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FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: crumbum on March 03, 2010, 08:42:22 AM
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I did a quick search on the Forum but I don't think this topic has been done before: what are the greatest three album runs in rock history? They've got to be consecutively released, obviously, and full-lengths only.
Here are my picks:
The Kinks Face to Face, Something Else, Village Green
Neil Young On The Beach, Tonight's The Night, Zuma
Wire Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, 154
Yo La Tengo Painful, Electr-o-pura, I Can Hear The Heart...
Stereolab Mars Audiac Quintet, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Dots & Loops
I wanted to do the same thing for movies, but strangely as I think about it I can't come up with any examples for which I've seen all three and loved them unequivocally. Every time I thought I had one, a quick IMDB check revealed that there was at least one forgotten stinker breaking up the set (I tried Preston Sturges, John Huston, Ingmar Bergman, Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog to name a few). I'm sure there are some great examples out there, just not as obvious -- or maybe I'm more critical in this area. I'll have to post again when I think of some.
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Ingmar Bergman, Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog to name a few).
What?
Raging Bull (1980)
The King of Comedy (1982)
After Hours (1985)
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Also Malick:
Badlands (1973)
Days of Heaven (1978)
The Thin Red Line (1998)
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And Ashby:
Harold and Maude (1971)
The Last Detail (1973)
Shampoo (1975)
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Michael Ritchie:
Prime Cut (1972)
The Candidate (1972)
Smile (1975)
Though some would cut Prime Cut out of that trifecta and go with The Bad News Bears (1976) instead.
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John Waters:
Female Trouble (1974)
Desperate Living (1977)
Polyester (1981)
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Francis Ford Coppola:
The Godfather (1972)
The Conversation (1974)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
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Beggars Banquet
Released: 6 December 1968
Label: Decca Records (UK)
Label: London Records (US)
Let It Bleed
Released: 5 December 1969
Label: Decca Records (UK)
Label: London Records (US)
Sticky Fingers
Released: 23 April 1971
Label: Rolling Stones Records
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Excluding live albums and compilations:
Let It Bleed --> Sticky Fingers --> Exile on Main Street
Cheap Trick --> In Color --> Heaven Tonight
Get Your Wings --> Toys in the Attic --> Rocks
Stand Up --> Benefit --> Aqualung
Fighting --> Jailbreak --> Johnny The Fox
Welcome to the Infant Freebase --> Extended Revelation --> Behind the Music
Rio Grande Mud --> Tres Hombres --> Fandango!
Tumbleweed Connection --> Madman Across the Water --> Honky Chateau
Tons of Sobs --> Free --> Fire and Water
Paranoid --> Master of Reality --> Vol. 4
Let There Be Rock --> Powerage --> Highway to Hell
The Stooges --> Fun House --> Raw Power
Blue Oyster Cult --> Tyranny and Mutation --> Secret Treaties
Curtis --> Roots --> Superfly
The Brought Low --> Right on Time --> Third Record
Sound of Confusion --> The Perfect Prescription --> Playing With Fire
Just to name a few.
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Velvets?
Nico (1967)
S/T (1969)
Loaded (1970)
Still works if you count White Light/White Heat (1968) as a full length.
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Steven Soderbergh's tough because he's kinda all over the place, but I like these three:
Schizopolis (1996)
Out of Sight (1998)
The Limey (1999)
Cassavetes:
A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
Opening Night (1977)
Hitchcock:
Vertigo (1958)
North by Northwest (1959)
Psycho (1960)
Allen:
Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
OR
Sleeper (1973)
Love and Death (1975)
Annie Hall (1977)
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That Soderbergh x 3 is really something.
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That Soderbergh x 3 is really something.
No kidding.
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I hate Raging Bull with the fury of a thousand suns. Well, five hundred suns. The thousand suns I reserve for my hatred of Gladiator and the fact that it got a Best Freaking Picture Oscar.
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Amon Duul ii : Phallus Dei , Yeti, Tanz Der Lemminge
Neu! : Neu!, Neu! 2, Neu! '75
James Gang: Yer Album, Rides Again, Thirds
A-Frames : A-Frames, A-Frames 2, Black Forest
The Lights: Beautiful Bird, Diamonds & Dirt, Failed Graves
John Martyn: The Tumbler, Bless The Weather, Solid Air
Nick Drake: Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter, Pink Moon
Wire: Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, 154
The Who: A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Tommy
Alice Cooper: Easy Action, Love It To Death, Killer
De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul Is Dead, Buhloone Mindstate
A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels, Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders
The Impressions: This Is Our Country, Young Mods' Forgotten Love Story, Check Out Your Mind!
PiL : First Issue, Metal Box, Flowers of Romance
Motörhead: Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades
plenty more
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I hate Raging Bull with the fury of a thousand suns. Well, five hundred suns. The thousand suns I reserve for my hatred of Gladiator and the fact that it got a Best Freaking Picture Oscar.
In keeping with the iconoclastic nature of your post, I love Hitchcock movies but Vertigo did nothing for me.
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A Tribe Called Quest: People's Instinctive Travels, Low End Theory, Midnight Marauders
Yeah, holy shit.
Sade: Diamond Life (84), Promise (85), Stronger Than Pride (88)
James Ellroy: LA Confidential, White Jazz, American Tabloid
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I hate Raging Bull with the fury of a thousand suns. Well, five hundred suns. The thousand suns I reserve for my hatred of Gladiator and the fact that it got a Best Freaking Picture Oscar.
Oh, go pet your goat.
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I hate Raging Bull with the fury of a thousand suns. Well, five hundred suns. The thousand suns I reserve for my hatred of Gladiator and the fact that it got a Best Freaking Picture Oscar.
In keeping with the iconoclastic nature of your post, I love Hitchcock movies but Vertigo did nothing for me.
With you on that one. That movie makes me wanna take a shower. And I always feel so bad for Barbara Bel Geddes.
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I did a quick search on the Forum but I don't think this topic has been done before: what are the greatest three album runs in rock history? They've got to be consecutively released, obviously, and full-lengths only.
It is difficult to uncover but in a thread about hip-hop, I mentioned a similar question (though about 4 albums in a row).
http://www.friendsoftom.com/forum/index.php/topic,6375.msg141041.html#msg141041
For movies, I imagine I'm alone on this one --
Whit Stillman -- Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco
Some might say:
PT Anderson -- Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood
Has Cronenberg been mentioned? Depending what you like about him, you might go early, middle or late.
Scanners/Videodrome/The Dead Zone/The Fly/Dead Ringers/Naked Lunch/M.Butterfly/Crash/eXistenZ/Spider/A History of Violence/Eastern Promises
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Aftermath-Between the Buttons- Their Satanic Majesties Request
Here Come the Warm Jets- Taking Tiger Mountain- Another Green World
Raising Arizona-Miller's Crossing- Barton Fink
The Clash- Give em' Enough Rope- London Calling
Da Capo (if it counts as full length)- Forever Changes- Four Sail
The Bends- Ok Computer- Kid A (probably unpopular)
77- More Songs About Buildings and Food- Fear of Music
The Psychedelic Sounds of- Easter Everywhere- Bull of the Woods
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Mike Leigh: Life is Sweet, Naked, and Secrets & Lies.
Robert Bresson: Diary of a Country Priest, A Man Escaped, Pickpocket
Jean-Pierre Melville: Le Samourai, Army of Shadows, Le Cercle Rouge.
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Built To Spill - There's Nothing Wrong With Love, Perfect From Now On, Keep It Like A Secret
Beck - Odelay, Mutations, Midnite Vultures
Broadcast - The Noise Made By People, Haha Sound, Tender Buttons
Gang Starr - Step In The Arena, Daily Operation, Hard To Earn
PJ Harvey - Dry, Rid Of Me, To Bring You My Love
MF Doom - Take Me To Your Leader, Vaudeville Villain, Madvillainy
The Replacements - Hootenany, Let It Be, Tim
OutKast - ATLiens, Aquemini, Stankonia (you could start this an album earlier)
R.E.M. - Automatic For The People, Monster, New Adventures In Hi-Fi
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The Replacements - Hootenany, Let It Be, Tim
I agree with this but would probably bump Hootenanny for Pleased to Meet Me. Also:
T. Rex - Electric Warrior, The Slider, Tanx
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Mike Leigh: Life is Sweet, Naked, and Secrets & Lies.
Robert Bresson: Diary of a Country Priest, A Man Escaped, Pickpocket
Jean-Pierre Melville: Le Samourai, Army of Shadows, Le Cercle Rouge.
Dylan Keith Summers: JCW SLAM TV Vol. 1, JCW SLAM TV Vol. 2, The Wrestler
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I guess nobody wants to state the obvious.
With the Beatles, Hard Days Night, Beatles For Sale, Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour, White Album
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Albert Brooks - Real Life, Modern Romance, Lost in America
Prince - Parade, Sign 'O' The Times, The Black Album
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model, Armed Forces, Get Happy!
Charles Portis - True Grit, The Dog of the South, Masters of Atlantis
Todd Rundgren - Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?, A Wizard, A True Star
Sparks - Kimono My House, Propaganda, Indiscreet
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First 3 Ramones albums were pretty solid
Ramones
Leave Home
Rocket To Russia
it was pretty much done after that, no point really.
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Surprised nobody's done any Coen brothers films yet, but you could take a lot of there's and do 3's.
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Man, I was sleepy when I started this thread today... I knew there'd be hundreds of good music examples but I can't believe I missed so many obvious directors. Also, no one's yet mentioned Altman: The Long Goodbye, Thieves Like Us, California Split, Nashville.
Auntie Christina, I agree with you 100% on your Scorsese picks. Somehow that one slipped past me.
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For movies, I imagine I'm alone on this one --
Whit Stillman -- Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco
That's the first one I thought of, after Wire. My taste makes no sense at all.
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Yo! Bum Rush The Show
It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
Fear Of A Black Planet
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For movies, I imagine I'm alone on this one --
Nah, I'm a huge Whit Stillman fan too ... Cronenberg as well.
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David Kilgour & the Heavy Eights, A Feather in the Engine, Frozen Orange
(http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf500/f530/f53058zhvt1.jpg)(http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf000/f067/f06781e0x9d.jpg)(http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg400/g408/g40824ig9ta.jpg)
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Music Only:
Miles Davis: A Tribute to Jack Johnson-Live/Evil-On The Corner
The Feelies: Crazy Rhythms-The Good Earth-Only Life
Al Green: Let's Stay Together-I'm Still In Love With You-Call Me
Sly and the Family Stone: Stand-There's A Riot Goin' On-Fresh
Can: Tago Mago-Ege Bamyasi-Future Days
Hüsker Dü: Zen Arcade-New Day Rising-Flip Your Wig
MX-80 Sound: Big Hits-Hard Attack-Out of the Tunnel
The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds-Smiley Smile-Wild Honey
Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi-Crossings-Sextant
Funkadelic: Funkadelic-Free Your Mind...and Your Ass Will Follow-Maggot Brain
Wipers: Is This Real?-Youth of America-Over the Edge
XTC: Drums and Wires-Black Sea-English Settlement
Faces: Long Player-A Nod Is as Good as a Wink...to a Blind Horse-Ooh La La
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For movies, I imagine I'm alone on this one --
Nah, I'm a huge Whit Stillman fan too ... Cronenberg as well.
fourthed
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Has Cronenberg been mentioned? Depending what you like about him, you might go early, middle or late.
Scanners/Videodrome/The Dead Zone/The Fly/Dead Ringers/Naked Lunch/M.Butterfly/Crash/eXistenZ/Spider/A History of Violence/Eastern Promises
Those last three, man, God almighty, it's a phenomenal run.
I gotta go with
Kate Bush: The Dreaming, Hounds of Love, The sensual World
Talking Heads: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music
Elvis Costello: Armed Forces, Get Happy, Trust
Yes: Fragile, Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans
Richard Thompson: Amnesia, Rumor and Sigh, Mirror Blue
Zappa (sorry dudes): The Grand Wazoo, Overnite Sensation, Apostrophe
Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws, Humans, Inner City Front
David Lynch: Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive
Clint Eastwood: Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima
John Cassavetes: Faces, Husbands, Minnie and Moskowitz
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How about:
Aladdin | Toys | Being Human
?
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Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun (I think the 4th album in this sequence, Blue Sky on Mars, also kicks ass, but since we have to stop at 3, that's a pretty killer run)
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Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun (I also think the 4th album in this sequence, Blue Sky on Mars, also kicks ass, but since we have to stop at 3, that's a pretty killer run)
Yes indeedy. And how could I leave out
Temple of Low Men, Woodface, Together Alone
and
I'm With Stupid, Bachelor #2, Lost in Space
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Talking Heads: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music
I was thinking about this one too, Dave, but thought that it should go one album further: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light. Basically, '77 plus the Eno collaborations. I mean, one could argue that their whole discography up to - but not including - True Stories is a streak.
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Talking Heads: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music
I was thinking about this one too, Dave, but thought that it should go one album further: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light. Basically, '77 plus the Eno collaborations. I mean, one could argue that their whole discography up to - but not including - True Stories is a streak.
I'd go FEAR OF MUSIC-REMAIN IN LIGHT-SPEAKING IN TONGUES, myself. And I actually think TRUE STORIES is the best of their last three records. It might not be the most consistent, but the highs are higher: "Wild Wild Life", "Love For Sale", "People Like Us", "Puzzlin' Evidence", etc.
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And I actually think TRUE STORIES is the best of their last three records. It might not be the most consistent, but the highs are higher: "Wild Wild Life", "Love For Sale", "People Like Us", "Puzzlin' Evidence", etc.
I loved Little Creatures and Naked, even if the latter was a major downer. True Stories was respectable for stripping back down to the original four members, but none of the songs, except maybe Puzzlin' Evidence, really did anything for me. Every lyric to every song seems so tongue in cheek, especially City of Dreams. I mean, this is the same guy who wrote The Big Country on "More Songs" where he essentially ripped the Midwest a new one.
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Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun (I also think the 4th album in this sequence, Blue Sky on Mars, also kicks ass, but since we have to stop at 3, that's a pretty killer run)
Yes indeedy. And how could I leave out
Temple of Low Men, Woodface, Together Alone
and
I'm With Stupid, Bachelor #2, Lost in Space
You also forgot:
King's X: Out of the Silent Planet, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, Faith Hope Love. (Some might bump OotSP and put their self-titled fourth LP on the end of that run. Not me!)
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How about:
Aladdin | Toys | Being Human
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I'd sub in Patch Adams for Being Human
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Modest Mouse had back to back to back
- This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
I'll fly the flag of early Parker Posey films/choices: Party Girl, Daytrippers, and House of Yes in a two-year period.
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Talking Heads: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music
I was thinking about this one too, Dave, but thought that it should go one album further: '77, More Songs about Buildings and Food, Fear of Music, and Remain In Light. Basically, '77 plus the Eno collaborations. I mean, one could argue that their whole discography up to - but not including - True Stories is a streak.
I'd go FEAR OF MUSIC-REMAIN IN LIGHT-SPEAKING IN TONGUES, myself. And I actually think TRUE STORIES is the best of their last three records. It might not be the most consistent, but the highs are higher: "Wild Wild Life", "Love For Sale", "People Like Us", "Puzzlin' Evidence", etc.
Their first four studio albums are all great. But their best album overall is "The Name of This Band is Talking Heads" (re-mastered in 2004 by FOT Andy Zax).
If you were to include live albums, you would have one of the great album streaks in rock.
'77-More Songs-Fear of Music-Remain in Light-TNOTBTH-Speaking in Tongues-Stop Making Sense, all released from 1977-84.
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And how could I have overlooked two of John Junk's favorites:
Fiery Furnaces
Gallowsbird's Bark (2003)
Blueberry Boat (2004)
Bitter Tea (2006)
Pavement
Their run of studio albums is sick-
Slanted and Enchanted (1992)
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Wowee Zowee (1995)
Brighten the Corners (1997)
Terror Twilight (1999)
Here's a pretty impressive hot streak by William Hurt, sadly not reaching to Mr. Brooks-
Broadcast News (1987)
Children of a Lesser God (1986)
Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
Gorky Park (1983)
The Big Chill (1983)
Body Heat (1981)
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Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend, Altered Beast, 100% Fun (I also think the 4th album in this sequence, Blue Sky on Mars, also kicks ass, but since we have to stop at 3, that's a pretty killer run)
Yes indeedy. And how could I leave out
Temple of Low Men, Woodface, Together Alone
and
I'm With Stupid, Bachelor #2, Lost in Space
You also forgot:
King's X: Out of the Silent Planet, Gretchen Goes to Nebraska, Faith Hope Love. (Some might bump OotSP and put their self-titled fourth LP on the end of that run. Not me!)
Frankly, I am ashamed for not coming up with this. And then it also suggests to me
Starless and Bible Black, Red, Discipline (even though that third one's like a whole different band)
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Fugazi - 13 Songs, Repeater, Steady Diet of Nothing
Pedro Almodovar - All About My Mother, Talk to Her, Bad Education
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Vertigo (1958)
North by Northwest (1959)
Psycho (1960)
fucking destroys. thread over. lock it up.
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Modest Mouse had back to back to back
- This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Agreed!!! I'll admit and I know I'm probably alone on this but I thought their last full length with Johnny Marr was decent.
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Modest Mouse had back to back to back
- This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
- The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
- The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Yep. Really good.
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Another set I forgot
Stories From the City Stories From the Sea, Uh Huh Her, White Chalk
and this might be cheating a little, but
Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus, Grinderman, Dig Lazurus Dig
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Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane
Waterloo, ABBA, Arrival
Tigermilk, If You're Feeling Sinister, The Boy With The Arab Strap
Between The Buttons, Their Satanic Majesties Request, Beggars' Banquet
Slayed?, Old New Borrowed And Blue, Slade In Flame
The Smiths, Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead
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Modest Mouse had back to back to back
- This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
- The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
- The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Yep. Really good.
Come to think of it the Night on the Sun EP could be added to that.
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Here's one that might be unprecedented - three good movies released in the same year:
Steven Soderbergh:
Che (2009)
The Girlfriend Experience (2009)
The Informant! (2009)
Just insane. It might even count as 4 if you count Che as 2 movies.
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LEd Zeppelin I, II, III
U2 - The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby
I also agree with the Radiohead trio mentioned earlier.