Perfect Discographies?

[Marie Monday]

ah ok

[Trollheart]

Glad to see one of my threads finally generating some discussion! I should say though that one-album (and even two-album) discographies would be out, as they would defeat the whole idea of the thing. So let's say three albums at a minimum. And that has to be by the band/artist, so no adding in solo efforts please.

[jimmy jazz]

There would be a strong argument for Dr Dre if he didn't put interludes on his first two albums.

Chronic - 9.5/10
2001 - 8/10
Compton - 9/10

[Lisnaholic]

For myself, I'd think perhaps Steely Dan. I'll be honest and say I haven't listened too much to Two Against Nature, but I think it's well regarded. So while I could be wrong, I think that means every SD album is.

I certainly like them with Aja and Gaucho being my favourites.

^ I'd be with you on Steely Dan, Guybrush - but only if they had stopped at The Royal Scam!
At that point, either their music changed in a way that I didn't like so much, or they carried on with a similar sound and I, fickle listener that I am, lost interest in their material.
Still, it's a good call as SD albums are always of such a high musical standard.

Marie Monday has come up with a long list of artists that I'll prob be exploring in the days ahead - and thanks for the mention of Neutral Milk Hotel which has prompted me to revisit On Avery Island. NMH's discography, plus the discussion I've been reading about Squeeze shows up another intriguing wrinkle in TH's challenge: where does a band's discography begin and end ? TH quite rightly narrows it down to original studio releases only. In which case, to my surprise, NMH only have two albums in their catalogue, though personally I've always regarded Ferris Wheel On Fire a perfectly legit third NMH album.

With some artists I really like, I still haven't heard their full discography (see Steely Dan above) so while I have a couple of other possible contenders, for the moment, here are two artists I can more confidently add to the list of "perfect discographies":-

Simon and Garfunkel
Penguin Cafe Orchestra   

[Trollheart]

I've updated the OP, setting in stone the three albums or more rule, and as a result some of your suggestions, including NMH, have been disqualified. Sorry, but there's little point in calling two albums a discography. Ideally, I'd want bigger ones than three, but as a minimum, as it is written in the Great Book of Armaments (Chapter 2, v. 9-21) about the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, in the very words of Saint Atilla himself: "three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three."

[Lisnaholic]

Ouch ! The hard man, Trollheart has rejected Neutral Milk Hotel, just when I was going to plead a special case for Syd Barratt's solo albums (two legit ones and more-or-less one outtakes collection). I certainly won't be trying that now!

But well done, Trollheart: it's a good idea to put a list at the top of the thread, and absolutely perfect authority and precedent for three being the number.  

[Lexi Darling]

^ I'd be with you on Steely Dan, Guybrush - but only if they had stopped at The Royal Scam!
At that point, either their music changed in a way that I didn't like so much, or they carried on with a similar sound and I, fickle listener that I am, lost interest in their material.
Still, it's a good call as SD albums are always of such a high musical standard.

Marie Monday has come up with a long list of artists that I'll prob be exploring in the days ahead - and thanks for the mention of Neutral Milk Hotel which has prompted me to revisit On Avery Island. NMH's discography, plus the discussion I've been reading about Squeeze shows up another intriguing wrinkle in TH's challenge: where does a band's discography begin and end ? TH quite rightly narrows it down to original studio releases only. In which case, to my surprise, NMH only have two albums in their catalogue, though personally I've always regarded Ferris Wheel On Fire a perfectly legit third NMH album.

With some artists I really like, I still haven't heard their full discography (see Steely Dan above) so while I have a couple of other possible contenders, for the moment, here are two artists I can more confidently add to the list of "perfect discographies":-

Simon and Garfunkel
Penguin Cafe Orchestra   

There are some interesting cases that are the reverse of Squeeze, where it's clearly the same band but released under a different name for whatever reason. One example being the Hawkwind album that they had to release under the name Hawklords for some legal reason. Or the 1991 reunion album by the band Japan that was released under the name Rain Tree Crow but was made up of the classic Japan lineup.

So should one count those cases? I'd love to hear your take, @Trollheart .

[Lisnaholic]

^ That's very knowledgeable, Lexi !!

Yep, only a ruling from Trollheart will answer those questions.

[Trollheart]

There are some interesting cases that are the reverse of Squeeze, where it's clearly the same band but released under a different name for whatever reason. One example being the Hawkwind album that they had to release under the name Hawklords for some legal reason. Or the 1991 reunion album by the band Japan that was released under the name Rain Tree Crow but was made up of the classic Japan lineup.

So should one count those cases? I'd love to hear your take, @Trollheart .

An interesting question you pose, young Skywalker. Or something. Well, in the case of Hawkwind, they have about 54,000 albums anyway, so it doesn't come up, yet it's a valid point. If a band or artist releases an album under another name, is it counted? Devin Townsend has albums under his name, Devin Townsend Project and Strapping Young Lad. The Beatles technically released Sgt Peppers as that band, and then of course you have the many personalities and identities of the Late Artist Formerly Known as Prince, and often with The Revolution. So I don't know: I think it really only comes up in the case of artists with less than 3 albums, and let's face it, few of them are going to have been well-established enough to be able or want to release an album under another name. I guess we'll take it on a case-by-case basis, but the general rule I suppose would be: if an artist only has (or had) two albums, and by adding in another released under another name/identity that makes three, then they're not counted. In other words, you can't make a three-album discography by getting Bender to bend the rules so it fits. You hear that, Mr. Blair? Facts to fit conclusions, not the other way around... oh yeah. Too late. Right. Well...

[Marie Monday]

I've updated the OP, setting in stone the three albums or more rule, and as a result some of your suggestions, including NMH, have been disqualified. Sorry, but there's little point in calling two albums a discography.

NMH have more than two albums, counting also this for instance

It does disqualify the Anna Högberg Attack though
For Jun togawa I'm including anything released more or less under her name (so including Jun Togawa Unit etc.)

[Trollheart]

Meh, I know nothing about establishments which offer cow's juice which is neither here nor there, so I'll take your word for it. Wiki says they only have 2 albums, but if you're happy I'll switch out Anna Hogberg for it.

[Guybrush]

I have a couple of suggestions for discussion, if you're up for it.

• Led Zeppelin - they don't have a bad album, right?
• Talk Talk - though I suspect their debut might not be very interesting (haven't heard that one)

[grindy]

Änglagård

[jimmy jazz]

I understand the logic with not wanting one album discogs but two? Some of the best bands and artists ever couldn't match their debuts.

Oh well its only a thread on the Internet.

Add Laura Mvula.

[Psy-Fi]

A few of these are lesser-known bands but I think they are worthy of including in my list...

Beatles
Broadcast
Brownout
Cream
Grupo Fantasma
Jimi Hendrix
Kikagaku Moyo
Love
Nirvana
Rose City Band
Soundgarden
Sure Fire Soul Ensemble
Stevie Ray Vaughan

I'll give an honorable mention to Led Zeppelin but their final album (In Through the Out Door) never did much for me.

Four of the bands in my list (Brownout, Grupo Fantasma, Rose City Band, Sure Fire Soul Ensemble) are still together and releasing albums, so there's always a possibility that they might release a mediocre album at some point before they eventually disband.