― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
their first single "ceremony" is the best thing they ever did.
― gygax! (gygax!), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
The ReplacementsAugh! (*cry*)
On the other hand, I can't figure out a single solitary band to nominate for this choice, except maybe Lifter Puller -- and even "crap" Lifter Puller's better than many other '90s alt-rock bands' peak moments.
Gatinha: Licensed to Ill or Polly Wog Stew?
― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
Ministry's With Sympathy might count here, but I actually quite like it.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:28 (twenty-one years ago) link
Urge Overkill totally qualifies.
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
http://services.windowsmedia.com/cover//200/drc300/c357/c3577486no4.jpg
― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
Oh GOD yes!!!!
― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
― OleM (OleM), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:41 (twenty-one years ago) link
― S Samson, Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:43 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
In the response to the Tori vote..I thought that was the only good one!
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:53 (twenty-one years ago) link
Also, Guided By Voices had like three or four bad first albums.
― Nick Mirov (nick), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
Mind you, I've never actually heard it. Has anyone?
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 22 March 2003 21:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
Not a terrible start, but very derivative of other New York no-wave and nowhere near as great as (insert your favorite Sonic Youth album here).
― Nick Mirov (nick), Saturday, 22 March 2003 22:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 22 March 2003 22:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― David Beckhouse (David Beckhouse), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
Ministry
Big Black
― mei (mei), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
I think Yo La Tengo's debut is a bit crap. I also vote for Flaming Lips.
― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― That Girl (thatgirl), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:50 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:54 (twenty-one years ago) link
Thompson Twins were genius. :-)
...which makes "A Product Of" from 1981 a contender btw....
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:56 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― kate (suzy), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 00:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Sunday, 23 March 2003 01:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
The latter two are controversial picks, I know... :-)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 01:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
Well, personally I don't consider that 1985 U2-wannabe EP an "album". :-)
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 23 March 2003 01:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Dave M. (rotten03), Sunday, 23 March 2003 02:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― ddb, Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:30 (twenty-one years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:47 (twenty-one years ago) link
You mean "Strange, I" or "Jesus Urge Overkill"? Both those records, while containing some filler, are pretty damn relentless.
― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:49 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Sunday, 23 March 2003 03:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
Rush and Radiohead are the only examples I can think of where I think the artist has done great work and I also see virtually no value in their debut. On a tangential note, The Bends has been growing on me in a weird way in that I keep hearing it places and liking it.
― sundar subramanian (sundar), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
lz and frogs = you need new speakers.
― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:07 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Jody Beth Rosen (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:09 (twenty-one years ago) link
(Sundar, there are 8 good-great songs on The Bends, and 4 fairly mediocre ones, and the album is best listened to with that in mind)
― Melissa W (Melissa W), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
Common Sense... "Can I Borrow a Dollar" = awful too.
― phil-two (phil-two), Sunday, 23 March 2003 04:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
Geir: I like the first Genesis album! The box-set versions of songs, without the string arrangements, sound much better to me, though. In comparison, the strings added to the LP versions seem to sap the energy of the performances.
― tom (other), Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
"The Frogs" as well. Doesn't hold a candle to "It's Only Right And Natural".
― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
I'm finding it very hard to come up with a true example of theabove. Most bad bands were bad from day one, and most good bandsreleased debut albums that are only "crap" in comparison to theirfuture accomplishments.
Hmm.I'll bet that if all 50 million _The Wall_ and _Dark Side Of the Moon_ buyers heard _Piper At The Gates Of Dawn_, most of them would find it unlistenable.
― Squirrel_Police (Squirrel_Police), Sunday, 23 March 2003 05:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
You go right ahead with that. In fact, I'm going to go home tonight, put on Leisure at a ill-advisedly high volume, open a bottle of beer and use The Great Escape as a coaster.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 24 March 2003 16:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Chris P (Chris P), Monday, 24 March 2003 17:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 24 March 2003 18:31 (twenty-one years ago) link
I would scold you further, but the fact that you have no "great Escape" in your life is punishment enough!
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 10:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tijn, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 11:08 (twenty-one years ago) link
what on earth is shameful about being poppy?
― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 11:15 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 11:22 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Fabrice (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 11:27 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tijn, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 12:03 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tijn, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:32 (twenty-one years ago) link
Listen to any early to mid-period Madness song, watch its video. Then listen to "Country House" and look at the video for it.
Then...
Listen to the "More Specials" album, particularly "Stereotype". Then, listen to "Fade Away".
Listen to any Fun Boy Three singleThen, listen to "T.O.P. M.A.N."
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 13:42 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tijn, Tuesday, 25 March 2003 14:24 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 25 March 2003 15:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
Surely Prince is the best example of this? The guy would later make records like Chaos and Disorder, which although not an essential Prince LP is still fairly enjoyable and has its highlights. For You provides little indication of the brilliant music that was to follow, and is probably one of his least enjoyable LP's.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 1 July 2017 21:45 (six years ago) link
or the 1975?
― joshywinty (josh), Sunday, 2 July 2017 00:30 (six years ago) link
Hawkwind. The debut album is not good. In Search of Space through Warrior on the Edge of Time, though...
― grawlix (unperson), Sunday, 2 July 2017 01:12 (six years ago) link
some of these may just be me:japannomeansnocop shoot copbad religionthe waterboyscoil (Transparent)swans (s/t EP, not Filth obv.)kraftwerk (sorry, just don't like the traffic cones)
― StanM, Sunday, 2 July 2017 03:59 (six years ago) link
David Sylvian dismisses the first Japan LP and reckons the second album should have been their debut, but I disagree... I think that the first album is great and the second LP not so much.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Sunday, 2 July 2017 11:51 (six years ago) link
or the 1975?― joshywinty (josh), Sunday, July 2, 2017 12:30 AM (eleven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― joshywinty (josh), Sunday, July 2, 2017 12:30 AM (eleven hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Nah, they don't count because they never went onto greatness and they're crap full stop.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Sunday, 2 July 2017 11:52 (six years ago) link
The Divine Comedy
― heaven parker (anagram), Sunday, 2 July 2017 12:17 (six years ago) link
These New Puritans's debut is rubbish, Hidden is interesting but flawed, but they definitely achieved greatness with Field of Reeds
― ultros ultros-ghali, Sunday, 2 July 2017 12:28 (six years ago) link
I will rep for the Prince debut...haven't got the time now... but I WILL rep for it...also the 'Adolescent Sex' is genius...they just can't see it
― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Sunday, 2 July 2017 14:00 (six years ago) link
Motorpsycho is kind of the quintessential example of this, if we're including stuff like Prince that is. Who could have known...
― frogbs, Monday, 3 July 2017 03:37 (six years ago) link
first Afghan Whigs is pretty terrible.
― campreverb, Monday, 3 July 2017 04:21 (six years ago) link
Bob Dylan
― Fine Toothcomb (sonofstan), Monday, 3 July 2017 22:25 (six years ago) link
I like all of Japan's albums.
― Austin, Tuesday, 4 July 2017 01:14 (six years ago) link
I like 'em all too, but think the second one is the weakest.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Tuesday, 4 July 2017 12:45 (six years ago) link
Since the thread includes some of the greatest artists of contemporary music with a huge catalogue, obviously there will always be someone who loves the more obscure stuff.It's the distance and evolution between the debut - no matter how good it is - and the peak of the artist in question that seems more interesting to me.In that regard, Dylan, the Stones or Prince would be perfect examples. Stevie Wonder even more imo : I mean, from "The Jazz Soul Of Little Stevie" to "Songs In The Key Of Life" !
― AlXTC from Paris, Tuesday, 4 July 2017 12:59 (six years ago) link
The first Prince album is underrated if anything.
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 4 July 2017 13:51 (six years ago) link
Yeah listening now this is fantastic r&b
Title track opens the album a lot like "Our Prayer/Gee" does Smile by the Beach Boys, like the doo wop/gospel version
― Universal LULU Nation (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 4 July 2017 14:14 (six years ago) link
Judas Priest.
― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 4 July 2017 14:18 (six years ago) link
arguably : M. Jackson - from Got To Be There to OFW/Thriller.GTBT is good though so again, it's not so much about the debut being crap but about it being far from the following peak.
― AlXTC from Paris, Tuesday, 4 July 2017 14:24 (six years ago) link
I guess there's a few examples of artists on Motown coming into their own when they've been allowed to express themselves creatively.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Tuesday, 4 July 2017 21:52 (six years ago) link
Does anyone stan for Springsteen's debut? I adore the man, hate that debut album, though.
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Tuesday, 29 August 2017 00:28 (six years ago) link
Carly Rae Jepsen
― MarkoP, Tuesday, 29 August 2017 03:57 (six years ago) link
xpost yep hi I love the debut
spirit of the night, blinded by the light, lost in the flood, hard to be a saint in the city... besides the highlight tracks, just the general folky Bruce, yknow, the Van Morrison/Bob Dylan idol worship & megawordy young & antsy vibe is really enjoyable for me
i'll stan for it forever
― Squeaky Fromage (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 29 August 2017 04:43 (six years ago) link
Same. Lots of good to be found on the first Springsteen album.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 29 August 2017 05:21 (six years ago) link
^yeah, figured I was in the minority about The Boss. I much prefer his economy-of-words approach to his latter-day lyric writing.
― Rod Steel (musicfanatic), Saturday, 23 September 2017 23:01 (six years ago) link
Simple Minds (before becoming crap again)
― palko, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 20:27 (six years ago) link
warren zevon wanted dead or alive
― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 20:35 (six years ago) link
(UK) Squeeze
― PaulTMA, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:12 (six years ago) link
Yo la Tengo
― rip van wanko, Tuesday, 26 September 2017 21:36 (six years ago) link
Chairlift, who went crap again
― Shat Parp (dog latin), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 07:52 (six years ago) link
I love the Latin Van Morrison feel of Greetings From Astbury Park. & the amount of words adds to the cadence.
― Stevolende, Wednesday, 27 September 2017 07:58 (six years ago) link
a lot of people (not necessarily me) would classify Lana Del Rey here
― sick, fucking funny, and well tasty (katherine), Wednesday, 27 September 2017 16:05 (six years ago) link