Worst Debuts From Bands That Got Better Real Fast

Join Pete Pardo & Martin Popoff for a discussion of bands whose debuts only hinted at the greatness that was soon to come.
💰Donate via Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/pete...
👕Order your SoT merch: www.t8cloth.co...
🖥 Visit our website: www.seaoftranq...

[@ik8034]

I would suggest the first Genesis album "From Genesis to Revelation". Trespass onwards are just classics.

[@StonyStevenson75]

I'd suggest watching the whole chat before commenting ;-)

[@ik8034]

@@StonyStevenson75 lol, thanks, I finished typing it just before Pete mentioned and then edited. 😀

[@TheMentalblockrock]

agreed! 100% The first Genesis album, not very good at all yet Trespass great from the very first phrase "looking for someone?"

[@adriangoodrich4306]

@TJRROCKSPONGE I really like it. "Stagnation" is one of my favourite Genesis tracks. And you'd hardly call "The Knife" folky...? Agree totally about "Calling All Stations".

[@mikereiss4216]

I like it but I can understand most not liking it. It's a real odd duck in their catalog for sure.

[@hrothgar64]

British broadcasting legend Danny Baker once said that if music had a "Golden Age", it would be between Woodstock and the release of Anarchy In The UK. In that time period, you saw (as hinted in the show) metal, prog as well as glam, electronica, the rise of singer/songwriters, soul becoming an albums genre with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, as opposed to just 3 minute singles, funk, reggae's first international superstar and the birth pangs of what would become disco and punk. All that happened between August 1969 and November 1976. A period of just over 7 years.

[@mjwbulich]

That was rock music's golden age. Before that you had jazz. Now we have moved passed rock and hip hop is the dominant genre. I 100% agree with the sentiment though. The 1970s was absolutely the high water mark for rock and roll.

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

My top choice: The Moody Blues Debut: 1965's The Magnificent Moodies Album two: 1967's Days of Future Passed

[@genegantii8638]

id agree with this,definetly 2 different bands in sound and style

[@jml-rj5re]

Winner.

[@BlitherVids]

This is the definite winner right here. No other band ever had a worse debut album followed up by a legendary classic second album like The Moody Blues did. How bad is their first album? They pretended it didn't exist for a solid thirty years. Their eighth album is called Seventh Sojourn and their ninth album is called Octave. Their first compilation album had 26 songs on it and not one was from the first album. Their 5-disc box set called Time Traveller was intended to showcase the history of the Moody Blues and yet STILL CONTAINS NOT ONE SONG FROM THEIR FIRST ALBUM. It wasn't until 1997's The Best of The Moody Blues compilation that Go Now was finally released on anything other than the first album. Maybe they suddenly discovered that there was this new thing called the Internet and that people would find out about their secret crappy first album?

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

@@BlitherVids - *The Magnificent Moodies* album (the Moody Blues early R&B recordings - singles & EP's) would of remained unnoticed by the public if it wasn't for Denny Laine became a name with Paul McCartney and Wings band.

[@kevinthetruckdriver353]

@@BlitherVids - Also Guitarist Laine & Bassist Warwick left. In came Guitarist/Vocalist Haywood & Bassist/Vocalist Lodge that change the sound of the band from R&B (their roots) to Art Rock (Progressive).

[@jameskelly8724]

The Sweet got seriously better fast.

[@rumblehat4357]

The Sweet were awesome.

[@Johnny-lr5jt]

Yes, the Sweet quickly and wisely abandoned bubblegum pop for hard rock, and were one of the BEST.

[@craigusselman546]

They went from wimpy manufactured pop To real badass sugary rock and bless them for it.

[@hampton61000]

Love you guys! Everything presented was very educational, as well as fun. Delighted in this collaboration, so please keep it going! I’m a HUGE Jethro Tull fan, and I agree with the assessment of THIS WAS. But as you know, Tull always had elements of blues in all their subsequent releases. But all these other bands? Complete makeover in musical stylings! Looking forward to the next video on this theme!!

[@janpoelkamp4229]

As a fan of blues rock (Cream, Clapton etc) I happen to love This Was.

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

I think "This Was" is fantastic....

[@johnspokus]

Blues based progressive rock, which I'm a huge fan of. I know a lot of prog guys that literally hate blues and rock 'n roll, but I'm not one of them, although when I was younger was like that a little bit.

[@fearhim2]

Dokken -Breaking the Chains meh, it’s ok. Dokken -Tooth and Nail Amazing!

[@anthonyrivers1619]

Breakin the Chains just plods along - then you put on Tooth and Nail!

[@fearhim2]

@@anthonyrivers1619 Paris is burning live(?) is the only high point for me on BTC.

[@anthonyrivers1619]

@@fearhim2 agreed

[@Daniel-415-Ponce]

I love the title track and "Paris Is Burning," but the rest of the album is just filler to me. (I have never heard it, but some fans claim that the original debut record by the band recorded and released in Europe was a superior version of the album.)

[@seangagnonProvidenceR.I.]

Great pick. I’m all about that early 80’s metal , Tooth and Nail one of my favorite albums .

[@fernandobenitezvalencia2591]

Alice Cooper BAND's debut is perfect. had they been German, lots of krautrock fans would be drooling over it. it kinda reminds me of Amon Duul II. a bit of early Floyd/Beatles/Zappa ideas flowing. when i think of the AC, i only think of this album and then the rest of their 1970-1974 catalogue, which i also love. everything else Alice did afterwards was only for the $$, with good songs here and there, of course. one of the greatest psychedelic albums ofall time, imo.

[@johnspokus]

I love that album too. The chapter about recording in in Dennis Dunaway's book is hilarious. It really explains why it sounds the way it does. They hardly saw Zappa. He was there on the first day in the studio. They set up, one of the Mother's mic'd up the amps and drums. Zappa told them to run through their songs and get some levels, and said he had to take a shit. He went in the bathroom, and never emerged until they were finished playing everything. Tape was running all the while. When he came out, he said , "OK, that's the record". Michael Bruce said he was not happy with his guitar sound. Later they did do some overdubs, but Zappa never came back to the sessions.

[@ChromeDestiny]

I think Jefferson Airplane Takes Off has some good tracks, I especially like the longer outtake version of And I Like It but Surrealistic Pillow was a big improvement.

[@markfurru3368]

Two prime examples, 34 years apart from one another: David Bowie's 1967 self-titled debut and Avenged Sevenfold's Sounding the Seventh Trumpet.

[@thewidget-nu9ou]

Well, you gotta at least like We Are Hungry Men. Silly Boy Blue, and Please Mister Gravedigger from the Bowie's debute! Now if one doesn't like THOSE three songs then, as far as I'm concerned, they're in CRITICAL need of a taste transplant!

[@themetallian2112]

This was really enjoyable! a Part 2 would be awesome!

[@matthewgroth537]

First thing that came to mind was Wings’ Wild Life. Not even a bad album, just a forgettable one. Crazy to think that they were able to come up with Band on the Run just 2 years later...and with fewer members!

[@EmileJoulbert]

Some would say having fewer members was key to their success. Paul has referred to Band on the Run as *nearly* a solo album, and Denny Laine described it as *their* album, meaning Paul and Linda's, basically.

[@LeatherRebel75]

I actually disagree about the first Aerosmith. Sure, it's a little on the raw side, but it's still a collection of excellent songs.

[@zex7689]

Love this album because of the rawness

[@colinrgage]

One-way street is a great song

[@billymac72]

I couldn’t disagree more! Depressing? That album rocks, including One Way Street. Write Me, Mama Kin, Walking the Dog....all great, all feel good stuff. Which is to say nothing about one of the band’s most famous songs, Dream On. Look, I get it if you’re a fan and it’s not your fave, but to put it in the top 5 “worst” debuts out of all the actually crappy debuts to choose from? Not sure how one can call themselves an Aerosmith fan and believe that. And I dig Get Your Wings, but is it really better produced? I always found it kind of murky sounding by comparison.

[@billymac72]

@@colinrgage totally! Love that tune...catchy as hell.

[@JohannesYtterstrom]

Today I actually prefer Aerosmiths debut to Get Your Wings. Probably nobody will agree with me but I like it's laidback groove. I like that Steven Tyler sounds very different than on any later album. I like that only two songs are "hits" and the rest something you'll only hear when going after the whole album. I like every song on it. I do agree that Get Your Wings is a big leap forward in a way but I still like the debut better.

[@andrewrobinson427]

The dynamic duo. Love the chemistry and how you guys know your stuff

[@davidmohr7823]

I'm glad Martin mentioned great Australian band The Angels ("Angel City" in the US). Check out some of their great albums like Face to Face, No Exit and Dark Room.

[@doscwolny2221]

They ought to check out liveline. It’s easily one of the best live albums ever.

[@doscwolny2221]

Oh and night attack is their best album in my opinion.

[@lb6135]

Love them!!! Dark Room did well in Winnipeg while I was living there so that was my introduction. RIP Doc Neeson

[@stuarteldergill]

I really like that Genesis album. Kind of simple with some nice melodies. Of course they just got better.

[@itkojecockot]

wasn't prog-y and complex as those upcoming ones, but still some good tunes on it......

[@davidl570]

Not by any means their best, but it was still pretty damn impressive for a bunch of fresh-out-of-high school kids!

[@williamjosephdunn5879]

the first one that comes to my mind is Radiohead. I think Pablo Honey is terrible, but The Bends is much, much better and paves the way for OK Computer

[@JohntheMusicNut]

Definitely. Pablo Honey is quite mediocre and made you think one hit wonder. The Bends is the first of a few modern classics for the band.

[@mrp4242]

There are many people who feel like you. Not me, though. I actually like Pablo Honey just ‘fine’. I don’t like it as well as The Bends or OK Computer or In Rainbows, but I think as a whole its a reasonable Rock Album. I got it when it first came out in ‘93 for Creep, but liked many of the other tracks as well like Anyone Can PLay Guitar, How Do You?, etc. I think what actually *hurt* Pablo HOney was that Radiohead then came out with those landmark rocking albums and so their debut was--in retrospect-downplayed. But it received generally favorable reviews when it was released and reached #22 in the UK charts. In the US, Billboard, Rolling Stone, LA Times and Entertainment Weekly all had nice things to say about it. So I think this is a result of much of their later stuff being so good-that many look back at Pablo Honey as being “Terrible.” It’s retrospectroscopy at its finest.

[@davidl570]

@@mrp4242 PH has its moments, but it also has the worst song of their entire career (I probably don't even have to say the title...............it begins with a C).

[@andrewdevine3920]

@@JohntheMusicNut Pablo Honey has amazing songs at the beginning and end, You, Creep (it's a good song, even if I never want to hear it again), Lurgee and Blow out are among the best songs they ever did. It's a shame everything in between is several large bags full of rubbish.

[@DaveAnchovies]

i knew someone was gonna say this, but its got the Creep stain. It also has one of their best songs. Anyone Can Play Guitar. The Bends obliviously better, if not their best and most consistent.

[@kamranmalik8546]

Also The Moody Blues ‘The Magnificent Moodies’ is another one that comes to my mind as well, I don’t have own this album but I think it was pretty weak in their discography.

[@foobman]

It's indeed weak. I made a playlist on Spotify a while back, where I attempted to have at least one song from each of their album. I wasn't able to find one on 'Moodies'.

[@jazzpunk]

Yes...they were a totally different band at that time (with Denny Laine).

[@mag2469]

Exactly that was the first one to come to mind was the moodies first one.They were basically a R&B band wearing suites and ties.Then denny laine and clint warwick leave and they get john lodge and justin heyward and they release a masterpiece Days of future passed.Talk about a huge leap forward.

[@keithjones6023]

@@mag2469 well they couldn't have chosen anybody better than John Lodge and Justin Hayward!

[@jayfabe620]

Japan really blossomed once they dropped the New York Dolls gimmick from the debut.

[@lucone2937]

Billy Joel had a messy start with his debut album "Cold Spring Harbor" in 1971. There were some errors in the album's mastering.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

yeah he was still finding his way after Attila

[@RaiderfanCali]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist Kind of funny you bring that up

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

@@RaiderfanCali many forget has hard rock start😉

[@RaiderfanCali]

@@truckerkevthepaidtourist I remember seeing that hideous album cover too. Never heard album

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

@@RaiderfanCali well thanks to KZbin💃🙌 you can look it up there are some pretty good hard rockin riffs that are found but it's very uneven.

[@invisiblekid3114]

Awesome video Pete and Martin! A really great topic as well. Being a younger audience, I don't often gravitate towards the earlier albums from bands I love, and often prefer the later stuff. That's why I rarely go back to the debut albums, but do still like them. Some examples include: Iron Maiden debut Judas Priest Rocka Rolla Metallica Kill Em All Black Sabbath debut AC/DC High Voltage ⚡ Megadeth Killing Is My Business

[@bigvrocks2480]

PRETTIES FOR YOU! My favorite all time ACG lp! Loved it the first time I ever heard it (1969). Saw them three or four times at UB/Buffalo and Gilligans, perform the first two lps {Pretties/Easy Action} as a 'Rehearsal/Concert' (and yes, everyone walked out at UB ($2.00 to get in) except my two buddies and me) Even saw them perform 'Nobody Likes Me' a few times as. They were playing 'Psychedelic music' by the way of Death Metal sound! As a matter of fact, the Alice Cooper Group along with the Doors were the only bands that Acoustic Amplifiers endorsed back in the late 60's! And my musical tastes range from The Easybeats, Genesis YES, Sabbath, ELP, Zeppelin, etc to ABBA and on and on! Basically I like everything... (However, although I bought a few Grateful Dead lps in the early 70's, I could never, even as recently as a few years ago, once again attempted to, but could not get into them at all!!!??? Ozric Tentacles, on the other hand, Ed Wynne, WOW!) LOLO! (ps - sorry for any typos or rambling... Enjoy your analysis and guests all the time.)

[@timhollis3390]

As soon as this video started I thought of Genesis and Jethro Tull.By the way,thanks so much for doing the XTC ranking that I just watched yesterday and somehow missed for 2 months.I was thrilled to see it since they have been my favorite band since 1982.

[@thestevec]

Nice to see The Angels ( Angel City) get a mention on a non Australian website. I agree debut is a bit soft sounding

[@ronaldsmith1484]

59 years old from Cincinnati Ohio..... I know down under they were called the angels..... I discovered them as Angel City..... one of my all-time favorite bands..... I recently purchased 40 Years of hits A3 CD collection..... also 40 Years of live hits a 3 CD collection..... what a great f****** band

[@FrostedSeagull]

Saw The Angels (Angel City) at least 7 times including them playing the often forgotten first, Guns'N'Roses tour of Australia in December 1988. 👍 🇦🇺

[@ronaldsmith1484]

@@FrostedSeagull how lucky you were.... saw Angel City at Bogart's a rock Club in Cincinnati 1980 they were so f****** good!

[@glenunderhill3523]

Steve C you are spot on.

[@joshdieckmann595]

It's interesting what albums hit some people, and don't make that kind of impression with others. My album introduction to Aerosmith was "Permanent Vacation", which I really enjoyed (and still do). Not long after that, a buddy lent me his cassette copy of "Get Your Wings" which totally blew me away. I couldn't believe such a heavy, dark, and atmospheric album had come out in 1974. This was before I discovered Sabbath. I went out shortly after that, and bought copies of the 1st 4 Aerosmith albums for myself. The debut, for me, is still quite strong, and has always been a bit of a sentimental favorite. Martin said he didn't care for "One Way Street", but for me, that was a great bluesy stomp that gave the record some variety, along with the darker "Movin' Out". I agree that the subsequent album was a big leap forward, but I do feel that the debut was pretty strong, and I still listen to it quite a bit.

[@sameoldeh]

@ Josh Dieckmann You get it,you understand. BTW, Permanent Vacation is the biggest comeback in entertainment history. Pump came after & it was superb.

[@janpoelkamp4229]

Thin Lizzy’s second album Shades Of A Blue Orphanage is often considered worse than the debut. I like both, btw. Can’t name a bad Lizzy album.

[@mattshaw5179]

Great video! I could definitely watch some more of this!!

[@jasonjames6383]

I'm impressed with the mention of the Angels. Great Australian band and Face to Face, No Exit and Dark Room are all excellent albums. Their debut is pretty ordinary.

[@jasonjames6383]

@Blue Heeler Beyond Salvation is a good album and I like most of their stuff, however, I place Face to Face, No Exit (probably my fave) and DarK Room above any of their other albums.

[@NotData]

Great video with excellent insightful commentary. Did you consider The Magnificent Moodies (aka Go Now The Moody Blues #1 in USA)? Many of the things you said about The Sweet and Genesis could apply here.

[@rightchordleadership]

I like This Was but Stand Up was a huge step forward.

[@edwardgonczy3170]

I'm with you on this one. When I started playing guitar quickly realized I was never going to join the Hendrix ranks. But I really liked Mick Abrahams. Like his version of "Cat's Squirrel" better than Cream's. So, disagreements with Ian Anderson and Mick realized his dreams with Blodwyn Pig. And Ian pushed a more "progressive" sound with Tull until he lost a great bass player in Glen Cornick to a good band, Wild Turkey. Never that big a fan of the band after "Heavy Horses" and "Songs From the Wood".

[@DavidLazarus]

Regarding Genesis's first album, From Genesis To Revelation, I think it could have been brilliant if Jonathan King had not pretty much ruined it by "requiring" the band to use horns and strings. For me, there are still about a half dozen great tracks on the album. In addition, you can hear bits of what's to come. There's a riff later used in Twilight Alehouse (a b-side circa 1972) in one of the songs. Sadly, I don't recall which off the top. There's other interesting bits throughout. For me, I'd say In The Beginning, The Serpent, Am I Very Wrong, In Limbo and That's me (only included on later releases) are standout tracks. I think the whole album would have been ten times better had Jonathan King not been involved with it. Had they met Tony Smith in, say, 1968, FGTR would have been an excellent album! It's King that tried to turn it into bubblegum pop.

[@DarrinSnider]

Hah! I spent almost an hour asking why NOBODY was mentioning Genesis to Revelations. Savage! To clarify your question, I seem to remember they specifically changed their sound to get Jonathan King's attention. I would add, if Working Man wasn't 25% of the album, the first Rush album deserves an honorable mention here.

[@i3ar310]

You are right about Rush and Working Man. That song carries the album.

[@digitalbookworm5678]

Hoping you'll do a reciprocal video, please. Bands that started out with one fantastic album and then went downhill fast.

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

digital booksorm Boston fits that desciption a great debut album. After That squat!

[@kevintynan796]

I love that first Motörhead album, I bought the limited edition white vinyl disc when it first came out. Wherever I moved it was the first thing I’d play to get that home sweet home feel. Not sure if the neighbours appreciated it though.

[@martinnapier6286]

First to come to mind are David Bowie (dont ever listen to the debut anymore) and thin lizzy (not terrible but very weak considering their amazing follow ups)

[@kolchak357]

Great call on Bowie. I totally forgot about his first album. Couldn’t agree more.

[@michaelriffee4526]

I absolutely love the debut Aerosmith album. It's one of my favorite debut albums of The 70's. It's still one of my go to albums when I need to hear some Aerosmith.

[@benedictdonald4338]

100%. the debut blows the hell out of "Get Your Wings".

[@sameoldeh]

@Michael Riffee I agree.

[@sameoldeh]

@@benedictdonald4338 The Aerosmith debut is great. Problem was,Columbia Records didn't help to promote them much. Most of their focus was on Springsteen's first album which was released on the same day.

[@davoshaunessy3428]

Roll back the rugs baby I JUST LOVE THOSE LINER NOTES LOVE STEPHENS just needed your love @ 17 yrs old as WELL

[@davidl570]

@@sameoldeh But................wasn't Bruce's debut released in '71 and Aerosmith's in '73?

[@lonegroover]

Aww no I love the Motorhead debut. Saw them touring it in Jan '78 in a little club in the NE of England. Glorious.

[@joebecht5554]

Steven said he tried to sound like James Brown on the first album. BTW, I love the first album.

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

I think the first album is an incredible debut....

[@jgsrhythm100]

Great debut.

[@jazzpunk]

Martin's video looks really sharp this morning here...wow, I really like Aerosmith's debut and their 2nd album (including the cover!). ;-O Huge fan of the Alice Cooper Group. I have tried like Hell to like those 1st albums...that said, I do have the Pretties For You LP framed on my wall.

[@marguskiis7711]

Jehtro "This Was" -- very good!

[@peterichards3261]

I had Walkin' The Dig on my Aerosmith vinyl too!!

[@dancalmpeaceful3903]

Wonder if Zep ever did a version called "Black Dig" ?

[@larryboyle1249]

@@dancalmpeaceful3903 dig it. ✌️😁👍

[@ThePelicans44]

I like the first 2 UFO albums. I have 'Silver Bird' included in my regular UFO rotation of songs that I listen to.

[@markgray3648]

They got a mention but I’d put forward Scorpion Lonesome Crow. While I quite like it, it really doesn’t stand up against their later albums.

[@ianbrown3304]

Good to hear some love for Sweet. Way under-rated. Fantastic live band .

[@reckia]

I was glad to see Alice Cooper and Genesis included on Pete’s list. I completely agree with him, though I love the cover for Pretties For You.

[@knorkstea606]

Ngl the first 2 alice albums are some of my favorite albums of his It doesnt even come close to billion dollar babies and love it to death but still definitely top 10 alice albums

[@MyMusicCorner]

I wonder what the Top 10 Songs that never need to be covered would be for Martin and Pete?

[@MackeyWilliams]

Great idea for a segment.

[@martinkyle1463]

Rocka Roller is one of the great debut albums to me. They soon followed the excellent Sad Wings with the triteness of Living After Midnight, Breaking the Law, United and Hot Rocking.

[@keithjones6023]

There was a massive difference between INXS's debut album and the later albums Kick, X, and Elegantly Wasted!

[@bengalgangster]

is shaboo shoobah the 1st? then listen like thieves?

[@keithjones6023]

@@bengalgangster No that was their third , love that album. First was INXS and then Underneath the Colours.

[@hudahekizzy8402]

@@keithjones6023 Shaboo Shoobah through Listen Like Thieves is their great period IMO...

[@keithjones6023]

@@hudahekizzy8402 love Shabooh Shabah, To Look at You, Golden Playpen, Don't Change, all fantastic!

[@hudahekizzy8402]

@@keithjones6023 I'll throw Soul Mistake in there as well

[@DBTdad]

At 4:45 Pete says "at 30 years ago", it's seems like a long time but remember Aerosmith's Get your wings album is nearly 50 years old in 2023. In 1974 I was 13 and never could imagine in life at 61 still listening to Seasons of Wither.

[@Paulthediecastguy]

I would pick the Scorpions. Lonesome crow sounds really different. Fly to the Rainbow is a little better. You could see as they put albums out they got better. I think I trance was a huge step forward.

[@danneeson7056]

Lonesome Crow is a killer album , highly sought after by those in the know. Scorpions are a great band through the Uli Roth years and then became too commercial and lame sounding at times.

[@multi-purposebiped7419]

Big parallels between Genesis's "From Genesis to Revelation" and Van der Graaf Generator's "The Aerosol Grey Machine". Both made in 1969, both considered untypical and not the real deal, both bands switching labels after that first release to sign with Charisma pretty much on the same day, then both going on to reinvent music in their own style. (I don't consider Trespass to be a transition; quite the contrary, I consider the song Stagnation to be the definitive Genesis prog era sound.)

[@JohnMacRae23]

Nice topic, good picks all around, though being a psych head as much as a prog head, i really love the first Genesis album (thought it clearly is much different from the greatness to come). Remember they were still teenagers when that album was recorded. Pete's point about J King steering them was spot on... even the demos form that album (released in a box set later on) had more going for them... without strings which really tame out the songs imo.

[@neugey]

Genesis and Priest were the first one that come to my mind on this topic

[@l.salisbury1253]

I actually luv "Rocka-Rolla"... especially the psyched-out ballad "run of the mill"!

[@davidl570]

Eh, Rocka Rolla was pretty damn good.........................of course they got better, but I don't look back on that album and say "Damn, that album SUCKS!"

[@17primemover]

I barely listen to the Porcupine Tree debut, but what came later was so awesome

[@brianmann4926]

Sneak Preview (King's X first record) they followed up with Out Of The Silent Planet which is a classic...

[@RostyslavLogachov]

I like original High Voltage for me sound like classic early AC/DC. Love Song is really wierd though😅

[@Redrum1981]

Awesome episode!! Contrast is awesome theme for a show 👌

[@FFF24-7]

If your version of Let There Be Rock doesn't have a "mellow" song, you got the wrong version. The original version we got over here didn't have Problem Child, which is a Dirty Deeds track. We got Crabsody in Blue which I think is a great bluesy comedy number, with Bon on fine, tongue in cheek form

[@patrickcrowther9195]

Radiohead. ‘Pablo Honey’ was average at best and then they went into a period of remarkable creativity that has lasted to this day.

[@pookiemartinez3909]

Radiohead hit their stride from Ok and on. and their B-sides are killer.

[@kitoyobeni1]

@@pookiemartinez3909 The Bends is my favorite, slightly over OK. I didn't like the albums that followed much, as I prefer their guitar stuff. I agree though, the debut was kinda boring in comparison.

[@phoneboxchicken4108]

Whilst I generally really don't like Kid A onwards, they at least try and do something new and different to Pablo Honey.

[@thekivster]

This Was is actually pretty good. It's just that they improved a lot with their second album.

[@sixbladeknife44]

The debuts from Aerosmith and Priest are both among my favorites from those perspective groups. Run of The Mill is particularly epic! And Martin took a jab at Free, I’m crushed haha! 😭

[@sixbladeknife44]

@Martin Popoff I am crying tons of sobs 😭😭 Nonetheless, I like some of your other picks so I’ll let you off the hook this time ✌️😬

[@davidbrown2300]

Agreed. Aerosmith's first may by underproduced and garagey, but that is part of why I like it. And Rocka Rolla is probably my favorite Preist album cover to cover. Ain't opinions great?

[@themadmattster9647]

First Fates Warning Night at Brocken for me. And I'm a huge traditional metal fan (who used to argue with proggers who were snobbish about such stuff all the time). Spectre Within and Awaken the Guardian almost seem like a different band

[@jornfox3545]

Great Topic !

[@jamescorbett5729]

For me, Pink Floyd's Piper fits this category. It's a classic and groundbreaking album, but they quite quickly started writing fairly conventional rock songs after Syd left. I had a friend who told me he didn't listen to anything by Floyd other than the debut. I never reach for the debut.

[@nickgonzalez4081]

Good show!! So much music knowledge between the 2 of you

[@kamranmalik8546]

Motörhead, Judas Priest ‘Rocka Rolla’, and ‘From Genesis to Revelation’, although IMO these albums to me were good and never thought they were bad, I dig these albums quite a lot. Another which I don’t, but I feel is quite week is Scorpions ‘Lonesome Crow’. P.S. ‘On Parole’ was the original album title that was originally released in 1975, and then released as a bootleg in 1979.

[@thewal1ofsleep]

@Terry Brown Which is fine, but the quantum leap they took between the debut and Sad Wings is undeniable.

[@Cheddar_Wizard]

Yea I’m surprised more people aren’t mentioning Lonesome Crow. What a strange little album that is.

[@jake6887]

First Camel was pretty okay but after the debut they became amazing

[@miguelbarahona6636]

First Camel is my favorite by them!

[@michaelpurnell5203]

Children of Bodom and Dream Theater come to mind for me. Neither debut is bad, but they really pale in comparison to the classics that followed each one

[@danielvysocky2716]

The debut Aerosmith album is AWESOME, particularly "One Way Street" but I digress 😉 Anyway my list of 5 of debuts in descending order: Cream The Smiths The Who Public Enemy The Beatles

[@jordanfarquharson5345]

My favorite song on that is Walking The Dog, because I like the flute.

[@mmk7340]

Always really liked both One Way Street and Walkin' The Dog.

[@danielvysocky2716]

Ok. As Pete Pardo would say: "It's my list"

[@michaelsalisbury1477]

The who' s My Generation. Was a good represenntation of their sound at That time

[@pedrazavelasquez]

I'll add scorpions and accept.

[@piotrb8434]

What? Scorpions' debut is a great album, just different in style.

[@planetbarrett6055]

My Favorite Scorpions Album is the Debut!

[@CptMark]

@@piotrb8434 Music is good, but vocals are subpar.

[@costafinkel]

Before watching: - Megadeth (killing is my business) - Genesis (from genesis to revelation) - Rush (rush)

[@i3ar310]

Agreed. Rush and Killing have their moments but subsequent albums got much better.

[@RaiderfanCali]

Peart really raised the bar for Rush. No Peart, you can pretty much guess we’re not talking about Rush now

[@i3ar310]

@@RaiderfanCali Absolutely, I’m not a huge fan of Rush but even a casual fan can agree that Peart added an “X” factor to the band.

[@R1vJ4]

​@@i3ar310 Whoa wait a sec...love what Neil Pert did but John Rutsey was awesome and did a helluva job on the first album. Who's to say that if John didn't have those health problems that he would have been that what Neil did...and Peart praised him for it. There would have been no Rush without him. Casual Rush fans would know this be true

[@i3ar310]

@@R1vJ4 Not devaluating John’s contribution just noting that Peart added an extra dimension to the band. That first album was mainly carried by Working Man.

[@MetalMan73100]

I expected to hear Supertramp mentioned at some point, but all the entries here are really interesting.

[@jordanfarquharson5345]

They said they would revisit this topic.

[@Kinnakeeter]

I don't dislike or hate this band, in fact they're on of my favorites. But I am going to mention R.E.M.- Murmur. The music is really good but Michael Stipe sounds like he's kind of mumbling the lyrics. Stipe said in interviews that he was a bit embarrassed by his voice and he was kind of suffering from stage fright. So it kind of makes sense. Obviously he got used to it and he became more confident with his voice as the band's career went on.

[@billydow9798]

I love MURMUR

[@Grandizer8989]

Idea for a video, Pete. Best backup singers. Jason Nuestat (sp?), Melissa auf der Mar, and The Edge are my top 3

[@jordanfarquharson5345]

No love for Michael Anthony? Also, don't you mean Jason Newsted?

[@Grandizer8989]

@@jordanfarquharson5345 good one and yes, ty

[@JohntheMusicNut]

Great idea and strong choices. Chris Squire.

[@fatherhanktree2011]

@@JohntheMusicNut Great call with Chris Squire! Also John Frusciante,Phil Collins(as backup to Gabriel) and,surprisingly, Freddie Mercury when he does backing/harmony vocals with Brian May-All Dead,All Dead,and (maybe?) Long Away.

[@fatherhanktree2011]

And a classic backup singer I forgot to mention:Michael McDonald on all those great Steely Dan songs! Of course,also a fantastic solo singer in his own right.

[@BlackMoore82]

Figured Thin Lizzy's debut would come up, while I do agree that they got better in time I do love the Eric Bell era a lot since the debut and "Vagabonds of the Western World" are a couple of my favorite Lizzy albums. Too bad Aerosmith's last good album was "Rocks" in 1976, as for Judas Priest's "Rocka Rolla" it's one of my favorite albums of theirs next to "Point of Entry".

[@2424-u8d]

Pete, will I finally get to hear your take on "Hold On" by Chicago? If that doesn't qualify as the heaviest song in their catalog I don't know what it is. I just enjoy your historical takes on music trends and how bands attempt to jump on board. Is it always genuine? Or is it label pressure. Hell, that could be a s show itself.

[@simpwood4973]

I know piper at the gates of dawn has its fans, but I find it very lacking compared to stuff like Ummagumma, Obscured, atom heart mother or even saucerful.

[@notoriodtc]

great call with alice cooper. Never could get either of the first two albums to keep into listening regularly or at all and two years after the debut, love it to death with not only much improved tunes but all time classics - 24 month turn around = got better real fast for sure

[@fredericlatreille]

Ultramega Ok - Soundgarden Metal Magic - Pantera New Masters - Cat Stevens Welcome to Asbury Park - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band David Bowie - David Bowie Fistful of Metal - Anthrax Neil Young - Neil Young Two Virgins - John Lennon Liberal Animation - NOFX How Could Hell Be Any Worse ? - Bad Religion

[@kencoakley3959]

I loved the first Aerosmith album. It's the current albums that I don't like.

[@jgsrhythm100]

Exactly!!!

[@pjones8404]

Dream Theater - "When Dream and Day Unite" into "Images and Words" ..not remotely the same band... Doobie Brothers - "The Doobie Brothers" into "Toulouse Street" WOW what a huge jump. They really turned it around from the debut and never looked back! Kansas - "Kansas" into "Song For America". The debut showed glimpses but "Song For America" is full on Kansas!! Many think it is their best overall album! Pink Floyd - "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" into "A Saucerful of Secrets" There are some fine moments on the debut..but the follow up is a down right masterpiece! Scorpions - "Lonesome Crow" into "Fly Like a Rainbow" - Great to have the debut..but can't touch the follow up! Def Leppard - "On Through the Night" into "High 'N' Dry". I used to like the debut. Now it sounds very dated and the low moments out rank the highs. Complete opposite with "High 'N' Dry" Ozzy Osbourne - "Blizzard of Oz" into "Diary of a Madman" Yup...I don't listen to the debut anymore. It just doesn't work for me. In contrast, I could listen to "Diary of a Madman" weekly! Stunning!

[@itkojecockot]

"Song For America" is their best album, but the debut was already very strong "Saucerful of Secrets" was very good in its own way, but "Piper" is much better record...... personally, for me "Piper" might be my favorite album of that year in general "Blizzard" is still brilliant...... "Diary of a Madman" is offcourse better, but the debut still stands the test of time

[@pjones8404]

@@itkojecockot these are my picks. I don't listen to Blizzard. I don't care for it. Diary..I love. Same with the Pink Floyd picks. Doesn't mean they are bad albums. Same with the Kansas. It just means I didn't care for them and preferred the follow up.

[@goopah]

Big thanks to Martin for introducing me to The Angels/Angel City by mentioning them as one of his favorite bands at some point (can't remember where I saw or read this previously). Anyway, I was curious so I ordered a used CD of No Exit, and it is a quite good/great album, and I will be buying more of their work. So anyway, thanks Martin!

[@stevenhanson1454]

I think that 1970 was bands transition from folk or psychedelic to hard rock, heavy metal. So bands like Thin Lizzy & Nazareth and UFO on the cusp of folk or space music to went hard rock by 1973 or 74'. Good history. Sweet as well.

[@Myfavoritealbums666]

PF, DP, Genesis, Blind Guardian, Sieges Even, Talk Talk, Tristania, Behemoth.

[@Jonkerz77]

Caravan comes to mind when thinking of bands that reinvented themselves after the first album. Not that their 1968-debut is a bad album, but it´s really a far cry from progressive rock. What you get here is some rather whimsical psychedelic pop. The songs "Place of my own" and "Policeman" are incredebly catchy, and the rest of the albums is actually pretty good. I don't listen to it often though as it's not even hinting at what would come with their next four albums, which are their best by far! Also the the Moody Blues completely turned it around on their third album, the heavily orchestraded "Days of Future Passed"! And after that they put out a string of brilliant progressive pop records. The influx of Justin Hayward and John Lodge really made a huge difference. Those first two albums that they aren´t on sound nothing like the Moody Blues I know and love, the band playing some mediocre beat music, rythm & blues type of stuff. Those albums are also very poorly produced, recorded live in Mike Pinder´s mom´s garage" (maybe?).

[@danneeson7056]

Caravan's first album is a highly sought after psychedelic classic and the second album and Land of Pink and Grey are prog classics and then rapidly downhill after that for me.

[@stevenwilliams3083]

Agreed with The Moody Blues... maybe THE best example of this topic. After their first came "The Magnificent Seven ". Weirdly, some people actually think their "blues" album is their best! Btw, days of future passed is actually their second album, unless you count their ep (and assorted pathetic singles) as an "album".

[@glennandadriansrocktalk]

GREAT idea for a video! I second Genesis's debut as deserving of a mention.

[@Danimal77]

"T. Rex" and "Saxon" comes to mind.

[@danadnauseam]

Can yuo really call T. Rex a debut aw opposed to a rebranding?

[@Danimal77]

@@danadnauseam Interesting question. I should have clarified. Tyrannosaurus Rex was a run of the mill folk band and T. Rex (thanks mostly to Bolan's contribution and vision) was light years more exciting and innovative.

[@TheAnarchitek]

Great catch on Jethro Tull, though. The original guitarist was Mick Abrahams, a blues-based purist who left the band in 1968, shortly after the band recorded This Was. His replacement was Martin Barre, a shredder of the first order. As for the rest, Sweet was a singles band, their "albums" merely collections of singles and filler, UFO was very good in the Michael Shenker era, but their albums are mixtures of inspired cuts separated by boogie band filler (and there is more than enough excruciatingly bad). Boogie bands weren't new, Canned Heat made a career out of it, and Foghat resurrected the genre, adding amplification, lest anyone think they didn't know how to boogie! Aerosmith has always been an annoying band, capable of genius, like Walk this Way, Same Old Song And Dance, or Dude (Looks Like A Lady), and equally stupendous dreck, often on the same record. Joe Perry always reminded me of Paul Kossoff, not charitably (look up the story of the solo for "All Right Now"). AC/DC did one great song, Who Made You, and one listenable album, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. I was an early fan of Vanda-Young, digging the Easybeats' Friday on My Mind, in '67, but AC/DC, and Judas Priest, among others, were products of the Quaalude Age. That lasted 1972 through '78, producing some of rock's most turgid muzak. The Punk Pop era of Elvis Costello and the Pretenders were the rebirth from that, as Arena Rock had from heroin of the late '60s and speed of early '70s. 'Ludes were speed and opiates, and the music represented by AC/DC and Judas Priest, and the other head-bangers, Nuge, Slayer, Alice, et al, limns the depths of those years: Watergate, the Arab Embargo, Ford, the bitter end of VietNam, the end of the Space Program, the Recession, Malaise (even now, coming bone-chillingly true), and Jim Jones' psychotic trip to Guyana. Head-banging was preferable to listening to the litany of evil on the news. Who knew it would get so much worse, we'd look back at those times as halcyon "good old days"? Grand Funk released an over-hyped first record so bad, I made an ashtray out of it, shortly after taking the shrinkwrap off! They went on to make one truly great single, with Todd Runtgrin's help, We're an American Band, and handful of listenable songs. The same can be said of a great many "one-hit wonder" bands, over the years. Creativity and popularity are difficult masters, only occasionally working in tandem. The Beatles did it for almost the entirety of their product, but the Stones only managed it about 38% of the time. The Kinks were more creative, if less successful, and the Moody Blues managed to create five listenable masterpieces. Most groups only managed one, or two, "great" albums. The Beach Boys only did it once, Surf's Up, and "almost" twice, Today and Summer Days (and Summer Nights), early on. The Who did it four times, A Quick One, Sell Out!, Tommy, Next, and Quadrophenia, plus a near-miss, By Numbers, and Lynyrd Skynyrd did it three, plus parts of two close but no cigars. Expecting growth is a given, but the audience has to grow in the same direction, and the old saw about flattery is as true in rock 'n' roll as superstition is in baseball. Bands followed trends (Neil Young's Trans, say), into traps, or followed one member's inner demons to their ultimate donnybrook (too many examples, but The Final Cut says it all, Smiley Smile stresses the point). Rock as a business model was a wild ride, often a wiled ride down the primrose path. It splintered and resplintered, creating the branches many of the choices one took. Drugs, media, other layers, and the constant pressure from record companies had major influences on the product. Sometimes, genius shone through despite the worst of all these (Layla), sometimes the hype dragged the offender down (Grand Funk, fairly, and Moby Grape, unfairly). Sometimes pretense and bombast masqueraded as "genius", but only the unwary bit. whatever else, it was a helluva ride, ©BW2023 anarchitek™

[@finslaw]

Bob Dylan, The Kinks, The Pretty Things, The Zombies, Alice Cooper, Sloan and Radiohead

[@liquidvizionsmadferit]

Lol @ Martin going hard on these bands for these overdone silly cover songs 😁😁😁 And I'll throw Dokken in there. I don't dislike the debut by any means but Tooth and Nail was so much better. I'll even put Skid Row in there because I love Slave to the Grind way more than the debut. I love that they went heavier. And I know this one will piss some people off, but Exodus. I never was a fan of Paul's vocals. I love Steve. Pleasures of the Flesh was right up my alley. Slayer can be thrown in as well. Never was a big fan of Show No Mercy yet I love Hell Awaits. So yeah. Just a few mentions. It doesn't mean that I dislike the debut albums, but I just prefer the follow up more.

[@BestServedCold10]

You and I will both be lynched for this but I TOTALLY agree about Exodus. "Pleasures of the Flesh" is one of the greatest thrash albums of all time. The debut has several great songs but some real filler as well.

[@stephanevilleneuve9450]

Without a doubt, like the free trade agreement between USA & Canada, Pete & Martin, you do a good pair. More collaboration with your interesting comments.

[@rogermaybank8623]

Sometimes it takes a few albums for a band to hit their marks, Deep Purple would be a good example. First three albums are pretty patchy, it took a line up change and the release of In Rock and they were up and running.

[@darinland1595]

Good show and topic... enjoyed The Sweet dialog. 👍

[@leatherbound4233]

My top four, The Alice cooper band Judas Priest Accept Scorpions, how little we knew of what was to come from them.

[@dtltmtgt]

Can't disagree with any of these pics. A great idea and a great show guys! I was going to suggest Genesis and Alice Cooper, definitely.

[@peteallen935]

Well done Martin getting into The Angels! a brilliant home town pub rock bank from the late 70's still going strong today...tho without Doc

[@j.j.4150]

This Album is great - I don't like it Sometimes Martin is killin' me😂

[@aleksandarfrick2656]

They repeat themselves both too much in phrases .

[@BestServedCold10]

"Rocka Rolla" is very inferior to "Sad Wings of Destiny" but I like it more than "Sin After Sin". I haven't listened to "Pretties For You" or "Easy Action" in decades but I remember both of them being atrocious compared to "Love it to Death".

[@rabarebra]

You like Rocka Rolla more than Sin After Sin? WOW, what a bad taste you have. That's incredible.

[@BestServedCold10]

@@rabarebra I make up for my bad taste by being able to type a coherent and legible sentence.

[@davehall4054]

It's Saxon 1st for me, not bad by any stretch, but they entered the stratosphere with Wheels of Steel within a few months.

[@daviestallow]

Have to disagree with Martin on UFO debut. I love it. Even the Flying album is great in my book, as well as the Live lp. I guess the reason I love them is they're being different from the Schenker era. I like ordinary, Pete, by the way. ha