"I Don't Think They Ever Topped Their First Album!"

[oakdale dude]

I liked "Don't Look Back" as well.

I don't know if it was as good as their first, but I thought it was a great 2nd Album. And even though the distinctive guitar sounds and harmonies are still there I don't think it was a carbon copy of the first album at all

 

[Tek_54]

Yep, for me it would be Boston. Boston's first album was awesome. One of the best albums of all time even. Then everything else that followed was pretty much the same old thing and they got BORING.

Still think the first album is awesome but I can live without all the rest of their catalog.

The Cars debut album - they never sounded better. Although Candy-O came pretty close

I agree with both oppinions

 

[Tek_54]

And my favorite King Crimson and Yes albums are their debuts.

Oh, for me Guns'N Roses.
I love Appetite For Destruction, the entire album.

 

[Jake T]

Here's one....Montrose

I liked the second album "Paper Money" as well. Maybe not as rockin' as the first album, but it had a larger variety of songs with ballads, instrumentals and a good rocker in "I Got The Fire".

 

[Jake T]

This will probably be an unpopular post, but I don't think Nazareth ever topped the quality of their first album.

 

[Khor1255]

Journey comes immediately to mind. I mean, they sound like a whole different band on that album and a band I really like no less.

Other than that:
Jethro Tull - This Was
Scorpions - Lonesome Crow
Iron Maiden (although the second album comes very close)
Genesis - In the Beginning
ELP


I'm sure there are others but I can't think of them at the moment.

 

[oakdale dude]

I liked the second album "Paper Money" as well. Maybe not as rockin' as the first album, but it had a larger variety of songs with ballads, instrumentals and a good rocker in "I Got The Fire".

Don't get me wrong. I liked "Paper Money" as well. I just think the first album was out of this world

 

[coltrane2]

Van Halen I. Years of honing songs on Sunset Strip, followed by the pressure of 10 -12 new songs every other year.

 

[LG]

I read an excellent explanation about why so many debut albums are considered the best by many bands and solo artists.

Most of the songs on the first record have been written/rewritten dozens of times over the years to get them exactly right in the author's mind. Also they compose a lot of material when they are exploring/learning their craft so they have a lot of really good songs to choose from.

I'll lob a band out there that has surpassed their debut so many times I can't list them all, RUSH. But there was the personnel change when Neil Peart arrived and took his Proper station behind the drum kit on the 2nd record, so really no surprise RUSH after 2112 continued to release great quality albums, Moving Pictures being my pick as the pinnacle of their discography.

 

[WetWilly]

Wow, this thread's a real "Blast from the Past" it was started before I even signed up on here. But anyway Lynyrd Skynyrd has a lot of Great albums, but they never topped the first one IMO.