I like that Fleetwood Mac trilogy pick! You're right, Mirage is rarely mentioned as one of their great albums but I really like it too. I'd still probably go with Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, Tusk as a great three-record turn but yours is totally solid too!
+1 on that Strummer run. I know so many old school alternative fans who never gave his Mescaleros work a shot. It's so good and Streetcore is a masterpiece.
Love this! I understand that feeling of "they're my records" as I feel that way about late-period Bowie. Although I love all of his stuff, he was already a star when I was a kid. But no one else I knew cared about the records from Heathen on, so that feels like "my" period with him.
I assume you've seen The Future Is Unwritten? I need to watch that again, it's been a couple years.
That's right, those are separate docs. I think I merged them in my head. I remember that one now including that scene of him handing out flyers on the boardwalk. I'll have to revisit that, too -- thanks for the reminder!
Really fun read -- thanks, Kevin and Sam! That Peter Gabriel run is incredible. Even though I'm a big fan of both Gabriel and Weller, I didn't know that the latter played on "And Through The Wire," one of my favorite PG songs.
Off the top of my head, I'll nominate The Church for an underrated three-record run: Heyday/Starfish/Gold Afternoon Fix. Starfish is the, uh, star for obvious reasons -- an absolutely timeless classic, a perfect record. Heyday finds the band stripping back the arrangements while Kilbey's voice comes into its own. Gold Afternoon Fix is so underrated even though Metropolis was a college radio hit at the time.
It's wild that Waddy Wachtel produced the latter two, as he seems like such an odd pairing with the band. And they've been clear that they hated working with him, but he coached their best records out of them.
Thank you Dave! Great call on The Church as well. All three are great records- "Tantalized" off of Heyday is one of my all-timers for them. Somewhere deep in the archives here is a post where I covered "Reptile." When you say they weren't having a good time, you're not kidding!
"...but I wonder if people pick it 'cause they think they should. Kinda like when they say things like: 'Radiohead's awesome.'"
I see you've decided to declare war this morning...
(twirls mustache)
I like that Fleetwood Mac trilogy pick! You're right, Mirage is rarely mentioned as one of their great albums but I really like it too. I'd still probably go with Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, Tusk as a great three-record turn but yours is totally solid too!
Also a good run!
You’ve convinced me to give Mirage a shot! I’ll report back!!
I’d love to hear what you think!
Okay, now this means I gotta put Tusk on rotation. I never have much listened to it.
I didn’t either until this round of albums. It’s really good.
I hope you dig it! It’s a lot of record.
I can add a few…
Pearl Jam - VS, Vitalogy, No Code
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros ~ Rock Art…, Global a go go, Streetcore
Rancid ~ Let’s Go, And Out Come The Wolves, Life Won’t Wait
Jason Isbell - Southeastern, Something More Than Free, The Nashville Sound
Nice to see No Code getting some love! It didn’t immediately land with me, but anymore I think it’s one of their more underrated records.
+1 on that Strummer run. I know so many old school alternative fans who never gave his Mescaleros work a shot. It's so good and Streetcore is a masterpiece.
I put Joe and the Mescaleros on at least once a week and rarely listen to The Clash… I was born in 79 so those albums are “my” Strummer records.
It’s also forgotten how Joe couldn’t catch a cold in the 90s and was really starting to build a second something special when we lost him so early.
I really like The Clash but I LOVE The Mescaleros!!!
Love this! I understand that feeling of "they're my records" as I feel that way about late-period Bowie. Although I love all of his stuff, he was already a star when I was a kid. But no one else I knew cared about the records from Heathen on, so that feels like "my" period with him.
I assume you've seen The Future Is Unwritten? I need to watch that again, it's been a couple years.
Yeah it’s great but I recently found “Let’s Rock Again” which is kind of a tour diary doc from the Global a go go US tour and it’s amazing.
That's right, those are separate docs. I think I merged them in my head. I remember that one now including that scene of him handing out flyers on the boardwalk. I'll have to revisit that, too -- thanks for the reminder!
Great point, and one I'd forgotten about!
Radiohead is over rated. THANK YOU!!!! This needs to be said more!
Yes! 🤜🤛
No
Lol
Who is this Radiohead that everyone keeps mentioning?
Some band from England or something...
Oh, that explains a lot!.
Really fun read -- thanks, Kevin and Sam! That Peter Gabriel run is incredible. Even though I'm a big fan of both Gabriel and Weller, I didn't know that the latter played on "And Through The Wire," one of my favorite PG songs.
Off the top of my head, I'll nominate The Church for an underrated three-record run: Heyday/Starfish/Gold Afternoon Fix. Starfish is the, uh, star for obvious reasons -- an absolutely timeless classic, a perfect record. Heyday finds the band stripping back the arrangements while Kilbey's voice comes into its own. Gold Afternoon Fix is so underrated even though Metropolis was a college radio hit at the time.
It's wild that Waddy Wachtel produced the latter two, as he seems like such an odd pairing with the band. And they've been clear that they hated working with him, but he coached their best records out of them.
Thank you Dave! Great call on The Church as well. All three are great records- "Tantalized" off of Heyday is one of my all-timers for them. Somewhere deep in the archives here is a post where I covered "Reptile." When you say they weren't having a good time, you're not kidding!
Some mighty fine music from both of you lads. I prefer the Bob Welch albums for F. Mac. But, I’m going with Stevie Wonder and Sly Stone.
Stevie Wonder:
Talking Book/Innervisions/Fullfillingness
Sly:
Stand/Riot/Fresh
‘Nuf said.
Thank you Dusty! If I could've figured out a way to work "Penguin" in here, I would've! I think that's my fave from the earlier era.
Really great work guys.
I totally agree that most Peter Gabriel is underrated. Love his work.
Might I suggest Bjork? Post, Homogenic, and Vespertine are a great three album run.
And let's not forget Bad Religion. Suffer, Against the Grain, and Generator.
YES! Both of those are great runs. All 3 of those BR records rearranged my mind.
I’d offer up REM - Reckoning, Fables of the Reconstruction, Lifes Rich Pageant. I think they are my three favourite REM albums.
While I’m at it, I’d argue the We Are Scientists run of Brain Thrust Mastery, Barbara and TV En Francais is pretty unimpeachable too.
Great picks, Lou! I toyed with offering up an REM trio, but started overthinking it, and ultimately went a different direction.
It was an easy one for me. Nothing beats the IRS years, and particularly LRP and Fables. I think Reckoning just edges it over Document.
I have begun to fall in love with 2000s emo music in my mid-thirties.
Nothin' wrong with that!