Most Under-rated Debut Album

[Dennis K]

I'm sure it's been done a hundred times before, but not lately (I hope). What album gets your vote for most under-rated? For me it's Cheap Trick's self-titled debut.

[Prosthetic Head]

I've always said The Ramones debut album was the most underrated record perhaps ever released.

[Pinball]

White Lion's Fight to Survive.
Almost no one knows it even exists!

[Adam Crocker]

I've always said The Ramones debut album was the most underrated record perhaps ever released.

Underrated? Commercially perhaps, but certainly not critically. The Ramones is widely recognized as a benchmark album in rock'n'roll, even if it is often challenged by Rocket To Russia.

[blackdragon6]

2pac's 2pacolypse now album

[Prosthetic Head]

Underrated? Commercially perhaps, but certainly not critically. The Ramones is widely recognized as a benchmark album in rock'n'roll, even if it is often challenged by Rocket To Russia.Yes, I understand that. I was thinking more along the lines of when it actually debuted in '76. I know it's pretty critcally acclaimed now by modern day standards. But when it was released it was pretty much swept under the rug by most. It definately became the benchmark album of rock'n'roll, just a couple decades later than it ever should have. So by that reasoning, I was going by the thought that it was underrated.

[Buried Alien]

PLEASE PLEASE ME, the Beatles. It's naturally overshadowed by the band's later, more sophisticated work, but I don't think the essence of classic pop and rock 'n roll was ever distilled any better than on this debut album.

The Beatles' U.S. debut, MEET THE BEATLES, was probably even better though, despite its mishmash origins.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Jessica Drew]

The Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat

Though it's not of a class with the debuts from the Ramones and the Beatles, it's still a great debut album--especially the first side--full of some sweet girl-group harmonies, infectious melodies, with just a hint of punk, a dose of surf, with all of it laid on the floor by the phenomenal rock n' roll drumming of Gina Schock.

Also, it sports a sexy little pink cover that matches well with the color of my bathroom wall (which the album cover now adorns).

http://z.about.com/d/80music/1/0/2/A/03-11.jpg

[Sorcerer Supreme]

I would say that Green day's 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is highly under-rated.

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

PM Dawn's "Of The Heart, Of The Soul And Of The Cross: The Utopian Experience:"

i also second 2pac's "2Pacalypse Now" debut album.

[[nkArl]]

For recent albums I'm gonna say The Fall Of Troy's first album (self titled)
Or Valient Thorr (total Universe man)
27320
[Valient Thorr]

[Prosthetic Head]

I would say that Green day's 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours is highly under-rated.I totally agree with you. That album is terrific and also very highly underrated. It was an excellent debut album.

[leonaozaki]

PLEASE PLEASE ME, the Beatles. It's naturally overshadowed by the band's later, more sophisticated work, but I don't think the essence of classic pop and rock 'n roll was ever distilled any better than on this debut album.

The Beatles' U.S. debut, MEET THE BEATLES, was probably even better though, despite its mishmash origins.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Honestly: who underrates PLEASE PLEASE ME? Give me one example.

rob

[Buried Alien]

Honestly: who underrates PLEASE PLEASE ME? Give me one example.

rob

It's rarely mentioned as one of the Beatles' better albums. The critical praise typically goes to REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, RUBBER SOUL, ABBEY ROAD, THE WHITE ALBUM...even A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. Not too many fans or critics have waxed lyrical about PLEASE PLEASE ME.

Here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B000002UA9/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/002-9797658-1515200?ie=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=5174) are some Amazon.com reviews for the album. Most of them are positive and praise the album, it's true, but tucked in there are many comments about how the album is "not as good as the Beatles' later stuff."

That's true, of course; it's *not* as good as the band's later material, but that's precisely why it's underrated. It gets so overshadowed by its later, more sophisticated brothers that people often forget that it's a very good album in its own right...and one of the best debut albums ever.

And on a somewhat related note, leo (continuing a theme we started last year and I'd hoped we'd dropped), why is it that every time we converse at this forum, I feel you're trying to start a fight with me...or questioning my musical taste? I know that I'm a hardcore Beatles fan and you're anything but, but that doesn't mean we need to kill each other every time we run into each other here, does it?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[SMKSPY]

I would say Bush's Sixteen Stone...commerically a hit, but critics panned it...still their best album I say.

[scratchie]

Honestly: who underrates PLEASE PLEASE ME? Give me one example.That was the first album I thought of. I think most of the Beatles' pre-Rubber Soul albums are underrated by younger Beatles fans.

[leonaozaki]

It's rarely mentioned as one of the Beatles' better albums. The critical praise typically goes to REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND, RUBBER SOUL, ABBEY ROAD, THE WHITE ALBUM...even A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. Not too many fans or critics have waxed lyrical about PLEASE PLEASE ME.

Here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/B000002UA9/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/002-9797658-1515200?ie=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=-SubmissionDate&n=5174) are some Amazon.com reviews for the album. Most of them are positive and praise the album, it's true, but tucked in there are many comments about how the album is "not as good as the Beatles' later stuff."

That's true, of course; it's *not* as good as the band's later material, but that's precisely why it's underrated. It gets so overshadowed by its later, more sophisticated brothers that people often forget that it's a very good album in its own right...and one of the best debut albums ever.

And on a somewhat related note, leo (continuing a theme we started last year and I'd hoped we'd dropped), why is it that every time we converse at this forum, I feel you're trying to start a fight with me...or questioning my musical taste? I know that I'm a hardcore Beatles fan and you're anything but, but that doesn't mean we need to kill each other every time we run into each other here, does it?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

Here's a link to RS's 500 best albums of all time. Note the presence of PLEASE PLEASE ME, at #39, above such landmarks as NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS and THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. I'm not saying that I agree with the listing, but you can't say Rolling Stone underrates the album, not when their 1992 edition of the MUSIC GUIDE gives it five stars (the same rating the Allmusic guide gives the record as well).

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/

And that was kind of my point: in any serious discussion of the Beatles (and I don't include Amazon.com reviewers in any kind of serious discussion about anything) I have rarely, if ever, seen PLEASE PLEASE ME overlooked. Check out the latest issue of Mojo. You'll see a good number of fans, musicians, and critics "waxing lyrically" about the early years of the Beatles' career. But you yourself admitted that it's not as good as their later work, so why the surprise that people focus on their post 1965 material?

I wasn't trying to pick a fight with you, and I apologize if that's how it came across.

rob

[Buried Alien]

Here's a link to RS's 500 best albums of all time. Note the presence of PLEASE PLEASE ME, at #39, above such landmarks as NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS and THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON. I'm not saying that I agree with the listing, but you can't say Rolling Stone underrates the album, not when their 1992 edition of the MUSIC GUIDE gives it five stars (the same rating the Allmusic guide gives the record as well).

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/

And that was kind of my point: in any serious discussion of the Beatles (and I don't include Amazon.com reviewers in any kind of serious discussion about anything) I have rarely, if ever, seen PLEASE PLEASE ME overlooked. Check out the latest issue of Mojo. You'll see a good number of fans, musicians, and critics "waxing lyrically" about the early years of the Beatles' career. But you yourself admitted that it's not as good as their later work, so why the surprise that people focus on their post 1965 material?

I wasn't trying to pick a fight with you, and I apologize if that's how it came across.

rob

I apologize too. I was being overly sensitive and overreacted. I get that way when I'm challenged on things I passionately believe.

I see your point, although I disagree with parts of it. While PLEASE PLEASE ME is recognized as a good record on its own terms, it still nevertheless suffers in comparison with its successors. Most praise for PLEASE PLEASE ME is qualified by a statement to the effect of, "but it's nothing compared to the Beatles' later work." Although that is true, one of the side effects of that is that the album's virtues are often overlooked because they're overshadowed by the Beatles' later work.

I suppose a better way of thinking about it is would PLEASE PLEASE ME still be considered a great record had the Beatles never recorded again after recording it? Taken on its own terms, it probably still would be.

In any case, getting back to the original topic, I'd say it is an underrated debut album if only because the artist in question made even better albums later during their career.


Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[OhMyGato]

I would say Bush's Sixteen Stone...commerically a hit, but critics panned it...still their best album I say.

by far their best work. if they werent so commercially-successful, Bush would def. get more respect.

[Dennis K]

by far their best work. if they werent so commercially-successful, Bush would def. get more respect.



Is Gavin done doing a Cobain imitation (minus the shotgun) yet?

[Patrick Zircher]

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