Rule of Three for Great Albums (and Films?)

[wood and iron]

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.

[Martin]

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

[Christina]

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.

[Christina]

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.

[Matthew_S]

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

[NJL]

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

[Chris L]

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.

[namethebats]

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

[bmills]

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

[Wes]

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

[Gilly]

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

[Matt]

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

[fletcher munson]

First 3 Ramones albums were pretty solid
Ramones
Leave Home
Rocket To Russia

it was pretty much done after that, no point really.

[Joe Rogaine]

Surprised nobody's done any Coen brothers films yet, but you could take a lot of there's and do 3's.

[crumbum]

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.