Music

Welcome to The Suburbs

The best first three albums, including Arcade Fire’s trilogy

by Josh Kurp   |   Aug 4, 2010

Welcome to The Suburbs

Photo: www.metro.co.uk

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5/5, Consequence of Sound
8.6, Pitchfork
A-, Entertainment Weekly
4.5/5, Spin
4/5, Rolling Stone

I’d say people like Arcade Fire’s third album, The Suburbs. A lot.

For what it’s worth: A-, Encore.

On Saturday, Arcade Fire played Osheaga, where I got to touch Win Butler’s guitar and snagged a set list. Yesterday, they released The Suburbs, and tonight and tomorrow, they’re playing Madison Square Garden, with the Thursday performance streamed on YouTube and directed by Terry Gilliam. It’s a good time to be Canadian—or East Texan, I guess.

Although I’m in the minority who prefer Neon Bible over Funeral, I think both of those albums, and The Suburbs, are amazing records. So far, Arcade Fire have gone three for three, in terms of album quality, but where do they rank all-time in terms of the Best First Three Albums? Here’s how I’d rank them:

#10. The Misfits
Static Age (1978)
Walk Among Us (1982)
Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983)

First Dud: American Psycho (1997, fourth album)

#9. Arcade Fire
Funeral (2004)
Neon Bible (2007)
The Suburbs (2010)

First Dud: Considering their release schedule, we’ll check back in 2013

#8. Talking Heads
Talking Heads: 77 (1977)
More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)
Fear of Music (1979)

First Dud: True Stories (1986, seventh album)

#7. Pavement
Slanted & Enchanted (1992)
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
Wowee Zowee (1995)

First Dud: Pavement released five albums, all of which range from classic to very good

#6. The Band
Music from Big Pink (1968)
The Band (1969)
Stage Fright (1970)

First Dud: Moondog Matinee (1973, fifth album)

#5. Belle & Sebastian
Tigermilk (1996)
If You’re Feeling Sinister (1996)
The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998)

First Dud: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (2000, fourth album)

#4. The Smiths
The Smiths (1984)
Meat is Murder (1985)
The Queen is Dead (1986)

First Dud: Unless they reunite, which ain’t happening, they went four for four.

#3. R.E.M.
Murmur (1983)
Reckoning (1984)
Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)

First Dud: Up (1998, eleventh album)

#2. Elvis Costello
My Aim is True (1977)
This Year’s Model (1978)
Armed Forces (1979)

First Dud: Goodbye Cruel World (1984, tenth album)

#1. The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground and Nico (1967)
White Light/White Heat (1968)
The Velvet Underground (1969)

First Dud: Squeeze (1973, fifth album…sort of)