Since The Wire is gone forever, my Sunday night television schedule is completely vacant — sorry, Paul Giamatti in a wig wasn't enough to tempt me. Instead, I finally tore the plastic on Runnin' Down a Dream, Peter Bogdanovich's epic, two-DVD documentary covering the entire career of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Since it clocks in at four hours, I didn't get through the whole film, but halfway through the first disc, record producer-turned-executive Jimmy Iovine said something that caught my attention.
In his still-thick New Yawk accent, Iovine opines that an artist's third record is typically their strongest. To paraphrase him: A debut LP usually features compositions that the musicians has been tinkering with for a decade, so the songs are amazing, but the recording is raw and unpolished. The follow-up LP usually suffers because it's rushed and put together in less than a year, thus the famous sophomore slump. Then, with their career on the line, musicians works extra hard to make the third album be a keeper. Iovine's examples? Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Patti Smith's Easter, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes.
He's being a bit self-serving here; Iovine engineered the Bruce album, and produced the other two. But it's still an idea that kept me thinking about this theory on my subway ride this morning.
Arguments for: Elvis Costello's Armed Forces, Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell, A Tribe Called Quest's Midnight Marauders, Radiohead's OK Computer, the Clash's London Calling.
Arguments against: Led Zeppelin, Spoon, Van Morrison, the Beatles.
What do you think? What are other career-best third albums? Is three the magic number?
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spiffy | May 31, 2009 4:49 AM
welcome to sky valley - the best third
lala | February 8, 2009 2:45 AM
Pearl Jam's Vitalogy anyone?
mattgee | March 28, 2008 8:36 PM
um...actually U2 is a prime example. "Boy" was a decent debut. They followed it with "October," which was a complete piece of shit. It was so rushed, Bono wrote lyrics on the road, lost them, and had to make most of them up in the studio. After that, they recorded "War," one of the best albums they ever made.
Joey | March 25, 2008 7:50 PM
I totally agree. I've been saying the same thing for years. The third album is usually a bands masterpiece.
Nick D | March 25, 2008 4:39 PM
The Black Crowes- Amorica
Jim | March 24, 2008 7:16 PM
Hmmm...Electric Ladyland wasn't bad.
j | March 21, 2008 2:33 PM
This is a stoopid theory. Any recording artist will tell you their best album is the one they are working on now.
Matt | March 19, 2008 3:38 PM
No one mentioned Master of Puppets yet? Awesome third album.
Jungleland | March 18, 2008 2:53 PM
2nd Albums
Jellyfish
Black Crowes
Living Colour
The Killers
Oasis
3rd Albums
Matthew Sweet
Georgia Satellies
Smithereens
Elvis Costello
Led Zeppelin III
ZZ Top
ROCKSTAR70 | March 18, 2008 11:36 AM
I think that theory sucks!
BUT.....TOYS IN THE ATTIC by AEROSMITH is a great claim to the theory.
marky | March 18, 2008 9:41 AM
I like to drink to cool songs like the rolling stones and stuff. i am reelly glad to be back talking with other cool people like you. i missed you. where is elizabeth goodman? i love her. marky.
Evan | March 18, 2008 2:45 AM
Actually, counting "1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours" and "Kerplunk," Green Day's 3rd album was "Dookie."
Benjamen | March 17, 2008 9:34 PM
Some of the names mentioned that didn't have great third albums had great second albums, avoiding the sophomore slump:
Coldplay
Foo Fighters
Green Day
Led Zeppelin
Van Morrison
Maybe the theory applies to bands who survive a sophomore slump and actually make a third effort. Also, maybe it is more applicable any time a band with promise makes a bad record - they are forced to rededicate themselves to regain the respect and appreciation of their fans (i.e. rededicate to keep the money coming in).
trends | March 17, 2008 6:34 PM
Really, I think the peak is determined by how the band evolves, emotionally and musically and how quickly and directly they emphasize the heart of what they want to talk about. If a band is still growing, then several albums into their career they will still be fresh with ideas, whereas a band that has not had any profound changes in their mindset will become boring after reproducing the same ideas again and again. This is true of both musical style, and the lyrical content of their albums.
Look at Tool. Other than Opiate and Undertow(which they had recorded some of Undertow during the same time as Opiate so it makes sense), the subject matter and musical style both change quite a bit. They remind me of the Beatles or Pink Floyd how much they have changed.
Including their EP Opiate, this theory holds. Most say Ænima was their best. I personally am just slightly more partial to Lateralus, but I can understand that point of view.
I think in general however, this theory doesn't consider this idea of stagnation of ideas. It certainly holds true if the artist in question has no limit of inspiration(thus making professional knowhow and pressure to perform the only variables) but that obviously doesn't work for the bands the music industry pumps and dumps year after year. So, you have two groups really: artists and the one trick ponies. With the exception of the super pop stars that get absurd numbers of fans, most of the later group falls into obscurity by the third album.
bersekelyman | March 17, 2008 6:25 PM
Conceptually one would think it would be viable, but it doesn't really hold up. Some more examples where it doesn't: Van Halen, Foo Fighters, Green Day, U2, Coldplay.