What is it about third records?
It’s not a coincidence that we’re thinking about third records. Among Your Friends is our newest record, and it’s our third one. It’s also our best one.
I thought I’d ask the biggest nerds I know about rock’s best third albums. That’s right: John and Zach. We came up with a short and incomplete list of incredible third albums for your consideration. It is based purely upon our taste and what we like.
- Led Zeppelin – III
- Beatles – Hard Day’s Night
- Prince – Dirty Mind.
- Beck – Mellow Gold
- Radiohead – OK Computer
- Van Halen – Women and Children First
- Smashing pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
- Metallica – Master of Puppets
- Stone Temple Pilots – Tiny music … songs from the Vatican Gift Shop
- U2 – War
- Bob Dylan-The Times They Are A-Changin’
- Van Morrison – Moondance
Anyway, we’ve been talking about our record coming out all year. So, now that it’s here, we’re changing the subject. Casting our gaze across some of the great musicians, we’ve noticed that there’s something special about third albums. Having spent some time looking at it, we can see that third albums aren’t necessarily the most popular albums. But, we can see that they were each, in their own way, important albums that shaped and defined the individual sounds of the artists. One great example is Led Zeppelin III, which is the band’s acoustic album, and which was hugely defining for the band.
Dirty Minds
There are so many great third albums in rock and roll history, and their shared attribute is basic awesomeness. One great third album is Prince’s Dirty Minds. Critics seem to agree that Prince’s third album was broadly appealing, because the artist had found himself.
- Writing in The Village Voice, Robert Christgau found Dirty Mind’s “metallic textures and simple drum patterns” comparable to both Funkadelic and the Rolling Stones, while acknowledging Prince as being in the generally shy-mannered “love-man” tradition because of his falsetto singing, but ultimately distinct in his “aggressively, audaciously erotic” character.
- The best part, without a doubt, is when the author concludes, “Mick Jagger can just fold up his penis and go home.”
- Acclaimed music critic Barry Walters deemed ‘Dirty Minds’ Prince’s “first fully actualized album” and “an unrelenting dance party that pointedly invited New Wavers to boogie down alongside funk bunnies and dancefloor fashionistas.”
- NOTE: New wavers, funk bunnies AND dancefloor fashionistas? Now that’s broad appeal. Our audience for Among Your Friends will only be slightly less broad. LOL.
We are very proud to present our newest album to you. Among Your Friends, by Clover’s Revenge, is currently available for purchase online. Fans who have subscribed to our Newsletter or anyone going to live shows in the month of March can get the CD for only $5 (plus $5 for shipping and handling when mailed).
If you would like sign up for our monthly newsletter to take advantage of this offer, please do so today and there will be a link in the confirmation email to get your special discount.