Greatest Debut Albums

[SuperJay]

Aimee, I don't think anyone here starts flamewars over music. Last time you just yelled at us for not spending enough time reading your website; that wasn't a flame war.

So, assuming we are specifically talking about debut albums that were particularly noteworthy for one reason or another, I'll take a predictable choice and nominate Phish's Junta album, released back in 1988. These guys were either in college or just out of it and had been playing together for a few years, yet their debut album sounds unlike anything else that was going on in the late 80s. More than 20 years later, those compositions don't sound dated (though the production values do). Many of those original compositions - "You Enjoy Myself," "Fluffhead," "Golgi Apparatus," "Divided Sky," "Foam," and "David Bowie" - are still staples of the band's live sets to this day. At the time, these songs defined Phish's musical style - that prog-rock-meets-classical-symphony kind of sound (Trey was listening to a lot of Zappa back in the 80s, apparently).

Studio albums have never been Phish's strong suit - their strength lies in live improvisation - so I don't even know if I'd go so far as to call Junta a great album, in terms of evaluating the album as an art form in and of itself. But as a collection of songs unlike anything else that was popular at the time, I think it's a pretty laudable debut.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

A few more I found flicking through my CD's

Run DMC

Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full

Dr John - Gris Gris

 

[Red Door]

Besides some already mentioned, I'll add:

Kanye West - The College Dropout
Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
Tyler, the Creator - Goblin
Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers (Enter the Wu-Tang)
50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Tryin'

 

[madviking]

Add one more for Rage Against The Machine.

 

[SuperJay]

Amen on that Wu-Tang, too. 36 Chambers sounds fresh today, still.

You know what wasn't a great debut album? Licensed to Ill. The Beasties did SO much better with Paul's Boutique and then Check Your Head. There's hardly any comparison.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Hmm... Of my favorite few bands, I'd have go with Boston's Boston. they're not my favorite band, but their debut album was easily their best, having basically all but one of their greatest songs, and one of the best rock albums of all time. I'd be hard pressed to name another group that started out like that.

The trouble is that they were really just a one album band. The rest so disappointed compared to that first album. But I agree it is right up there. Wish I'd mentioned it myself.

 

[Ozbenno]

You know what wasn't a great debut album? Licensed to Ill. The Beasties did SO much better with Paul's Boutique and then Check Your Head. There's hardly any comparison.

Very true.

I think it might be more impressive when bands have a very ordinary first album and then make it big with their second rising above the negative (or negligible) impression of the first, thinking of Radiohead (The Bends) and Neutral Milk Hotel (In The Aeroplane Over The Sea) here.

 

[SuperJay]

Right, right! Plus, there's the whole "ten years to write your first album, 1 year to write the second" thing. If that, really.

In the excellent debut category, I submit Pearl Jam's Ten. I used to listen to that album every day, the whole way through. and it still sounds really good.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Right, right! Plus, there's the whole "ten years to write your first album, 1 year to write the second" thing. If that, really.

Or your entire life the first album.

I remember Jimmy Iovine (he was a producer but now I think he's some huge music-industry person) talk about third albums sometimes being the breakthrough albums.

And I think Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' debut (the self-titled album) is a great debut. I mean it's got American Girl which ought to be enough for itself.

 

[North King]

The trouble is that they were really just a one album band. The rest so disappointed compared to that first album. But I agree it is right up there. Wish I'd mentioned it myself.

Haha, yeah, it is kind of cheap. But most of my other favorite bands had pretty mediocre debuts.

 

[Disgustipated]

Some good mentions above with Rage Against the Machine (subsequent albums weren't nearly as good), Pearl Jam, Boston, and Black Sabbath. And of course Appetite for Destruction, GNR never could match that one, or even come close.

I don't want this thread to die, because this is a subject that interests me. I've been meaning to make a thread why bands start off strong, but then can't maintain that level they started with. I also dislike it when bands start off heavy, and then wimp out. But that might be a subject for its own thread. For now, I will submit my contribution to great debut albums. But as mentioned above, maybe because they spend more time developing their sound and their first album, and just kind of wing it after that, could be the reason the first album is often the best.

I'd like to mention Creed. It's one of those bands I mentioned above that start off heavy and then wimp out. Although they did have some good wimpy songs, and generally had a good sound. Their first had a lot of hits on it. It was generally their heaviest album, and had their best songs. Although subsequent albums did have some hits on them.

Link to video.

Then comes Bush. I'm surprised no one has mentioned them. So many radio hits came off of this album. The second album had a couple good songs, and then the band faded out of existence. I wonder what happened to those guys. Sixteen Stone was an amazing debut album for these guys.

Link to video.

And no mention of License to Ill? Come on. This album is simply amazing, and I don't even listen to rap. But it was produced by Rick Rubin who also put out some of Slayer's best work. In fact, Kerry King of Slayer actually does some guitar work for one song on this album.

Link to video.

Deftones debut album was an amazing album too. It was called Adrenaline. They had a cool sound when they started out.

Link to video.

Korn's best album was their first album. They didn't have as much of a rap sound, but I preferred it that way, Even though it was more "straight". The album was title simply: Korn. I'll include two songs. Neither are very politically correct, so I caution younger viewers not to watch these. After this album, they put out mostly radio friendly stuff.

Link to video.

Link to video.

Holy Diver by Dio. Amazing metal album. They never could match the number of good songs this album had. Last in Line was decent though. Dio never could keep that strong sound he had on this album. Later albums sounded generic.

Link to video.

Metal Church's self title album was damn good. Although the second side isn't nearly as good as the amazing first side. Their second album wasn't bad, but then they went downhill fast.

Link to video.

Blizzard of Oz was Ozzy's best album. He's had many hits since, but never quite as good as when he had Rhoades with him.

Link to video.

System of a Down's self title album was simply amazing. I never heard a sound like that in my life. They never could match the power and uniqueness of their first album. And then they wimped out and lost that heavy sound.

Link to video.

I think Van Halen's self title album deserves mention. 1984 might be considered their best, but they had just as many hits from this album, and had a heavier sound (although my favorite song from them is hot for teacher).

Link to video.

 

[rugbyLEAGUEfan]

Some nice choices there Disgustipated . Ronny James Dio and Ozzy are just great metal singers and both these debuts are a lot of fun with beer .

Van Halen debut is a monster . Whenever I upgrade my stereo , it's the first CD I put in to test it's capability

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Just noticed that no one has mentioned Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures yet. That was a great debut. Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned the Pixies' Surfer Rosa.

 

[Wolfbeckett]

Just noticed that no one has mentioned Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures yet. That was a great debut. Also, I don't think anyone has mentioned the Pixies' Surfer Rosa.

Joy Division, no, you are the first. Pixies?

This.

For me I'd have to pick Surfer Rosa by Pixies. Doolittle is the favorite to a lot of people but I have always prefered Surfer Rosa. Also, I saw someone mention The Clash and The Ramones, so on the topic of punk, I nominate Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.

Page 1!

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Darn, scanned over it too fast.

Arcade Fire's Funeral is an excellent debut as well; it's probably my second-favorite album of the 2000s.

 

[Disgustipated]

Since wikipedia declares this as their debut (although Opiate is a short EP before Undertow), I will include it in the thread. I initially felt it wasn't their debut album. As debut albums go, it is amazing. Aenima is their best, but this album still has a certain feel to it that cannot be matched.

Tool- Undertow

Song title: Sober

Link to video.

 

[MajKira]

 

[SuperJay]

For all intents and purposes, These Are the Vistas was the debut album of The Bad Plus; their first on a major label and the one which most people heard before anything else. (They had released a self-titled record on a smaller European label a year or two earlier, but it wasn't widely available in the States at the time.)

So taken as such, this is the first song - "Big Eater" - off their first album. Hearing this for the first time felt like getting an electric shock. Acoustic piano trios just didn't play hard-hitting, rhythmically aggressive music like this.


Link to video.

 

[squall78]

Dr. Dre - The Chronic: Basically changed the entire sound of hip hop during the 90's

Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers: Minimalist beats and production with a perfect ensemble.

Notorious BIG - Ready to Die: Perfect lyrics, well rounded album

Nas - Illmatic: Second coming of Rakim.

90's had some great hip hop.

 

[ahcos]

Easy for me, as this debut is also the best album of all time for me

Check out http://grooveshark.com/#/album/Rythm+Chord+and+Melody/3437827

Although i have to admit that some choices posted here (e.g. KORN, TOOL, RATM, LED ZEP, RUN DMC, SABBATH, DOORS, TALKING HEADS and many more) have quite some quality, nothing comes even close to that masterpiece.

To add another drift:

BURZUM - "Burzum"
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX - "A Love Of Shared Disasters"
EXODUS - "Bonded By Blood"
PORTISHEAD - "Dummy"
DREAM THEATER - "When Day And Dream Unite"
MAYBESHEWILL - "Not For Want Of Trying"
BARONESS - "Red Album"

All pretty solid, to say the least...