Last Great Debut Album?

I'm going to second The Arcade Fire's Funeral. I'm surprised it took until page 2 before someone mentioned it.

<img src="http://www.yawam.info/images/albums/grandes/arcade_fire-funeral.png" alt=" - " />

<img src="http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g16/beetsnotbeats/R-231483-1171155470.jpg" alt=" - " />
<img src="http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g16/beetsnotbeats/R-231483-1171155483.jpg" alt=" - " /> <img src="http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g16/beetsnotbeats/R-231483-1171155497.jpg" alt=" - " />

Originally released in 1989.

"It's the greatest thing I've ever heard."
- Hal Willner, producer, Saturday Night Live

"Brilliant production… the most interesting album of 1989."
- Jens Kohler, Ice

"John Oswald has achieved the pinnacle of the 1980's cut-and-paste aesthetic. Spectacular Frankenstein monsters. One of the most adventurous and musically rewarding experiments to emerge from the age of digital sampling."
(TOP TEN LIST OF THE '80s) - Derk Richardson, San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Plunderphonics is as mesmerizing and synapse-frying a piece of aural vandalism as has ever been committed."
- Byron Coley, Spin

"It's a masterpiece…the best new release in five years."
- John Zorn: composer, NYC

"Plunderphonic is my favorite release of the year. This art is more radical in its social and political implications than the introduction of the electric guitar."
- Henry Kaiser, East Bay Express

"Startling. [The] year's hippest banned record."
- Richard Gehr, Creem

"It's beautiful."
- Bill Frisell: guitarist, Hoboken NJ

"It's great."
- Al Kooper: musian/producer, LA

"One of the most brilliant things I've ever heard."
- John Wiggins, HBO,NYC

"For the moment, John Oswald is a solo movement, the most exciting school of one in music."
- Milo Miles, Village Voice

"Great! If there was a way I could release this I would in a minute.
- Robert Hurwitz, executive producer, Nonesuch Records

"I've been playing [the Plunderphonics CD] for everyone who will listen and thus far the response has been 100%. They all want copies."
- Phil Perkins: sound designer, SF

"It's great! It's fab! I love it! I've played it for lots of people, whose reactions range from knocked out to completely befuddled. I guess this means you've created a masterpiece (or two or three or four - my favorites keep shifting)."
- Matt Groening: cartoonist. Life In Hell &amp; The Simpsons

"Plunderphonics is recreational savagery… A consistently brilliant record."
- David Toop, London Times

"It tickled me…It's a celebration."
- Bob Krasnow: president, Elektra Records

"The Gravity's Rainbow of recordings. Complex, hilarious, moving and revealing."
- anon., Boston

"Mr. Oswald flew past the level of mere sampling. He has taken sampling fifty times beyond what we've come to expect."
- Brian Robertson: president,Canadian Recording Indusry Ass.

Not her debut. Also, even though I think it's a bit of a stretch, I'd agree that Julian's vote for Give Up has some merit. I don't think it should be mentioned in the same breathe as some of these discs, but I can see what he's going for.

Funeral, on the other hand, is just ridiculous. What impact has that had other than to get indie nerds and bloggers salivating?

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
&lt;img src="http://www.abc.net.au/goldcoast/stories/Tori_Amos_m975825.gif" alt=" - " /&gt;

Y Kant Tori Read is with a band, so I think Little Earthquakes counts as a debut.

Originally posted by nkotb:
Not her debut. Also, even though I think it's a bit of a stretch, I'd agree that Julian's vote for Give Up has some merit. I don't think it should be mentioned in the same breathe as some of these discs, but I can see what he's going for.

Didn't know that. Another interesting bit of trivia (according to Wikipedia), is that future GNR drummer Matt Sorum. It's all come full circle.

That being said, do you really think Little Earthquakes counts?

Originally posted by wanderlust featuring j. marshmallow:
Y Kant Tori Read is with a band, so I think Little Earthquakes count as a debut.

Originally posted by nkotb:

Funeral, on the other hand, is just ridiculous. What impact has that had other than to get indie nerds and bloggers salivating?

Amen.

Two other points:

1.) I thought this discussion was framed American. If we are to include the UK, I'd say "The Stone Roses" may be even bigger than "Appetite." I really don't think "The Stone Roses" was very big (in any sense) in America, except with hipsters. Actually, "Second Coming" sold more in America than "The Stone Roses." Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

2.) Am I the only one who thinks that Gwen Stefani was MUCH more attractive in her early years ("No Doubt" album-era)? Once "Tragic Kingdom" came out she started to look like some bizarre Muppet/Troll doll combination. That's what you get for marrying a queen.

Brian

Nope, though it's a great debut.

Originally posted by nkotb:


That being said, do you really think Little Earthquakes counts?

Fugazi's first EP

And if Soundgarden had not realized that piece of shit "Ultramega OK" beforehand, "Louder Than Love" would be high on my list, same with Jane's Addiction (though the XXX LP is definitely listenable, it's just not in the league of "Nothings Shocking").

Originally posted by wanderlust featuring j. marshmallow:
Y Kant Tori Read is with a band, so I think Little Earthquakes counts as a debut.

Originally posted by nkotb:
Not her debut. Also, even though I think it's a bit of a stretch, I'd agree that Julian's vote for Give Up has some merit. I don't think it should be mentioned in the same breathe as some of these discs, but I can see what he's going for.

Y Kant Tori Read is a solo album, one that contained studio musicians perhaps but still a solo album.

I'm certainly no expert, but according to Wikipedia, Y Kant Tori Read was a band that featured Tori.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Kant_Tori_Read

I was surprised to read that too. Then I remembered that I didn't care.

Originally posted by TheREALHunter:
Y Kant Tori Read is a solo album, one that contained studio musicians perhaps but still a solo album.

The original Y Kant Tori Read CD can fetch hundreds of dollars. I only have a bootleg copy of it.

Originally posted by nkotb:
I'm certainly no expert, but according to Wikipedia, Y Kant Tori Read was a band that featured Tori.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y_Kant_Tori_Read

I was surprised to read that too. Then I remembered that I didn't care.

Originally posted by TheREALHunter:
Y Kant Tori Read is a solo album, one that contained studio musicians perhaps but still a solo album.

If I recall, the argument against Weezer's "Blue Album" was that it had no lasting impact. Two points: (1) it was emo before there was emo (2) they made it cool to be nerds/geeks well before the geek-cool wave of the late 90's/early 00's.

Knowing that we're looking for debut albums that sold millions, altered (at least somewhat) the direction of popular music, and was critically well-received, I offer one more suggestion…

<img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31HT8GP93DL._SS500_.jpg" alt=" - " />

Originally posted by dhinojwala:
(2) they made it cool to be nerds/geeks well before the geek-cool wave of the late 90's/early 00's.

<img src="http://a0.vox.com/6a00c2251c04e5604a00c2251e7c188fdb-320pi" alt=" - " />

Originally posted by bnyced0:

Originally posted by xneverwherex:
no worries - us californians are ahead of the curve! but yes - it was stated in the thread it wasnt their debut album.

Originally posted by bnyced0:
Maybe it's ironic because it's NOT a debut album, I'm surprised one of the many Californians frequenting this board didn't chime in here, as the first ND album was 92, think I still have the cassette in storage somewhere.

Ok, now that I've gotten everyone's blood flowing,

"DHC from RICHMOND"

?????????????, CA right?

I would've said Berkely, and they were made up of some of the remnants of Operation Ivy before they bailed but they were super solid and I hated to see them go.

yeah sorry it was meant to be obvious that it was richmond, CA since i had mentioned california ska-quake. all cali bands. had read somewhere awhile back they were from RICHMOND, CA. but apparently berkeley is more correct.

all my friends wanted to be just like elyse. and esp have her voice.

Originally posted by nkotb:
Funeral, on the other hand, is just ridiculous. What impact has that had other than to get indie nerds and bloggers salivating?

Thank you. I was gonna pipe up on that, but I wanted some backing first.

Originally posted by dhinojwala:
If I recall, the argument against Weezer's "Blue Album" was that it had no lasting impact. Two points: (1) it was emo before there was emo (2) they made it cool to be nerds/geeks well before the geek-cool wave of the late 90's/early 00's.

Knowing that we're looking for debut albums that sold millions, altered (at least somewhat) the direction of popular music, and was critically well-received, I offer one more suggestion…

&lt;img src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/31HT8GP93DL._SS500_.jpg" alt=" - " /&gt;

Emo before there was emo? Uh…no.
1. Power-pop (what Weezer plays) is not emo
2. Emo began and ended with DC bands like Rites of Spring, Embrace, Rain, etc. the term has been revived to lump in some fruity punk bands with a screaming lead singer but it's a bad imitation.

Originally posted by Mobius:
I think of Reasonable Doubt as an album made by someone with talent who wanted to make Ready To Die, but maybe w/out the vulnerability.

I beg to differ, my friend.

Exhibit A: Number One Rule For Your Set/Wanna Live Your Life/Gotta Learn To Live With Regrets

That shit's as vulnerable as chicks at Lilith Fair, fam.

Seconding the comment on Weezer (Blue) is that "My Name Is Jonas" is considered by many the proto Emo anthem. In fact I think it stood the test of time in sense of popularity more so then the hit singles.

How about

Air - "Safari Moon" which opened doors for the French Pop scene and to some extend downtempo lounge music.

Fatboy Slim - "Better Living Through Chemistry" helped bring electronica into the mainstream.

Underworld gets knocked out as "Dubnobasswithmyheadman" is the groups third release but first with it's most significant sound and line-up.

Jellyfish - "Bellybutton" and Myracle Brah - "Life on Planet Eartsnop" which had great impact on me :D

Originally posted by xneverwherex:

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by TheDirector217:
There wasn't anything particularly influential about Tragic Kingdom. Sublime &amp; 311 were already running with the "ska thing" that exploded in the mid-90s.

I'll make a deal with you: I won't lecture you on rap and hip-hop if you promise to not give any more lectures on Mid-90's ska. Mid-90's ska for the rest of America was late 80's for the fine folks in So Cal, and yes, while it was pinched from Marley and the Specials from the late 70's early 80's UK revival, it's evident by your inclusion of 311 in the same conversation as No Doubt and Sublime that you're way out of your league. Fishbone, I would have given you, but 311 is unforgivable. Love it or hate it, No Doubt are credited with bringing Ska to the 90's mainstream music scene, not 311 or Sublime.

some people just shouldnt discuss ska music.

Ummmmmmm, hey X. I'm assuming your last statement was meant for me. You obviously didn't read MY statement very well, did you???? If you're gonna be indignant about it at least read my whole statement first. I simply stated what was responsible for breaking ska into the mainstream. YOU are a cultured music listener. That statement really didn't apply to you, as you obviously were ahead of the curve much like Smackie. Just read my WHOLE statement thoroughly. It's self-explanatory. Do you think I'd be stupid enough to say that Sublime & especially 311 are the torchbearers for ska??? On this board of all places???? That'd be like me saying Kelly Clarkson is a hard rock artist. Come the fuck on. Seriously.

Originally posted by TheDirector217:
And of course, I can't hear it here. But I am well aware of KROQ

I think you can stream it online, right?