What singer/band do think that their first album is their best?

Question

When we think of our favorite albums, it's usually the band's 4th or 5th or 11th or 12th or whatever. But what is a band that's first album is (in your opinion) their best?

Answer 1

For me, a lot of the bands I love strike gold with their first album, then never repeat this success. That's not to say I stop liking them, but often something seems to have been lost by the time they get around to the second album. For example Bloc Party. Their first album, "Silent Alarm" is, in my opinion, one of the finest rock albums of the past decade, and pretty much every track on it absolutely shines. In contrast, while their second album, "A Weekend in the City" is a good, consistent album, it lacks the brilliance of its predecessor.

I personally would also include Pearl Jam in this one. I think "Ten" is their best work, although only by a hairs width. Vs. is a very close second to it.

My computer's going haywire, I'll be back with more :)

Edit:
OK, I'm back (damn computers!). So anyway, kind of lost my train of thought now, but I was going to say that Ryan Adams' "Heartbreaker" is probably his most accomplished album. A lot of people would probably argue that "Gold" is better, but this is just my opinion.

Answer 2

The Clash
The Ramones
Devo
Descendents (not counting EPs)
Dead Kennedgys
Dead Boys
The Damned
The Circle Jerks
Black Flag (counting EPs)
The Boys
Wire
The Who
The Velvet Underground
Stiff Little Fingers
Slaughter & The Dogs
Skrewdriver
Richard Hell & The Voidoids (most don't know their second album exists actually)
New York Dolls
Modern Lovers

I actually do the opposite, I usually think of the debut when I think of a band's strongest effort. They're often the freshest/most vibrant and enthusiastic albums. They haven't had the life beat out of them by the music industry/sold out/drastically changed their style.

Answer 3

I'm wavering on this one since in a previous question today I put I could not decide which was better, the first or sophmore release, but I'll say Fugazi's 13 Songs. It's a brilliant album.

I'm not a huge fan of G'n'R but Appetite For Destruction did blow anything else they did out of the water.

Also undecided to me is REM. While I truly enjoy the vast majority of what they put out, there are days where I will state Murmur is their most solid output.

I do enjoy Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted more than any other of their following albums.

I will also argue that The Ramones self-titled output is their best, with Rocket to Russia as a close second.

Man, I'm feeling wishy-washy on this question......

I also prefer The Red House Painter's Down Coloured Hill and Superchunk's debut as well to any of their other works.

Answer 4

On the contrary it happens quite often that a the 1st album is the best, and the following one are only its imitations. Only very good bands develope their sound gradually and finally make it perfect.
Anyway, in my opinion it's The Ark. Their first album, called "We Are The Ark" was very good, I love some songs, but the others are terrible, in my opinion.

Answer 5

Blue Oyster Cult. It was raw and had a sense of urgency. The lyrics where simple but powerful. I am not saying they got worse, just more polished and it took something away. Listen to 'City on Flames with Rock 'n Roll' from the first album and than listen to their classic "Don't Fear the Reaper". It could be two different bands.

Answer 6

Rush with their self-titled

1. "Finding My Way"
2. "Need Some Love"
3. "Take a Friend"
4. "Here Again"
5. "What You're Doing"
6. "In the Mood"
7. "Before and After"
8. "Working Man"

perhaps not all of their best work, but, certainly impressive.

Answer 7

I personally think The Door's The Doors was their best album. It doean't jump out immediately as a favorite album (I find all their albums almost equally amazing) but The Doors just gives me a little chill everytime I hear it (maybe cause it's last song is The End).

Answer 8

The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man
The Boomtown Rats - The Fine Art of Surfacing

Answer 9

Guns n Roses
Meatloaf
Melissa Etheridge
Leah Androene
Pat Benatar

Answer 10

Korn
Slipknot
Stone Sour
Coal Chamber