Is the debut album usually the best? more substance!

Steve Forbert, Alive on Arrival.
Marshall Crenshaw

Sometimes that first one says it all so perfectly.

 

Elvis Costello had a line about a certain sense of humor from a certain country

 

Phish

 

Tracy Chapman- although she has produced some great albums, her debut is arguably her best.

 

The debut is always interesting to hear, to hear where the band come from. Often it's made with a lot of enthusiasm and a small budget. Sometimes with stellar results. Then again, some artists may have not quite found their style yet. Some debuts contain many covers or songs from outside songwriters. Then there are the cases where either the record label or the producer may be leading the artist in the wrong direction, and as unknowns they don't have enough authority to stand up for themselves. Of course a lot depends also on whether the debut is released on a major label or a small one, or even self-financed.

 

I think it’s more common for a band’s debut to be their best than, say, their 6th album, but it’s certainly not a given.

Of some of my favorite acts:
R.E.M.: absolutely
Radiohead: absolutely not
Clash: almost

I don’t think any act from the early to mid 60s would have their debut as the best since they (Beatles, Kinks, Dylan, Stones, etc.) were basically creating the genre as they went along. Not until VU could an artist’s debut be considered their best.

 

Usually no. When it is the case the act is rather a curiosity and a result of happy coincidences.

 

Of course it depends - I find the first album being the best can hold true with certain, more limited genres. ie - I can think of a lot of punk rock acts where this was the case. Like the Circle Jerks. The first album - they had something to say, but after that the song writing just began to fall flat. There are exceptions to the rule, where punk rock acts morphed into post-punk. The Sound, for example, got stronger - at least to my ears - as the albums went on. Sure the sound got less angrier, but that suits me better.

 

A select number of artists are fully formed and mature in their expression for the debut LP, but they are rare. In almost all cases, they have toiled away on their craft for years under the radar.
I think the most amazing case of rapid evolution is Jimi Hendrix Experience's Are You Experienced.
Jimi has been a backing guitarist and arranger for years, but he was totally unproven as a songwriter before 1966 and banged out a masterclass in songwriting in 1967.

In other cases, the formative steps are known to us.
The Doors - started doing demos of the first album in 1965
Stone Roses - started doing demos of songs of the first album in 1984
Pretenders - Chrissie was not known as a songwriter, but was already a veteran of bands
Velvet Underground - a lot of the songs date back to 1964/65 or Lou's college years