Actually, in this case, it means a temporary break from snarky stories about the various vaguely disturbing things I may be doing with my Oriental manservant. In reality, I'm getting ready to join the Eschaton contingent -- and that means some of you guys, hooray!! -- in the big End the War march in DC on Saturday. So posting will be sporadic for a while, but this time for legitimate (heck, really important) reasons.
Anyway -- in my absence, here's a little diversion for you all.
Sophomore Albums That Surpassed (Artistically) The Really Good Debut Albums That Preceded Them!!!
You know the cliche -- you have your entire life to write your first album, and then you have six months to write your second, which is why a lot of followup albums disappoint. Perhaps the most obvious example is Pretenders II; an estimable work with some terrific songs, but small beer compared to the epochal first one. (More recently, think of the second Hootie and the Blowfish album, or rather, please don't think of it, as Hootie kind of sucks. Although Fairweather Johnson was a really great title...)
In any event, what do you think are the albums that best avoided the sophomore slump?
Submitted for your approval, my Top Seven would be......
7. MC5 -- Back in the USA
6. The Beatles -- With the Beatles
5. Marah -- Kids in Philly
4. Buffalo Springfield -- Buffalo Springfield Again
3. The Who -- A Quick One
2. Bruce Springsteen -- The Wild, the Innocent and the
E-Street Shuffle
and last but definitely not least....
1. Elvis Costello -- This Year's Model
Go to it, kids.
[Kudos and huzzahs to constant commenter tmink, who guessed today's theme on the basis of just one fairly innocuous (I thought) clue. Your coveted No-Prize is in the mail, pal.]
This Year's Model was my introduction to EC, and when I finally heard My Aim Is True, it was a mild letdown. Steve, you may be in the minority of critics who fine TYM superior, but I couldn't agree more.
ReplyDeleteOther sophmore slump avoiders:
Zombies - Odessey & Oracle
Posies - Dear 23
The Move - Shazam
Police - Regatta De Blanc
Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food
.. and apologies if this raises the hackles of you Power Pop purists:
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Cream - Disraeli Gears
ReplyDeleteThe Band - The Band
Little Feat - Sailin' Shoes
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy
Paul Butterfield Blues Band - East/West
Either The Band's second album or TYM is likely the all-time winner in this contest.
ReplyDelete1) Radio City - Big Star
2) The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
3) Forever Changes - Love
4) White Light/White Heat - Velvet Underground (well I think it's better than the first)
5) Utopia Parkway - Fountains Of Wayne
6) Temple Of Low Men - Crowded House
7) Candy-O - The Cars
8) Fun House - The Stooges
This Year's Model is perhaps my favorite of the entries. A few others I like would be:
ReplyDelete1. Badfinger - No Dice
2. Big Star - Radio City
3. Allman Brothers Band - Idlewild South
4. Fairport Convention - What We Did On Our Holidays
5. Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow
6. Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle
In the case of both ABB and Big Star one could argue whether the second albums actually surpassed the first but they're both damn good sophomore efforts.
I have to qualify the FC and JA lp's because both bands switched vocalists after their debut albums.
Jim
Fairport Convention: What We Did On Our Holidays
ReplyDeleteRichard Thompson: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight
Stooges: Fun House
Pixies: Doolittle
Pavement: Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Television: Adventure
Pet Shop Boys: Actually
Well...you didn't say "pop albums," so it has to be "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan."
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree re: Big Star, the Cars, and FOW. (Is there a more perfect power pop song than "Red Dragon Tattoo"? I don't think so.)
ReplyDeleteI'd also toss in The New Pornographers' The Electric Version.
(Is there a more perfect power pop song than "Red Dragon Tattoo"? I don't think so.)
ReplyDeleteYou had to mention that song, didn't you? It will be stuck in my head for the next week. And no, I don't think there is a more perfect power pop song.
Sophomore efforts...I have to agree with Big Star, the Who, Costello, and FOW. I like the Cars first effort better than Candy-O, but that might be the nostalgia talkin'.
What about acts that put out a mediocre first album, then unexpectedly put out something much better for the second? They don't get any power pop love, but I'd nominate Radiohead for that one.
Prince, "Prince".
ReplyDeleteThe fact that it opens with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" seals the deal for me.
"Bambi" and "I Feel For You" are icing on the cake.
(Rummages through collection after realizing that many worthy candidates have already been cited...)
ReplyDeleteNeil Young - Everybody Knows This Is
Nowhere
Pil - 2nd Edition
Wilco - Being There
(And I'm one of those weirdos who STILL think Marshall Crenshaw's "Field Day" a masterpiece - not to take anything away from the fine debut. - Bill Buckner
Crowded House's Temple of Low Men was a more richly textured, better produced, better written and arranged album than their debut. And the first one was great.
ReplyDeleteaw crap..somebody beat me to it.
ReplyDeleteWell, "Beaucoups of Blues' was better than "Sentimental Journey"...
Ah, the Springfield's second: I was a freshman in college and was visiting some friends who had just gotten that album, which I hadn't heard yet. They were curious about what I thought of it. They got me high, and then made me lie on the floor with a speaker on either side of my head. I couldn't move until they played the whole thing. Fortunately for me and for them, I really liked it.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, from the same era: "Strange Days" rivals "The Doors" ...
And I think it's kind of tough to talk about the Beatles, since anything they put out surpassed what came before it, with perhaps one exception.
How about Cheap Trick-In Color?
ReplyDeleteAnd I have incredibly good feelings for Weezer's "Pinkerton"
TMBG- Lincoln. Althoughmaybe it's more of the same.
Rush (okay, forget I said that)
I'm a bit surprised, to, that no one's mentioned Reckoning by REM.
Ram - Paul McCartney
ReplyDeleteImagine - John Lennon
(yeah yeah, I know, Plastic Ono Band is so raw & real blah blah blah, but which one do you actually still LISTEN to?)
Anthem of the Sun - Grateful Dead
Transformer - Lou Reed
A lotta good choices above, too, though I disagree with a few (Velvet Underground, Television).
Love - The Cult
ReplyDeleteSteeltown - Big Country
As Far as Siam - Red Rider
The Church - The Blurred Crusade
ReplyDeleteBlue Oyster Cult - Tyranny and Mutation
The Records - Crashes
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
KC --
ReplyDeleteThe Records Crashes?
Better than the first one?
Mike said...
ReplyDeleteEither The Band's second album or TYM is likely the all-time winner in this contest.
I can't believe I didn't pick The Band.
Senility.....
And to venture into dweeb territory for a second:
ReplyDeleteSounds of Silence - Simon & Garfunkle
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings.
ReplyDeleteIronically, that was the band's worst selling album in its heyday.
I just picked up a 2005 live set from the band where most of songs are from "Get Your Wings" and "Toys in the Attic".
Messrs. Whitford and Perry raise 9 kinds of hell on this one.
Many choice's I'm in total agreement with but
ReplyDeleteI'd like to wade in with a couple that I haven't seen so far.
Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex Girlfriend
OK, I honestly can't say how good her first album (CD - whatever) was. I've heard several songs from it and I thought they were decent but this is definitely superior. Currently the album I'm having a hard time getting off my player. Gunpowder & Lead is the angriest song I've heard since The Clash's I'm Not Down.
Ronnie Lane - Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance
Dave Alvin - Blue Blvd.
Romeo's Escape had some better moments but this is better as a whole
The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope
Probably not better that the US version of their first album but definitely better than the UK (and earlier released) version.
That's a pretty good list, but I'm here to tell you that you screwed up your Homepage URL over at Eschaton.
ReplyDelete01. Jason Falkner - Can You Still Feel?
ReplyDelete02. All American Rejects - Move Along (I still think Move Along was the best new song in 2006)
03. Bleu - Redhead
04. Collective Soul - Collective Soul
05. Fountains Of Wayne - Utopia Parkway
06. Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
07. Lenny Kravitz - Mama Said
08. Longwave - The Strangest Things (Wake Me Up When It's Over gets 5 stars on the ipod)
09. Rooney - Calling The World (I'm not counting On The Closed Circuit as their debut)
10. Mae - The Everglow
11. Mew - Frengers
12. Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
Brian Eno - Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy)
ReplyDeleteRoxy Music - For Your Pleasure
Velvet Crush -- Teenage Symphonies to God
ReplyDelete