Bands that haven't managed to better their debut albums

[adycav]

I've been listening to the new Elbow album today and, whilst I like it so far, I am of the opinion that their first album is still their best.

So what other bands, even if they've had some decent stuff subsequently, have not managed to top their débuts?

Here's a few to start:

Oasis
Bloc Party
The Strokes
The Stone Roses
Pearl Jam
The Black Crowes
Guns n Roses
Arctic Monkeys
Manic Street Preachers
Maximo Park


Please feel free to add some more, or disagree violently with my suggestions!

[Slade Alive]

Coldplay
Travis

[Colonial]

Kings of Leon

[phil-sti]

The killers

[mp3manager]

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

[Hub]

There are loads of examples. I do agree with you about Elbow, although it is not night and day above the others as they have been pretty consistent. Manic Street Preachers though? Not many people would think that, given that the Holy Bible is generally the hardcore fan favourite, and Everything Must Go the britpop fan favourite!

Anyway, Ash, The Music, Rage Against The Machine, The Killers, Keane, Kasabian...

[DavidY]

I think that the issue here is that the first album draws on (potentially) many years woth of material, whereas subsequent albums are more rushed, some more examples:-

KT Tunstall
Rickie Lee Jones
Iron Maiden (never captured that rawness again)
Van Halen (as Iron Maiden)
Gregson And Collister - Mischief
Michaeil schenker Group - First Album
Ozzy Osborne - Blizzard Of Oz

You could also make a list of artists who have produced amazing live albums but never a brilliant studio one, eg UFO - Strangers In The Night, Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous

[alfa pint]

Editors.
Arcade Fire
Marillion - Script is just epic.
ZZ Top

Def agree about bloc party and the killers, so much promise, so poorly followed up.

A little blast from the past - Gun in 1988 or 89 - Taking on the World. Subsequent albums nowhere near as good.

[mrmaggit]

Free.

[Muncle Trogg]

Colonial said:

Kings of Leon

+1

[Alfa numeric]

Muncle Trogg said:

Colonial said:

Kings of Leon

+1

And Kasabian.

[Evangelion]

The appropriately named Dire Straits. (And their first album wasn't brilliant either.)

Marillion
Oasis (some might say)

[HereBeMonsters]

Avril Lavigne

[mantis84]

The Enemy, Arctic Monkeys (last one was complete dog-wk), Arcade Fire, Kasabian, Stereophonics, The Streets.

I disagree with Kings of Leon, 2nd album is my favourite, 3rd is pretty good too.

[tractorguy]

As much as I like the band,

Madness - One Step Beyond.

Other albums were ok but they never had the amount of great tracks that the debut had.

DavidY said:

Iron Maiden (never captured that rawness again)

Really?

It is an a amazing album (Phantom Of The Opera is the best song), but I think Bruces vocals suit the band a lot better. I think "Number Of The Beast" is the best album they ever made.

[thetapeworm]

Fun Lovin' Criminals - I still like the later albums, just not as much as the first (Come Find Yourself).

[goldblum]

DavidY said:

You could also make a list of artists who have produced amazing live albums but never a brilliant studio one, eg UFO - Strangers In The Night, Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous

I'm afraid I couldn't disagree more.'UFO 1' and 'Flying' are both very good albums.SITN is good in parts (Lights Out) but is very much commercial rock for the

most of it.The first two albums are real growers;modern heavy rock owes a huge debt to UFO.

Thin Lizzy you've got right though.

[judas]

Alabama 3. None of their other albums manages to reach the same level of brilliance as Exile on Coldharbour Lane.

[alfa pint]

judas said:

Alabama 3. None of their other albums manages to reach the same level of brilliance as Exile on Coldharbour Lane.

I always thought that was their second album and La Peste was the first? Songwise, they're struggling to match Woke Up This Morning which is just such a top tune.

[Bebee]

The Charlatans, 'Some Friendly' was about it!