Arctic Monkeys – ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ (2007)

Every band struggles with the difficult second album, but none more so than the Arctic Monkeys. Their first record had been an astronomical success, as everyone around the country seemed to connect with what the band were saying, and it propelled the four lads from Sheffield to stardom. They were enjoying the limelight, but here came the tricky bit, as they needed to follow that successful album up.

What they wound up creating was Favourite Worst Nightmare, which is, for all intents and purposes, a solid album. When people initially listened to it, it captured their attention right away. ‘Brianstorm’ right into ‘Teddy Picker’, what’s not to love? The boys have done it again, came the collective thoughts of everyone in earshot. It’s still a good listen, as songs like ‘505’ continue to be some of Arctic Monkeys’ very best. However, it’s hindsight which dwindles the reception of this record ever so slightly.

The amazing thing that has accompanied each of the band’s newest releases has been a dramatic change in direction. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, but their longevity lies in their willingness to experiment. When Favourite Worst Nightmare is looked back on now, we can see it for what it is: mostly a pretty watered-down version of their debut.

Even Alex Turner admitted that the album to him seems unfinished, as he was keen to simply dust off the tricky second release and move on to the next thing. “It’s fine, just not that considered,” said Turner, “Though I’m really glad we did it; otherwise, I might still be sitting around trying to write ‘Hallelujah’. After that, we all thought we needed to move on…if only to prove that it weren’t all about those 12 songs about the chip shop.”

AC/DC – ‘High Voltage’ (1976)

When Angus Young was talking about the definitive AC/DC album, he said one of their greatest efforts was Let There Be Rock, because it was nothing but hard rock and great guitar music, completely unflinching in what was undeniably a changing world.

“I thought it was great because everyone else in the world was into whole other genres. There was punk music, there was new wave; it was all this other stuff that was coming out,” said the guitarist, “And I just thought, ‘This is pure magic’. And that album defined AC/DC in my eyes. That’s when I went, ‘This is a great band’.”

Their debut album, High Voltage, is great as well. It’s difficult to listen and not be sucked into it. However, it’s also AC/DC attempting to perfect their iconic sound before they actually had the go-ahead to run with it. When you listen to it now, with the vast AC/DC library available to us, this is clearly a record which doesn’t reach its full potential and falls slightly when compared to the band’s other work.

Ramones – ‘Ramones’ (1976)

The Ramones first album was an absolute musical milestone. It came out during a time when punk music, on the whole, was steadily beginning to poke its head above the water, but it didn’t have an actual form yet. Ramones gave it that form, and their debut album played a huge part in this. It was immediately divisive, as people either loved it or hated it, but regardless of your opinion, it set the punk movement well on its way.

No one is undermining the importance of this album; however, something that we need to come to terms with is that it’s not the band’s best. When we listen to it now, while it might have historical significance, the appeal wears off slightly in the face of other projects. Johnny Ramone himself said that he felt as though the band peaked at album three, because they hadn’t fully hit their stride on the first record.

“Obviously, they were important records. Rocket to Russia is I think my favorite Ramones record,” he said, “We reached our peak at that point. I think most bands probably peak on their first album. We peaked on our third album. On the first album, I feel like I wish the production was a little better. I’ll always hear a song I don’t like. I look for what I could have done to make it better. It’s always difficult for me to listen.”

Jimmy Page & Robert Plant – ‘No Quarter: Jimmy Page and Robert Plant Unledded’ (1994)

Led Zeppelin split up when John Bonham passed away, with Robert Plant declaring, “When we lost John, we agreed unanimously that that was that. I had to go and find out if I really want to do it. Did I want to do it, or did I just want to sit back there like a croupier at a gambling thing, and just kind of rake [the money] in. Or, did I want to actually continue this kind of gig of finding out where I’m going. I wanted to take all the trappings away, because I’d lost my best mate.”

Led Zeppelin haven’t made any new music since this moment; however, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant did release a stripped-back album of Zeppelin covers called No Quarter. When it first came out, people were ecstatic, as two of the pivotal members of one of the greatest bands ever were back together. However, when we look back on this album and listen today, we may as well call it what it is, which is just a duller version of an actual Led Zeppelin record. The listening experience gets even worse when you realise that the duo cut John Paul Jones out of the process, and the album overall hasn’t aged that well.

Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)

It’s pretty hard to deny that the moment Guns N’ Roses’ debut album, Appetite For Destruction, starts playing, most of us are instantly hooked. How can you not be immediately enamoured with that opening guitar run on ‘Welcome to the Jungle’? Pair that with the killer guitar solo and screeching vocals of Axl Rose, you know you’re in for a great ride. The rest of the LP doesn’t hold back, as these treats continue to run through every single track.

While it might be an album that grabs your attention almost immediately, it’s also one whose appeal steadily begins to fade with time. It’s not that the instrumentation lessens, but some of the lyrical themes portrayed throughout the LP simply don’t sit as well. Don’t get me wrong, if you put on Appetite For Destruction, you’re still probably going to have a good time, but it just doesn’t ring out as well as it used to.