Top Five All-Time Greatest Debut Albums

Not a "best" list but a "great" list of stuff no one's mentioned:

Blue Nile A Walk Across the Rooftops
The Saints I'm Stranded
The The Soul Mining ( Burning Blue Soul or whatever it was called was released as Matt Johnson)
The Feelies Crazy Rhythms
The Dream Syndicate The Days of Wine and Roses

OK, two more, of more recent vintage:

Eric Matthews It's Heavy In Here
Sun Sun (Australian duo on Staubgold)

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First off, Bob Dylan s/t blows! he doesn't write the majority of it and it sounds like shit.

1) The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
2) Biggie - Ready to Die
3) The Apples In Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
4) Nas - Illmatic
5) Dave Matthews Band - Remember Two Things (bring it on)
6) Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary


good thread, most first albums suck, or dont really express where the band's sound is going to eventually end up …

Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
Black Flag – Damaged
Sex Pistols – Bollocks
Joy Division – Pleasures
The Stooges

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
First off, Bob Dylan s/t blows! he doesn't write the majority of it and it sounds like shit.

1) The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
2) Biggie - Ready to Die
3) The Apples In Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
4) Nas - Illmatic
5) Dave Matthews Band - Remember Two Things (bring it on)
6) Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary


good thread, most first albums suck, or dont really express where the band's sound is going to eventually end up …

…..says the Biggie/DMB fan…..

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
First off, Bob Dylan s/t blows! he doesn't write the majority of it and it sounds like shit.

I wouldn't be that harsh, but I will agree it's not that great. Probably my least favorite Dylan album.

Originally posted by marquee smith:
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Should I be worried that I own three of the five you posted, on vinyl no less?

Nah, unless you don't think my Dad's cool. Those three were pretty much handed out to anyone buying a house in the 70's.

Originally posted by vansmack:
Should I be worried that I own three of the five you posted, on vinyl no less?

Originally posted by sonickteam2:

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
First off, Bob Dylan s/t blows! he doesn't write the majority of it and it sounds like shit.

1) The Pixies - Surfer Rosa
2) Biggie - Ready to Die
3) The Apples In Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker
4) Nas - Illmatic
5) Dave Matthews Band - Remember Two Things (bring it on)
6) Sunny Day Real Estate - Diary


good thread, most first albums suck, or dont really express where the band's sound is going to eventually end up …

…..says the Biggie/DMB fan…..

have you ever listened to ready to die? it's one of the most unbelievable debuts. period.

black sabbath - s/t
velvet underground & nico - s/t
joy division - unknown pleasures
the smiths - s/t
gang of four - entertainment!

since i can't narrow it to five, here are the other candidates:

the stooges - s/t
MC5 - kick out the jams
patti smith - horses
can - monster movie
the jesus and mary chain - psychocandy
pink floyd - piper at the gates of dawn
x - los angeles
the ramones - s/t
mission of burma - vs
wire - pink flag

Oasis - Definitely Maybe…..By Far.

Oasis - Definitely Maybe…..By Far.

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
have you ever listened to ready to die? it's one of the most unbelievable debuts. period.

I have. its cheap, tasteless, and only sort of musically talented. I have friends who make better beats in thier basement than Puffy.

weezer- blue
david garza- this euphoria
the mars volta- de-loused in the comatorium
third eye blind- third eye blind
the strokes- is this it

Some additional ones, seeing as some of the ones I was thinking of have been taken…

The Smithereens - Especially For You
Marshall Crenshaw - Self Titled
Love Nut - Bastards of Melody
Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain
Mood Elevator - Listen Up!

And I disagree about the statement regarding first albums sucking… often the first record is a group best with it being all downhill after that. the whole being able to songs over a lifetime verses between releases phenomenon.

Perhaps you are right, because - judging by some of your selections - you are intimately familiar with what shit sounds like.

Originally posted by HoyaSaxa03:
First off, Bob Dylan s/t blows! he doesn't write the majority of it and it sounds like shit.

ok, let me try:

Robbie Fulks: Country Love Songs
Gillian Welch: Revival
Nellie McKay: Get Away From Me
Jeff Buckley: Grace
Steve Earle: Guitar Town

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:

Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Another thread where everyone has way overlapping tastes. Yawn.

made complete with rhett complaining instead of posting his own list

Originally posted by kosmo vinyl:
often the first record is a group best with it being all downhill after that. the whole being able to songs over a lifetime verses between releases phenomenon.

yes, and also bands are seldom steered this way and that way during production of thier first album. but then once the labels get a hold of them……

Dylan's first album is in the unenviable position of being immediately followed by Freewheelin', Another Side, The Times They Are A Changin', Highway 61, Bringing it All Back Home, and Blonde on Blonde. So if it doesn't look so great, I would argue it is simply because it is outshone by it's successors; albums which seem to appear on nearly every "Greatest" list.

But I don't think that detracts from S/T as a great debut album. Personally, I like the spare sound and the rough production.

Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
I wouldn't be that harsh, but I will agree it's not that great. Probably my least favorite Dylan album.

Most of the best have already been posted.

Here's a few others that I find notable & important to me though:

Chris Whitley ~ Living With the Law

Cure ~ 3 Imaginary Boys

Afghan Whigs ~ Big Top Halloween (a portent of things to come)

Catherine Wheel ~ Ferment

White Stripes ~ The White Stripes (still their best)

Son Volt ~ Trace