Favourite sophomore albums

Some that I enjoy more, or that I think are better -- even if only marginally:

The Boomtown Rats -- A Tonic for the Troops
Elvis Costello -- This Year's Model
Japan -- Obscure Alternatives
Joy Division -- Closer
The Primitives -- Pure
REM -- Reckoning
Simple Minds -- Real to Real Cacophony
The Skids -- Days in Europa
Stiff Little Fingers -- Nobody's Heroes
The Stranglers -- No More Heroes

RCB

 

Some good stuff on that list, especially PE and Pixies.

Should have included Nirvana's Bleach in my debut album list.

Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Faith No More - Introduce Yourself
Anthrax - Spreading the Disease
Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole
Megadeth - Peace Sells...
Soundgarden - Louder than Love
Suicidal Tendencies - Join the Army
Rush - Fly By Night
King Crimson - In the Wake of Posieden
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II
Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Hawkwind - In Search of Space
Can - Tago Mago

 

Trivium - Ascendency
Slipknot - Iowa

Two of my all time favourite albums

 

Similar to others listed so far really

Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Nirvana - Nevermind
Oasis - Morning Glory
Pixies - Doolittle
Radiohead - The Bends
Joy Division- Closer
Interpol - Antics
Muse- Origin of Symmetry

 

Me and you would probably find alot in common music wise;
I flogged the Skids Days In Europa lp to death when it came out;
Joy Division Closer, the second side is sublime but i dont rate the first side much- i prefer the singles! so it would have to be Substance or Best Of compilation

Echo & the Bunnymen- Heaven Up Here(just edges it over crocodiles)
Blur- Modern Life Is Rubbish
Radiohead- The Bends
Cocteau Twins-Head over Heels
New Order- Power,Corruption & Lies
Underworld- Second Toughest In The Infants
Tom Waits- Heart Of A Saturday Night
Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

 

Forgot to name New Orders - Power Corruption and Lies - on my list. Quality album, and still their best in my opinion

 

Captain Beefheart Trout Mask Replica
Frank Zappa. Hot Rats
Jefferson Airplane. Surrealistic Pillow
Jethro Tull. Stand Up
Love. Forever Changes

 

Looks like we're both old enough to remember the wasteland that was much of standard rock in the 70s, and the creativity detonated by punk. '76/7 to about '85 was a brilliant period.

Skids -- The Absolute Game is another good one.
Closer - agreed that the second side is just on a different planet. It was interesting to read Hook's comments about the recordings and arrangements in his memoirs.
Bunnymen -- Yeah, they're close. I still prefer Crocodiles, but that might be from my life as a bassist -- Crocodiles the song was a good test when learning the instrument. It takes a while to get the fingers to be accurate, and not get tired out, at speed. UK Subs' Tomorrow's Girls is another one like that -- mostly just playing the same scale but the speed and repetition do your hand in until you build up enough strength.
Blur & New Order -- both too close to call for me.

RCB

 

Great thread and wow some great albums mentioned.

For me -

Stone Roses - Second Coming. Unfashionable choice maybe, but I just love it - Love Spreads, Begging You, How Do You Sleep. Great songs that are up there in a list of best songs by them for me (their debut album is by far and away the greatest set of songs I have heard, but these three and maybe a few of the B sides knock on the door).

Joy Division - Closer.
Actually listened to Unknown Pleasures (which in itself is a great album) last night for the first time in yonks and still thought it as a rehearsal to Closer. 'This is the way, step inside...'

Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish. Used to think it was packed too top heavy with great songs. Repeated listening made clear I was wrong. Love all of them.

New Order - PC&Ls. Can't really add to what all the above have said, apart from it is a damn fine album.

Happy Mondays - Bummed. Got to admit I prefer the first album (title too long to type here ) but in the spirit of the thread this is a cracking 2nd album effort - both funky and funny with brilliant production. Also a bit harrowing/truthful to me and anyone else who's family have had heroin impact on their own family (listen to Braindead).

Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo habitual.
Maybe a bit of a cheat as they had a live album debut then Nothings Shocking, but as a sophomore studio album - bloody hell it knocked me sideways when I first heard it! Three Days still sounds just as amazing to me now as it did when I was just a young indy kid getting into 'heavier' music.

Slint - Spiderland. Wow - what an album. My second favorite album of all time (after The Stone Roses). Every song works and song after song it just gets better and better.

Before I bore people to death with my choices...

Honourable Mentions -

Radiohead - The Bends
Suzanne Vega - Solitude Standing
Lou Reed - Transformer
Ride - Going Blank Again
Simple Minds - Real To Real Cacophony
Pixies - Doolittle

 

Another mention of Real to Real Cacophony! Hooray!!

Just thought of another record that qualifies:

Play Dead -- From the Promised Land. Isabel in particular is a great track.

RCB

 

Simple Minds' first 5 albulms are brilliant and to be fair, there are some moments on the albums after are pretty good

Will check out Play Dead thanks.

Last mention from me, of the one I forgot -

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (best band I have seen live, but that's for a different thread )