Why Is The First Album Usually The Best? + Yayness!

Okay people, you all probably already realise that an artists first album is usually their best (exceptions being Muse and erm.... Okay just Muse) but I don't think anyone (including me) knows exactly why.

We can look at Paramore's 'All We Know Is Falling' as a first example and see that six of their top ten best songs (in my opinion, of course) are on this album, the second album (Riot!) was good and did have 'Born For This', 'Misery Business' and 'That's What You Get' which are great, but the album as a whole doesn't really have the same emotion behind as their first record did, this is probably down to the second album was made more out of necessity where the first was made (and largely based around) with the departure of the bands long term friend and bassist halfway through the recording process and it is without doubt that to this day Paramore haven't made a song as impactful as 'My Heart' is on the first album, not to say that they aren't still an awesome band though, 'Brand New Eyes', the third album, has redeemed them mostly.

You Me At Six and Taking Back Sunday faced similar problems when it came to their following albums, with 'Take Off Your Colours' and 'Tell All Your Friends', respectively being far better than anything that has followed so far. You Me At Six seem to have altered their style to reach a wider audience which, while understandable, has resulted in a product that is solid, but not up to the level of 'TOYC', the band has also drifted even further from their original screamo routes which they claim they aim to look to incorporate on the next album which could mean a stronger outing even than their debut. Taking Back Sunday had a different issue than reaching new fans.... their problem was simply that they grew up (akin to Linkin Park's downfall), songs like 'Cute Without the E' and 'Timberwolves At New Jersey' which we're made great due to the angst and passion behind them couldn't ever really be equalled once the band members grew up and didn't really have problems to sing about, which is a shame.

So other than growing up and selling out, bands can sometimes be just rushed to deliver a second album after a promising first which can lead to a huge downfall, as was the case with Bullet For My Valentine who, even by their own admittance, rushed the second album to the point of it being boring, 'Fever' brought them back to higher standards though and who knows, the next album could even be better.

Hmm.. Okay this post doesn't exactly answer the question in the title but it does prove that it certainly is an issue. So Artists of the world, please don't grow up, sell out, or get rushed into making an album and the world will be a better place :)

Oh and Green Day, Taking Back Sunday are rumoured supports for Paramore's November shows.... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D