Great bands are called stars for a reason: once we realize how bright they're shining, they may have already burned out into a ball of gas. It's rare we get a listenable fourth album from a group or artist, let alone one who can sustain that consistency for seven whole releases. The same goes for film franchises. Only the sleekest and most inventive ever make the elusive seventh installment (James Bond, Godzilla, Air Bud) but next week we'll see if lightning strikes for the seventh time with Furious 7, the seventh Fast and the Furious film. It is with our hopes pegged on this new flick that we present five sevenths albums that are actually pretty good!
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The Beatles – Revolver
A frequently fought-for choice in countless What's Your Favorite Beatles Album? discussions, it's crazy to think not only were the Beatles the most influential band to ever walk the face of the Earth in existence for such a short amount of time, but how prolific they were. Revolver, an album title that would never be allowed on store shelves today, was one of the first Beatles albums as they entered their more experimental period. Crazy to think that seven albums deep they were just beginning to scratch the surface of what they as a band were capable of accomplishing. So yeah, we at The Weekly are recommending you check out The Beatles if you haven't given them a listen.
De La Soul – The Grind Date
While we haven't gotten a proper De La album in a decade, if their last outing is The Grind Date, they'll at least have gone out on a high note. 15 years into their career, a lot of the hot underground producers of 2004 had grown up on the De La sound, given the group's only non-Tommy Boy release a fresh timely sound with that classic De La essence still vibing throughout it. The Ghostface-assisted “He Comes” and the MF DOOM cameoed “Rock Co-Kane Flow” (produced by a young Jake One) are still some of our favorite De La jams.
Ramones – Subterranean Jungle
Writing anything positive about any Ramones release from the 80s, you could easily make a case for them being “underappreciate,” because they really all are. Working with so many different producers for different sounds and embracing the different elements that people love, there's a lot that goes overlooked about their 80s output. Subterranean Jungle is a curious glimpse at a band in transition between different transitions, with remnants of Pleasant Dreams' melodies alongside the raw guitars that would come to the forefront on Too Tough To Die.
Ween – White Pepper
It's rare that a band's seventh album is their most conventional, but when it comes to the perpetually unconventional cult favorites Ween, that seems ripe for their conventions and convictions. 2000's White Pepper has lush melodic production with stylistic nods to everyone from The Beatles to Jimmy Buffet, making the absurd fun of tracks like “Even If You Don't” and “Bananas and Blow” all the more gleefully unsettling. The cover and title are also up for frequent debate to their meaning, but if you turn the image upside down, you'll see why.
Scarface – The Fix
Is it a misuse of the term to suggest someone has two masterpieces? If so, if any one artist has deserved the right to have their way with the english language, it's Texas rap icon Scarface. His seventh album, 2002's The Fix, was a landmark flawless endeavor that received 5 mics in the source and began respected rap imprint Def Jam's foray into southern rap releases. Impeccable songwriting, stellar production (including a young Kanye West) and mixed to where you can't help but feel it in your soul, it's everything a rap album can and should be. A must for anyone with even a passing interest in the genre.
See also:
The 50 Best Things About the OC Music Scene
The 50 Worst Things About the OC Music Scene
The 25 Greatest OC Bands of All Time: The Complete List
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