advertisement


The difficult second album...........

fegs

pfm Member
I've always found this an interesting one, the curse of the second album that is

Some artists manage to avoid the perils of the follow up album, whilst others don't

A good example of each in my opinion is, Give Em Enough Rope - The Clash , still a decent album but nothing like it's predecessor The Clash and luckily they found form and then some for London Calling

Whereas New Order took it to another level with with Power, Corruption and Lies, I think this is where they really found their "sound"

Anyone else care to add to this?
 
Spot on :)

Disappointing to me at the time, U2 October and GnR Lies

Totally agree re Infected, much as I love Soul Mining it IMHO is defined by two singles

However Infected is a F@£king masterpiece, the accompanying video for each track just added to it's greatness
 
Has to be The Damned surely? Damned Damned Damned brilliant, Music For Pleasure total dross, followed by the masterpiece that is Machine Gun Etiquette.
 
Neil Young’s second album was a lot better than his first.
ABC’s was a lot worse.

Is that the sort of thing? Are we looking for examples, or theories, or perhaps both?

Oh, and the Dan’s second was their best ever.
 
It’s usually the third/fourth album that is the weakest IME. The first one has the cream of the songs the band got signed on (or put out themselves), the second has the rest of their set, but usually a higher production budget so the songs tend to be fewer in number, a little longer and more elaborate. The third album is where they have nothing as they’ve been touring promoting the first two.

I’d cite Wire as a great example of this: 1st: raw, basic, great, 2nd: an absolute towering masterpiece, 3rd: fragmented and occasionally abstract studio creations that are still amazing, but it could easily have gone either way.

Magazine are interesting too; 1st: absolute new-wave classic, 2nd: prog-rock, but still great, 3rd: a Martin Hannett masterpiece, 4th: WTF happened?

OMD too; 1st: genius-grade minimal era-defining synth-pop, 2nd: far more polish and still great, 3rd: far longer songs/more production to fill time, 4th: the point they had no songs left and had to panic-write, yet actually came out with another (largely) great album.
 
Totally agree re Infected, much as I love Soul Mining it IMHO is defined by two singles

However Infected is a F@£king masterpiece, the accompanying video for each track just added to it's greatness
No argument here, lost the VHS in the last house move, the Mrs still has a laserdisc player in her setup so keeping an eye out for the Japanese release at sensible money. The most important album of my 20’s to me, many memories associated with it, still played weekly. Got a sealed mint copy on the shelf, worn out/party accident scratched a couple over the years.
 
Elvis Costello - first album had great songs, and a tepid band. Second album added a band that was up to the material. Positive growth in every way.

Television - first album was an instant classic. Second album sounds like they'd used up their supply of good songs for the first album and were stuck with the leftovers.
 
No argument here, lost the VHS in the last house move, the Mrs still has a laserdisc player in her setup so keeping an eye out for the Japanese release at sensible money. The most important album of my 20’s to me, many memories associated with it, still played weekly. Got a sealed mint copy on the shelf, worn out/party accident scratched a couple over the years.

It's one of those albums that totally defined where I was living (shared flat in the centre of Nottingham) What I was doing (far too much partying), I bought it on release and then bought the "rare" torture sleeve version, I've now only got the Torture sleeve version , the original saw too many parties!

I've still got the VHS somewhere, if I could find it you could have it, don't hold your breath though
 
Elvis Costello - first album had great songs, and a tepid band. Second album added a band that was up to the material. Positive growth in every way.

Television - first album was an instant classic. Second album sounds like they'd used up their supply of good songs for the first album and were stuck with the leftovers.

Totally agree re Television, Marquee Moon was always going to be a hard act to follow!
 
‘M’ (Robin Scott) had Pop Muzik on his first album, which I have and think is hit and miss, but his second album, ‘The Official Secrets Act’ is in my opinion, is an excellent concept album, and still a good listen. Some talent on that album.


R-1107985-1580575379-6971.jpeg.jpg

More Images

M (2) ‎– The Official Secrets Act
Label:
MCA Records ‎– MCF 3085, MCA Records ‎– MAPS 9792
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
UK
Released:
Nov 1980
Genre:
Electronic
Style:
Synth-pop, Pop Rock
 
Simple Minds did a very strong run of early albums as did REM.

Simple Minds were interesting and I assume actually got dropped by their label (Zoom/Arista) after the third album Empires And Dance failed to hit. I don’t know the full story, but the first three are all very different to their big-selling stuff. There were hints of what would come later on Empires And Dance, but Real To Real Cacophony is a totally oddball and unique album. I remember digging it out and playing it to a stadium-rock era Simple Minds fan in the late ‘80s and asking who the band was. Didn’t recognise them at all! Life In A Day is a bit weak though, rather too much Bowie/Roxy influence, though I’ve not played it for ages.

Japan had a similar trajectory. Adolescent Sex and Obscure Alternatives might as well be a different band, Quiet Life put all the ingredients together, but wasn’t enough to stop getting dropped by Ariola Hansa. In both cases Virgin were the beneficiaries.

REM emerged perfectly formed IMO. I love the IRS label stuff and whilst the rougher new-wave edges got rounded off when they signed to Warners they didn’t ever reinvent themselves.
 
Simple Minds were interesting and I assume actually got dropped by their label (Zoom/Arista) after the third album Empires And Dance failed to hit. I don’t know the full story, but the first three are all very different to their big-selling stuff. There were hints of what would come later on Empires And Dance, but Real To Real Cacophony is a totally oddball and unique album. I remember digging it out and playing it to a stadium-rock era Simple Minds fan in the late ‘80s and asking who the band was. Didn’t recognise them at all! Life In A Day is a bit weak though, rather too much Bowie/Roxy influence, though I’ve not played it for ages.

Japan had a similar trajectory. Adolescent Sex and Obscure Alternatives might as well be a different band, Quiet Life put all the ingredients together, but wasn’t enough to stop getting dropped by Ariola Hansa. In both cases Virgin were the beneficiaries.

REM emerged perfectly formed IMO. I love the IRS label stuff and whilst the rougher new-wave edges got rounded off when they signed to Warners they didn’t ever reinvent themselves.
I have the early Simple Minds albums in 5 CD set, really excellent. New Gold Dream is an obvious bridge to their stadium rock period but I do still like ‘once upon a time’. I think they are far more interesting than U2 who they often were compared to (for some reason).

Blue Nile would be another example.
 


advertisement


Back
Top