Here are the rules:

1. They must be the same artist's albums recorded under their name. Can't do, for example, Purple Rain and Apollonia 6. Can do "Innervisions" and "Fulfillingness' First Finale." But, I won't (even though those two do kick my tail thoroughly).

2. You can reference the artist's musical context or overall ouevre (I managed an ouevre use word geek alert).

Mine will be from Mr. Harry Connick Jr.


"She"


"Star Turtle"

I'd been ensnared by Connick's jazz and swing chops, my sophomore year of college with "Blue Light, Red Light." The man's voice (equal parts Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Donny Hathaway) raspily, smoothly complemented his jazzy arrangements. Then there was his piano playing... By the time he'd hit big with that stuff, America probably had written him off as a throwback artist who could hang in only one genre. I was happy enough with the magic of "BL,RL" -- it was excellent and romantic.

"She" dropped a couple of years later. I wasn't ready for the left turn, Harry had taken. Gone were the jazz brass charts, for the most part. They turned up as samples. He still played piano. But, he was playing ... killing Hammond B-3... and he was playing bass and guitar -- and playing them well. Subtly, tastefully. Add HC to the one-man band club. He can burn.

His homage to Wings, Stevie Wonder, Prince and other cats floored me. And, just to prove, I guess, that it wasn't a fluke, he did it again on "Star Turtle." More great songwriting. Fewer touches of funk, more pop and Top 40 rock. And, his evocation of Donny Hathaway on "Just Like Me" is amazing. He can blow.

Don't let the Broadway runs, "South Pacific" stint and "Will & Grace" role fool you: Harry Connick Jr. has soul. Tons of it. And, chops for days.

Picking up on new things is one of the main reasons I visit this site.

There are lots of great back-to-back albums, so I’m just going to start with a lay-up:

Around The World In A Day
Parade

Stymie said:

Do tell.

ThreadBare said:

ATWIAD was such a huge departure from Purple Rain. It was trippy hippie and it chased all the bandwagoners away. I loved the album from the moment I heard it. It solidified my connection to P's music.

Then came Parade, which, to this day, makes me joyful to listen to. Much like Lovesexy, it has to be played as a whole.

If I think about it, the same can be said about Parade/SOTT or SOTT/Lovesexy.

Stymie said:

I agree.

Kid A
Amnesiac

[Edited 3/31/08 20:26pm]

Released on the same day and lyrically excellent (good tunes, too!). Remember when Lauryn Hill said that "Fantasy is what people want, but reality is what they need"? These albums have reality up the ying-yang.

74 - 75


75 - 76


77 - 77


78 - 79




.... Yeah I went there.

too many more to list...I'm tired.
[Edited 3/31/08 23:27pm]

destiny- off the wall

or off the wall - thriller

ThreadBare said:

Wow! I've been on Harry high for the past three weeks! Thanks for this post. 'She' really is the masterpiece of the two, but still these two albums work excellent back to back! I prefer this pop side to the jazzy croon or instrumental albums. It seems his latest 'new orleans songs' is closest to these albums as anything.

Also that 'Songs I heard' was pretty good! Dang the man is versatile! The pictures from his christmas albums make me laugh out loud!

Btw, is Harry well known in the US? In europe I don't think he is...
[Edited 4/1/08 2:13am]

- too bad about Controvery and ATWIAD, though they're pleasant enough.




















- no, I don't count Selmasongs, as it's specifically a movie tie-in.


- ditto for I'm Breathless.


- too bad about Don't Shoot Me and Caribou, because I could add Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic here.

Damn! Some of you are cheating.

But these are truly some fantastic albums, coupled with some new intrigue.

any 2 of Beck's discography

any 2 of Prince's discography

any 2 Bob Dylan's discography

any 2 of Aerosmith's discography

any 2 of David Bowie's discography

any 2 of Jimi Hendrix's discography



also:

Evil Empire and The Battle Of Los Angeles - Rage Against The Machine

Gorillaz and Demon Days - Gorillaz

Fly - Home



Dixie Chicks

theodore said:

Ditto this and add...TAKING THE LONG WAY... for me!

..

co-sign Led Zeppelin first 1 albums

Natalie Cole's
Thankful/Unpredictable/Live! trio...

Aretha has a good run
in the mid 70's too
but I'm too lazy to find the artwork
plus it's time to go!!!

***yes I cheated a couple times *giggle*
[Edited 4/1/08 14:27pm]

BILL WITHERS:
JUST AS I AM


STILL BILL

Prince - Dirty Mind/Controversy
Rick James - Street Songs/Throwin' Down
Cameo - Knights of the Sound Table/Alligator Woman
The Gap Band - III/IV
The Barkays - Nightcruising/Propositions
Midnight Star - No Parking On The Dance Floor/Planetary Invasion
Zapp - II/III
Lakeside - Rough Riders/Fanstastic Voyage
The Jacksons - Destiny/Triumph

StarMon said:





This album came between "Fantastic Voyage" and "Your Wish Is My Command". It got absolutely no radio airplay in my area.

Badmotorfinger & Superunknown - Soundgarden

THE SKY'S GONE OUT and BURNING FROM THE INSIDE by Bauhaus

it's hard sometimes for me to remember that these are two separate albums instead of one big double-sized masterpiece. "burning" is just the tiniest bit weaker than "sky's gone out", but only because you can hear the transition of peter murphy and the love & rockets boys as they go their separate ways...and they all went on to great solo careers, so even if it's unfocused as a bauhaus album, it's still a great preview of what would come after the break up.

all the while, "burning from the inside" manages to sustain the epic darkness and dadaist angst of the fully-realized "the sky's gone out".

good stuff, both of 'em.

My applause for those of you who posted only two albums by only one artist.

Here's a tip to the rest of you (whose post I still enjoyed): Other Orgers might be unfamiliar with the artist whose work you're praising. By EXPLAINING why those two albums stand out from that artist's work before (or even after) you stand a greater chance of explaining to potential fans why they should check out those albums.

That means more than posting an artist's albums from a 10-year span, or posting two albums from multiple artists.


Thanks!



.
[Edited 4/1/08 16:27pm]

Sander said:

"She" has a wonderful lineup of music. Diversity and mastery on most of those tracks. I agree that it's the better of the two.

The thing I like about "Star Turtle," though is that it's a concept album. And, amid vignettes about the interstellar turtle, Harry lays down some amazing music (while playing multiple instruments and multitracking his voice), he throws in humor (you can hear "Joe Slam and th Spaceship" playing on the stereo of a passing car during one of the segues) and he tells a weird story all at the same time. All the while, you get the sense that HC wanted to do something different on all sorts of levels. And, he comes off successfully, I'd wager, on them all.

He's probably seen more as a cult/marginal music star -- though his participation in helping New Orleans rebuild has probably broadened his consideration beyond a music star, almost as much as his acting has.