"the greatest four-record run in rock history"

Consistency is not really the best ideal to shoot for in rock, I think. Good artists are consistent, great artists are not. The best 4-record run would be the one in which each album stands apart from the others as a unique creation in its own right. Too many of these suggestions are bands that hit their stride and then put out 4 examples of their signature style before falling off. Admirable, but not really thrilling. I think the best example so far of a band that reinvented themselves over a series of albums while still able to do no wrong was the Beatles from "Rubber Soul" through "The Beatles".

Using that criteria, I'd say the Velvets hands down.

Wow, in the six years since I last posted, there's at least one band I'd add. Still sort of a cult band that appeals to a small audience I suppose, but hard for me to imagine anyone who likes any sort of guitar rock not appreciating them, and the progress they made with each album.

Colour Haze

Los Sounds de Krauts
Colour Haze
Tempel
All

I'd add their earlier albums for a stellar 7 album run, or 8, if She Said ever comes out! I might add Ufomammut soon too...

Using o. nate's criteria, Neil Young's run of Everybody Knows > After The Gold Rush > Harvest > On The Beach totally qualifies.

they've been mentioned several times, but sonic youth's run from evol through goo is all-time for me, both by o nate's "constant reinvention" criteria, and just as albums i love from front to back

With the Who, I feel like you could start pretty much anywhere, as long as you ended with (or before, I still can't decide) Who Are You (and I'd include Live At Leeds).

Using o nate's criteria, I say Black Sabbath.

You skipped Time Fades Away, unless you're counting it as a live album--I wouldn't. (Even though it is...)

Bill Magill: whatever you think of Christgau, give this a listen--my favourite Wussy song, and one of my favourite songs ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGCTCi_NU84

I will definitely listen.

I actually think what o.nate says is really OTM, as easy and fun as it is to list great four-album runs, it's hard to do what he's talking about without skipping stuff, like say In the Court-Lizard-Lark's Tongues-Red

also, I think the four Eno vocal albums count! none of them are really like the other ones

Orbital's too. I guess it's not that hard

I am awaiting the fourth Portishead album so I can list them here

also, I think the four Eno vocal albums count! none of them are really like the other ones

yeah, that's easily one of my favorite four-record runs, and the progress from album to album is remarkable

this wussy song is odd. didn't initially like the dude's vocals or the jingle-jangle guitar style, but i love the female singer and the way their voices work together. and the fuzz guitar provides such a massive lift when it comes in. not an immediate all-favorite song or anything (youtube uploader compares it w "fairytale of new york" ffs), but damn good. now want to hear more wussy.

god, that name

I actually think what o.nate says is really OTM, as easy and fun as it is to list great four-album runs, it's hard to do what he's talking about without skipping stuff

i dunno, i kind of hate prescriptive music-evaluation rules of that sort. "progress" is or can be of value, but it's not an absolute good, and music isn't necessarily any worse for its apparent absence.

Wow...I had the exact same reaction. Something about the guy's vocals smacked of folkie earnestness, but I still want to hear more of their stuff.

xp

i dunno, i kind of hate prescriptive music-evaluation rules of that sort. "progress" is or can be of value, but it's not an absolute good, and music isn't necessarily any worse for its apparent absence.

I know what you mean, if an artist has four great albums, I don't care if they're similar, alike, purple, green, as long as they're great, I have enough variety on my 'pod - however it does kinda change leave this as a "post your favorite" thread

Compare Sabotage or Sabbath Bloody Sabbath to Paranoid. Those were completely different bands. Plus you have the superheavy space-rock psychedelia of Master of Reality and the coked-out California jazz-metal from hell of Vol. 4. Oh, and the debut album that started the most enduring sub-genre of rock music. Take your pick of which four you want to put in a row, and it blows any band on this thread to pieces.

yes, but you're bill magill, so...

i dunno, i kind of hate prescriptive music-evaluation rules of that sort. "progress" is or can be of value, but it's not an absolute good, and music isn't necessarily any worse for its apparent absence.

I agree, and I never used the word "progress". I'm just saying that to me the process of reinvention (not progress towards some imagined ideal) makes for a harder challenge and a more interesting run of albums to consider.

well, okay, sub "reinvention" for progress. i apologize for paraphrasing you badly, but my objection is still the same. i'm not sure it's any harder to find four truly great and radically divergent albums in a row than it is to find four great and similar ones. i suppose that die-hard fans of a particular favorite sound might be relatively easy to please, but there are plenty of undiscerning fans of "progress", "reinvention" and "originality" on the other side to balance the scales.

i'm not sure it's any harder to find four truly great and radically divergent albums in a row than it is to find four great and similar ones.

I do think it's harder, but on the other hand I don't think that just because something is harder to do, that makes the end result more valuable. No doubt there are many great bands who found one great style and largely stuck to it, and often I prefer listening to them.

yes, but you're bill magill, so...

― Fozzy Osbourne (contenderizer), Friday, March 23, 2012 3:57 PM (44 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

meaning?

you have been known to like you some black sabbath, bill

not THE best, but Steve Miller Band's first four albums (five, even) has to be one of the very best rock album runs of the 60s.

you have been known to like you some black sabbath, bill

― Fozzy Osbourne (contenderizer), Friday, March 23, 2012 4:45 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag

hahahah, got it. yes, i'm biased, i admit it.

sabbath is one of the most loved bands in ilx history!

The Smiths
Meat Is Murder
The Queen Is Dead
Strangeways, Here We Come

Boom.

whimper

Thanks for mentioning Wussy. I've only sampled a few songs, but they seem promising, and I love "Wrist Rocket".

hmmm not sure about this Wussy, seem like a poor man's Ass Ponys

ha did you read the christgau writeup? that's basically literally true

They'll be covering this in the Sound Opinions show tomorrow: http://www.soundopinions.org/episodes

“The best grand slams in pop history.” It (show #518) should be available for streaming tomorrow morning, and download in iTunes.

I started writing about four album runs, but got more interested in six album runs, heh: http://fastnbulbous.com/who-had-the-best-six-album-run/

A Quietus review of a Pavement reissue 9 years ago with some hyperbolic statements about that band prompted me to do this: http://fastnbulbous.com/whos-the-best-band-of-the-90s/

I control+F'd Kanye on that post and nothing came up

Well, I tried it and it came up once.

Six album run - how bout Nursery Cryme/Foxtort/Selling England by the Pound/The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway/Trick of the Tail/Wind and Wuthering ?

The first six TMBG albums. I don't care, I love 'em.

First six Elvis Costello albums too. Well, you have to kick out Almost Blue.

Gentle Giant from Acquiring the Taste to Free Hand. Flawless, every one of them.

I dunno, Magma? Kinda hard to think of them in terms of albums but 1001 Degrees Centigrade to Attahk is a hell of a run.

Yes, you can go TYA/Fragile/Close to the Edge/Tales/Relayer/GFTO. Now that I like Tales I'd say this one works.

Grotesque/Hex Enduction Hour/Perverted By Language/The Wonderful and Frightening World Of.../This Nation's Saving Grace/Bend Sinister

nothing else comes remotely close IMO

(if you want to count Slates as an album then the span gets even stronger)

the problem with that is that Room To Live is in there between Hex and Perverted, otherwise I totally agree

dammit

RTL is kind of a mini album though

I still think it's fine.

Overkill/Bomber/Ace of Spades/Iron Fist/Another Perfect Day/Orgasmatron - after that a definite drop.

And I'm not sure if you can honestly put Slayer there - unless you're counting live albums, the drop after Seasons In The Abyss is too big.

Call the Doctor / Dig Me Out / The Hot Rock / All Hands On The Bad One / One Beat / The Woods / No Cities To Love

Sleater-Kinney's output is remarkable.

duty bound to complement this hilarious decade-old thread with On Land And In The Sea through Guns

The Residents, first 7 albums.

Super Furry Animals' five album run from 1997-2003: Radiator, Guerrilla, Mwng, Rings Around The World and Phantom Power. Their golden period. Anything they did after that just couldn't compete, and didn't.

4 album run: Judas Priest.

Sad Wings of Destiny / Sin After Sin / Stained Class / Killing Machine

Gish / Siamese Dream / Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness / Adore