts would latch on to that shit but ..." In response to Reply # 96
>Retrospect for Life is basically a pro life song but >obviously with much more nuance and very relatable. I think >it's a song that focuses on the subject in such a good way. I >could see someone nitpick certain lines take them out of >context and claim that's he's anti women's rights lol I think >a more fair summary of the song is that it's a tough decision >that people don't and shouldn't take lightly. I don't at all >think he's saying that women shouldn't have a choice but I can >see someone twist it that way.
Normal humans with brains wouldn't really be able to pick it apart considering the context. But Faux "News" tried to paint Common as an "advocate for killing cops" cuz of this:
... so as we know anything's possible with those idiots lol.
>I think Common's albums from Res to EC are on my list of >albums I can't live without. I don't know how big that list is >but they are on it. Be is right there too but for me it has >the least replay value of those 5.
Yea same here, he's my all time fave MC cuz of that run (and including Borrow a Dollar & Be) so they'd naturally be on my list as well haha.
>I picked up Can I Borrow a Dollar over the weekend. I haven't >gone back to it in years. Hopefully I enjoy it more than I >remember lol
It's imperfect but it has some really, really great and important Common moments. Signs of what was to come. Take It EZ, Blows to the Temple, Penny for My Thoughts, Nick of Rhyme, Soul by the Pound (remix especially), etc. It's def pretty goofy in parts (which Kanye famously pointed out in a freestyle radio battle he had vs Common in the late 90s) but has some really bright spots, too.
>I think his post Finding Forever albums will be difficult to >revisit but I don't think there's anything horrible. The Nas >discog was hard to go through because of how many albums he >has and many of them being mid. I'm thinking Common's will be >a bit better.
They're hit and miss but I think there's a lot more good than bad. I think what happened with Common, as happens with a lot of our heroes after they've been around for a while, is just that he ran out of things to say that were "new" and we moved on a bit. Also it's hard to live up to the expectations he himself set with the above-referenced run of albums, so if he's pushing the same (albeit, important and good) messages he was during that run, but the product isn't at the same level of quality, why wouldn't we just go back to the classics to hear the same messaging only delivered better ?
So while I have an affinity for a lot of his post-Be output, I can't lie and act like most or any of it is on par with his classic works.
But I'd argue that Dreamer/Believer (despite the dumb title) is really, really good, and that Black America Again is his best album since Be. Otherwise, his albums have been what CIBAD was: imperfect albums with a lot of bright spots.
High Society Member since Oct 13th 2003 7375 posts
Wed Apr-26-23 10:37 PM
98. "Dreamer / Believer was great the last time I listened to it..." In response to Reply # 97
I admit it was around the time of its release so I haven't heard it in years. But I remember he was playing with his flow and cadence again. It gave me a bit of Resurrection vibes on the emcee end. Did NoID do the beats? I don't remember.
I'll have to check it out again.
I loved One Day in the early 00s. But I remember running Common albums pre Dreamer / Believer to get in the mood for that release and the One Day production felt lacking and didn't age well to me. I should try it again and see how I feel now.
I've checked in with Common post Dreamer / Believer but found myself just skimming through. I don't remember anything really hitting me like that since D / B.
99. "Yep that was their reunion." In response to Reply # 98
>I admit it was around the time of its release so I haven't >heard it in years. But I remember he was playing with his >flow and cadence again. >It gave me a bit of Resurrection vibes on the emcee end. >Did NoID do the beats? I don't remember.
He def came back hungrier on that album. Think I remember them both saying in interviews that they were challenging eachother in their advanced hip-hop ages. That was the album with "Ghetto Dreams" on it; that song alone tells the story haha.
>I loved One Day in the early 00s. But I remember running >Common albums pre Dreamer / Believer to get in the mood for >that release and the One Day production felt lacking and >didn't age well to me. I should try it again and see how I >feel now.
I can see that but I just love the production personally. Invocation is one of the best beats ever made.
>I've checked in with Common post Dreamer / Believer but found >myself just skimming through. I don't remember anything >really hitting me like that since D / B.
You didn't like Black America Again ? I thought that album was tough. Really hit hard for me.
And you can do multiple 4 album runs with him. Start with his first solo. Start with Last of A Dying Breed. Start with The Fix. All you have to do is work around “My Homies”, which I’m not even sure should really count.
>Whats the 411 >My Life >Share My World >Mary > >I think the argument falters a bit with Mary. While not quite >to the standard as the first 3, it's a solid album.
Agreed with all this. And Mary is good enough to qualify her IMO - it’s a very good album in its own right IMO.
>Personally, I might like a song here and here, but I don't >acknowledge any full albums post-Mary. When I think of Mary J >Blige I'm strictly 90's only
I mostly agree, but to me “The Breakthrough” had its high points.
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..when 'Promise' & 'Stronger than Pride' came out, and i would CONSTANTLY CRANK those two on the great soundsystem the store had....man those albums sound fantastic at full blast on a system with a good well balanced bass ....
