I was listening to “Appetite for Destruction” the other day and got to thinking about how vastly superior it is to any of GnR’s other stuff. I realized that there are some bands (not the majority by any means) whose debut album is better than their others. There are also bands whose debut albums are just really good. What are your favorite debuts?
Four off the top of my head[ul]
[li]Guns and Roses- Appetite for Destruction[/li][li]Marylin Manson- Portrait of an American Family[/li][li]Rammstein- Herzeleid[/li]Evanescence- Fallen (Don’t know if this one should be included, as it’s their only to date) [/ul]
Disturbed had a great debut, which is pretty good since it had the fact it’s nu metal against it, because most nu metal bands have been crappy throwaway “We want to be linkin park or nickelback” type bands.
The lyrics/singing of lyrics is well done, and they only real problem is some of the songs music is “generic metal background”, but on others it’s rather well done.
Monster Magnet’s ‘Spine of God’ is far superior to anything they have done since. In fact, it’s one of my favorite albums, and there hasn’t been a Monster Magnet album since that I have liked.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, and people will point at me and laugh, but I’ll continue to say it: Men At Work’s first album, Business As Usual, was an incredibly good album, start to finish, first note to last. One of the best albums of the 80’s, IMHO. Of course, that was pretty much all they had in them.
Also, The Pogues ‘Red Roses For Me’
Robyn Hitchcock ‘Black Snake Diamond Role’
And I’ll echo Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa’
John Prine’s first album has to be one of the best debuts ever. “Sam Stone”, “Donald and Lydia”, “Hello in There”, “The Great Compromise”, “Spanish Pipedream”, “Six O’clock News”, “Far from Me”, “Pretty Good”, and “Paradise” have all been covered a million times by other artists. Prine is one of the great songrwiters of all time, and this is the definitive collection of his work. Other albums had individual great songs, but he never again put together a package this tremendous.
Mr. Visible: Warren Zevon’s first album wasn’t “Warren Zevon” (which I agree is a great album - one of the top ten best albums of the 70’s, in my opinion), but Zevon put out an album a few years before called, “Wanted - Dead or Alive”. It wasn’t all that good. BTW, it’s been re-released on CD, so if you’re looking to fill your Warren Zevon collection…
Rage Against The Machine self titled debut basically kicked off the 90’s with a bang opening up the gates for all the other rap-metal bands to follow. Of course they did it best though.
Anyway, I humbly submit The Velvet Underground and Nico. One of the best albums ever, and also a debut album. Every time I hear it I’m amazed that it was made in '67.
Lest we not forget the thrash-metal genre-inducing Kill 'Em All by Metallica, aka Metal Up Your Ass, the latter title being rejected by the “damn record company people”.
Hootie and the Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
Counting Crows - August and Everything After
Ryan Adams - Gold
Van Morrison - Moondance
Alanis Morrisette - Jagged Little Pill
Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run
Metallica - Kill 'em All (way before they became Metallika)
Wall Flowers - Bringing Down the Horse
