Bands that had really good first albums that couldn't outdo themselves?

[KYJazzy]

huge +1 to Coldplay and +1 to the Mars Volta mention, which has often frustrated me as many critics insist their sophomore effort is superior in every way. I like Mars Volta, but the first album was much more accessible while still hard-edged.

As far as Coldplay, Rush of Blood was great, but diverges from the smooth stuff on Parachutes.

 

[axisluminary]

ozomatli

jurassic 5

dave matthews band - most anything after crowded streets just kind of pales in comparison (and yes, i'm aware that BTCS wasn't their first album)

 

[soong]

what part of FIRST ALBUM dont you understand?....BSSM wasn't 1st

You know what i mean. I KNOW, Mother's Milk, Freaky Styley etc but BSSM was the first major one.

I'd also like to add Stanley Clarke, School Days was his best and still is

 

[BassmanAd]

Stone Roses

+1000

Fisrt album: life changing.

Second album: :scowl:

 

[heroincredible]

Killswitch Engage
Glassjaw (I love their first album...the second one was sub par IMO)
Korn (none of their later stuff managed to match the raw energy that was on this album)
Nirvana
Stone Temple Pilots
Rage Against the Machine
The Red Chord
System of a Down

 

[lukas86]

definately the futureheads. I wasn't a fan of bloc party's second attempt.

 

[projectMalamute]

You know what i mean. I KNOW, Mother's Milk, Freaky Styley etc but BSSM was the first major one.

I'd also like to add Stanley Clarke, School Days was his best and still is

You mean first major release on a major record label which received substantial play on radio and MTV?

Cause in that case you are also wrong.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Stone Roses
Underworld (Underneath the Radar was great)
B52's (they had moments of greatness later, but...)
Smashing Pumpkins
Catherine Wheel
Blur
...

 

[scourge]

Nirvana

Finally!

I'm going to add Motley Crue. Shout at the Devil is the best. I'm not counting Too Fast for Love.

+1000 on GnR.

 

[JimK]

I'd also like to add Stanley Clarke, School Days was his best and still is

Picking School Days over Clarke's solo/debut (the horrible, IMO, Children Of Forever) is a pretty big stretch...

 

[Nino Valenti]

Creed. My Own Prison was an amazing album, and they started the slide when they tried to top it.

-1 I really like My Own Prison but it is my least favorite of the 3 albums.

Pearl Jam - Some great tunes there, then .....

Big +1

Spin Docters

+1

imo metallica... there still a good band and a metal powerhouse but when i listen to there first cd i feel something different then any other cd, they had balls back then and showed them on that cd, then imo they got cocky

I disagree. As much as I love Kill Em All. Master of Puppets and Ride are , IMO, better albums.

Nirvana
Stone Temple Pilots
Rage Against the Machine

Agree with Nirvana.
STP? No way. All their stuff kicks butt
Also disagree with Rage. The 1st album is the best but the others are awesome!!!

 

[MAJOR METAL]

To my ears bands like Metallica and Stone Temple Pilots grew and progressed very well after their first albums.

 

[Altitude]

Mister Mister

I'm curious - what are you considering to me Mr. Mister's first?

 

[Matt Till]

You know what i mean. I KNOW, Mother's Milk, Freaky Styley etc but BSSM was the first major one.

I'd also like to add Stanley Clarke, School Days was his best and still is

Oh yeah, just like Metallica's first album... the Black album.

P.S.


Ohhhh and a miss again!

# Children of Forever (Polydor) (1973)
# Stanley Clarke (Epic) (1974)
# Journey to Love (Epic) (1975)
# School Days (Epic) (1976)


Debut, eh? If you really like these bands, I'm surprised you don't know much about them.

 

[Altitude]

To my ears bands like Metallica and Stone Temple Pilots grew and progressed very well after their first albums.

IMO, STP sounded like a totally different band with each album - but, it was all good and any one of them would have turned me on had it been the first time I heard them.

Edit - maybe excepting "4", which was the only STP album slightly derivative of what they had done before.

 

[Altitude]

I KNOW, Mother's Milk, Freaky Styley etc but BSSM was the first major one.

How do you figure? Mother's Milk and Freaky Styley were both on major labels and sold very well, both to at least gold if memory serves. BSSM may have been the first Peppers you got into, but it will be hard to defend that it was their first album in any objective sense.

 

[GeddyFlea1974]

To me, Audioslave. I love their debut album, but after that, it seemed to me like it became less influenced by Rage and more of a platform for Chris's solo stuff. Which is good, still, but the other two albums didn't bring the energy the first one had.

 

[Viper027]

I guess it depends on what you mean by out do themselves. Commerical success or growing as an artist? I think GnR's first was great, but they grew as musicians and by Illusion they were writting different stuff. Still good but different. I would say the same about Pearl Jam. I Loved thier 1st, but they went in a different direction after that. Imo, not a good direction. Metallica I loved everything they did until the Black album. But by 1991 they were different artist than they were in the early 1980's. I have a musician friend that loved Dream Theater's Images album, and thinks they got worse since. We always have this discussion, I think they only got better, just no commerical success.

 

[JDHayes]

Was Live's first album Throwing Copper? If so then everything they have done since has not even come close.

 

[Reuben]

Cheap Trick

Their next 3 albums were OK, and had some good songs, but nothing compares to the flawless self-titled first one.