3×3
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Original photo found on Vinyl Revinyl
I grew up listening to music on vinyl records – 45’s, 78’s and 33 1/3’s. From the time I was just a kid listening to those Disney songs, then graduating to pop music, rock and roll and heavy metal, I loved putting a record on the turntable and playing my favorite artists.
As a teen, my favorite was always to play the entire side of an album, letting each song track into the next. By the end of the last track on the album, I was in musical ecstasy.
Going back as far as thirty-two years, there have been three albums that I listen to on a regular basis where I really love the flow of the last three songs on each of these albums. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t listen to all three and sometimes more than once [seriously]. There’s just something about each one of these that really resonates and connects with me.
But it goes beyond how these songs sound to me. It’s how they were originally placed onto the album by the band. They are all connected, running from one song to the next without a break – most prominently on two of the three albums. The term is called gapless playback and the design of many albums that incorporated this were most likely attempting to connect them all together in a way to create a musical montage – a story to be told, note by note – without interruption.
So without further explanation, here are the 3×3 albums/songs.
The Cars “The Cars” – 1978
Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 7 – “Bye Bye Love”
This song and the two that follow it were sung by Benjamin Orr, who was the bass player for the band. While he is most famous for the lead vocals of the song “Drive” on the album “Heartbeat City”, it was his powerful voice, which is similar to that of Ric Ocasek’s, that cemented the beauty and awe of this song as a stand out track on this debut album. “I can’t feel this way much longer/expecting to survive” then the common musical keyboard riff on repeat. Add in a guitar solo, the enunciated and sped up vocals “Substitution/Massconfusion/Clouds Inside Your Head” and then bring back the repeats towards the end of the song as it works right into the next track.
Track 8 – “Moving In Stereo”
The last few bars of “Bye Bye Love” flow into the eery and haunting reverb of this song. The lyrics are simple, yet strong. “Life’s the same/I’m moving in stereo”, brilliantly mixed in stereo. Listening to this song in an acoustically-sound room [or at least a nice room with hardwood floors] provides a type of echo that only this song can be enjoyed in. Now put on a pair of nice headphones, preferably over the ear. Wow. Just Fucking Wow. The back and forth stereo mix adds a trippy level as the sound moves from left to right.
Track 9 – “All Mixed Up”
As “Moving In Stereo” fades out it’s psychedelic sounds, it’s morphs into the calming “All Mixed Up” Part love song, part regret and part guitar solo genius. But all of the keyboards and synths are where the real meat of the song takes place. Benjamin sings “She tricks me into thinking/I can’t believe my eyes” on the vocal track, keyboards in unison on another. Let’s add the sythesized cymbal tings and the repeated ending lyrics of “she said to leave it to me/it will be alright” and you have one of the best endings to an album.
Tears For Fears “Songs From The Big Chair” – 1985
Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 6 – “Broken”
Technically speaking, it’s the last four songs that are connected without gaps on this album, but for me specifically, it’s the final three that have always spoken to me. Not that I don’t like “I Believe”, it’s just a bit out of place when played with the final three. “Broken” is one of those tracks that starts off strong and ends strong. The repeated chorus of “We Are Broken” flows well with the musical arrangement and I always like the vocals of Roland Orzabal sung as powerful as the music builds.
Track 7 – “Head Over Heels”
As the words “.. funny how time flies” escapes the lips of Roland, the first keyboard strikes of this song quickly rolls into the depth of this track. It’s another Roland lead vocal masterpiece. But then we add the harmony vocals of Curt Smith throughout each lyrical segment. Not to mention Curt’s bass notes adding even more to this popular yet addictive song. The lyrics don’t make much sense, which is sometimes the case with love songs. “This is my four-leaf clover” starts the end of the song as the multitude of “La La La La La La” chant easily moves into a final, yet fast arrangement.
Track 8 – “Listen”
Towards the end of “Head Over Heels”, you think the song is just going to end, with the crowd cheering. But as it migrates into a zen-like atmosphere of sound, “Listen” becomes pretty much the only lyric you remember from this calming tune. Not much more to say about this song. It’s nice. It flows. It has some oddness to it. And yet, it’s the perfect ending to a great album.
Radiohead “OK Computer” – 1997
Click the album name above to link to the MP3 album page and listen to samples
Track 10 – “No Surprises”
The first time I heard this album wasn’t until it had been out for almost three years. Tracking through the first nine songs left me breathless. But once the defined guitar picking notes of this song start, it quickly becomes obvious that this is the beginning of the end. The song builds into multiple facets. It’s bright and cheery, even given the gloomy vocals of Thom Yorke. Like a walk in a field of flowers, you want to jump around and smile and enjoy each and every note.
Track 11 – “Lucky”
While there is not a gapless transition from the previous song to this one, the flow of happy to a sonic sound of deep guitar and defined vocals begins to tell a story… “Pull me out of the aircrash/pull me out of the lake”… Doesn’t sound happy, but it is. It’s the hope of being the superhero that saves someone. And at the end of the second chorus, when the solo guitar strums take center stage, it speaks out… “We are standing on the edge” at least in musical form.
Track 12 – “The Tourist”
Again, lacking a gapless transition, the soulful guitar of Jonny Greenwood starts, soon to be joined by an even more soulful vocal yearning. “Hey man, slow down, slow down” The song is already pretty slow at this point, even with the guitar kicking it up a notch. The low and faint tone can seem to be a drop off. But just as it starts to drop, the guitar once again picks up and keeps going, right up until you hit the last few notes. Then we have that slow down that Thom has been singing about, ending with a single hit of the chimes.
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Any albums or sets of songs that you like? Please share. And go into detail. As a music lover, I want to hear.
Always enjoyed The Cars, loved Tears for Fears, and felt Radiohead was overrated.
You make me want to listen to all these albums all over again. 🙂
Love all 3, but gotta say that the first one is my favorite. And Benjamin Orr ? His solo album “The Lace” is probably one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time ! He was an amazing singer !
Great reviews.
If I had to recommend three albums to anyone they would be:
1) Quadrophenia by The Who – My absolute favorite album of all-time. The quality of the writing and the production, for me, is un-matched. And you just have to listen to the bass lines that Entwistle is throwing down. Re-donk!
2) After the Gold Rush by Neil Young – A lot of folks don’t realize that this was actually supposed to be a soundtrack to a film that was written by Dean Stockwell and the guy who was Captain Beefheart. A couple of hippies writing a screenplay that was lost in time. I can’t even begin to imagine what the film would have been, but the songs…genius.
3) All Hands on the Bad One by Sleater-Kinney – My love for Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss knows no bounds. While I could easily recommend any of their albums, this one is my favorite. It’s serious and funny and everything in between. Listen to “You’re No Rock and Roll Fun” and tell me that it isn’t rock and roll fun. Do it. I dare you.
Growing up, my dad had a pretty extensive record collection. Every Saturday morning, we had our own Breakfast with the Beatles, because my dad would blare their records and sing along. We also listened to a lot of Queen, Eagles and Pink Floyd in those years, too. I have a soft place in my heart for that music.
I love The Cars and have most of their stuff on my iPod — however, I’d no idea anybody else but Ric O. had done any singing. I’ll have to give the album a listen and pay a bit more attention.
My poor cold addled brain cannot come up with any specifics right now, but all your choices kick ass. I’m gonna have to try and think on this, though.
I love this post! I think in music if that makes any sense. I also make very strong connections between songs/albums and where I am at the moment they are first important to me. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, actually when I was in the process of getting diagnosed, my brother gave me a cd (Rob Thomas…which I’m sort of embarrassed about but whatever) and it was so much a part of my diagnosis and treatment that I can’t hear any of the songs without being sort of emotionally back in that place. Sometimes if a song comes on when I’m not expecting it, it can sort of take my breath away and make me dizzy for a second. Sometimes though I listen to the album specifically because I want to remember and realize how grateful I should be for where I am now.
A fave three of mine is off Van Halen’s debut… Runnin’ With the Devil, Eruption, and You Really Got Me. They did a lot of covers in their Diamond Dave era, but I always loved it when they hit up The Kinks.
BTW, Nilsa stole “Breakfast with the Beatles” from Terry Hemmert at XRT!!!!
TFF’s The Hurting, Depeche Mode’s Black Celebration, and Erasure’s The Circus are my three. Those are really the soundtrack of my childhood and have stuck with me all these years.
I remember listening to the B side of Songs from the Big Chair over and over again. I did love I Believe so… wonder if I ever purchased it on CD.
Black Celebration is also one of those albums that really marked me. (Kevin and I must be nearly the same generation.)
U2 Unforgettable Fire. (Indian Summer Sky, Elvis Presley and America, and MLK… although Bad is the track that every one knows.)
dave2 – Always nice to inspire music.
kim – A Benjamin Orr fan. That’s awesome. I did like “The Lace”
earl – I know #1 and #2 albums you listed quite well, but will have to explore the Sleater-Kinney one. It sounds like something I would like.
nilsa – Breakfast with the Beatles sounds like some time well spent with your dad.
delmer – Yeah, most people always assume that Ric O. did all of the singing.
sybil law – Well, I know you love music and we share a lot of common bands and tunes.
tori – Don’t be embarrassed by Rob Thomas. He’s quite talented and one of his sings “All That I Am” was one my wife and I had played at our wedding. I love your story and it makes total sense about hearing a song or an artist and have it take you back to a place where you heard it a lot.
kapgar – The first Van Halen album was one I played from start to finish a lot, especially the first 3 songs.
kevin – The Hurting is a great debut album. And you mentioned Black Celebration. I wore out 2 cassettes of that album, playing it to death (twice) as I drove around.
nat – U2 “The Unforgettable Fire” was the first CD I ever purchased. All great songs.