Their first album was their best

[murlough23]

I don't want this to be a definitive list or anything. That'd be silly. I just thought it'd be interesting to compare opinions regarding artists for whom we think their first albums were their best and that they're going to have a tough time topping them. Here are mine:

Andrew Peterson - Carried Along
Jennifer Knapp - Kansas
John Mayer - Room for Squares
Michelle Tumes - Listen
Nichole Nordeman - Wide Eyed
Out of the Grey - Out of the Grey
SonicFlood - SonicFlood (this applies to both SonicFlood 2.0 and Jeff Deyo)
The Corrs - Forgiven, Not Forgotten

Go ahead and share yours. I promise not to assault anyone who says "Jars of Clay", but I might grimace a bit.

[PaulDA]

SonicFlood - SonicFlood (this applies to both SonicFlood 2.0 and Jeff Deyo)
 

This is the only album I am familiar with so I'll comment:
I think the live album (the silver cover) is better than the studio album.
I guess that is their 2nd album?
I love live albums better in genral than studio ones, and that one was magnificently recorded and has an amazing sound.

[bloop]

[Josh]

Coldplay-- Parachutes
Derek Webb-- She Must and Shall Go Free
 

[RedcoatJones]

I'd add:

Lifehouse - No Name Face.

While they should be able to top it, so far, they've struggled to find a good balance (between the rockers and ballads) on the following 2 CDs.

[oneafroboy]

Mukala's Fiction. Although, perhaps this is unfair, since they broke before they made a second one.  

[Brenden]

Earthsuit - Kalidoscope Superior
 

[bloop]

Coldplay-- Parachutes

I may be the only one here who thinks A Rush of Blood... is likely their better album.

[murlough23]

This is the only album I am familiar with so I'll comment:
I think the live album (the silver cover) is better than the studio album.
I guess that is their 2nd album?
I love live albums better in genral than studio ones, and that one was magnificently recorded and has an amazing sound.

Eh, it's mostly the same songs, and you like live versions better than studio in most cases. I don't tend to even consider most live albums as official entries in a group's discography, so I wasn't even thinking about SonicPraise. I tend to only consider albums consisting of new studio material, unless it's a case like Iona where the live albums are just that good and provide some different spins on established songs.

Anyway, aside from all that, SonicPraise left of "My Refuge", so no way, Jose.

[murlough23]

[Brenden]

Sonicpraise is the only Sonicflood album I own, so I wouldn't know. It's probably better for someone like me who had never heard the band before that.

[dgp11776]

I may be the only one here who things A Rush of Blood... is likely their better album.

I'm with you.

[Brenden]

And people, stop naming bands that only cut one album. We get it.

Earthsuit does have a second album, just for the record. It's indie, but it is still an album. I hear they have pre-label indie stuff too, but I'm not sure.

[bloop]

[beautifulmess]

John Mayer - Room for Squares
Nichole Nordeman - Wide Eyed

I'd second these.  

[ajyouthguy]

I agree on most of the ones mentioned that I'm familiar with, but I disagree on Jennifer Knapp.  While my wife would tend to agree that Kansas is the best of the three, I have been a fan of The Way I Am from the day it came out, and consider it one of my 5 or so alltime favorite albums period.

[murlough23]

RE: Earthsuit - I wasn't considering Simulation to be an "album" - it's an EP with some live tracks tacked on. But it's your list, not mine.

RE: Coldplay - I go back and forth on which album is better. Rush has many of my personal favorite songs, but I like the acoustic sound of Parachutes a little more.

RE: Radiohead - I'm assuming that bloop is referring to OK Computer and Kid A? If so, no argument there.

RE: Creed - Anything that offends Andy is good by me.

RE: Jeff Buckley - He's still putting out albums, isn't he? He's like a white Tupac or something.

RE: Jennifer Knapp - I applaud The Way I Am for Jennifer's willingness to experiment with her sound, and there are a lot of great songs. I just don't think the album flows all that well. For a while Lay It Down was my favorite, but I have to dock that one a few points for being so short. I'd give her second and third albums a B+ and a B, respectively, and her first an A-. It's a very close race, and I actually think Jennifer could possibly top it if she ever decides to record again, so maybe I shouldn't have listed her.

NP: "Evening on the Ground (Lilith's Song)", Iron & Wine

[bloop]

Well, Jeff Buckley has a few things post-mortem, I suppose, but much of it is live material and rarities, not proper studio albums.  I don't think he's reached Tupac's level of zombie productivity.

RE: Radiohead - I'm assuming that bloop is referring to OK Computer and Kid A? If so, no argument there.

Come on!  Do I really have to answer that?

[oneafroboy]

Re: Beatles- Correction: The Beatle's first album was Please Please Me.

Re: Coldplay- Eh, I don't know. It's a coin toss. Neither one of their albums is particularly better than the other.  

Re: Radiohead- I think Amnesiac is up there and sometimes it's my favorite. I actually prefer it and Kid A over OK Computer, but hey, we're talking about first albums here...

[Tom]

i'll add the Benjamin Gate. their first album was quite a bit better than the follow-up.

and yeah, old Jeff Buckley keeps on releasing rarities from the grave, God rest his soul. he was one of a kind and a true artist, but it will be a sad day when they release: "Jeff Buckley - The Essential Remixes of Hallelujah & Lilac Wine."

[bloop]

Re: Beatles- Correction: The Beatle's first album was Please Please Me.

Yes, oops, thanks.

(I always get those two mixed up.  Same release year, too.  Those must've been the days.  Still, my statement applies equally well to anything they did before Rubber Soul.)

We have a lot of people here with Amnesiac pacing issues.  I think it contains some of their best songs, but Kid A and OK Computer are the superior records as a whole, and look to be more significant from a historical point of view as well.

[Guest]

All Together Separate - All Together Separate

[murlough23]

All Together Separate - All Together Separate

That's a good one. Their other two (the live worship album and Unusual) fell far short of expectations.

[joining soon...]

And that fact makes me listen to their debut album all the more.

Sheesh, I'm already tired of this anonymous posting.  Time to make an account...

[murlough23]

I should get me a guest account. Then I could be David Guest. Har har har heh heh...

NP: "Ambience", Falling Up

[cbluejays]

downhere's debut...
Nas - Illmatic
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

About Coldplay, I also prefer "A Rush of Blood..."

On the flip side of this topic, which artists/bands, with say 3 or more releases, have gotten better with every release?

[bloop]

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill

Better than Paul's Botique?  Nah!

Illmatic is so apparent, I'd be surprised it wasn't picked yet if this board wasn't generally so unattuned to the genre.

[Brenden]

DC Talk?

I haven't heard the first two albums, which I hear are awful, but still.

[bloop]

DC Talk?

Pfft.  That's really all that warrants, similar to listing Radiohead.

[Josh]

Re: Downhere... YES.

Re: Jennifer Knapp... eh, my favorite's always been Lay it Down. To me, that's the album with the more provocative songwriting, the superior production quality, and the greater stylistic diversity. Also, Kansas has always seemed a little too close to standard chick-rock fare for me to really be interested in it musically. (The Way I Am is just plain overproduced).

Re: Coldplay... Parachutes is mellow, jazzy, and seductive; Rush of Blood sounds like diet, caffeine-free U2.

[Brenden]

Pfft.  That's really all that warrants, similar to listing Radiohead.

I'm just grasping at straws, I can't really think of many who got better with every release without a weak one in between two good ones.

[bloop]

I'm just grasping at straws, I can't really think of many who got better with every release without a weak one in between two good ones.

Oh, so that was the question you were answering.  I thought you were replying to the thread itself.

[Brenden]

Oh, so that was the question you were answering.  I thought you were replying to the thread itself.

Yeah, that was the one. I wouldn't use DC Talk as an answer to the original question.

[PaulDA]

I think William Hung's first album was his best so far.

[murlough23]

I'd say Switchfoot, except that I think The Legend of Chin is slightly better than New Way to Be Human. Other than that, consistent improvement over their four albums (and New Way did expand their style somewhat).

[cbluejays]

I'd probably agree with Switchfoot, although I might be inclined to put "Learning to Breathe" over "The Beautiful Letdown"

Relient K seems to have improved with each album...

[bethany]

Hanson  

[eatahouse]

Nichole Nordeman - Wide Eyed

I definitely disagree. It was a good album, but nowhere near as powerful and moving as Woven and Spun, which featured some amazing songs.

hmm....

Delirious - Cutting Edge
Jeremy Camp - Stay (I've changed my opinion on Restored in the past few months)

Too... tired... can't... think...

[murlough23]

I definitely disagree. It was a good album, but nowhere near as powerful and moving as Woven and Spun, which featured some amazing songs.

Woven and Spun has some really wonderful songs on it... I think its edges have just been smoothed a little too much. Wide Eyed just had richer lyrics, I think. I liked that phase of Nichole's career when she asked a lot of questions, and I guess she feels that losing that is part of the maturing process as a songwriter, but her old stuff seemed a little more hones tto me, because it showed that you could question and worship at the same time. I also miss the slight jazz influence that a few tracks on that album had.

Plus, Wide Eyed didn't have anything nearly as @$$ as "Never Loved You More".

[eatahouse]

Woven and Spun has some really wonderful songs on it... I think its edges have just been smoothed a little too much. Wide Eyed just had richer lyrics, I think. I liked that phase of Nichole's career when she asked a lot of questions, and I guess she feels that losing that is part of the maturing process as a songwriter, but her old stuff seemed a little more hones tto me, because it showed that you could question and worship at the same time. I also miss the slight jazz influence that a few tracks on that album had.

Plus, Wide Eyed didn't have anything nearly as @$$ as "Never Loved You More".

I'll give you the "Never Loved You More" thing. That was just terrible.

But the rest of the album was perfect, in my opinion. Wide Eyed did have good songs on it. In fact, "To Know You" is one of my 10 favorite songs of all time. However, at times, the album felt inconsistent, and while most of the album was very good (it ended up #17 on my favorite albums of all time list), there were blotches. With the exception of the horrendous demon-possessed song (ok I'm kidding), Woven and Spun has a consistent phase to it at all times. The songs weave beautifully as well.

I guess there is a lot of difference in what Nichole talks about. In Wide Eyed, she discusses more about herself and her questions and her insecurity, while in Woven and Spun, Nichole talks more about God's goodness.