Acts whose debut album is an afterthought in their overall discography

Dinosaur s/t

Sonic Youth s/t EP though I guess Confusion Is Sex would be true for general public if not hardcore fans

Disagree on Jethro Tull's This Was. It has a different sound then their following work, and is not a peak album, but it's not exactly an ignominious and hated record. It was reasonably successful and songs from it still show up in their set lists.

The National s/t

Meat Pups

Afghan Whigs

Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing

Really? I thought SH was fairly well received/known?

What about

Eminem - Infinite

oh we had it

Cowboy Junkies - Whites Off Earth Now
10,000 Maniacs - Secrets of the I Ching

warren zevon -- wanted dead or alive
garland jefferys -- grinder's switch, or "garland jeffreys," whichever you consider his debut
andy pratt -- records are like life

good rats -- good rats

miranda lambert -- miranda lambert
ashley monroe -- satisfied

jim croce -- facets, and/or jim and ingrid croce

moody blues -- the magnificent moodies

doobie brothers -- the doobie brothers

Saw Autre ne Veut two years back, and he didn't play a single track from the debut :(

OK, then how about:

Ministry: With Sympathy (Arista)

Billy Joel & Atilla - two different acts.

already had Ministry, but you can add 50 Cent, 2Pac, NWA, Lil Wayne, Ice-T and Macklemore.

First couple of Yes albums maybe. I love the band, and I had no idea what was on them.

Aw, and I did look carefully.

elton john - empty sky

2. Björk - Björk

― olly, Sunday

madness

first Darkthrone, Immortal, Bathory, Anthrax and Sepultura albums too.

john lennon - two virgins
george harrison - wonderwall music

Max Tundra -Some Best Friend You Turned Out to Be

Bob Dylan was a daringly unusual major label folk debut for the early 60s, when "folk" hits were mostly corny as hell. he showed up with deep blues drama and a few equally scruffy, wry-to-sad originals, and made it all fit. Didn't sell anything then, and I don't know how many people love it now, but it's good. As somebody said on the main Joni Mitchell thread, "the first ten seconds of Songs To A Seagull" basically gives you her whole thing. Parliament's Osmmium is transitional, speculative, but worth checking out for sure. Some good tracks on Springsteen's Greetings From Asbury Park, even got a sense of humor, not so evident after The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle.

Some good tracks on Springsteen's Greetings From Asbury Park

not to mention several tracks that remain live staples 40-plus years later.

<i>Bathory</i>

Wait what?

The debut was an enjoyable slice of Motorhead derived energy but The Return and the four albums after that are pretty much the Bathory canon.

Spoon - Telephono

(also happens to be my favorite or second favorite of theirs)

the grateful dead

Emmylou Harris - Gliding Bird

have long wanted to hear that^

though with the dead album, some of the covers were played live a lot.

2. Björk - Björk

― olly, Sunday

madness

You realise he wrote "Björk" and not "Debut"?

Doesn't truly fit this category, but for a lot of music writers, Section.80 must qualify, based on how many times I've seen To Pimp a Butterfly referred to as a sophomore record.

2. Björk - Björk

― olly, Sunday

madness

You realise he wrote "Björk" and not "Debut"?

― ( who ALSO my boss and his sister!) (sic),

I did; my smart phone didn't.

Eurythmics - In the Garden

"The debut was an enjoyable slice of Motorhead derived energy but The Return and the four albums after that are pretty much the Bathory canon."

Well they are all better, sure, but I'd say the debut is as influential as any of them.

I have heard lots of raving about that Eurythmics debut.

yes, it's great—yet i'll bet largely ignored by most of their fans? it's the only one i like.

Cat Power - Dear Sir

Godspeed You! Black Emperor cassette tape
Father John Misty's first 7 albums as J. Tillman

(disagree w Kraftwerk, 2Pac and Bob Dylan)

Randy Newman - Randy Newman

Failure - Comfort

Carole King - Writer

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd107/music13luvr/nicholas_jonas_--06__lg.jpg

disagree w Kraftwerk

those albums and the third have been out of print for decades and are excluded from the numbering with which Kraftwerk advertise their public appearances of the last several years

I mean, I love early Kraftwerk, but

The Kraftwerk debut is sounding more intense and avant than I remembered, and even more to original point: that it shouldn't be neglected (just because its parents disowned it).