Imaginative said:

your mistake!!

Oh yeah, sorry. I just realized that the title of the thread read: Best 4 Album Sequences as Approved by Imaginative. How could I have made such a blatant mistake?

Imaginative said:

Trying to understand your broken English is a little hard.

A few absent punctuations and article should not have made such a sentence difficult to comprehend. Yet, reading is not your strong point as highlighted in your next post:

Imaginative said:

I guess it's only my opinion that an artist releasing four classic, timeless albums over the course of 2, 3 or 4 years is a little more compelling than an artist dribbling out four albums over a nearly 15 years period.

I would venture to say that the OP wishes that he placed some sort of time frame on these "consequtive albums," but I think he assumed it would be obvious to most that they should be close enough to one another to have some sort of relation... as his examples did.

No where in OP's post was anything of the sort stated. So first you reveal the fact that you can't handle other's opinions as if you are some kind of 12 year old, but now you have proven that you failed basic reading comprehension in school. I don't know wtf you are reading, but the title CLEARLY states: Best 4 Album Sequences as opposed to Best 4 Album Sequences with each album released in a time span of 2-3 years apart from each other. The time frame thing was not a requirement in OP's initial post, but rather a result of your poor literacy. Op said that they just had to be 4 consecutive albums.

Let me know when your birthday comes up. I'll get this for you. You're going to need it:

Imaginative said:

You're confused. I didn't bring up Prince or The Beatles in any of my lists.

You are right, I did make that mistake, but I don't think it changes what I had to say. In reality, if we are going by rock critic mentality then Prince's ATWIAD is, largely, to be considered one of his weaker attempts in the 80s and shouldn't have even been included. Yet it was mentioned in the OP post with no contest from yourself. Yet, when MJ's post-Thriller work was mentioned, the work that you, coincendentally happen to heavily dislike then it becomes a real issue. Not only that, but now you have the nerve to mention that 'popular opinion' backs you up like that's supposed to mean something.

Why do you so, adamantly, choose to ignore the fact that you're being a huge hypocrite here?

Imaginative said:

This is before we even get to the quality of MJs material, as it compares to Thriller and Off the Wall. Are any of you willing you go to the mat and say any of his material outside of those albums exceeded the quality and standard set by Off the Wall andThriller? That any of them were as original or as ground-breaking? Or even as enduring?

If so, please come forward and say so. Otherwise, you're bringing up MJ just to hear the sound of your own voice.

Whatever I think is really beside the point and would not serve to validate or invalidate my point. My issue with you is the fact that you think you can sit here be the judge of other people's posts and opinions like you have some objective facts to back up your subjective ass opinions. If you don't agree, that's one thing. I could respect that, but this shit:

Imaginative said:

To those including MJ's Dangerous and HIStory, I don't really think you understand the thread...

Nope. Take your music snobbery somewhere else. Thanks.

[Edited 6/21/11 23:00pm]

[Edited 6/21/11 23:02pm]

I'm honored. I didn't really read it, but it's a lot of black pixels!

[Edited 6/21/11 23:37pm]

1975: That's the Way of the World

1975: Gratitude

1976: Spirit

1977: All 'N All

1979: I Am

AL Green

1972: Less Stay Together

1972: I'm Still In Love With You

1973: Call Me

1973: Livin For You

Isley Brothers

1974: Live It Up

1975: The Heat Is On

1976: Harvest for the World

1977: Go for Your Guns

1968 Lady Soul

1968 Aretha Now

1969 Soul 69

1969 Soft and Beautiful

Ohio Players

1974 Skin Tight

1974 Climax

1974 Fire

1975 Honey

WAR

1971 All Day Music

1972 The World Is A Ghetto

1973 Deliver The World

1974 Why Can't We Be Friends

The Emotions

1976 Flowers

1977 Rejoice

1977 SunShine

1978 Sunbeam

This is just the tip of the ol' iceberg.

Imaginative said:

I'm honored. I didn't really read it, but it's a lot of black pixels!

[Edited 6/21/11 23:37pm]

AlexdeParis said:

rialb said:

I see that I described Songs in the Key of Life as being "vastly overrated." That's probably going too far but I definitely think it is somewhat overrated. Double albums are often viewed as masterpieces due to their ambition but for me Songs in the Key of Life is probably the weakest of his classic era, it's certainly the least consistent and inferior to Talking Book and Innervisions. A few of the songs go on for much too long and wear out their welcome, I don't think that's true of his other albums from that era. It's still a great album but I'll never understand why it is universally hailed as his greatest.

The Beatles I find interesting for it's diffuseness. The songs are (mostly) great but the band seems to be pulling in different directions. I certainly wouldn't call it a cohesive and focused album but I think that's part if its charm.

See, The Beatles is the double album I'd call overrated. Even if you ignore "Revolution 9" (and that's certainly what I do), there's a little too much filler to put it on the level of Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, and Revolver. OTOH, I definitely think SITKOL sits with Stevie's best. It is clearly above Talking Book IMO. It has an eclectic yet cohesive feel that makes it the very best double album of all time to me. The length of the songs doesn't bother me because I can see why he wanted to ride those grooves (e.g. "Another Star," "As," "Isn't She Lovely"). I usually put it just ahead of Innervisions and FFF as his best, but they are all so close to my ears.

To me Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is terribly overrated. It's not even in my top five Beatles albums. I think it gets too much credit for the production and not enough fault for the (by their standards) poor songwriting. I have a bit of a bias against their "psychedelic" era so that colours my judgement a bit but the songs on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band have always struck me as being among their weakest (with the notable exception of "A Day in the Life").

It's funny that the three "long" songs you mentioned on Songs in the Key of Life are among my favourites. I agree with you completely. I don't think they go on too long at all as they are engaging all the way through. Well, maybe "Isn't She Lovely" goes on a tiny bit too long but the harmonica playing makes up for it. The songs I was referring to were "Love's in Need of Love Today" and "Joy Inside My Tears." If those two songs ended at the three minute mark they would be so much better. The last few minutes of both songs are excruciatingly repetitive! For three minutes straight all he does is repeat the chorus over and over! For me neither one of them is a good song to start with, I find them very slow and lugubrious, but making them much longer than necessary only makes them that much worse. "Black Man" is also a bit too long but I like it much better than the two songs I mentioned above. The horns probably give it a bit of a boost.

What do you think of the sequencing of the album? Particularly side A? ("Love's in Need of Love Today"-"Sir Duke") That's one aspect of the album that I always found somewhat flawed. He starts the album with three consecutive slow/mid tempo songs which kind of open the album in a very sleepy way. After that we get an instrumental before we finally get a shot of energy with "Sir Duke." Maybe I just have a short attention span but I tend to get impatient with that first side in a way that I rarely do with other "classic" albums.

Terence Trent D'Arby:

Neither Fish Nor Flesh

Symphony or Damn

Vibrator

Wildcard

Imaginative said:

I really can't read it, because I'm illiterate.

FTFY

[Edited 6/22/11 8:26am]

Serious said:

Terence Trent D'Arby:

Neither Fish Nor Flesh

Symphony or Damn

Vibrator

Wildcard

Yeah, definitely thought of that one, but it's been so long since I've heard Wildcard. I know I liked it, but not on the level of the other three, which I adore. But even with The Hardline at the front... sick. And each one is so different than the last.

[Edited 6/22/11 8:32am]

Imaginative said:

Serious said:

Terence Trent D'Arby:

Neither Fish Nor Flesh

Symphony or Damn

Vibrator

Wildcard

Yeah, definitely thought of that one, but it's been so long since I've heard Wildcard. I know I liked it, but not on the level of the other three, which I adore. But even with The Hardline at the front... sick. And each one is so different than the last.

[Edited 6/22/11 8:32am]

I prefer Wildcard to NFNF, but I love all 4 of them, Vibrator and Symphony being my faves and I like The Hardline too .

Serious said:

Terence Trent D'Arby:

Neither Fish Nor Flesh

Symphony or Damn

Vibrator

Wildcard

I feel ashamed for not naming this.

sosgemini said:

sosgemini said:

Serious said:

Terence Trent D'Arby:

Neither Fish Nor Flesh

Symphony or Damn

Vibrator

Wildcard

I feel ashamed for not naming this.

U2: The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle & Hum, Achtung Baby

NoVideo said:

U2: The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle & Hum, Achtung Baby

ha! no...

JoeTyler said:

TD3 said:

Great artist. Nice picks.
I'm gonna time-shift a bit and go earlier into his catalog.


[img:$uid]http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf200/f267/f26784op4o1.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c562/c56212v5a15.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf600/f646/f64678m7q2k.jpg[/img:$uid][img:$uid]http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c031/c03184y31co.jpg[/img:$uid]



Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Records

JoeTyler said:

NoVideo said:

U2: The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Rattle & Hum, Achtung Baby

ha! no...

it's the weak link of this era but its better than Pop.

Rattle & Hum could have been much better - cut the live stuff, and add a couple of the b-sides.

NoVideo said:

JoeTyler said:

ha! no...

it's the weak link of this era but its better than Pop.

Yeah, and going with the pre-R&H sequence throws up October.

elmer said:

NoVideo said:

rialb said:

I see that I described Songs in the Key of Life as being "vastly overrated." That's probably going too far but I definitely think it is somewhat overrated. Double albums are often viewed as masterpieces due to their ambition but for me Songs in the Key of Life is probably the weakest of his classic era, it's certainly the least consistent and inferior to Talking Book and Innervisions. A few of the songs go on for much too long and wear out their welcome, I don't think that's true of his other albums from that era. It's still a great album but I'll never understand why it is universally hailed as his greatest.

The Beatles I find interesting for it's diffuseness. The songs are (mostly) great but the band seems to be pulling in different directions. I certainly wouldn't call it a cohesive and focused album but I think that's part if its charm.

I agree with you on your assessment of both the White Album and Songs in the Key of Life.

I respect Stevie but I've never really been able to get into his music that much. It just seems a slog to get through it. I do love R&B/pop and all types of stuff, but maybe it's his voice, maybe it's just his style, I dunno... I wouldn't really judge his albums one way or the other because he's just not for me personally, but others that I know and respect admire his work greatly. But I can't get through

[Edited 6/21/11 17:54pm]

I like Stevie but to me "Innervisions" was overall strong but i love "Songs" but i need to be in that "mood" to throw it on, the "Beatles" despite have a huge amount of songs has almost no filler at all to me. The only thing i can say about it is that its the least group like effort because you dont really hear anyone on each others tracks that much. I view this as a gathering of solo work mostly of Paul and John and George with Ringo tossed in. I think this is when they went solo, not after "Abbey Road". To me this album with tracks like "Glass Onion" "dear prudence" "Im so tired" "julia" "While My guitar" "BlackBird" "I will" "Mother Natures Son" "Birthday" "helter Skelter" "Why dont we do it in the road" shit this album is top notch stuff.

Nightcrawler said:

Metallica Ride The Lightning Master Of Puppets ...And Justice For All Metallica

I can't deal with the absolutely piss-weak drum sound on ...And Justice For All

Imaginative said:

elmer said:

Yeah, and going with the pre-R&H sequence throws up October.

And loses Achtung, their best IMO. [Edited 6/22/11 17:05pm]

Exactly.

If their next album is as good as their last 3, U2's best sequence might be their 4 most recent.

Although I doubt they'll ever top "Achtung Baby" as their finest single accomplishment.

NoVideo said:

Imaginative said:

elmer said: And loses Achtung, their best IMO. [Edited 6/22/11 17:05pm]

Exactly.

If their next album is as good as their last 3, U2's best sequence might be their 4 most recent.

Although I doubt they'll ever top "Achtung Baby" as their finest single accomplishment.

I agree on that, i think U2's latest output is some of their best yet, i do feel that "Achtung" owed alot to INXS's "Welcome to Wherever You Are" Michael and Bono were tight back then and alot of ideas and imagery was being borrowed. with that said

Add INXS "x" "Welcome to Wherever You Are" "full Moon Dirty Hearts" "elegantly wasted"

and honestly they would be there for "Shooboh Shoobah" "The Swing" "listen Like Thieves" and "KICK" so chalk them up for an 8 album sequence, though a live record and best of were in the middle of the 4's.

Imaginative said:

elmer said:

Yeah, and going with the pre-R&H sequence throws up October.

And loses Achtung, they're best IMO.

Definitely. It's been years since I've listened to U2, but I think for me ZooRopa'd be right up there as well.

lastdecember said:

NoVideo said:

Exactly.

If their next album is as good as their last 3, U2's best sequence might be their 4 most recent.

Although I doubt they'll ever top "Achtung Baby" as their finest single accomplishment.

I agree on that, i think U2's latest output is some of their best yet, i do feel that "Achtung" owed alot to INXS's "Welcome to Wherever You Are" Michael and Bono were tight back then and alot of ideas and imagery was being borrowed. with that said

Add INXS "x" "Welcome to Wherever You Are" "full Moon Dirty Hearts" "elegantly wasted"

and honestly they would be there for "Shooboh Shoobah" "The Swing" "listen Like Thieves" and "KICK" so chalk them up for an 8 album sequence, though a live record and best of were in the middle of the 4's.

What was the album after Kick?

sosgemini said:

lastdecember said:

I agree on that, i think U2's latest output is some of their best yet, i do feel that "Achtung" owed alot to INXS's "Welcome to Wherever You Are" Michael and Bono were tight back then and alot of ideas and imagery was being borrowed. with that said

Add INXS "x" "Welcome to Wherever You Are" "full Moon Dirty Hearts" "elegantly wasted"

and honestly they would be there for "Shooboh Shoobah" "The Swing" "listen Like Thieves" and "KICK" so chalk them up for an 8 album sequence, though a live record and best of were in the middle of the 4's.

What was the album after Kick?

"X" came after "Kick", and it's the weak link IMHO.

I think their best works are "Welcome to Wherever You Are" and "Full Moon Dirty Hearts". 2 tragically undervalued albums.

The Max Q album was also very very good.