Best Debut Albums

[eversonpoe]

apologies if this thread already exists in some form (and if so, feel free to scrub this one).

what are some of your favorite debut albums by a band or artist? nothing tops that first album for you, even if it's just as good. one-album artists are acceptable, too, as long as their one album is a masterpiece.

i'll get us started!

a perfect circle • mer de noms
alkaline trio • goddamnit
austra • feel it break
bauhaus • in the flat field
broadcast • the noise made by people
circa survive • juturna
the fall of troy • doppelgänger
fever ray • s/t
grinderman • s/t
the horrors • strange house
jeff buckley • grace
king crimson • in the court of the crimson king
liars • they threw us all in a trench and stuck a monument on top
the mars volta • de-loused in the comatorium
ministry • with sympathy (only album of theirs i like)
my brightest diamond • bring me the workhorse
naked city (john zorn) • naked city
new order • movement
sunny day real estate • diary
the time • what time is it
wire • pink flag

[AVirtualMemoryOfficial]

Ah stuck at home so, what the hell? I'm assuming just full-length albums and not EPs?

In no particular order:

Lead Into Gold - Age of Reason
Robert Rich - Sunyata
Swans - Filth
Bjork - Debut
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Queens of the Stone Age - Queens of the Stone Age
William Basinski - Shortwave Music
Revolting Cocks - Big Sexy Land
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Massive Attack - Blue Lines
Dead Can Dance - Dead Can Dance
Autechre - Incunabula
Steve Roach - Now
Tricky - Maxinquaye
2814 - 2 8 1 4
16 Horsepower - Sackcloth 'n' Ashes
Zanias - Into the All
Amon Tobin - Bricolage
Biosphere - Microgravity
Chelsea Wolfe - The Grime & the Glow
Monolake - Hongkong
Curve - Doppelganger
Delerium - Faces, Forms, & Illusions
Gazelle Twin - The Entire City
Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F#A# (Infinity)
HIDE - Castration Anxiety
Jarboe - Thirteen Masks
Killing Joke - Killing Joke (1980)
Ladytron - 604
Savages - Silence Yourself
Mouse on the Keys - An Anxious Object
Polygon Window - Surfing on Sine Waves
Second Woman - Second Woman
Ryo Fukui - Scenery
Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets
Augustus Muller - Machine Learning Experiments
Skinny Puppy - Remission (despite technically being an EP I still think this counts considering the bonus tracks round it out to a full-length album, if not, then Bites, I suppose as that's always been a favorite as well)

I have no idea if this topic's been done before either but, in any case, great idea for a thread! Kind of a nice though-experiment, especially in considering artists whom I really love but I apparently don't necessarily like their debut records, or at least I don't consider them to be standouts in the discography (Bowie, Ministry, Saul Williams, Front Line Assembly, etc.)

[neorev]

Wait so it has to be a first album I love that weren't topped by later follow up albums from the band aka nothing beats their first album and everything after wasn't as good? Because I got many debut albums that I love, but the same band also put out great albums after their debut too.

[katara]

Curve - Doppelganger

Fuck, yes.

[r_z]

some Rap stuff in my list:

Mos Def - Black On Both Sides (1999)
EL-P - Fantastic Damage (2002)
Dead Prez - Let's Get Free (2000)
Pharoahe Monch - Internal Affairs (1999)
Rob Sonic - Telicatessen (2004)
Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (2011)

also:
Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (1980)
The Rapture - Echoes (2003)

[GulDukat]

Van Halen-Van Halen
AC/DC- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (American)
Guns N' Roses- Appetite For Destruction
KISS- KISS
Soundgarden- Ultramega OK
Frank Sinatra- Songs for Young Lovers (Capital debut)
John Lennon- Plastic Ono Band
Tori Amos- Little Earthquakes
Pearl Jam- Ten
Nirvana- Bleach
Alice In Chains- Facelift
Stone Temple Pilots- Core
Rage Against The Machine-s/t
Doors-s/t
Led Zeppelin- s/t
The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Are You Experienced?
Deep Purple- Shades of Deep Purple
Nine Inch Nails- Pretty Hate Machine
The Beatles- Please Please Me
Pink Floyd- Piper at the Gates of Dawn
Elvis Presley- Elvis Presley

[SM Rollinger]

The Doors
Herzeleid
Pretty Hate Machine
Fantastic Damage

I'm sure I'll think of more, but it doesn't get much better than The Doors.

[GulDukat]

The Doors
Herzeleid
Pretty Hate Machine
Fantastic Damage

I'm sure I'll think of more, but it doesn't get much better than The Doors.

Absolute stone cold classic. I think that's an album that every generation of rockers gets into. In 100 years there will be a group of high school kids who will get into the Doors.

[Archive_Reports]

Tesseract - One
letlive. - Fake History (they self-released before this, not sure if it counts)
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Orgy - Candyass
August Burns Red - Thrill Seeker
Denali - S/T
30 Seconds to Mars - S/T
Garbage - S/T

[versusreality]

Gomez- Bring It On (1998)
This is one of the most diverse albums ever made. Hard to think they were 18-20 years old when they made it, and it was made in a garage pretty much. The counter to Brit Pop that was happening at the time. The first track is a Bone Machine era sounding Tom Waits song. The second is a playful acoustic meets Trans Europe Express track. The 3rd is a acoustic ballad, the 4th a jazz song with vocals in a megaphone. The 5th is a luscious Mexican ballad, the 6th is Exile On Main St era Stones sounding, the 7th is fuzz guitar rock, the 8th a sing along song, the 9th a country ballad, the 10th a electric keyboard lounge chillout, the 11th is ZZ Top meets Pink Floyd meets Bob Marley.

[SchwarzerAbt]

So you say that Pretty Hate Machine as an album wasn't topped by anything that came afterwards? Pretty controversial!

Here's my take:
Audioslave - Audioslave
Enter Shikari - Take to the Skies
Funeral for a Friend - Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

[kaydraven]

Considering debut albums that top a band's following releases the ones that come to mind is PATD! S/T, Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe, BFMV - The Poison

As for what I think the best debut albums are:

Eternity in Your Arms - Creeper
PHM - NIN
Greatest Lovesongs Vol 666 - HIM
Priestess - Hello Master
Royal Blood - S/T
Cage the Elephant - S/T

[cahernandez]

Debut albums that the band couldn't top afterwards?
Audioslave - ST
Daft Punk - Homework
The XX - ST
30 Seconds to Mars - ST (by a long shot)
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network
Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

I'd include The Black Queen - Fever Daydream and Palms - ST but it's too early in their careers to tell what'll happen.

That's it for me! There are other great debut albums but not the best one in the artist's career

[eversonpoe]

Wait so it has to be a first album I love that weren't topped by later follow up albums from the band aka nothing beats their first album and everything after wasn't as good? Because I got many debut albums that I love, but the same band also put out great albums after their debut too.

yeah, i mean, i included king crimson's first album because while they have plenty of other albums that are tied in terms of being my most-loved and most-listened to, nothing will ever top the innovation and groundbreaking sound of their first album. it sounded like nothing else at the time and no one else has ever been able to emulate that.

[eversonpoe]

Nirvana- Bleach

i thought you said Nevermind was their best album

[versusreality]

The Verve- Verve ep

one of the best psychedelic rock records ever, not even a question. their proper first studio album A Storm in Heaven comes close to topping this.

[allegro]

KISS- KISS

Dude ... ARE YOU SERIOUS??????

Kiss Alive was a great album, but all 3 of those original Kiss albums were like the vinyl equivalent of aural Tuinals.

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Patti Smith - Horses
LCD Soundsystem - S/T
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
Hole - Live Through This
Damien Rice - O
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Autolux - Future Perfect
Michael Jackson - Off the Wall

[GulDukat]

i thought you said Nevermind was their best album

I think it is their best album. The title of this thread is "best debut albums," but that doesn't necessarily mean the debut cited is the best work the artist in question put out.

[imail724]

[GulDukat]

Dude ... ARE YOU SERIOUS??????

Kiss Alive was a great album, but all 3 of those original Kiss albums were like the vinyl equivalent of aural Tuinals.

Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking
Patti Smith - Horses
LCD Soundsystem - S/T
The Police - Outlandos d'Amour
Hole - Live Through This
Damien Rice - O
The Arcade Fire - Funeral
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Autolux - Future Perfect
Michael Jackson - Off the Wall

I love KISS' debut, "Strutter," "Deuce," "Cold Gin," Black Diamond," etc. Great songs and I think the album (late 90's remaster) sounds good.

[katara]

Pretty tough thread. There are tons of artists who have amazing debuts. Here's my take, assuming that the first album must be better than the rest of their discography.

Avril Lavigne - Let Go
Curve - Pubic Fruit (Their best work imo, despite being a collection of the first three EPs. Might not count, as it's not really an LP.)
Daisy Chainsaw - Eleventeen
Error - Error
exist†trace - Recreation Eve
How To Destroy Angels - Welcome Oblivion
Julie Christmas - The Bad Wife
Korn - Korn
Lovage - Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By
nearLY - reminder
Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X
sukekiyo - IMMORTALIS

[Archive_Reports]

I think it is their best album. The title of this thread is "best debut albums," but that doesn't necessarily mean the debut cited is the best work the artist in question put out.

what are some of your favorite debut albums by a band or artist? nothing tops that first album for you, even if it's just as good. one-album artists are acceptable, too, as long as their one album is a masterpiece.

Yeah, I think that was exactly the intention.

[GulDukat]

Yeah, I think that was exactly the intention.[/COLOR]

Fine print man.

I'd have to go back and remove half the albums I listed.

[r_z]

Uh, Autolux is a good call.

[Archive_Reports]

Fine print man.

I'd have to go back and remove half the albums I listed.

It's in the third sentence of the post not counting the one apologizing if the thread already exists. BUT, no negativity needed. Good calls with Appetite and Core.

[allegro]

I've changed my mind about Outlandos, though. If the pure qualifications are that nothing topped it, later, than it has to come off my list. It was a perfect album, but Ghost was actually a way better album.

[eversonpoe]

I've changed my mind about Outlandos, though. If the pure qualifications are that nothing topped it, later, than it has to come off my list. It was a perfect album, but Ghost was actually a way better album.

ghost in the machine has always been my favorite. it flows so well and there's not a single dud. it's also a perfect road trip album!
outlandos is great, and is a super strong debut, but "peanuts" is just an ok song (and definitely not stewart's best composition for the band), and "be my girl / sally" is just...unnecessary haha. i love andy's solo work but that song just creeps me out and totally interrupts the flow of the album.

@GulDukat my intention wasn't just to list great debut albums, but debut albums by bands that never topped them with later output (though it's ok if they put out albums equally as good). no need to go back and edit your post, though. i don't think anyone in here is going to be a jerk about it

[Exocet]

Killing Joke- Killing Joke
Joy Division - Unknown Pleausres
Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92
Wire - Pink Flag
Portishead - Dummy
Ride -Nowhere
Chemcial Brothers - Exit Planet Dust
Echo and the Bunnymen - Crocodiles
Erykah Badu - Baduizm
Belle and Sebastian - Tigermilk
Massive Attack - Blue Lines
The Smiths - The Smiths
R.E.M- Murmur
Seefeel - Quique
Dizzie Rascal - Boy in Da Corner

[AVirtualMemoryOfficial]

@SchwarzerAbt LOL pretty controversial indeed! Yeah now that I give it some thought, while I consider Pretty Hate Machine to be one of Reznor's best works, I wouldn't say it's the best album he's ever done when compared to EVERYTHING else that came afterward. It's definitely very, very high up there for me, like top 5 perhaps. Same goes for some of those other records I listed, now that I think about it. I love Blue Lines, it's one of the best debut albums I've heard by any artist, but it doesn't top Mezzanine. Same goes for Ladytron's 604 when compared to Light & Magic, Bjork's Debut compared to Homogenic, Steve Roach's Now compared to Origins, William Basinski's Shortwave Music compared to Melancholia, QOTSA's debut release compared to Lullabies to Paralyze, Swans' Filth compared to The Glowing Man or Soundtracks for the Blind, etc. I think I more focused on debut albums that really stood out when compared to those done by other artists rather than instances where I think that the debut is the best thing an artist has ever done. Sorry, I know that kinda misses the point a little : P

@katara I totally stand by Doppelganger on that one. I love the early EPs but that's definitely the best album they ever made and easily one of my favorite debut albums by anybody ever.

[allegro]

ghost in the machine has always been my favorite. it flows so well and there's not a single dud. it's also a perfect road trip album!
outlandos is great, and is a super strong debut, but "peanuts" is just an ok song (and definitely not stewart's best composition for the band), and "be my girl / sally" is just...unnecessary haha. i love andy's solo work but that song just creeps me out and totally interrupts the flow of the album.

Nothing is as bad as “Mother.” But, I totally absolutely 100% concur with your opinion, here.