2. music
  3. 1166032414

Best "Rock/Pop" Debut Album?

I've been thinking about this for a while and recently rifled through my catalogue to look at some contenders. The criteria I used for selecting the best debut album is based on both impact to the genre and overall musical quality. For example some of the great Rock/Pop bands of the last 45 years didn't exactly come out of the gate swinging grand slams. For example, as great as the Beatles, Stones and even The Who were or are, they're first offering was largely based on covers of American blues and doesn't represent them hitting full stride. Same full stride scenario could also be said for great bands such as Zeppelin, Tull, Aerosmith, Talking Heads, Prince, CSN&Y etc.

Without further ado here is my list:

1. Yes - "Fragile" (Unbelievable debut album. Ushered in a classical sensibility to Rock music that hadn't been tapped into as deeply prior to their arrival on the scene. The muscianship and composition on Fragile is stunning. I put this album as number 1 on my list because of the incredible muscianship and maturity of this first offering)
2. Steely Dan - "Can't Buy A Thrill" (Damn near a flawless debut album. The Dan's influence was huge and made it difficult for critics to even figure how to categorize their style of music)
3. Chicago "Chicago Transit Authority" (Wham they came out of left field and combined horns, percussions and hot guitar licks the likes of which the music scene hadn't witnessed before. Right out of the gate their debut album sounded like it was a veteran work of art)
4. Nirvana - "Nirvana" (What can you say about this debut? It was a solid musical offering with a huge impact on music. Their debut was an invitation to the Grim Reaper for Old School and Hair Spray rock bands. It's influence is still being felt to this day)
5. The Doors - "The Doors" (Unbelievably good debut album. Light My Fire is one of the best Rock songs of all time IMHO. Right out of the gate The Doors brought a style and sound all their own)
128x128dawgbyte
dawgbyte's avatar
dawgbyte OP
325 posts
 
It's interesting that many people picked "My Aim Is True". If I were to pick a Top 10 list it would certainly be included. It was really the first "New Wave" album to spin out of Punk Rock and had a huge impact on music.

Van Halen's debut would also enter my Top 10 list, not only because it was great musically, but it came out at a time when critics were beginning to reject "Corporate Rock" bands like Journey, Boston, ELO, Styx, Foreigner and others.
dawgbyte's avatar
dawgbyte OP
325 posts
 
OKAY ENOUGH ALREADY! So a few people; including myself, messed up on actual debut records. Does that warrant snobby comments from the Rolling Stone archive list crowd? I think not!

Regarding Keith Emerson being the greatest keyboard player of all time. Hmmmmmmmm, not so fast with that title. Emerson was great and I'm a big fan to this day, but I'd put Rick Wakeman ahead of Emerson for that crown.

We've all seen muscians perform solo's during a concert and over the years I've witnessed some great ones from the likes of Eric Clapton, Pat Metheny, Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, Prince, Muddy Waters and too many drum solos to ever recount. However, of all the solo's I've seen one stands head and shoulders above the rest. Rick Wakeman performed a solo during Yes' Reunion tour in the early '90's that completely blew me away. What separated this solo from so many I'd seen in the past was his attention to composition. He designed the solo not only to showcase his incredible talent, but also to make it rhythmically engaging for the audience. It was a very complex piece executed flawlessly - a true master of his instrument.
qdrone
1,039 posts
 
Dawgbyte,
You are talking in RocknRoll right cause I mean no disrespect but in the classical realm there are a few GODS that Wakeman couldn't carry their tune literaly.
markphd
667 posts
 
Tvad and Lindisfarne...keep in mind that a first release album to you wherever you live is not necessarily a first release album to somebody in another country. It is not uncommon for some albums to be available only as an import. If and when an act becomes big, then the breakthrough album may be the "first release" in a particular country, with the previous import albums re-released to take advantage of the newfound publicity.

Maybe the post should be renamed "Best Break-Through Album" in order to avoid this type of confusion.
zaikesman
3,017 posts
 
Here's a twist: How about best debut that's also a swan song? My kick-off nomination in the only-one-album-but-oh-what-an-album-it-is sweepstakes is The La's self-titled (and self-tortured) minor masterpiece from 1990 (hit that's endured: "There She Goes") -- not only the lone album they managed to release during some 10 years of nominal band activity, and to critical raves, but also over the objections and rejection of leader Lee Mavers and without full band participation 'til the end of production, which was left to Steve Lillywhite to pull together on his own.
More to discover