BEST DEBUT ALBUMS #10-6. Concluding on Sunday.

A Caffè  Lattè spotlight on:

 

THE TOP 50

BEST DEBUT ALBUMS

 

Some recording acts evolve with each album. Others make a splash from their first release. Caffè Lattè looks back on 50 debut albums that were worthy of praise and proved to be an effective introduction to the performers. 

 

10

MY GENERATION

The Who

1965

When The Who unleashed “My Generation”, it instantly became an anthem for youths. The similarly-titled parent album hints at the potential of the exciting new group. Pete Townshend was already demonstrating his skill as a lyricist. The LP serves as a collection of diverse tracks to introduce The Who to the public.

 

9

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED

The Kimi Hendrix Experience

1967

Jimi on guitar was so other-worldly that he seemed like a visitor from another planet. His talent as an axeman is legendary and it shows on his group’s debut album. This LP includes iconic guitar classics such as “Purple Haze”, “Hey Joe” and “Foxey Lady”. Its deep tracks such as “Stone Free”, the title song and “The Wind Cries Mary” reveal different sides to Hendrix. The album established him as the ultimate guitar hero. Sadly, he would only briefly visit our planet.

 

8

CROWDED HOUSE

Crowded House

1986

Neil Finn had cut his teeth as a late recruit in the history of rock band Split Enz. When that band split, it was time to form a group in his own right. With Paul Hester and Nick Seymour, the nucleus of Crowded House from New Zealand & Australia was now poised to take on the world. The self-titled debut album contained several hit singles: “Mean To Me”, “World Where You Live”, “Now We’re Getting Somewhere”, “Something So Strong” and the sublime “Don’t Dream It’s Over”. An impressive debut LP which saw the band continue delivering quality tracks on future releases.

 

7

RING RING

ABBA

1973

While ‘Ring Ring’ is the weakest of ABBA’s albums, its contents serve as the groundwork for the heights the Swedish group would soon be experiencing. At the time of its recording, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus were realizing that its main weapon was the vocal range of singers Agnetha Fältskog and AnniFrid Lyngstad. They were under-utilized on ‘Ring Ring’, but placed centre stage by the time of follow-up LP ‘Waterloo’. Ulvaeus’ English vocabulary would expand considerably on the next albums. ‘Ring Ring’ captures ABBA prior to its Eurovision victory. Soon, Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Frida would be household names and dominating charts all over the globe.

 

6

CHRISTOPHER CROSS

Christopher Cross

1979

It is rare for a debut album to be showered with Grammy Awards the way ‘Christopher Cross’ was. The American singer collected trophies for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Today it is regarded as a key disc in the soft rock genre. Among its best tracks are the singles “Sailing”, “Ride Like The Wind” and “Never Be The Same”. Sadly, Cross never did release as good an LP as this first release.