BEST DEBUT ALBUMS #5-1. (Conclusion of countdown).

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. 

 

5

PLEASE PLEASE ME

The Beatles

1963

Produced by George Martin, ‘Please Please Me’ was the first album released in Britain by The Beatles. At the time, the Fab Four were beginning their assault on the world charts. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were honing their songwriting talent, so the LP included some covers as well as originals. The Beatles deliver a thrilling remake of “Twist And Shout”, but it’s the new Lennon-McCartney songs that make this such a brilliant debut album. Among them are: “I Saw Her Standing There”, “Love Me Do”, “P.S. I Love You”, “Do You Want To Know A Secret” and the title track. The Beatles were now poised for global domination which would be realized in 1964.

 

4

TOTO

Toto

1978

After building a reputation as session musicians, Steve Lukather, Jeffrey Porcaro, David Paich, Bobby Kimball and Steve Porcaro decided to form a group. Years of studio experience was applied in the creation of the band’s stunning debut album. The members wrote and produced its contents. Kicked off by the instrumental “Child’s Anthem”, the radio staples that followed maintained the momentum: “I’ll Supply The Love”, “Georgy Porgy”, “Rockmaker” and “Hold The Line”. Three albums later, ‘Toto IV’ took the group to a new level with the ubiquitous “Africa” and “Rosanna”. The members also continued working as session musicians, most notably on Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’.

 

3

WHITNEY HOUSTON

Whitney Houston

1985

Curiously, the wrong tracks were selected initially to showcase the depth of Whitney Houston’s vocal dexterity. Once the LP’s stronger songs were lifted as singles, the debut album was embraced by the public. This built up from “You Give Good Love” to “Saving All My Love For You” and climaxing with “The Greatest Love Of All” and “How Will I Know”. “All At Once”, another beautiful ballad, was also included. As potent an album as this was, it was improved on by sophomore release ‘Whitney’. Both discs established Houston as one of the best vocalists in pop music history.

 

2

BAT OUT OF HELL

Meat Loaf

1977

Jim Steinman found the perfect conduit for his compositions. Others have recorded his songs, but none come close to the energy level injected by Meat Loaf. Together, they created magic on the latter’s ‘Bat Out Of Hell’. This was a landmark release; epic in scale and sound. Todd Rundgren as producer knew exactly how to steer the grand gothic drama. It is its unique nature that has made this one of the best selling albums of all-time, with recent estimates totalling more than 43 million worldwide.

 

1

THE KICK INSIDE

Kate Bush

1978

In the era before social media, Kate Bush demonstrated her burgeoning songwriting talent while still in her teens. Armed with songs she penned at the age of 15-16, she entered the recording studio to cut ‘The Kick Inside’ while only nineteen. The young musician wrote all of the LP’s 13 tracks. Among them was the stunning UK #1 debut single “Wuthering Heights” and the haunting ballad “The Man With The Child In His Eyes”. Producers Andrew Powell and David Gilmour (of Pink Floyd) ably let us into Bush’s world. And what an intriguing world it is.