Best Ever Albums

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Facetious — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:36:46 GMT

Author: Facetious

Posted: 03/17/2013 06:36

dividesbyzero wrote:

Rubber Soul perhaps? I know it's not particularly "difficult", but it marks that important Beatles' artistic shift

Rubber Soul is overrated, that artistic shift had already begun on I'll Be Back on A Hard Day's Night and No Reply, I'm a Loser, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party and What You're Doing on Beatles for Sale.

As for the topic, best examples are:

Third - Soft Machine
Trout Mask Replica - Magic Band
New Picnic Time - Pere Ubu
The Faust Tapes - Faust
Tago Mago - Can
Ummagumma - Pink Floyd (unless you count More)
MBV - My Bloody Valentine (maybe)
Half Machine Lip Moves - Chrome (maybe)

Re: The Difficult Third Album

sheep21 — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:38:15 GMT

Author: sheep21

Posted: 03/16/2013 22:38

Never thought of it this way but now that you point it out, I can see logic behind this theory.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Mercury — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 18:35:43 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 03/16/2013 22:35

Ochurch25 wrote:

An album that is a challenge for the band to create and/or for the audience to listen to. It is also known as 'third album syndrome.' This explains: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/27/when-bands-fall-off-cliffs

OK Computer is on slightly a difficult third album.

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Not to be difficult or anything but that linked article doesn't discuss this at all. I have heard of this phenomenon though. Another good example is Master of Puppets by Metallica.

Or Electric Ladyland by Hendrix Experience is another great example.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:46:29 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 21:46

I don't know if it's always the third album for a band which signifies a turn to a "difficult" sound, but there sure are a lot of artists who won wider recognition with their third studio album. Some examples are War, The Man Who Sold The World, Alligator, The Suburbs (well, they were gaining a lot of love already by the time Funeral was recognized by Pitchfork, but that album gave them a status of kind-of super-stardom), Born To Run, Parklife, Urban Hymns, The Marshall Mathers LP, London Calling and the list goes on...

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:42:57 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:42

MrFrogger wrote:

That's their 2nd album.

But I guess I would say The Moon and Antarctica, although it's not really that hard to get into.

Like OChurch said: Some people say third, some second, some fourth.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:40:02 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:40

Rubber Soul perhaps? I know it's not particularly "difficult", but it marks that important Beatles' artistic shift

Re: The Difficult Third Album

MrFrogger — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:33:38 GMT

Author: MrFrogger

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:33

JMan wrote:

Well, a difficult album for me would be Neon Bible. People say it's great, but I don't understand it.

That's their 2nd album.

But I guess I would say The Moon and Antarctica, although it's not really that hard to get into.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:32:08 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:32

I've never ran into a difficult album, just albums I like and don't like.

How about this? Justin Bieber's content is all good, but it's just difficult to get into?

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:31:34 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:31

Well, a difficult album for me would be Neon Bible. People say it's great, but I don't understand it.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Norman Bates — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:30:49 GMT

Author: Norman Bates

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:30

Portishead, Third.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:29:51 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:29

dividesbyzero wrote:

is "third album" just the title for this phenomenon, or does it actually need to be a third album to qualify? Because Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk comes to mind, though it is their fourth album. I guess Colour of Spring was also somewhat "difficult"

I don't know, some say second, some say third and some say fourth.
To be fair, I think Kid A is a more difficult album than OK Computer.

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:27:10 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:27

is "third album" just the title for this phenomenon, or does it actually need to be a third album to qualify? Because Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk comes to mind, though it is their fourth album. I guess Colour of Spring was also somewhat "difficult"

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:21:02 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:21

JMan wrote:

What do you mean by "difficult"?

Re: The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:15:36 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:15

What do you mean by "difficult"?

The Difficult Third Album

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 14:10:27 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 03/16/2013 18:10

Which do you think is the most recognisably difficult third album?

Radiohead - OK Computer