Second Album Syndrome

**Pauro 76** · 18/04/2007, 8:13 AM

With a nod to another thread on this forum, any suggestions for the second album syndrome? the ones that failed to meet expectations following a great debut...heres a few:

Ash - Nuclear Sounds
i remember it getting some amazing reviews at the time, but just a disappointment mostly.

Portishead - Portishead
Still a decent album, but nowhere near the class of Dummy

Massive Attack - Protection
Again a few great tracks but mostly fails in comparison to Blue Lines

Leftfield - Rythm and Stealth
Leftism was a groundbreaking classic, this just trailed in its wake.

**BohsPartisan** · 18/04/2007, 8:38 AM

This maybe controversial but I'd add Oasis - Whats the story morning glory Poor compared to DM.
Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against the Soul Some great songs on it but a few duds and not a patch on what went before or came next.
The Beatles - With The Beatles IMO their second poorest offering after Beatles for Sale.

**Pauro 76** · 18/04/2007, 8:42 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

This maybe controversial but I'd add Oasis - Whats the story morning glory Poor compared to DM.
Manic Street Preachers - Gold Against the Soul Some great songs on it but a few duds and not a patch on what went before or came next.
The Beatles - With The Beatles IMO their second poorest offering after Beatles for Sale.

Id agree with the Manics alright. Poor show that could have been the ending of them. But they went on and made Holy Bible after that one...

**BohsPartisan** · 18/04/2007, 8:44 AM

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

Id agree with the Manics alright. Poor show that could have been the ending of them. But they went on and made Holy Bible after that one...

From Despair to Where and La Tristessa are still great tunes though.

**Pauro 76** · 18/04/2007, 9:23 AM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

From Despair to Where and La Tristessa are still great tunes though.

Very true but the first five tracks are great but it goes downhill from there. Another poor 2nd album, Razorlight's 'Razorlight', Up All Night I thought was great, but that was just radio airplay fodder.

**jebus** · 18/04/2007, 10:31 AM

Jeff Buckley - Sketches for my Sweetheart the Drunk

I know it wasn't totally finished, but the lyrics weren't up to much, and considering the album was entering its final stages when Jeff went swimming I'll go out on a limb here and say it was going to be a stinker

**noby** · 18/04/2007, 10:46 AM

Stone Roses - Second Coming. I know it's impossible to match perfection, but still...

**Risteard** · 18/04/2007, 10:50 AM

Its music and all a matter of taste and that but no way noby.
The riffs on that album were amazing.
Don't know what kind of expectations people had for that album at all.

**jebus** · 18/04/2007, 10:57 AM

Personally I prefer Second Coming, wall to wall solid gold that album is

**BohsPartisan** · 18/04/2007, 10:58 AM

It was alright but nowhere near the excellence of the first one. Plus considering how long it took to make, I think its only fair ints included in this list.

**noby** · 18/04/2007, 11:48 AM

As a stand-alone album I'm sure it is good, but I didn't get into the Stone Roses first day because of my love of Led Zep-inspired blues rock (or whatever category it is). Now I realise there were other issues going on, but when a band takes so long to release a follow up, which then underwhelms me, I think it counts. IMO, obviously.
I'm not saying I wanted a re-hash of the debut, but while I bought the album, and listen to it occasionally, in my heart I know that if it wasn't the Stone Roses this album woud have completly passed me by.

There's no doubting Squire's guitar playing, but they missed the likes of Leckie, who reeled him in somewhat for the recording of the debut.

**Wolfie** · 18/04/2007, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by noby

As a stand-alone album I'm sure it is good, but I didn't get into the Stone Roses first day because of my love of Led Zep-inspired blues rock (or whatever category it is). Now I realise there were other issues going on, but when a band takes so long to release a follow up, which then underwhelms me, I think it counts. IMO, obviously.
I'm not saying I wanted a re-hash of the debut, but while I bought the album, and listen to it occasionally, in my heart I know that if it wasn't the Stone Roses this album woud have completly passed me by.

There's no doubting Squire's guitar playing, but they missed the likes of Leckie, who reeled him in somewhat for the recording of the debut.

Having read interviews with the different band members in relation to Second Coming over the years - its cropped up that they actually left some tunes off that album that surfaced elsewhere.

Love is the Law - not a bad tune. Finally appeared on Seahorses album. An early version (including full lyrics) was knocking around during the Second Coming sessions according to Ian Brown in an interview.

I know there's a line in "Daybreak" where he sings "Love is the law here....."

Can't See Me - Appeared on Ian Browns first solo record. This was demo'd during the Second Coming Sessions by Reni and Mani. Ian added lyrics later. John Squire didn't want it on the album.

**Risteard** · 18/04/2007, 1:07 PM

It wasn't up to standard though imo.
I think Ice Cold Cube was cut aswell although that might have been written with Aziz and Maddix.

**Wolfie** · 18/04/2007, 1:09 PM

Originally Posted by Risteard

It wasn't up to standard though imo.
I think Ice Cold Cube was cut aswell although that might have been written with Aziz and Maddix.

Yeah- think Aziz and Maddix were on board at that stage. It got an airing at the disasterous Reading gig that finished them completely.

**Wolfie** · 18/04/2007, 1:18 PM

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

With a nod to another thread on this forum, any suggestions for the second album syndrome? the ones that failed to meet expectations following a great debut...heres a few:

Ash - Nuclear Sounds
i remember it getting some amazing reviews at the time, but just a disappointment mostly.

Portishead - Portishead
Still a decent album, but nowhere near the class of Dummy

Massive Attack - Protection
Again a few great tracks but mostly fails in comparison to Blue Lines

Leftfield - Rythm and Stealth
Leftism was a groundbreaking classic, this just trailed in its wake.

The Bluetones - Return to the Last Chance Saloon

They blew their last chance.

**citizenerased** · 18/04/2007, 1:42 PM

BRMC - cant remember title

Stone Roses - the second coming

**DmanDmythDledge** · 18/04/2007, 1:45 PM

Franz Ferdinand- You Could Have It So Much Better
The Thrills- Let's Bottle Bohemia

**Lionel Ritchie** · 18/04/2007, 2:44 PM

'Liverpool' by Frankie Goes To Hollywood

*sold one tenth the number of copies of Welcome to The Pleasure Dome
*singles off it reached 4, 19 and 28 in that order as opposed to 1, 1, 1 and 2 with the debut.
*cost an absolute fortune to write (mostly here in Ireland -renting a stately house in Carlow) and record (Hilversum, Holland) and re-record the singles when the label decided no-one liked the 'rock out' FGTH.
*band had decided to split before they even finished touring it.

All in all the ultimate band-killing second LP I think ...for all that I think it's a better all round record than WTTPD which is full of cover versions and fillers -though not a bad LP at all.

Another thing -any band releasing a debut that sold 300,000 copies had three top 30 singles would be applauded by their label. But when it's your second ...and the first sold 3,000,000.