I'm a firm believer that bands often enough have a tough time surpassing the greatness of their first album. Many reasons, mainly they've been slogging through garages and clubs and what not til they finally land that recording contract, and just their whole heart and soul go into the making of that first album. Hit the scene with a BANG!
Somewhat tougher with really old acts like the Beatles (bee-bop but rockin) or Stones (cover tunes!?!?!) whose sound changed so much over the span. But like Rush's first album, still rockin. Led Zepplin. The Who. KISS. Pearl Jam.
So I've become a collector of "First Albums" and just looking for some I mighta otherwise overlooked. So c'mon, name some first albums that rock!
I think bands like Franz Ferdinad and The Strokes have a hard time because they have a gimmick sound. It makes it hard to be creative on the second, fore it is very easy to just make a copy of the first one or if you don't a lot of people will be disappointed. Bands like that can never win.
The only way to evolve is to make a radical shift and break with the first album.
« One man's glory is another man's hell.
You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Editors - the Back Room
Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Metric - Old World Underground
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
Stone Roses - s/t
Spiritualized - Laser Guided Melodies
My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
Slowdive - Just For A Day
the Jesus and Marychain - Psychocandy
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Hayden - Everything I Long For
Sloan - Smeared
Eric's Trip - Love Tara
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
In my world everyone is a pony,
and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
I love De-loused at the comatorium why better than the other Mars volta albums.
« One man's glory is another man's hell.
You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
Rival Schools - United By Fate
King Prawn - First Offence
Foo Fighters
The Longpigs - The Sun is Often Out
The Seahorses - Do It Yourself
Stone Roses
The Verve - A Storm In Heaven
Richard Ashcroft - Alone With Everybody
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
Placebo
I love De-loused at the comatorium why better than the other Mars volta albums.
Word. I don't even really like the others... FTM could've been so much better without the fucking birds chirping and other background noises. However, I haven't heard the new album yet... but I've heard from a Volta fan that I wouldn't like it because it still has the sounds (not exact same ones, but ya know)..
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - F#A# infinity
Mogwai - Young Team
Oceansize - Effloresce
A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Still Grace The Corners Of Our Rooms
They've all gone on to release better albums, IMO, but these are some really good debuts.
I discovered the secret of life, but forgot to write it down.
R.E.M. Murmur
Patti Smith - Horses
Ten of course
Radiohead- Pablo Honey
Grant Lee Buffalo- Fuzzy
Live- Mental Jewelry
Garbage
Doves - Lost Souls
Television- Marquee Moon
"If you were waiting for us, than we were waiting for you" E. Vedder 10-3-05
black crowes- shake your money maker
my morning jacket- tennessee fire
u2- boy
ok go- ok go
foo fighters- foo fighters
death cab for cutie- something about airplanes
also hafta second:
bloc party, oasis, new pornographers
Great call on Boston. I won the first album and Ive listened to it countless times for ten years now but I dont own any other albums or really have any desire to. Is that a wrong choice?
Faith No More- The Real Thing- my top ten ever MIke Patton was a God, whatever happend to this guy...
The Real Thing was their third album (after 'We Care A Lot' and 'Introduce Yourself')
Nine Black Alps - Everything Is
Massive Attack - Blue Lines
Kasabian - Kasabian
You Am I - Sound As Ever
Turin Brakes - The Optimist
The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
Heatmiser - Dead Air (may not actually be their first but I can't find one from earlier, apologies if I'm wrong)
“Do not postpone happiness”
(Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)
Awesome! Great lists, just added like two dozen albums to my Amazon wish list -- sooo many I had forgotten about. Yeah, then there's the "one album wonders" for various reasons (Blind Melon, oh), don't think I've seen these two so I'll shout 'em out:
The Why Store - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Why_Store
While they had some independent releases, it's really their first 1996 commerical, self-named album that rocks. I thought they just split after that, but now see they had a second album out and the lead is solo now. This first album though ... rocks!
Days of the New - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_the_New
Ah, Travis Meeks. This first one with three bonafide hits (Shelf, Touch-Peel, Down Town) is just an awesome listen all the way through. Of all the bands I'd heard of late, I held out the most hope for this act and when he came back as a one-man-band with synth crap I was soooo dissappointed!
But it must be said, this first 1997 album ROCKS!
I would then add Edie Brickel's debut. Solid. As for most influential debut -- yeah VH's gotta be up there. So would Ten, though Nirvana's probably nudges it out for single-handidly making all the 80s Hair Bands look in a freakin mirror!
And yeah, whamo -- BOSTON. That's what I'm talking about, first albums!
The Strokes: Is This It
Pearl Jam: Ten
Weezer: The Blue Album
Coldplay: Parachutes
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
Guns n Roses : Appetite for Destruction (Best Debut EVER!)
Comments
I think bands like Franz Ferdinad and The Strokes have a hard time because they have a gimmick sound. It makes it hard to be creative on the second, fore it is very easy to just make a copy of the first one or if you don't a lot of people will be disappointed. Bands like that can never win.
The only way to evolve is to make a radical shift and break with the first album.
You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Editors - the Back Room
Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Metric - Old World Underground
Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted
New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
Stone Roses - s/t
Spiritualized - Laser Guided Melodies
My Bloody Valentine - Isn't Anything
Slowdive - Just For A Day
the Jesus and Marychain - Psychocandy
Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Hayden - Everything I Long For
Sloan - Smeared
Eric's Trip - Love Tara
Smashing Pumpkins - Gish
and they all eat rainbows and pooh butterflies!
You’re on the outside, never bound by such a spell.
Together in the darkness, alone in the light.
I took it upon me to be yours, Timmy,
I’ll lead your angels and demons at play tonight......»
King Prawn - First Offence
Foo Fighters
The Longpigs - The Sun is Often Out
The Seahorses - Do It Yourself
Stone Roses
The Verve - A Storm In Heaven
Richard Ashcroft - Alone With Everybody
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
Placebo
Oasis - Definately Maybe
Pixies - Come On Pilgrim
Word. I don't even really like the others... FTM could've been so much better without the fucking birds chirping and other background noises. However, I haven't heard the new album yet... but I've heard from a Volta fan that I wouldn't like it because it still has the sounds (not exact same ones, but ya know)..
And definitely Nirvana - Bleach.
Mogwai - Young Team
Oceansize - Effloresce
A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Still Grace The Corners Of Our Rooms
They've all gone on to release better albums, IMO, but these are some really good debuts.
I want to echo this.
I'll also say Zeppelin 1
A Perfect Circle - Mer De Noms
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Screaming Headless Torsos - 1995
Cream - Fresh Cream
Most influential debut ever.
nowadays hits you when you're young
Patti Smith - Horses
Ten of course
Radiohead- Pablo Honey
Grant Lee Buffalo- Fuzzy
Live- Mental Jewelry
Garbage
Doves - Lost Souls
Television- Marquee Moon
He who forgets will be destined to remember.
my morning jacket- tennessee fire
u2- boy
ok go- ok go
foo fighters- foo fighters
death cab for cutie- something about airplanes
also hafta second:
bloc party, oasis, new pornographers
The Jayhawks - Blue Earth (Hollywood Town Hall)
Silverchair - Frogstomp
Brad - Shame
SRV - Texas Flood
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced Leh'-nerd Skin'-nerd
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced?
~ Worst Case Scenario by dEUS
♪♫♪♫♫
He Who Forgets will be Destined to Remember.
he's been releasing albums pretty much every year, I think
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
Mudvayne - LD 50
311 - Music
Dillinger Escape Plan - Calculating Infinity
http://www.myspace.com/byproduct
that's the only one!
The Real Thing was their third album (after 'We Care A Lot' and 'Introduce Yourself')
Nine Black Alps - Everything Is
Massive Attack - Blue Lines
Kasabian - Kasabian
You Am I - Sound As Ever
Turin Brakes - The Optimist
The Black Keys - The Big Come Up
Heatmiser - Dead Air (may not actually be their first but I can't find one from earlier, apologies if I'm wrong)
(Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)
“Put yer good money on the sunrise”
(Tim Rogers)
The Why Store - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Why_Store
While they had some independent releases, it's really their first 1996 commerical, self-named album that rocks. I thought they just split after that, but now see they had a second album out and the lead is solo now. This first album though ... rocks!
Days of the New - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Days_of_the_New
Ah, Travis Meeks. This first one with three bonafide hits (Shelf, Touch-Peel, Down Town) is just an awesome listen all the way through. Of all the bands I'd heard of late, I held out the most hope for this act and when he came back as a one-man-band with synth crap I was soooo dissappointed!
But it must be said, this first 1997 album ROCKS!
I would then add Edie Brickel's debut. Solid. As for most influential debut -- yeah VH's gotta be up there. So would Ten, though Nirvana's probably nudges it out for single-handidly making all the 80s Hair Bands look in a freakin mirror!
And yeah, whamo -- BOSTON. That's what I'm talking about, first albums!
Faith No More actually had an album before "The Real Thing" called "Introduce Yourself".
They had a different singer and it was awful.
Pearl Jam: Ten
Weezer: The Blue Album
Coldplay: Parachutes
Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced
Guns n Roses : Appetite for Destruction (Best Debut EVER!)