[2scoops]

Question for you...


How many bands can you think of that released a follow up album (e.g. their second album) which was better than their first.

I'll start it off with Radiohead "The Bends"

[terry77]

Oasis - Whats the story morning glory

[hondavee4]

metallica, in fact imo the 1st 4 albums got progressivly better

[unique]

do you mean when you say "best", an album that is significantly better than the previous album? that is what second album by an artist/group is the biggest improvement over the first album? which pretty much relates to a bad first album and a great second album?

in which case, the bends was the first to spring to mend as the first album wasn't up to much

i was also thinking of screamadelica by primal scream, but that was the third album, marking a big change in direction, although i've not listened to the first two albums

[Matt_C]

Originally Posted by hondavee4

metallica, in fact imo the 1st 4 albums got progressivly better

EXACTLY the thing I was gonna say!

I also really like the 5th album too

[technoman28]

Hi unique (or should I say Chesney), on this subject, as an artist of note, do you class your first album (Buddy's Song Soundtrack, released May91) as your first album, or "The one and only" (released in Sep91) as your first which would make "Get the picture" (released july93) your second album? And which do you regard as your best?

ps. I remember the "are you famous" thread!

[overkill]

Led Zeppelin - Led Zep II was miles better than 1
Black Sabbath - Paranoid is better than Black Sabbath
Cream - Disraeli Gears is better than Fresh Cream

There's probably loads more but brain is fried by too much marking...........

[hondavee4]

Originally Posted by overkill

Led Zeppelin - Led Zep II was miles better than 1

sorry dont agree, the 1st 4 albums were all great

no one album was miles better than the other

[gingerninja72]

I'm taking this to mean a 2nd labum that improves on an already great debut, in which case here's some fantastic ones

Iron Maiden - Killers
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Foo Fighters - Colour and the Shape
Nirvana - Nevermind
Pixies - Doolittle
System of a Down - Toxicity
Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R

[Pecker]

Best follow up albums, off the top of my head. Not strictly 2nd albums, but the second of a pair, and obviously a sort of 'Part 2' to the preceding LP).

Buddy Holly - Buddy Holly (follow up to The 'Chirpin' Crickets)

David Bowie - Alladin Sane (follow up to Ziggy)

David Bowie - Station to Station (follow up to Young Americans)

U2 - Zooropa (follow up to Achtung Baby)

Steve W

[huwg]

Originally Posted by gingerninja72

Faith No More - The Real Thing

The Real thing was their third, after we 'Care a Lot' and 'Introduce Yourself'.
It is however a blinding album, I love the cover of War Pigs....

In fact I'm going to play the album right now.

Introduce Yourself was miles better than We Care A Lot imho, so I'm going to suggest that.

Tool - Aenima is better than Undertow (which is better than the Opiate EP)

[Shoka]

Originally Posted by huwg

Tool - Aenima is better than Undertow (which is better than the Opiate EP)

Was just about to say exactly the same thing, one of my favorite albums ever.

[metalhead72]

Originally Posted by hondavee4

metallica, in fact imo the 1st 4 albums got progressivly better

o yes !!

[krish]

some of my favourite best follow up albums (that were better than the first) are:

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Radiohead - The Bends
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole


edit ... just realised the OP had kicked off proceedings with The Bends ... definitely the best follow up album in my view

[huwg]

Originally Posted by krish

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

how did I forget those

[krish]

Originally Posted by huwg

how did I forget those

although the Chems' Exit Planet Dust is no bad album (neither is Muse's Showbiz) .... Leave Home is still one of the best techno/electronica tracks imho, great to have on in the car; and the Beth Orton and Tim Burgess tracks I love. Loops Of Fury was a great in between albums EP too (was on Wipeout too if I'm not mistaken) - bought all those singles in the early to mid 90s

Another album I thought was better than the first was Garbage 2.0 ... only marginally better - and both were their best albums, was all downhill from there

[huwg]

Originally Posted by krish

although the Chems' Exit Planet Dust is no bad album (neither is Muse's Showbiz) .... Leave Home is still one of the best techno/electronica tracks imho, great to have on in the car; and the Beth Orton and Tim Burgess tracks I love. Loops Of Fury was a great in between albums EP too (was on Wipeout too if I'm not mistaken) - bought all those singles in the early to mid 90s

Another album I thought was better than the first was Garbage 2.0 ... only marginally better - and both were their best albums, was all downhill from there

The Private Psychadelic Reel really makes Dig Your Own Hole - it is a stunner.

I have the Wipeout soundtrack CD somewhere... (he goes digging)


I also rate Massive Attack's Protection above Blue Lines
and Undrworld's Second Toughest in the Infants is pretty cool too

[krish]

Originally Posted by gingerninja72

I'm taking this to mean a 2nd labum that improves on an already great debut, in which case here's some fantastic ones

Iron Maiden - Killers

Yep I agree ... lots of folk consider it one of their worst but I think it tops IM, and I like the Dianno albums very much. (No Prayer is far and away the worst ... apart from the title track I find it a total travesty!)

And if we consider Number Of The Beast as a 'reboot' ... I'm also of the view that Piece Of Mind vastly improved on it, and its certainly my favourite Maiden album. SSOASS and Brave New World kind of go back to that template in my opinion.

[krish]

Originally Posted by huwg

The Private Psychadelic Reel really makes Dig Your Own Hole - it is a stunner.

and they returned the favour with a remix of Mercury Rev's Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp (got that single)

[krish]

Originally Posted by huwg

Undrworld's Second Toughest in the Infants is pretty cool too

dubnobasswithmyheadman has probably been played in my car more than any other album apart from Leftism ... so I'm a bit stuck in my ways about Underworld

(... and on the subject of Leftism, Rhythm and Stealth really never ever came close did it?)

[huwg]

Originally Posted by krish

(... and on the subject of Leftism, Rhythm and Stealth really never ever came close did it?)

A big disappointment, but to be fair Leftism was a tough act to follow.


The Black Crowes - The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - Oh yes!

[overkill]

Originally Posted by hondavee4

sorry dont agree, the 1st 4 albums were all great

no one album was miles better than the other

Of the first four, II and IV are the standouts. I hardly ever play one as it's just heavied up Yardbirds, and while I like it, I don't think it's that great tbh. Whereas II is a masterpiece, and the first true Led Zep LP.

Of course, I am entitled to my opinion.

Although, I am increasingly beginning to doubt that on these forums.

[hondavee4]

Originally Posted by overkill

Of the first four, II and IV are the standouts. I hardly ever play one as it's just heavied up Yardbirds, and while I like it, I don't think it's that great tbh. Whereas II is a masterpiece, and the first true Led Zep LP.

Of course, I am entitled to my opinion.

Although, I am increasingly beginning to doubt that on these forums.

no worries mate, i totally respect your opinion i havnt listened to the yardbirds so maybe i should cos i love the 1st LP,
in fact i love 5 of the 1st 6 lz albums, there is one i wasnt so keen on

[hondavee4]

might be a bit controversial, but here goes

seethers second cd, disclaimer 2 which was made up of 12 tracks of the original cd, plus 4 new tracks,
which is great if you didnt own the original but was a bit hard to swallow if you did,

alternatively you could get the american (?) version which has the original 12 tracks + the 4 tracks you get here and another 4 tracks

which does make it better than the 1st cd

i got my copy from ebay

[Artie Fufkin]

Originally Posted by gingerninja72

Iron Maiden - Killers

I'd agree. Best thing they ever did.

Originally Posted by krish

And if we consider Number Of The Beast as a 'reboot' ... I'm also of the view that Piece Of Mind vastly improved on it

Not for me, I prefer NOTB. POM was where you can hear the band starting to get too serious.




Anyway, I suggest this one:

Motley Crue's fabulous rock/metal/punk first album [Too Fast for Love] was bettered by their 2nd [Shout at the Devil]. Lyrics, music and production were all improved.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by hondavee4

no worries mate, i totally respect your opinion i havnt listened to the yardbirds so maybe i should cos i love the 1st LP,
in fact i love 5 of the 1st 6 lz albums, there is one i wasnt so keen on

Of all the Led Zep albums, I like In through the out door the least. I used to prefer it to both Presence and House of the Holy, but as I've mellowed (or should that be 'matured' ) I've come to really like Presence, and HotH is now recognised as a Zep classic. I agree, it is.

As Zep were, and still are my all time no.1 favourite band, but unlike all my other favourite bands I've never been to see them, I'm hoping Page brings us good news on Monday. Well, relatively as I feel my wallet will still not be able to stand the strain.................

[insomniak123]

Originally Posted by krish

Muse - Origin of Symmetry
Radiohead - The Bends
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

Originally Posted by gingerninja72

Iron Maiden - Killers
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Foo Fighters - Colour and the Shape
Nirvana - Nevermind
Pixies - Doolittle
System of a Down - Toxicity
Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R

I'm going to have to agree with

Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R
System of a Down - Toxicity
Faith No More - The Real Thing
The Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
Foo Fighters - Colour and the Shape
Radiohead - The Bends

but disagree wholeheartedly with

Nirvana - Nevermind

I am still, over a decade on, bewilderded as to how so many people rate this album. I feel it to be the worst album Nirvana made. For me it goes In Utero > Bleach > Unplugged > Incesticide(!) > Nevermind

Nobody for 'The Verve' 'A northern soul'..1995.

Significantly better than 'storm in heaven'

(son of leeland)

[metalhead72]

Originally Posted by hondavee4

metallica, in fact imo the 1st 4 albums got progressivly better

Ride the Lightening, What else can I say

[Artie Fufkin]

Originally Posted by Holy_Pilgrim

Ride the Lightening, What else can I say

After all these years I still can't make my mind up about this.

Ride The Lightning was undoubtedly more grown up and technical but Kill 'Em All has "The Four Horsemen" on it! I remember exactly my first listen of this track...I was truely speechless for seven minutes.