Mostly listening to rock music from the 60s and 70s, thus I am asking a biased question. My greatest debut album is From Genesis to Revelation by Genesis. I understand there were production issues in the making of the album but Gabriel's voice is astonishing on this LP. I wish I could find a live version of Into the Wilderness but can not. Any help in that would be appreciated. Look forward to hearing others opinions for selfish reasons as I want to grow my collection and appreciate the opinions represented here.
I can’t argue with The Doors, (though I listened to them all through HS and debated whether Jim was really dead) or Led Zeppelin I ( that can never be a wrong answer), same with The Band The Big Pink ( recently purchased the 45 RPM version). But just because I haven’t seen it mentioned but did see Boston seriously mentioned I’ll throw out Meatloaf-Bat Out Of Hell. Matter of fact, I’m putting it on now and turning it way the F-CK up! Just to piss off my wife and neighbors.
@slaw, I beat you to The Traveling Wilburys! I left off the Little Village album (weak material imo. But they were one of the best live bands I've ever seen & heard. Ry Cooder is God ;-), but could have and should have listed that band's true debut album, John Hiatt's Bring The Family. Fantastic!
I suspect there might be a little bit of confusion over what was meant by greatest debut album in the OP. 😳 I interpret it to mean the most auspicious debut album. Or perhaps the most historically significant. So, in that light I would add Elvis Presley but not Bing Crosby, even though the guy sold a lot of records.
That was awesome on Jagged Little Pill. Completely forgot about that. When I started the post I really didn't mean from a historical perspective. I really just meant from a personal perspective and seems most responded as such and left a ton of great recommendations. It's been fun reading about everyone's likes.
Speaking of Disraeli Gears, have you heard the story Eric Clapton tells about it? Cream were signed to Atco by Ahmet Ertegun, founder/owner/President of Atlantic Records. Ahmet was a Blues and Jazz lover, and was of course pretty pleased with how Fresh Cream turned out, and sold. Clapton says when Ahmet heard the DG recordings, he dismissed the album as "Psychedelic horsesh*t". I couldn't have said it better myself. He released the album anyway, and it sold quite well. About six months after that album was released, George Harrison played The Band's Music From Big Pink album for Eric, and he saw the error of his ways ;-) .
A great early '90s debut alternative rock record from this Santa Barbara, CA band. Great songs and excellent sound quality. Unfortunately, not available on LP, except for a few rare copies from Brazil and Spain.
@tostadosunidos, the bassist in my 1971 band loved Jack Cassidy (and Rick Danko, and Phil Lesh) and the sound he got, so bought himself the same Guild bass Jack played at the time. He was disappointed and frustrated that it sounded nothing like Jack's, and soon learned it was because Jack had replaced the stock flat wound strings with round wound. Expensive lesson! Jack is a very interesting bassist.
bdp24, I agree about Jack's bass playing. You may know he was the principal reason Grace Slick quit the Great Society and joined Jefferson Airplane. It's a shame his bass part on the Electric Ladyland LP got horribly lost in the mix. I'd love to hear a re-mix of Voodo Chile that does him justice. What a band that was--Hendrix, Jack C., Stevie Winwood and Mitch Mitchell. Wow!!!
@Reubent: Nice call on DADA's debut album. I seriously considered mentioning that one. I saw them on the tour for that album. They were opening for Sting, and they blew him off the stage.
That album is one of many great records where the single (Dizz Knee Land) is one of the worst (if not the worst) song on the album. A few other examples that coem to mind are Dire Straits (Sultans of Swing) and The Pretenders (Brass in Pocket).
@mitchagain - I saw dada last winter on the 25th Anniversary Tour of Puzzle. They've still got it. Was a great show. I would see them again anytime they play nearby.
I bought "Puzzle" back when it came out in 1992 and I loved it. I could never figure out how dada did not become a household name. I would love to get it on vinyl, but it seems they only released it in Brazil and Spain. I'll occasionally see an LP for sale on Discogs and they are usually $200+. I like it, a lot, but not that much....... :~)
@tostadosunidos, yup Jack was the most interesting thing about The Airplane, just as John Entwistle was in The Who. But then, I love the bass. James Jamerson is about my favorite musician; he, Ry Cooder, and Levon Helm. What a trio that would have been!
I change em up or go into a wierd phase but these are always in my top 20 debuts The Allmam brothers Band- The Allman Brothers Band Robert Palmer- Sneaking Sally Though the Alley Black Sabbath- Black Sabbath Rory Gallagher- Rory Gallagher The Sonics- Here are the Sonics Dio- Holy DiverThe Meters - The MetersMotorhead- MotorheadThe Black Crowes- Shake Your Money Makernot really a debut but a pretty big departure from thier previous releases, pre Michael Schenker.UFO- Phenomenon
Taj Mahal "S/T" John Prine "S/T" Zebra "S/T" Courtney Barnett "Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit" Bad Company "S/T" Luna "Lunapark" The Outlaws "S/T" Cracker "S/T" Leon Russell "S/T" Liz Phair "Exile In Guyville" The Wallflowers "Bringing Down the Hoarse" Ryan Bingham "Mescalito" Blood, Sweat & Tears "Child is Father to the Man" Tori Amos "Little Earthquakes"
Regarding The Beatles: Americans tend to consider Meet The Beatles their debut album, but it actually isn’t. In March of 1963 EMI released their true debut, Please Please Me, in England, but Capitol (EMI’s U. S. equivalent) passed on the album. Vee Jay Records obtained the rights to the album, changed the title to Introducing The Beatles, and released it in January of ’64, the same month Capitol released Meet The Beatles. By then Capitol had seen the light (or smelled the money ;-) .
Meet The Beatles is unquestionably, in historical terms, THE "debut" album of my lifetime (said as a U.S.A. resident). It sounds like what we consider the early Beatles sound: Merseybeat. Please Please Me/Introducing The Beatles doesn’t. It contains covers of a lot of U.S. Girl Group, R & B, and Show Tunes (a favorite of Paul McCartney), and not particularly well done, imo.
Led Zeppelin Rainbow Black Sabbath Santana Nazareth Jethro Tull Heart Uriah Heep Boston Asia Europe Foreigner Kingdom Come Mighty Sam McClain Mike Oldfield Ozzy TOTO ZAZ .......................................and many others
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