Fully subjective of course, but most of us (loosely the Baby-Boomer Generation) have grown up listening to the best music this culture has been able to offer -- namely from the 50s-late 80s. We more than other generation were able to fully gauge, critique and appreciate each era and genre fully with a discriminating ear.
For the sake of this exercise of opinion, the premise and challenge is, "BEST 3 DEBUT ALBUMS".
The stiffest competition would actually be between the 70s and 80s.
Rock Music (as a viable "Pop Music" genre died in the 20th Century. ergo, RIP, 1955-1999
Other categories worthy of discussion might be:
"Best Overall Album"
"Best Back-to-Back Albums"
"Best Compilation"
"Best Singles-Machine"
Poster Comment:
Given the 1950s were mostly a decade of singles as were much of the 60s, they are numerically at a disadvantage.
I would give the nod to the 1970s as by far the best decade for album themed music. It combined the best of production value, technology resources, and conscious decision by record companies to produce "theme" albums. Often artists and groups would be embarrassed to include "filler".
I'm going to cheat and submit 5 Top Debut Albums (in chronological order):
1) Chicago (Transit Authority, 1970)
2) Derek and the Dominoes (Layla, 1972)
3) Bad Company (Bad Company, 1974)
4) Boston (1976)
5) Foreigner (1977)
Sure there were others, BUT...
#17: Pinguinite To: no gnu taxes (#8)
The official band has, in fact, released new albums over the years but they've gone no where. It seems Scholz, for all his engineering genius, was a nitpicking perfectionist to the point of being a PITA, which was, perhaps, to the credit of their early albums but also possibly at least one of the anchors that kept the band from flourishing.
Pinguinite posted on 2018-06-25 19:02:27 Reply Private Reply
#18: GrandIsland To: tpaine (#16)
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 19:28:39 Reply Private Reply
#19: GrandIsland To: A K A Stone (#1)
Id put that in the top 10
Back in Black (even tho I liked Bonn Scott better than Brian Johnson) also must be included in top 5
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 19:30:32 Reply Private Reply
#20: GrandIsland To: A K A Stone (#1)
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 19:33:15 Reply Private Reply
#21: sneakypete To: Liberator (#4)
I agree. It came out of nowhere,and flat took over.
And "Is dated now" doesn't mean squat. We are talking about DEBUT albums,and the impact that they had.
I can't remember which one it was off the top of my head at the moment,but whichever one was the first Allman Brother Band Album has to be right up there,too.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-25 20:01:41 Reply Private Reply
#22: sneakypete To: Liberator (#11)
I would be shocked if there is ever a period of time in all of eternity that you couldn't just buy them on-line anytime you want. They,like most of Pink Floyd's releases,will never go out of print.
It's da blues,man.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-25 20:05:00 Reply Private Reply
#23: sneakypete To: Jameson (#15)
Which pretty much describes why none of their crap is even semi-good.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-25 20:06:55 Reply Private Reply
#24: sneakypete To: GrandIsland (#20)
Yeah,I can see that one making the list. Do you know ANYBODY that didn't buy it?
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-25 20:08:33 Reply Private Reply
#25: GrandIsland To: sneakypete (#22)
The Wall... maybe another top 10
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 20:11:54 Reply Private Reply
#26: Jameson To: sneakypete (#23)
Enjoy the music you like, I couldn't care less about your opinion if all you can manage is "none of their crap is even semi-good"
Jameson posted on 2018-06-25 20:16:29 Reply Private Reply
#27: no gnu taxes To: Liberator (#0)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-25 20:17:05 Reply Private Reply
#28: no gnu taxes To: sneakypete (#24)
LOL
I remember he did a concert at my college in the early 80s. By that time, he was obviously balding and had trimmed his hair short. There were literally girls crying asking "what happened to his hair?"
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-25 20:26:42 Reply Private Reply
#29: no gnu taxes To: GrandIsland (#25)
I think "Dark Side of the Moon" was a much bigger hit album than The Wall.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-25 20:29:22 Reply Private Reply
#30: GrandIsland To: no gnu taxes (#29)
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 20:41:15 Reply Private Reply
#31: buckeroo To: GrandIsland, no gnu taxes (#30)
Rare that I agree with GI; "The Wall" was much more. Try a video link authored by Roger Walters. Turn up the volume of your surround speaker system. You won't regret it.
buckeroo posted on 2018-06-25 22:11:57 Reply Private Reply
#32: no gnu taxes To: buckeroo (#31)
I'm not saying The Wall wasn't a good album.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-25 22:26:43 Reply Private Reply
#33: GrandIsland To: buckeroo (#31)
Please dont ever repeat that ever again. Now wash your filthy maw out with a Tide Pod.
(Ill try the link tomorrow morning over java).
GrandIsland posted on 2018-06-25 22:27:12 Reply Private Reply
#34: A K A Stone To: Jameson (#15)
A K A Stone posted on 2018-06-25 23:54:43 Reply Private Reply
#35: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#11)
Well, I don't think Ginger killed Mom, but you can decide for yourself here:
https://youtu.be/d7h8CqYXEx0
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-25 23:58:44 Reply Private Reply
#36: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#12)
I understand the principle behind their theory, but I don't know what 99% of the referenced songs sound like because I don't listen to shit.
See how pervasive the rot is? I never listen to the shit and yet ...... I know it's shit.
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 00:03:40 Reply Private Reply
#37: buckeroo To: GrandIsland (#33)
You should call into the captain ... that you are munching on piles of jelly-filled doughnuts along with your kup(s) o' koffee so as to avoid personal reliability reports against your personal performance.
Tell the boss, "you deserve it."
buckeroo posted on 2018-06-26 00:04:11 Reply Private Reply
#38: sneakypete To: buckeroo (#31)
Blues from the 25th Century.
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-26 00:44:24 Reply Private Reply
#39: sneakypete To: Jameson (#26)
Punk rock is for posers that can't play actual music.
"If you can't play good,play fast and loud".
sneakypete posted on 2018-06-26 00:46:13 Reply Private Reply
#40: Deckard To: Liberator (#0)
1950's
Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley 1956
Chuck Berry - After School Session 1956
The Crickets (Buddy Holly) - The "Chirping" Crickets 1957
1960's
The Beatles - Please Please Me 1963
Are You Experienced - The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967
Truth - Jeff Beck 1968
1970's
Can't Buy A Thrill - Steely Dan 1972
The Clash - The Clash 1977
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True 1977
1980's
U2 - Boy 1980
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood 1982
R.E.M. - Murmur 1983
The Smithereens - Especially for You 1986
Tommy Keene - Songs From The Film - 1986
1990's
Copper Blue - Sugar 1992
New Miserable Experience - Gin Blossoms 1992
Deckard posted on 2018-06-26 09:19:02 Reply Private Reply
#41: Deckard To: sneakypete, Jameson (#23)
Took longer than usual for the thread to deteriorate into a "your music sucks" thread.
Deckard posted on 2018-06-26 09:21:51 Reply Private Reply
#42: Deckard To: Liberator (#3)
I agree with some aspects of your statement - however I don't believe that listenable rock music died in 1987. It was just moved to the back burner so to speak. Radio stations became more corporate controlled, many if not most of them got their playlists from central control and at that time a lot of stations were getting rid of local DJ's and relying on a more cookie cutter approach.
The good music has always been there - it just became more difficult to find stations that played it
...what Disco *did* do is prove to the corporate Music Industry and Record Producers that the quality musicianship and what makes "good music" was far less important than the packaging,
The "Disco Era" was a turning point in music, definitely a low point in musical history, but it did induce a backlash of sorts. The punk-rock scene developed at about that time - Sex Pistols, The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Jam - all of those bands and others created some great music in spite of disco being the dominant music genre at the time.
I think there will always be great, tuneful music, harmonies, melodies, musicians with great instrumental prowess and in a lot of ways there is even more than there has been in the past with the internet allowing any band to get their music out to the listeners, bypassing the control of record labels.
The downside is that there is so much music available now that it's sometimes difficult to find what you like.
HOW in the world did vulgar Ghetto Rap and female yodeling of "empowerment" whinefest anthems ever wind up the default "music" of pop culture for the last 25 years?
I read this article a number of years ago - it provides one theory as to why - take it with a grain of salt.
"The Secret Meeting that Changed Rap Music and Destroyed a Generation"
Interesting stuff.
HOW did Rap, wimpy male emo whining, and female yodeling and yapping EVER wind up displacing varied genres of pleasing music compositions, inspirational lyrics, swaying rhythms and sweet vocal and instrumental chords of the 50s-80s -- as well as its soulful, sunny harmonies?
My theory on that - especially the use of auto-tone to make the vocals on many songs sound robotic: The Transhumanist agenda
Transhumanism, a strange agglomeration of technology, politics, and even aspects of religion. The Transhumanist view of the future features a fully mechanized simulacrum of society teeming with visible and invisible robots and robotic functions that will engineer the minutia of life at every turn, presumably to make life easier and more fulfilling.
Deckard posted on 2018-06-26 10:22:04 Reply Private Reply
#43: Liberator To: Hank Rearden, Pinguinite, A K A Stone (#7)
You could be right. Ginger Baker has been a crazed, belligerent lunatic for 50 years.
"Beware of Mr. Baker" looks interesting. (Or depressing, depending on your mood.)
Trailer:
Check out this Rolling Stone story fr0m 2009 (a South Africanthe guy is STILL alive today somehow):
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-devil-and-ginger-baker-20090820
'The Devil and Ginger Baker'
Inside a gated compound in South Africa, one of rock's most legendary drummers is still making enemies
Excerpt:
Ginger Baker. He's been blessed than more than 99% of the population. Despite that the guy smoked like a chimney; Been a heroine addict for 50 years; Was reckless and rebellious and willfully disrespected his own body his entire life. Now it's all God's fault?
You wonder how the "Counselors" of the "Newton Model" would handle the case Ginger Baker. I'd imagine Baker's when his number was called, it would cause even that unlucky "team" to scatter ;-)
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 13:21:03 Reply Private Reply
#44: Deckard To: Liberator, Hank Rearden, Pinguinite, A K A Stone (#43)
Pretty much describes every great drummer.
Deckard posted on 2018-06-26 13:25:23 Reply Private Reply
#45: Liberator To: no gnu taxes, Hank Rearden (#8)
I recall the anticipation of Boston's second album. Side One of the album was a good as anything on the debut Boston album.
Side 2 was a different story to me. It was turrible filler. Even Tom Scholtz conceded that knew it was pretty bad and was embarrassed by it. He felt rushed to submit the album to the record company before he was ready. Maybe if had had more time...
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 13:27:31 Reply Private Reply
#46: Liberator To: Deckard (#44)
True to a large degree, ain't it?
On the otherhand Drummers seem to be either crazy OR the stabilizing factor.
Examples off the top of my head: Ringo, Charlie Watts, John Densmore (Doors).
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 13:30:40 Reply Private Reply
#47: Liberator To: no gnu taxes (#13)
GREAT debut album by Meatloaf -- A definite Top Debut Album. Came out of the chute like absolute gangbusters. Like Boston, it seemed to be one of those albums that was its own genre. Arguably THE "Album of the Summer of 1978".
But yeah, "Two out of three ain't bad" was waaay overplayed, ruining it to a degree.
FWIW, the intro to 'Bat Out Of Hell' is a Top 3 Best intro to any song.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 13:36:02 Reply Private Reply
#48: Liberator To: Pinguinite (#14)
Glad I wasn't alone on that choice. Seemed like an obvious one...
Yup, Scholtz was an MIT engineer/nerd who did develop that totally unique guitar effect. I also appreciated that clean, note-holding tone.
Scholtz even marketed his electronic effect commercially as other bands also wound up usingit. He's *still* selling his doohickey for those who play electric guitar.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 13:41:08 Reply Private Reply
#49: Liberator To: Jameson (#15)
Everyone's ear is what it is, right?
THAT said:
5. Ramones - Ramones - Kicked the door down for a generation of punk rockers
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:11:03 Reply Private Reply
#50: Liberator To: tpaine (#16)
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:28:47 Reply Private Reply
#51: Liberator To: Pinguinite, no gnu taxes (#17)
Not only was he a nitpicking PITA, but pparently Scholtz was also an egomaniac with no sense of loyalty either (for all his brilliance.
That album cover of all the band members? Mostly a band-in-name and only show for the record company. Even though the band members were great musicians, Scholtz was greedy and didn't want to share the "glory".
Scholtz was said to have recorded that first album (as well as most instruments) all by himself in his basement. Brad Delp's vocals could NOT be duplicated of course.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:39:28 Reply Private Reply
#52: Liberator To: GrandIsland (#18)
Lol...that might have been the type of humor from my old gang once upon a time. Now even *I* know that was said in least HALF tongue-in-cheek.
When hanging out on the front porch we'd even get to the point where everyone's parents (no matter how nice they were) were targets of good-natured but biting derision. (I guess that's just NY/NJ/Philly-type humor.)
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:48:06 Reply Private Reply
#53: Liberator To: A K A Stone, GrandIsland (#1)
It's up there.
May be the LAST BEST Debut Album ever.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:49:48 Reply Private Reply
#54: Liberator To: GrandIsland, A K A Stone (#19)
It's not a Debut Album.
You mean Top 5 overall?
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:50:45 Reply Private Reply
#55: Liberator To: GrandIsland'A K A Stone (#20)
Frampton released a few albums before "Alive!". But it was epic at the time.
That album -- during the Summer of 1976 you couldn't avoid hearing it playing somewhere. One of those few albums that cut across nearly all demos of people. Well...maybe not the Soul Train demo.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:53:53 Reply Private Reply
#56: Liberator To: sneakypete (#21)
Hear ya. That Boston album hit like a nuke. Still nothing like it since. There are "great" debut albums, then there are albums that sound like they were composed in a different era, on a different planet. Few are in that category.
AND...if nothing still doesn't sound like it, IS it really "dated"?
I can't remember which one it was off the top of my head at the moment,but whichever one was the first Allman Brother Band Album has to be right up there,too.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 14:59:17 Reply Private Reply
#57: Liberator To: sneakypete, Hank Rearden (#22)
That first Allman Bros album was blues to the max.
Yuu can clearly hear their influence in the Derek and the Dominoes album. Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon won't ever go out of print.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 15:03:02 Reply Private Reply
#58: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#43)
See post #35 for a YouTube link to the full doc about Ginger Baker (I think; I skimmed it, it played and it's the right length).
And it's still available on Netflix as of today - better there, with full video/audio quality.
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 15:08:59 Reply Private Reply
#59: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#0)
That was, and is, one kick-ass good-time bar band gone bigtime kick-ass good-time band.
I guess Journey is somewhere down the list, too; good band in the earlier years. Got my one-and-only coke bump from Neal Schon.
As long as I'm namedropping, I also got the worst case of the flu in my life from Debbie Harry (yeah, she really was that hot) and probably caught contact emphysema (no symptoms to date, fortunately) from Tom Waits.
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 15:21:55 Reply Private Reply
#60: no gnu taxes To: Liberator (#47)
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-26 15:32:09 Reply Private Reply
#61: Liberator To: sneakypete, Jameson, Deckard, Hank Rearden, A K A Stone (#23)
The Ramones -- gotta be in the mood for it. It all sounds the same. The Ramones: The Pork Rinds or Scrapple of Rock & Roll.
The R&R HoF and its owners are a joke, needless to say.
The thing with the R&R HoF is that they seem to especially revel in "edgy", in mediocre New Wave/Punk artists, bands and music that AT the time (25-35 years ago) were considered out-of-mainstream, amusing side-shows and curiosities. Yes, like The Ramones, Joan Jett, and (are you kidding me??) the Sex Pistols. ALL 3 IN THE HALL OF FAME.
SOMEHOW, the idiots who run the R&R HoF got away with anointing themselves the Supreme Court of Music (sorta like how the SPLC anointed themselves Supreme Court of "Morality" and "Tolerance". And for SOME odd reason their "license" to be "Arbitor-of-Morality" is never revoked and themselves tossed into the Dungeon where they belong). But I digress...sorry.
Isn't the R&R Hall of Fame just a fake grading system that validates crap, semi-crap and Grade D+ mediocrity as an exercise in false memory and yes, an anti-consensus of opinion? One of its primary criteria seems to be in to elevating style over substance. Not coincidentally, during the past 5-6 years REAL legendary bands have been getting inducted, only because of public outcry.
Anyhoo, THIS HoF process of inducting crummy bands from the 70s & 80s has been a good example of "The Mandela Effect" and advancing false memories. At the time acts like Punk were especially FRINGE. Their musical skills were sloppy at best, necessitating LOUDNESS to compensate for the lack of artistry and professionalism.
Guess who hasn't made the R&R Hall of Fame? The Guess Who. Boston. Foreigner. Bad Company. The Doobie Bros. Chubby Checker. Pat Benatar. Dick Dale. Tommy James. Carole King. Four Seasons. The Monkees (YES -- THE MONKEES!).
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 15:43:08 Reply Private Reply
#62: Liberator To: Hank Rearden (#58)
I will definitely watch the full Ginger Baker doc in its entirety when I can.
I don't get Netflix. And it I had I'd drop it since they gave 0bama a license to produce his propaganda there.
Liberator posted on 2018-06-26 15:46:39 Reply Private Reply
#63: no gnu taxes To: Hank Rearden (#59)
I actually heard a few disco songs I liked. Sometimes I wonder if that makes me a latent fag.
no gnu taxes posted on 2018-06-26 15:58:32 Reply Private Reply
#64: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#62)
I'd think twice myself, probably, but will relish the chance to thumbs-down Odumbass's bullshit. I share off my Dad's Netflix account. He shares my Amazon Video account in return. Believe it or not, that's perfectly fine with both companies, so I get two for the price of one.
I killed cable TV over four years ago, so those two plus YouTube are 95% of my TV content, via my Roku box. And I'm spending 80% of my time on YouTube; there is a tremendous wealth of really quality content out there besides the cat videos. I've learned so much and laughed a lot, while finding Russian car crashes endlessly entertaining. Loved the one where after being rear-ended, some Russian thug got out with a hand axe, smashed out the offending driver's window, then returned to his car, dropped the axe, picked up a pistol and shot twice into the guy's radiator.
This all happened in broad daylight at a red light intersection, all caught on dashcam, along with the thug's girlfriend standing alongside his car observing and cheering the action.
Crazy Ivan, indeed. And this is no shit; I can provide a link upon request.
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 16:25:44 Reply Private Reply
#65: Hank Rearden To: Liberator (#62)
If you can't watch soon, I recommend snagging a (free) YouTube downloader utility to put the video on your hard drive - I was surprised to find it on YT and unless authorized, these things have a habit of eventually disappearing without notice.
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 16:29:41 Reply Private Reply
#66: Hank Rearden To: no gnu taxes (#63)
I confess..... me too. Same with TSOP. And ELO.
Sometimes I wonder if that makes me a latent fag.
Hard to tell from here; what do you smell like - axle grease or Vaseline?
Hank Rearden posted on 2018-06-26 16:32:17 Reply Private Reply