Comments on: Greatest Difficult Second Albums

By: Tom B

Tom B — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 13:05:59 +0000

The very first thing I thought of when I saw this question was Queen II. Easily the best thing they’ve ever done in my opinion.

I have to agree about Rainbow Rising, one of the best albums ever. But I can’t agree about Led Zep II. I’ve always preferred I and III.

I would also claim
Fairport Convention – What we Did on Our Holidays
Stiff Little Fingers – Nobodyâ€™s Heroes
The Clash – Give â€˜Em Enough Rope

And if I’m allowed to discount the formative early death metal days and concentrate on the symphonic era when they found their true forte I’m going to add Therion’s Vovin.

By: Synthetase

Synthetase — Thu, 29 May 2014 07:31:56 +0000

As has been mentioned: The Sky Moves Sideways is great (if you don’t want to count On the Sunday of Life… as a first). Nevermind still gets regular rotation at my place.

Others I can think of off the top of my head:
Quiet Child – Thumper
Karnivool – Sound Awake
The Butterfly Effect – Imago
Airbag – All Rights Removed
Cog – Sharing Space
Blackfield – Blackfield II
Powderfinger – Double Allergic
Midnight Oil – Head Injuries

I’m sure there are plenty more!

By: Ben Pugh

Ben Pugh — Thu, 29 May 2014 02:17:39 +0000

Led Zeppelin II. The band was thrown together after the Yardbirds broke up and Page needed a new vehicle, so there wasn’t the years of touring and composing backing up their first album (awesome as it was, many covers and rip-offs). Thus, Led Zeppelin II was the band’s first real co-written album after working together and touring. Many consider it Led Zep’s best album.

Joe Satriani’s second album was Surfing with the Alien.

Ride the Lightning (any true Metallica fan’s favorite album)

Queen II (at least according to Axl Rose)

Nevermind was Nirvana’s second album. On that subject, The Colour and the Shape was the Foo Fighters’ second album.

Passion and Warfare was Steve Vai’s second solo album.

Dream Theater’s second album was Images and Words and spawned their only hit, Pull Me Under.

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Wed, 28 May 2014 22:06:40 +0000

Last in Line better than Holy Diver?

By: Sam Lewis

Sam Lewis — Mon, 26 May 2014 16:02:21 +0000

Rising – Rainbow
Images & Words – Dream Theater
Cherry Pie – Warrant
Ascendancy – Trivium
Wheels of Steel – Saxon
The Last in Line – Dio

Those are a few awesome second albums off the top of my head

By: Ian Almond

Ian Almond — Sun, 25 May 2014 20:30:44 +0000

Have to agree with Rainbow rising, one of the greatest rock albums ever.

some other great second albums
Joy Divisions Closer
Echo and the Bunnymen. Heaven up here

Any bands where there last album was the best? Would have to go with The Doors LA Women one of the greatest albums ever

By: Tim Hall

Tim Hall — Sun, 25 May 2014 17:06:25 +0000

Of course, Rainbow Rising is also a second album, and there’s an overwhelming consensus that it was their best.

By: Andy Ashton

Andy Ashton — Sun, 25 May 2014 17:04:25 +0000

For me, Porcupine Tree’s 2nd proper release “The Sky Moves Sideways” remains the very pinacle of their career, a step up from their debut “Up The Downstair” and infinitely better than the Metal Years material. A “Dark Side of the Moon” for the Ninties with hints of The Orb and Hawkwind. It’s still in my top 10 albums of all time and along with Rainbow’s classic “Rising”, one of the very few albums I can play repeatedly over the years without ever getting bored with.

By: David Meadows

David Meadows — Sun, 25 May 2014 08:23:16 +0000

Yes, agree about Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot. So if we take Trespass as being their real “first album”, their “second” was better!

By: David Meadows

David Meadows — Sun, 25 May 2014 08:21:59 +0000

To answer your question directly: I think Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth is his best album. But even there, he wanted it to be the *first* album of his career but nobody would fund it until he’d had initial success with Henry VIII. (And technically it wasn’t the second album of his career anyway, just his second *solo* album.)