It's time for the Shabby and/or Road!
BJ is joined by Ryan McKay and A.D. Adams, co-hosts of a highly recommended podcast called The Shabby Road Record Show, and together these three rock obsessives turn the idea of the "Sophomore Slump" on its head by discussing second albums which they think actually bettered the band's debut.
I'll preface this by saying I started listening to your episode... paused it... then compiled my list. I agreed on most of your panels selections and happy to see there was at least overlap on the Cars "Candy-O", & Rush "Fly By Night"! I agree that both are stronger album than the first.
ReplyDeleteBeastie Boys - Paul's Boutique. "License To Ill" was a big album and fun, but they really took things in a fresh and innovative way for their second record.
Weezer - Pinkerton. I like the first album a lot but Pinkerton was their masterpiece. "Butterfly", "Across the Sea", "Pink Triangle"... (me thinks I espcially like side 2!).
Jimi Hendrix - Axis. This one is tough for me because I am big Hendrix fan and I like all his albums. Actually probably Band of Gypsies is my favorite album, but this might be my second favorite and he really got a chance to start playing around in the studio and evolving his sound. Other than the opening track, "EXP", not a bad track on it.
Rush - Fly By Night. I get torn on this one. Not my favorite Rush album, but still great and way beyond their first album. Neil Peart is on board and really find their sound. "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" is almost my favorite of their multi-part epic long songs.
Red House Painters - "Rollercoaster" album. I love their first album ("Lord Kill the Pain", "Japanese to English" are some of my favorite songs by them), but the "Rollercoaster" album is where I first heard about this band and my favorite in their catalog. "Mistress" (TWO great versions of same song, no less!), "New Jersery", "Grace Cathedral Park", "Katy Song"... not a bad song on this record.
"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. His straight parodies are great (the classic "Eat It", as well as some of my favorites "Kind of Suede" and "I Lost on Jeopardy" (sorry Greg Kihn... this is better than the original). I also love his originals... "Buy Me a Condo".... "Mr. Popeil". Awesome!
The Cars - Candy O. I love all the cars albums for the most part but on any given week, this is my favorite. The Title Track, "All I Can Do", "You Can't Hold On Too Long"...
Others I was considering:
Gary Numan (Tubeway Army) - Replicas
Ween - the Pod
REM - Reckoning is step beyond their first and one of their better albums (THough "Fables of the Reconstruction" would definitely be on my list of best Junior (3rd) albums.)
-RnR Pleeb