best three song sequence

[Vykromond]

it has to be on an album

and it has to be OF ALL TIME

as in a three song consecutive sequence on an album, consisting of three songs that complement each other well and are all perfect or near-perfect

an example: "climbing up the walls," "no surprises," "lucky," (rh- 'okc' trx 9-11) which is one of the best but doesn't get my vote- they're all great songs, probably the three best on the album, but as a sequence they don't do anything SPECIAL special.

here's what does get my vote: "thriller," "beat it," "billie jean," which is 'thriller' trx 4-6. you have the epic, orchestrated one, and then he strips it back down for the pulsating middle track, and then you go nuts with one of the best songs of all time. they also occupy the middle of 'thriller,' keeping you from hating the (not so good) first three tracks and last three tracks.

[Rion.]

Hey asshole... Fuck you and your shitty music!

I have too many to go for an "ALL TIME" - I listen to so much music I'd find it incredibly difficult to even give you a top 5 of all time.

But one of the ones I really like off the top of my head is the start of Strapping Young Lad's album, City.

1. Velvet Kevorkian
2. All Hail The New Flesh
3. Oh My Fucking God

Velvet Kevorkian is more or less an intro track, just over a minute long... But it gets the album off to a great start, building up to the kick in the face that is All Hail The New Flesh. At the end of All Hail, it ends somewhat abruptly and you hear a heart monitor, and the next song starts... It's hard to explain, but it's one of those things when something fits so well that it just owns. :|

Not everyone's cup of tea, and if I spent a while looking through CD's I could probably find a better example, but that's one I love off the top of my head.

[SpiderMage]

'm going to have to agree with the Michael Jackson one.

[FatherG]

I'm surprised you didn't pick The Wall. Damn near all of the tracks mesh/compliment either other in way way or another.

Colonel Claypools Bucket Of Bernie Brains - The Big Eyeball In The Sky

1. Buckethead
2. Thai Noodles
3. Tyranny Of The Hunt

Those three tracks combine and are morphed in track 4. Elephant Ghost. It sounds weird but pick up the album and you'll hear what I mean.

Funny thing about your Micheal pick Vyk; parts of this Claypool album talk about ole Jack-o

Runner up:

Disillusion - Back To Times of Splendor
2. Fall
3. Alone I Stand In Fires
4. Back to Times of Splendor

[za gophar]

off the top of my head

mean mr mustard
polythene pam
she came in through the bathroom window

on the beatle's abbey road. it just has an awesome flow.

uh, i also like modest mouse's world at large >float on >ocean breathes salty

[RogerMexico]

The Velvet Underground - "Velvet Underground"

2. "Some Kinda Love"
3. "Pale Blue Eyes"
4. "Jesus"



Not sure that can't be beaten easily, but I'm in.

[Cylor]

I've got three of em:

Leftover Crack - Fuck World Trade
(Tracks 2-4)
"Life is Pain"
"Burn Them Prisons"
"Gang Control"

Cursive - The Ugly Organ
(Tracks 2-4)
"Some Red Handed Sleight of Hand"
"Art is Hard"
"The Recluse"

Counting Crows - August and Everything After
(Tracks 1-3)
"Round Here"
"Omaha"
"Mr. Jones"

Note: The whole Counting Crows album is amazing, so I could easily list all their songs. Oh, and I tried to not pick ones everybody else would choose (i.e. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.) because everyone knows they're amazing.

Note#2 (and the reason for editting): Jason will hit on this but I just realized how well the Unicorns' album blends insanely well.

[Vykromond]

I can't stand the Unicorns. But then, I can't stand Ted Leo's new album, either. And I guess the Unicorns tracks do blend well, but it's really "melange-of-terribleness" blending we're talking about here.

The Ugly Organ is a good choice, though I'm not sure if I'd pick that three-song sequence. I'll have to listen to the album again.

Father G, I haven't listened to either of the two albums you brought up; I'll check them out.

Here's one: Cat Power, 'You Are Free,' trx 5-7: "Werewolf," "Fool," "He War." Not the best, but an excellent sequence of bare-bones -> melodic -> aggressive that showcases Marshall's newfound range on the album.

[Vykromond]

uh, i also like modest mouse's world at large >float on >ocean breathes salty

It's funny you bring up Good News For People Who Love Bad News, because its track sequencing has gotten a LOT of shit. If I had to go for a three-song sequence off it, I'd probably do the last three. The ones you picked have this dense/sparse/dense ordering thing that I'm not a huge fan of, and "Ocean Breathes Salty" is by far the weak link of the three.

The Velvet Underground - "Velvet Underground"

2. "Some Kinda Love"
3. "Pale Blue Eyes"
4. "Jesus"

Nice. I'm not sure if there's a particular three-song sequence on And Nico that's actually better than this, even though it's the immediate response.

Maybe "Femme Fatale," "Venus in Furs," "Run Run Run." They almost tell a story, don't they?



EDIT: Here's another one- the Avalanches, 'Since I Left You,' trx 9-11: "A Different Feeling," "Electricity," "Tonight." They might not be the standout tracks, but they're one hell of a trio.

[Mayo Inc.]

Things Done Changed
Gimmie The Loot
Machine Gun Funk

or

Rosa Parks
Skew it on the Bar-B
Aquemini

that's so goooooooood hip hop

[Battlecat]

I agree with the Abbey Road one, but those aren't the best songs on the cd. The first two are the greatest. Not to mention Her Majesty.

As for my best three in a row. Without must hesitation I'd say in Oasis' album Whats the Story (Morning Glory) songs 2-4, which are "Roll With It," "Wonderwall," and "Don't Look Back In Anger." That whole album to me is still the best CD I ever bought, and I've had it since 1995.

[Verthanthi]

Just about any three set off of doolittle, but thats a cheating answer.

So let's go with tracks 8-10 on Mercury Rev's Deserter's Song.

Starting with the bittersweet Goddess on a Hiway. "Well, I got us on the hiway and I got us in the car, I got us going faster than we ever gone before." Though the lyrics seem to suggest powerful and wonderful, the music of the verses is tired and mellow. Then, the lyrics and the music flipflop for the chorus. With added instrumentation and an increased temp, suddenly we have some sunshine. But Jonathon laments, "And I know it ain't gonna last ... when i see your eyes explode like to bugs on glass". The final verse perverts the original image of speeding to victory by chaging the "got us" to "goddess", suggesting someone drunk and self destructive behind the wheel.

Then we slow down another step, with Funny Bird. Again, the choruses (now wordless) take on a quicker tempo. But where in Goddess they were celebretory, here they are frustration and anger. The end announces itself with a suicide, "Farewell golden sound, No one wants to hear you now, and of all the happy ends, i wouldn't wish this on a friend, but you're the only one I know...".

The backwards music/lyrics of Goddess suggest an ambivelence. When he enjoys the heights, he fears the end. When he sees the end, he remembers the heights and perhaps deciedes that they were worth it. The final verse sets up Funny Bird perfectly by stripping that ambivelence out. By Funny Bird, we've forgotten the glory, or rather we've forgotten how it felt. There was something, but unable to hold onto the memory, we only know one thing. The angry choruses rage against the loss, the mellow verses mourn it.

Enter "Pick Up If You're There". Dark. Something resembeling the upper registers of an organ haunt the opening until a warmer sound picks up. But even with the warmth (which doesn't stay) it's a closing warmth. Worse, when the warmth dies away it's replaced by what I think is a saw (I know they use it sometimes) which chills us even more. Slowly, the love of Goddess is gone, and even the life of the anger from Funny Bird has died. It's self pitying, but it draws an excellent close to the chapter.

[za gophar]

I agree with the Abbey Road one, but those aren't the best songs on the cd. The first two are the greatest. Not to mention Her Majesty.

As for my best three in a row. Without must hesitation I'd say in Oasis' album Whats the Story (Morning Glory) songs 2-4, which are "Roll With It," "Wonderwall," and "Don't Look Back In Anger." That whole album to me is still the best CD I ever bought, and I've had it since 1995.

yeah, my absolute favorite from abbey road is "here comes the sun." they really all are good though.

i also own "whats the story morning glory" (yes i bought it). my favorite song on that one is "Cast No Shadow," one of the best songs i have ever heard. it reminds me of diaspora (which i think you played).

[Richard Creager]

Just about any three set off of doolittle, but thats a cheating answer.

I'm a big fan of the "Palace of the Brine"-"Letter to Memphis"-"Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" set on Trompe Le Monde.

Rog- These are the ones that I think beats it.
Loaded
-New Age
-Head Held High
-Lonesome Cowboy Bill
Velvet Underground
-Jesus
-Beginning To See
-I'm Set Free
& Nico
-Heroin
-There she goes again
-I'll Be Your Mirror

Best set of all time though, hmm.
I'm going to have to say the opening set on Interpol's "fukd i.d.3" ep, because those versions of the songs are so much better on it. Followed closely by "Novocain Stain"-"Tundra/Desert"-"Ohio" on Modest Mouse's This is a long title that im not typing out but i just did the same if not more amount of work album.

[genocidal]

Oh fuck yes. Give me:
Radiohead - Kid A
1) Everything In Its Right Place
2) Kid A
3) The National Anthem

Or

Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
1) Fight Test
2) One more Robot
3) Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Part 1

BTW, the Abbey Road medley is a great progression. Fuck the whole CD is a good progression.