Best second album?

[Liam]

Sounds kinda random, maybe? Well...

The second album is probably the hardest album a band/artist has to do, or so the music magazines have us believe. Why? One word....expectation. You come along and blow everyones socks off with a debut out of nowhere, but as album two comes around, you have fans and people who expect something. Do you change it up, or do you go with a "ain't broke, don't fix" philosophy? You release something good, you cement yourself as something special...you don't, and you'll be the "nearly were" of the music world.

So yeah, what have been your favourite examples of the "difficult second album" (as the magazines tend to call it)?

[Summers]

Trivium's second album made them, so they have to be a good example.

[Liam]

I see that and I raise you a "Nevermind" >_>

But yeah, thats one I guess bucks the trend somewhat. The jump from "Pablo Honey" to "The Bends" for me is also a pretty impressive feat, what with it being my favourite Radiohead CD.

[ROC]

I suppose as far as mainstream groups go, certainly Pearl Jam's Vitalogy deserves mention here. Nine Inch Nails's second album was The Downward Spiral...take that for what you will. But I'll go with the fanboy response and say either Rage Against The Machine's Evil Empire, which excellently followed up a hard-to-top debut and Muse's Origin of Symmetry, which featured several brilliant songs.

Yeah, I'm a mainstream whore.

[Liam]

Muse's Origin of Symmetry, which featured several brilliant songs.

Though a good follow-up, I'm in a minority of preferring Showbiz, methinks.

[Face Turn!~]

I'll echo the statements of Radiohead's The Bends as being a really good second album.

I also like, probably an unpopular descion but Red Hot Chili Peppers' Freaky Styley was also easily the best out of their original three, and while they didn't take the world by storm with that or their debut record, they gained in popularity with that album rather than loose it.

[CKN]

One-X by Three Days Grace imo it is much better then their first album.

[ROC]

Muse's Origin of Symmetry, which featured several brilliant songs.

Though a good follow-up, I'm in a minority of preferring Showbiz, methinks.

[tristy]

My obvious answer is "The Downward Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails ("Broken" is an EP, but it might as well be the precursor to TDS). Compare TDS to PHM and you have an artist who's anger has grown by leaps and bounds, and has transformed his sound from early 80s synth-poprock to intense industrial ambience. I don't think there is a better sophomore album than this one. It's what every fan of any band wants in their second album. Change. Progress. Evolution. "The Downward Spiral" had it all. It's argubably Reznor's masterpiece.

[Quom]

It depends on whether a second album can be considered the second successful album, or if it actually has to be their second release, which would be silly since some artists pump out shit loads of EP's and albums before anyone notices them.

For instance I much prefer Elephant by the White Stripes to White Blood Cells. But they had realesed two albums prior that no-one had noticed. You could argue the same with Bright Eyes. Lifted... is better than Fevers and Mirrors. Likewise if you don't count Fevers, as he still hadn't found a large enough fan-base to be noticed by most people then Digital Ash and I'm wide awake it's morning are better second albums than Lifted...

[YI]

"Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues" by Strung Out. You may argue that I have a SO fetish. But the sheer awesomeness of this album (Which is still the SO fan's cult favourite for the most part) in comparison to "Another Day In Paradise" is astounding...plus they got a MUCH better drummer (I'm sure I'm right in assuming Jordan joined post ADIP)...granted neither albums achieved any form of mainstream success whatsoever...but fucking hell, I love STWB.

Rise Against are another band that jump out. "The Unravelling" was a top notch debut album. Stacked with great punk-rock songs. They follow it up with "Revolution Per Minute", which simply rocks the motherfucking socks right off me. Easily one of the best punk-rock records ever released. Loud, harsh, but melodic as well.

The 88. Again, not really achieved mainstream success, but they're easily one of my favourite indie bands. The first album ("Kind Of Light") had a handful of sweet songs. But the second album ("Over and Over"), much like the other two 2nd albums I mentioned before, is one of the illustrious albums that have no 'bad' songs. Simply it's ebautiful from start to finish. There's moody songs, happy songs, songs to chill to etc. Perfect.

Edited July 13, 2006 by BillyGunnPinchedMyBum

[zero]

Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

No debate here. Gish was great, but Siamese Dream is just an absolutely mind-blowing record from start to finish. Whether you want hard rockin' Pumpkins, mellowed out Pumpkins, or fun alternative Pumpkins, it's all here. This album defines the band.

Nine Inch Nails - Downward Spiral

It was their second full-length album and it set the tone for what industrial, and 90s hard rock should be. I'd debate there's never been a better NIN record, and I'd also say there's never been a better industrial record since this one. Reznor took a genre that had no one thought could go mainstream, and now, pop stations play a song with the lyrics "I want to fuck you like an animal." That my friends, is musical genius.

System of a Down - Toxicity

The perfect follow-up record. Their debut caught a buzz, and then they come back out with an album that is just simply better in every possible way. Thanks to Toxicity, SoaD are one of the biggest (if not the biggest) hard rock act going today. This album made it okay to turn on the radio again so we didn't have to suffer through rap-metal all fucking day.

Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

The band that the critics loved to bash were silenced when this record was released. Everyone who said they were nothing but Pearl Jam rip-offs had to take a step back and go, "oops." The band continued on and with every album, further defined their surprisingly unique style.

Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire

Who the hell would have ever thought a band that hung upside-down American flags on national, live television would ever make it big? While it's probably their weakest of their three major albums, it kicked off the rap-metal boom of the 90s and they're still the only band that ever did it right. Oh and "Bulls on Parade" is probably the most ass-kicking song of the 90s.

Can't believe I forgot this one...

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

His second major full-length album, I hope we're going by albums at least and not releases because this deserves every bit of praise. Because of this album, Marilyn Manson went from an underground band that one or two creepy kids in class talked about to the most notorious man in music. After the release of this album, everyone in the country knew the name Marilyn Manson. It also doesn't hurt that it's probably one of the ten greatest albums of the 90s. I'd claim that since its release, no hard rock album has topped it in quality and no album from any genre got anywhere close to the controversy.

Edited July 13, 2006 by Zero

[figos]

Toxicity

'Nuff said.

EDIT:

I forgot about Significant Other.

Edited July 14, 2006 by figos

[Liam]

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

His second major full-length album, I hope we're going by albums at least and not releases because this deserves every bit of praise. Because of this album, Marilyn Manson went from an underground band that one or two creepy kids in class talked about to the most notorious man in music. After the release of this album, everyone in the country knew the name Marilyn Manson. It also doesn't hurt that it's probably one of the ten greatest albums of the 90s. I'd claim that since its release, no hard rock album has topped it in quality and no album from any genre got anywhere close to the controversy.

Add that one to mine, absolutely class second release that elevated MM too a great extent along the way.

[Guest seattlebandfan9]

Uh, Pearl Jam's second album was VS, which I enjoy and will put that on my list.

Mastodon - Leviathan

Alice In Chains - Dirt

Down - Down II

All That Remains - This Darkened Heart

Avenged Sevenfold - Waking the Fallen

Gov't Mule - Dose

The White Stripes - De Stijl

[ROC]

Uh, Pearl Jam's second album was VS, which I enjoy and will put that on my list.

[Liam]

Alice In Chains - Dirt

DAMMIT! I hate that every new post seems to bring one I missed. "Dirt" made my top ten when I did it for the other topic, so I've gotta acknowledge it here.

[GoGo Yubari]

For instance I much prefer Elephant by the White Stripes to White Blood Cells. But they had realesed two albums prior that no-one had noticed.

With the funny thing being that I would put "De Stjil" in my list of awesome second albums.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Feeder's "Yesterday Went Too Soon", Goldfrapp's "Black Cherry" (Straddles the original's beautiful melodies and "Supernature"'s brashness), Adult.'s "Anxiety Always"

I've decided third albums are pretty mega - Bjork's "Homogenic", Sigur Ros' "Takk", Air's "10,000Hz Legend", Muse's "Absolution", Add N To (X)'s "Avant Hard"...

[Clawson]

I've decided third albums are pretty mega - Bjork's "Homogenic", Sigur Ros' "Takk", Air's "10,000Hz Legend", Muse's "Absolution", Add N To (X)'s "Avant Hard"...