{"id":16131,"date":"2022-10-14T09:00:43","date_gmt":"2022-10-14T08:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/?p=16131"},"modified":"2022-10-14T09:48:40","modified_gmt":"2022-10-14T08:48:40","slug":"national-album-day-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"National Album Day 2022 \u2013 Our Favourite Debut Albums"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Ten_tracks_of_catchy_rock-goodness_Permission_to_Land_by_The_Darkness\" >Ten tracks of catchy, rock-goodness! Permission to Land by The Darkness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Van_Halens_Van_Halen_1\" >Van Halen\u2019s Van Halen 1<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Idris_Benas_Lankivei\" >Idris Bena\u2019s Lankivei<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#The_timeless_Psychodrama_by_Dave\" >The timeless Psychodrama by Dave<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Illmatic_by_Nas\" >Illmatic by Nas<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Robbie_Williams_Life_Thru_a_Lens\" >Robbie Williams\u2019 Life Thru a Lens<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#The_birth_of_neo-soul_Baduizm_by_Erykah_Badu\" >The birth of neo-soul: Baduizm by Erykah Badu<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Bjorks_Debut\" >Bjork\u2019s Debut<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Chics_self-titled_debut\" >Chic\u2019s self-titled debut<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Kate_Bushs_The_Kick_Inside\" >Kate Bush\u2019s The Kick Inside<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Neutral_Milk_Hotels_On_Avery_Island\" >Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s On Avery Island<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/blog\/national-album-day-2022\/#Get_stuck_in_with_National_Album_Day_2022\" >Get stuck in with National Album Day 2022!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Intro&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>As we approach National Album Day on 15th October, you may be wondering, what are the best debut albums? Or more specifically, what are the favourite debut albums of the writers at Gear4music? Well, you\u2019re in luck! Keeping with this year\u2019s theme, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalalbumday.co.uk\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Celebrating Debut Albums<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, we have each delved into our music catalogues and chosen our favourites.<\/p>\n<p>But what is National Album Day? In its fifth year now, this annual occasion celebrates the album format through limited-edition products and events, such as listening parties and Q&amp;As.<\/p>\n<p>Partnering with BBC Sounds and Bowers &amp; Wilkins, this year&#8217;s celebration is not one to be missed &#8211; and there are plenty of ways to get involved, whether that&#8217;s through sharing #NationalAlbumDay on social media or attending in-store live music performances.<\/p>\n<p>Read on to discover our full list of favourite debut albums.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Ten tracks of catchy, rock-goodness! Permission to Land by The Darkness&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ten_tracks_of_catchy_rock-goodness_Permission_to_Land_by_The_Darkness\"><\/span>Ten tracks of catchy, rock-goodness! <em>Permission to Land <\/em>by The Darkness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/toop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toop Harris<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-16137 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Darkness album\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-1280x1280.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-480x480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Favourite debut album? The easiest question to answer!<\/p>\n<p>My favourite debut album is <em>Permission to Land<\/em> by The Darkness. I was hooked the first time I heard this album at 16. Having grown up with my mum liking glam rock and a Jamaican dad who liked reggae and ska, and going along with what friends liked, this album was the first time I actually broke away from the norm. It was music that I personally liked, and it blew my mind!<\/p>\n<p>There was something about Justin Hawkins&#8217; falsetto that stood out &#8211; not to mention the big rock riffs and fun lyrics. The album is unique, and the band weren\u2019t afraid to do something different \u2013 catsuits and the lot! My favourite track is \u201cGivin&#8217; Up\u201d, an upbeat song with amusing, &#8216;narcotic&#8217; lyrics.<\/p>\n<p>As a fully invested Darkness fan&#8230; sporting a <em>Permission to Land<\/em> hoody and Frankie Poullain-inspired bandana at 16 (cringing, I know), I literally listened to this album <em>every<\/em> day for a whole year! It also came at the time when I was just starting out on bass, so I learnt every bassline too! I was obsessed with this album, and I feel sorry for my mum, dad\u2026 and next-door neighbours!<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Van Halen\u2019s Van Halen 1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Van_Halens_Van_Halen_1\"><\/span>Van Halen\u2019s <em>Van Halen 1<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/coryyoung\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cory Young<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Nothing more can be said about this album that hasn\u2019t already been said. But I\u2019ll try.<\/p>\n<p>Reshaping everything about what rock and roll meant in all the ways you can imagine, <em>VH1<\/em> split the timeline of guitar-playing and rock music in two. Now, you had everything before and everything after Van Halen. Everything that came after was a sea of carbon copy bands trying to imitate their success. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, though none had the Midas touch that would see them come close.<\/p>\n<p>The songwriting on <em>VH1<\/em> is phenomenal and exactly what rock and roll should be. Even if stripped of all the flashy guitar FX or production aesthetic, the songs on <em>VH1<\/em> translate to any instrument in any genre. That\u2019s the sign of a good tune. From the swing of \u201cI\u2019m The One\u201d to the catchiest hook in all of rock on \u201cAin\u2019t Talkin\u2019 Bout Love\u201d, every song has the instant replay factor.<\/p>\n<p>Appropriately in my eyes, one of the highest-selling albums of all time and still charting in the Billboard Top 200 as recently as 2020 &#8211; some 42 years after its release, this will always be the greatest debut album.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Idris Bena\u2019s Lankivei&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Idris_Benas_Lankivei\"><\/span>Idris Bena\u2019s <em>Lankivei<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/alexbramwell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex Bramwell<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16224 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Idris Bena\u2019s Lankivei Record cover \" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-1080x1080.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-1280x1280.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-980x980.jpg 980w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei-480x480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Idris-Benas-Lankivei.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>My pick for National Album Day is <em>Lankivei<\/em> by Idris Bena. This album journeys through experimental ambient, euphoric breakbeats and mellow trap to punchy, clubby tech house, all in 14 tracks.<\/p>\n<p>I own the vinyl LP and play it both in DJ sets and at home for personal listening. The music on the album is incredibly diverse and there are just as many bangers as there are deep, mood-cleansing delights.<\/p>\n<p>Idris Bena is a Parisian who is very humble about his music. I met him at an event in London and he told me that music is a way of expressing himself and this album conveys his music taste, moods, and general personality in the same way non-verbal based electronic music can.<\/p>\n<p>I really love grass roots and personal music productions that mean something to both the author and listener, that\u2019s why <em>Lankivei <\/em>is my favourite debut album.<\/p>\n<p>My top three tracks are \u201cSunset philosophy\u201d, \u201cRosa\u201d, and \u201cPieces Back\u201d. I\u2019ve chosen these because they each represent the diversity of the LP. It\u2019s a fantastic French electronic music experience.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;The timeless Psychodrama by Dave&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_timeless_Psychodrama_by_Dave\"><\/span>The timeless <em>Psychodrama <\/em>by Dave<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Aidan Whelband<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In 2019, British hip-hop artist Dave released the Mercury Prize-winning debut album <em>Psychodrama<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The album, which takes the listener through a psychotherapy session, was met with huge critical acclaim and commercial success.<\/p>\n<p>Covering topics such as mental health in \u201cPyscho\u201d and \u201cVoices\u201d, fame in \u201cEnvironment\u201d, and Dave\u2019s upbringing in \u201cScrewface Capital\u201d and \u201cStreatham\u201d, all 11 tracks act as a window into Dave\u2019s tumultuous and unique life. This album has some incredibly poignant lyrics, and Dave repeatedly delivers impactful soliloquies with outstanding conviction.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlack\u201d, the second track, is an incredibly powerful song in which Dave expresses pride in his heritage. However, my favourite track is \u201cLesley\u201d which is an 11-minute-long masterwork that tells a tragic story of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship.<\/p>\n<p>This album is timeless and incredibly important, and I feel in years to come it will be looked at as a seminal album of 2010s British music. It\u2019s one that I\u2019ll never tire of listening to, and the only one I could have picked for National Album Day.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Illmatic by Nas&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Illmatic_by_Nas\"><\/span><em>Illmatic<\/em> by Nas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Imogen Bellamy<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16144\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16144\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-16144\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Illmatic-by-Nas-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The album cover of Illmatic by Nas\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Illmatic-by-Nas-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Illmatic-by-Nas-480x480.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Illmatic-by-Nas.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thecomeupshow\/3251531715\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Come Up Show<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Nas\u2019 <em>Illmatic<\/em> is iconic \u2013 it\u2019s rare to see a list of best debut albums without it, and for good reason.<\/p>\n<p>A twentieth-century successor to the oral tradition, Nas developed lyrical rap while building on the classics. The result is a work that would inspire East Coast hip-hop and the genre as a whole for years to come.<\/p>\n<p><em>Illmatic<\/em> achieves a timeless combination of warmth and grit throughout its samples; however, Nas\u2019 poetry steals the show.<\/p>\n<p>The rhythm flows like a wave, assonance and enjambment carrying you through a series of tableaus depicting the anxieties and realities of growing up in Queensbridge. Poverty, drug abuse, and violence are recurring themes, yet there\u2019s a pervasive optimism throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Vocal clarity and a lilting cadence provide an easy listening experience, while the content has been subjected to literary analysis.<\/p>\n<p><em>Illmatic<\/em> didn\u2019t attain the immediate commercial success of some contemporary albums, but it was well-received among reviewers and musicians. Described as \u201crhythmic perfection\u201d by <em>NME<\/em>, it obtained <em>The Source<\/em>\u2019s only 5-microphone rating for a debut album.<\/p>\n<p>Different producers for different tracks, samples drawing across multiple genres, and Nas\u2019 lyrical genius combine for a flawless first LP. Over two decades later its influence can still be felt.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Robbie Williams\u2019 Life Thru a Lens&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Robbie_Williams_Life_Thru_a_Lens\"><\/span>Robbie Williams\u2019 <em>Life Thru a Lens<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/markroberts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Roberts<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Fresh out of his exile from Take That, a young Robbie Williams embarked on a daunting solo project. It was a turbulent beginning that saw him battling addiction and trying to create his own musical identity, separate from the band that launched his career.<\/p>\n<p>The result was 1997&#8217;s <em>Life Thru a<\/em> Lens, my pick for National Album Day. Remember that album? Probably not, but I&#8217;m willing to bet you remember at least <em>one <\/em>of the songs from it\u2026<\/p>\n<p>That was, of course, Robbie&#8217;s smash hit, \u201cAngels\u201d. A song that&#8217;s been heard at countless weddings, the end of the night at pubs, and for those poor souls unfortunate enough to attend karaoke, it&#8217;s an instant shot of nostalgia.<\/p>\n<p>Paired with \u201cLet Me Entertain You\u201d &#8211; a rock ballad that has me screeching into an air microphone while assuming a power pose, the album takes you right back the days of pop yore.<\/p>\n<p>Together with these two headliners, the title track &#8220;Life Thru a Lens&#8221; is particularly reminiscent of &#8217;90s Brit Pop sharpness, and still gets me bopping to this day, despite being long forgotten compared to the bigger hits.<\/p>\n<p>As one of the first albums I ever listened to (and can remember), the final single from it instantly has me donning the rose-tinted glasses. \u201cOld Before I Die\u201d is a wistful tune that transports me to the &#8217;90s and the first steps of discovering music.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;The birth of neo-soul: Baduizm by Erykah Badu&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_birth_of_neo-soul_Baduizm_by_Erykah_Badu\"><\/span>The birth of neo-soul: <em>Baduizm <\/em>by Erykah Badu<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/willunderwood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Underwood<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16145\" style=\"width: 307px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16145\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-16145\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-297x300.jpg\" alt=\"Erykah Badu with her eyes closed, hand against her face, wearing gold jewellery\" width=\"297\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-297x300.jpg 297w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-1013x1024.jpg 1013w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-768x776.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-1080x1092.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-980x990.jpg 980w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-480x485.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu.jpg 1122w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 297px) 100vw, 297px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16145\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Erykah_badu-02-mika.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mika-photography<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p>This is a tough one, there are lots of magnificent debuts out there &#8211; but my pick for National Album Day would have to be Erykah Badu\u2019s <em>Baduizm<\/em>. By far the most confident debut I\u2019ve ever heard, this is an album that\u2019s largely credited with the birth of neo-soul.<\/p>\n<p>Afrofuturist and feminist themes are subtly yet assertively addressed throughout; Badu performs a balancing act between simplicity and complexity that has been mastered by so few.<\/p>\n<p>The whole thing is tied together by an incredible vocal performance and delivered with the confidence of an artist that has decades of experience in the showbiz industry.<\/p>\n<p>For me, what\u2019s so magic about it is the space that she leaves unfilled \u2013 all the instrumentation is delicate in its simplicity and somehow still endlessly complex \u2013 everything seems to come so easily to her.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also personal, with a couple of deep cuts that explore her relationship with Outkast rapper Andre 3000, offering an interesting insight into two generational talents\u2019 interpersonal relationship and the trials of their upbringing.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a real winter warmer and prime example of self-assuredness personified within a musical project.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Bjork\u2019s Debut&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bjorks_Debut\"><\/span>Bjork\u2019s <em>Debut<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Max Cunliffe<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Riding the wave of international popularity, it becomes apparent from the start of <em>Debut<\/em> that Bjork seeks a departure from the hard-edged sounds of The Sugarcubes.<\/p>\n<p>After moving to London in 1993, Bjork found the sound she\u2019d been looking for: a foray through underground dance music, characterised by hardcore beats and cutting aggressive timbres. All the while Bjork retains a playful personality over the intense hypnosis of the dancefloor with a sense of curious experiment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you ever get close to a human, and human behaviour, be ready, be ready to get confused. There&#8217;s definitely, definitely, definitely no logic to human behaviour.\u201d And there\u2019s definitely logic to Bjork&#8217;s abstract take on popular music. Frolicking through the sensual yet constantly perplexing human world, this new world of underground dance music, of sweating, heaving bodies under lightshows and lasers, a world without logic, is expressed beautifully through Bjork&#8217;s startlingly dynamic voice.<\/p>\n<p><em>Debut <\/em>takes me through a reminiscence of awkward club nights. Nights filled with music that captures something I love about the underground, and people that can be difficult to understand at first. Bjork reminds us to approach humans, and human behaviour, with a sense of playful curiosity, and to express ourselves as true to our passions.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Chic\u2019s self-titled debut&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chics_self-titled_debut\"><\/span>Chic\u2019s self-titled debut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Jacob Cooper<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_16146\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16146\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-16146\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Chic on stage in Paris in 2013\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-400x300.jpg 400w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-510x382.jpg 510w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-1080x810.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-980x735.jpg 980w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-480x360.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-16146\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Chic_Paris2013.JPG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jmex<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p>There are few artists who have helped shape popular music in the way that Nile Rodgers has.<\/p>\n<p>Back where it all started in 1977, Chic\u2019s self-titled debut album was the first showcase of the brilliant musical partnership between Rodgers and bassist and co-writer, Bernard Edwards.<\/p>\n<p>Released just as disco music was entering the mainstream, the album has huge historic significance. Hits such as <em>Everybody Dance<\/em> and <em>Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)<\/em> have stood the test of time and are still a staple of Chic\u2019s live set to this day!<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an album full of joy that somehow doesn\u2019t succumb to being overshadowed by its monumental hits.<\/p>\n<p><em>Chic<\/em> follows a similar formula to many of their albums that followed: a short track list with an upbeat and catchy opener, a few stone-cold classics, a few slower, jazz-inspired tracks, and a few that make you think \u2018why wasn\u2019t this a hit?\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>There truly are no bad songs on this record, it\u2019s the perfect celebration of all the genres that inspired disco music and made it so culturally significant.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Kate Bush\u2019s The Kick Inside&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kate_Bushs_The_Kick_Inside\"><\/span>Kate Bush\u2019s <em>The Kick Inside<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/maisiescannell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maisie Scannell<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>An easy choice, Kate Bush\u2019s <em>The Kick Inside <\/em>takes the top spot, for me, as debut albums go. A lesson in femininity and the inner workings of Kate Bush\u2019s mind, it\u2019s hard to believe the album was released when she was just 19.<\/p>\n<p>As well as including the iconic \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d \u2013 a song that immediately makes anyone want to float around in a red dress and flail their arms around, the album is filled to the brim with playful, superbly-written, introspective songs.<\/p>\n<p>It opens with \u201cMoving\u201d, an ode to her dance teacher, and finishes with \u201cThe Kick Inside\u201d, a song inspired by traditional folk song \u201cLucy Wan\u201d. And in between, we travel to a Berlin bar (\u201cThe Saxophone Song\u201d), delve into the rushing, tumultuous feelings of being in love (\u201cOh to Be in Love\u201d), and learn of Bush\u2019s desires to escape the self-consciousness that plagues her as a teenager (\u201cKite\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Each track is tied to the next with a sense of Kate Bush\u2019s innocent wonder and curiosity as she approaches adolescence \u2013 and that\u2019s what makes the album so interesting and endearing.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Kick Inside <\/em>is a masterpiece, and it serves as the perfect introduction to the weird world of Kate Bush. There is no other debut album I could have chosen to celebrate National Album Day.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s On Avery Island&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Neutral_Milk_Hotels_On_Avery_Island\"><\/span>Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s <em>On Avery Island<\/em><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/rowanevans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rowan Evans<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16157 size-medium alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-307x300.jpg\" alt=\"Neutral-Milk-Hotel\u2019s-On-Avery-Island\" width=\"307\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-307x300.jpg 307w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-1024x1001.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-768x751.jpg 768w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-1080x1056.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-1280x1252.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-980x958.jpg 980w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island-480x469.jpg 480w, https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Neutral-Milk-Hotels-On-Avery-Island.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\" \/>Walls and walls of distorted acoustic guitar. Dense, cryptic lyrics that wind down deep rabbit holes. <em>On Avery Island <\/em>is Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s debut album and was unlike anything I\u2019d ever heard before when I first put it on around ten years ago.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d already listened to their better-known sophomore effort, <em>In The Aeroplane Over The Sea<\/em>, before this. I had thought; this is a noisy, abrasive album, how can anything of theirs be any more chaotic?<\/p>\n<p><em>On Avery Island<\/em>, while not as refined as its successor, is raw, fuzzy indie folk at its best.<\/p>\n<p>The whole album has a lo-fi feel, opening with distorted wails leading into studio chatter. Then it launches into the first song \u2013 \u201cSong Against Sex\u201d \u2013 fit with an optimistic melody, brass section, and stirring tempo<\/p>\n<p>As noisy and exciting as the production is \u2013 spearheaded by visionary Robert Schneider \u2013 it all comes back to the songwriting for me.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff Mangum has an uncanny ability to write line after line of memorable lyrics set to memorable melodies: \u201cI\u2019m watching Naomi, full bloom \/\/ I\u2019m hoping she will soon explode \/\/ Into one billion tastes and tunes\u201d on \u201cNaomi\u201d, for example.<\/p>\n<p>I always find a new favourite line every time I listen to this album.<\/p>\n<p>And to go back to the noise, this album ends with a 13-minute instrumental that sounds like the world collapsing. So, you\u2019ve got that to look forward to if you take a listen.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;72b2aac8-2a26-4106-af58-67527d130293&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Get stuck in with National Album Day 2022!&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_stuck_in_with_National_Album_Day_2022\"><\/span>Get stuck in with National Album Day 2022!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Maybe one of these debut album choices has taken your fancy, maybe you\u2019ve been reminded of one long forgotten, or maybe you just trust us to have supremely good music taste! Either way, hopefully we\u2019ve inspired you to make use of your<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/home-audio\/hi-fi\/turntables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> turntable<\/a><\/strong> and celebrate National Album Day.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/home-audio\/hi-fi\/turntables&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text=&#8221;SHOP HI-FI TURNTABLES&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.17.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;e6ee07a9-4e60-40b4-a547-e1aa0a89644a&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; 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global_colors_info=&#8221;{%22gcid-a3f0e0c4-68cb-4983-969e-b86a5466020b%22:%91%22button_text_color%22%93,%22gcid-45928375-1fd3-4d7e-b1f0-0adee316b54f%22:%91%22button_border_color%22,%22button_icon_color%22,%22button_bg_color__hover%22%93}&#8221; custom_css_main_element_tablet=&#8221;width: 258px !important;||height: 55px !important;&#8221; custom_css_main_element_last_edited=&#8221;on|tablet&#8221; button_bg_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on|hover&#8221; button_bg_color__hover=&#8221;#f08000&#8243; button_bg_enable_color__hover=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on|hover&#8221; button_text_color__hover=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; button_icon_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on|hover&#8221; button_icon_color__hover=&#8221;#000000&#8243; custom_css_main_element_phone=&#8221;width: 258px !important;||height: 55px !important;&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we approach National Album Day on 15th October, you may be wondering, what are the best debut albums? Or more specifically, what are the favourite debut albums of the writers at Gear4music? Well, you\u2019re in luck! Keeping with this year\u2019s theme, Celebrating Debut Albums, we have each delved into our music catalogues and chosen our favourites.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":16134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<p>As we approach National Album Day on 15<sup>th<\/sup> October, you may be wondering, what are the best debut albums? Or more specifically, what are the favourite debut albums of the writers at Gear4music? Well, you\u2019re in luck! Keeping with this year\u2019s theme, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalalbumday.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Celebrating Debut Albums<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, we have each delved into our music catalogues and chosen our favourites.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Ten tracks of catchy, rock-goodness! <em>Permission to Land <\/em>by The Darkness<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/toop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toop Harris<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-16137 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/the-darkness-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Darkness album\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/>Favourite debut album? The easiest question to answer!<\/p><p>My favourite debut album is <em>Permission to Land<\/em> by The Darkness. I was hooked the first time I heard this album at 16. Having grown up with my mum liking glam rock and a Jamaican dad who liked reggae and ska, and going along with what friends liked, this album was the first time I actually broke away from the norm. It was music that I personally liked, and it blew my mind!<\/p><p>There was something about Justin Hawkins' falsetto that stood out - not to mention the big rock riffs and fun lyrics. The album is unique, and the band weren\u2019t afraid to do something different \u2013 catsuits and the lot! My favourite track is \u201cGivin' Up\u201d, an upbeat song with amusing, 'narcotic' lyrics.<\/p><p>As a fully invested Darkness fan... sporting a <em>Permission to Land<\/em> hoody and Frankie Poullain-inspired bandana at 16 (cringing, I know), I literally listened to this album <em>every<\/em> day for a whole year! It also came at the time when I was just starting out on bass, so I learnt every bassline too! I was obsessed with this album, and I feel sorry for my mum, dad\u2026 and next-door neighbours!<\/p><hr \/><h3>Idris Bena\u2019s <em>Lankivei<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/alexbramwell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alex Bramwell<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p>My pick for National Album Day is <em>Lankivei<\/em> by Idris Bena. This album journeys through experimental ambient, euphoric breakbeats and mellow trap to punchy, clubby tech house, all in 14 tracks.<\/p><p>I own the vinyl LP and play it both in DJ sets and at home for personal listening. The music on the album is incredibly diverse and there are just as many bangers as there are deep, mood-cleansing delights.<\/p><p>Idris Bena is a Parisian who is very humble about his music. I met him at an event in London and he told me that music is a way of expressing himself and this album conveys his music taste, moods, and general personality in the same way non-verbal based electronic music can.<\/p><p>I really love grass roots and personal music productions that mean something to both the author and listener, that\u2019s why <em>Lankivei <\/em>is my favourite debut album.<\/p><p>My top three tracks are \u201cSunset philosophy\u201d, \u201cRosa\u201d, and \u201cPieces Back\u201d. I\u2019ve chosen these because they each represent the diversity of the LP. It\u2019s a fantastic French electronic music experience.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Robbie Williams\u2019 <em>Life Thru a Lens<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/markroberts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mark Roberts<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_16141\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-16141\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Robbie-Williams-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"A young Robbie Williams singing live with a mic in hand, wearing a brown jumper\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/> Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Robbie-williams-1997-1528994067-view-1_(1).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Philip.Williams08<\/a><\/strong>[\/caption]<p>Fresh out of his exile from Take That, a young Robbie Williams embarked on a daunting solo project. A turbulent beginning that saw him battling addiction and trying to create his own musical identity, separate from the band that had launched his career.<\/p><p>The result was 1997's <em>Life Thru a<\/em> Lens, my pick for National Album Day. Remember that album? Probably not, but I'm willing to bet you remember at least <em>one <\/em>of the songs from it\u2026<\/p><p>That was, of course, Robbie's hit smash \u201cAngels\u201d. A song that's been heard at countless weddings, the end of the night at pubs, and for those poor souls unfortunate enough to attend karaoke, it's an instant shot of nostalgia.<\/p><p>Paired with \u201cLet Me Entertain You\u201d - a rock ballad that has me screeching into an air microphone while assuming a power pose, the album takes you right back the days of pop yore.<\/p><p>Together with these two headliners, the title track \"Life Thru a Lens\" is particularly reminiscent of '90s Brit Pop sharpness, and still gets me bopping to this day, despite being long forgotten compared to the bigger hits.<\/p><p>As one of the first albums I ever listened to (and can remember), the final single from it instantly has me donning the rose-tinted glasses. \u201cOld Before I Die\u201d is a wistful tune that transports me to the '90s and the first steps of discovering music.<\/p><hr \/><h3>The timeless <em>Psychodrama <\/em>by Dave<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Aidan Whelband<\/span><\/p><p>In 2019, British hip-hop artist Dave released the Mercury Prize-winning debut album <em>Psychodrama<\/em>.<\/p><p>The album, which takes the listener through a psychotherapy session, was met with huge critical acclaim and commercial success.<\/p><p>Covering topics such as mental health in \u201cPyscho\u201d and \u201cVoices\u201d, fame in \u201cEnvironment\u201d, and Dave\u2019s upbringing in \u201cScrewface Capital\u201d and \u201cStreatham\u201d, all 11 tracks act as a window into Dave\u2019s tumultuous and unique life. This album has some incredibly poignant lyrics, and Dave repeatedly delivers impactful soliloquies with outstanding conviction.<\/p><p>\u201cBlack\u201d, the second track, is an incredibly powerful song in which Dave expresses pride in his heritage. However, my favourite track is \u201cLesley\u201d which is an 11-minute-long masterwork that tells a tragic story of a woman trapped in an abusive relationship.<\/p><p>This album is timeless and incredibly important, and I feel in years to come it will be looked at as a seminal album of 2010s British music. It\u2019s one that I\u2019ll never tire of listening to, and the only one I could have picked for National Album Day.<\/p><hr \/><h3><em>Illmatic<\/em> by Nas<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Imogen Bellamy<\/span><\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_16144\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-16144\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Illmatic-by-Nas-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"The album cover of Illmatic by Nas\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" \/> Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/thecomeupshow\/3251531715\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Come Up Show<\/a><\/strong>[\/caption]<p>Nas\u2019 <em>Illmatic<\/em> is iconic \u2013 it\u2019s rare to see a list of best debut albums without it, and for good reason.<\/p><p>A twentieth-century successor to the oral tradition, Nas developed lyrical rap while building on the classics. The result is a work that would inspire East Coast hip-hop and the genre as a whole for years to come.<\/p><p><em>Illmatic<\/em> achieves a timeless combination of warmth and grit throughout the music\u2019s samples; however, Nas\u2019 poetry steals the show.<\/p><p>The rhythm flows like a wave, assonance and enjambment carrying you through a series of tableaus depicting the anxieties and realities of growing up in Queensbridge. Poverty, drug abuse, and violence are recurring themes, yet there\u2019s a pervasive optimism throughout.<\/p><p>Vocal clarity and a lilting cadence provide an easy listening experience, while the content has been subjected to literary analysis.<\/p><p><em>Illmatic<\/em> didn\u2019t attain the immediate commercial success of some contemporary albums, but it was well-received among reviewers and musicians. Described as \u201crhythmic perfection\u201d by <em>NME<\/em>, it obtained <em>The Source<\/em>\u2019s only 5-microphone rating for a debut album.<\/p><p>Different producers for different tracks, samples drawing across multiple genres, and Nas\u2019 lyrical genius combine for a flawless first LP. Over two decades later its influence can still be felt.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Van Halen\u2019s <em>Van Halen 1<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/coryyoung\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cory Young<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p>Nothing more can be said about this album that hasn\u2019t already been said. But I\u2019ll try.<\/p><p>Reshaping everything about what rock and roll meant in all the ways you can imagine, <em>VH1<\/em> split the timeline of guitar-playing and rock music in two. Now, you had everything before and everything after Van Halen. Everything that came after was a sea of carbon copy bands trying to imitate their success. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, though none had the Midas touch that would see them come close.<\/p><p>The songwriting on <em>VH1<\/em> is phenomenal and exactly what rock and roll should be. Even if stripped of all the flashy guitar FX or production aesthetic, the songs on <em>VH1<\/em> translate to any instrument in any genre. That\u2019s the sign of a good tune. From the swing of \u201cI\u2019m The One\u201d to the catchiest hook in all of rock on \u201cAin\u2019t Talkin\u2019 Bout Love\u201d, every song has the instant replay factor.<\/p><p>Appropriately in my eyes, one of the highest-selling albums of all time and still charting in the Billboard Top 200 as recently as 2020 - some 42 years after its release, this will always be the greatest debut album.<\/p><hr \/><h3>The birth of neo-soul: <em>Baduizm <\/em>by Erykah Badu<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/willunderwood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will Underwood<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_16145\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"297\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-16145\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/erykah-badu-297x300.jpg\" alt=\"Erykah Badu with her eyes closed, hand against her face, wearing gold jewellery\" width=\"297\" height=\"300\" \/> Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Erykah_badu-02-mika.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mika-photography<\/a><\/strong>[\/caption]<p>This is a tough one, there are lots of magnificent debuts out there - but my pick for National Album Day would have to be Erykah Badu\u2019s <em>Baduizm<\/em>. By far the most confident debut I\u2019ve ever heard, this is an album that\u2019s largely credited with the birth of neo-soul.<\/p><p>Afrofuturist and feminist themes are subtly yet assertively addressed throughout; Badu performs a balancing act between simplicity and complexity that has been mastered by so few.<\/p><p>The whole thing is tied together by an incredible vocal performance and delivered with the confidence of an artist that has decades of experience in the showbiz industry.<\/p><p>For me, what\u2019s so magic about it is the space that she leaves unfilled \u2013 all the instrumentation is delicate in its simplicity and somehow still endlessly complex \u2013 everything seems to come so easy to her.<\/p><p>It\u2019s also personal, with a couple of deep cuts that explore her relationship with Outkast rapper Andre 3000, offering an extremely interesting insight into two generational talents\u2019 interpersonal relationship and the trials of their upbringing.<\/p><p>A real winter warmer and prime example of self-assuredness personified within a musical project.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Bjork\u2019s <em>Debut<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Max Cunliffe<\/span><\/p><p>Riding the wave of international popularity, it becomes apparent from the start of <em>Debut<\/em> that Bjork seeks a departure from the hard-edged sounds of The Sugarcubes.<\/p><p>After moving to London in 1993, Bjork found the sound she\u2019d been looking for: a foray through underground dance music, characterised by hardcore beats and cutting aggressive timbres. All the while Bjork retains a playful personality over the intense hypnosis of the dancefloor with a sense of curious experiment.<\/p><p>\u201cIf you ever get close to a human, and human behaviour, be ready, be ready to get confused. There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic to human behaviour.\u201d There\u2019s definitely logic to Bjork's abstract take on popular music, however. Frolicking through the sensual yet constantly perplexing human world, this new world of underground dance music, of sweating, heaving bodies under lightshows and lasers, a world without logic, is expressed beautifully through Bjork's startlingly dynamic voice.<\/p><p><em>Debut <\/em>takes me through a reminiscence of awkward club nights. Nights filled with music that captures something I love about the underground, and people that can be difficult to understand at first. Bjork reminds us to approach humans, and human behaviour, with a sense of playful curiosity, and to express ourselves as true to our passions.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Chic\u2019s self-titled debut<\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By Jacob Cooper<\/span><\/p>[caption id=\"attachment_16146\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"400\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-16146\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.googleapis.com\/stateless-blog-g4m-co-uk\/2022\/10\/Chic-400x300.jpg\" alt=\"Chic on stage in Paris in 2013\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" \/> Creative Commons License by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Chic_Paris2013.JPG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jmex<\/a><\/strong>[\/caption]<p>There are few artists who have helped shape popular music in the way that Nile Rodgers has.<\/p><p>Back where it all started in 1977, Chic\u2019s self-titled debut album was the first showcase of the brilliant musical partnership between Rodgers and bassist and co-writer, Bernard Edwards.<\/p><p>Released just as disco music was entering the mainstream, the album has huge historic significance. Hits such as <em>Everybody Dance<\/em> and <em>Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)<\/em> have stood the test of time and are still a staple of Chic\u2019s live set to this day!<\/p><p>It\u2019s an album full of joy that somehow doesn\u2019t succumb to being overshadowed by its monumental hits.<\/p><p><em>Chic<\/em> follows a similar formula to many of their albums that followed: a short track list with an upbeat and catchy opener, a few stone-cold classics, a few slower, jazz-inspired tracks, and a few that make you think \u2018why wasn\u2019t this a hit?\u2019.<\/p><p>There truly are no bad songs on this record, it\u2019s the perfect celebration of all the genres that inspired disco music and made it so culturally significant.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Kate Bush\u2019s <em>The Kick Inside<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/maisiescannell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Maisie Scannell<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p>An easy choice, Kate Bush\u2019s <em>The Kick Inside <\/em>takes the top spot, for me, as debut albums go. A lesson in femininity and the inner workings of Kate Bush\u2019s mind, it\u2019s hard to believe the album was released when she was just 19.<\/p><p>As well as including the iconic \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d \u2013 a song that immediately makes anyone want to float around in a red dress and flail their arms around, the album is filled to the brim with playful, superbly-written, introspective songs.<\/p><p>It opens with \u201cMoving\u201d, an ode to her dance teacher, and finishes with \u201cThe Kick Inside\u201d, a song inspired by traditional folk song \u201cLucy Wan\u201d. And in between, we travel to a Berlin bar (\u201cThe Saxophone Song\u201d), delve into the rushing, tumultuous feelings of being in love (\u201cOh to Be in Love\u201d), and learn of Bush\u2019s desires to escape the body-consciousness that plagues her as a teenager (\u201cKite\u201d).<\/p><p>Each track is tied to the next by a sense of Kate Bush\u2019s innocent wonder and curiosity as she approaches adolescence \u2013 and that\u2019s what makes the album so interesting and endearing.<\/p><p><em>The Kick Inside <\/em>is a masterpiece, and it serves as the perfect introduction to the weird world of Kate Bush. There is no other debut album I could have chosen.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s <em>On Avery Island<\/em><\/h3><p><span style=\"color: #999999;\">By <strong><a style=\"color: #999999;\" href=\"http:\/\/gear4musicblog.kinsta.cloud\/author\/rowanevans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rowan Evans<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p>Walls and walls of distorted acoustic guitar. Dense, cryptic lyrics that wind down deep rabbit holes. <em>On Avery Island <\/em>is Neutral Milk Hotel\u2019s debut album and was unlike anything I\u2019d ever heard before when I first put it on around ten years ago.<\/p><p>I\u2019d already listened to their better-known sophomore effort, <em>In The Aeroplane Over The Sea<\/em>, before this. I had thought; this is a noisy, abrasive album, how can anything of theirs be any more chaotic?<\/p><p><em>On Avery Island<\/em>, while not as refined as its successor, is raw, fuzzy indie folk at its best.<\/p><p>The whole album has a lo-fi feel, opening with distorted wails leading into studio chatter. Then it launches into the first song \u2013 \u201cSong Against Sex\u201d \u2013 fit with an optimistic melody, brass section, and stirring tempo<\/p><p>As noisy and exciting as the production is \u2013 spearheaded by visionary Robert Schneider \u2013 it all comes back to the songwriting for me.<\/p><p>Jeff Mangum has an uncanny ability to write line after line of memorable lines set to memorable melodies: \u201cI\u2019m watching Naomi, full bloom \/\/ I\u2019m hoping she will soon explode \/\/ Into one billion tastes and tunes\u201d on \u201cNaomi\u201d, for example.<\/p><p>I always find a new favourite line every time I listen to this album.<\/p><p>And to go back to the noise, this album ends with a 13-minute instrumental that sounds like the world collapsing. So, you\u2019ve got that to look forward to if you take a listen.<\/p><hr \/><h3>Final thoughts<\/h3><p>Maybe one of these debut album choices has taken your fancy, maybe you\u2019ve been reminded of one long forgotten, or maybe you just trust us to have supremely good music taste! Either way, hopefully we\u2019ve inspired you to make use of your<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gear4music.com\/home-audio\/hi-fi\/turntables\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> turntable<\/a><\/strong> and celebrate National Album Day.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[253,121],"tags":[108,104],"class_list":["post-16131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-studio-learn","category-studio-production","tag-featured","tag-studio-production"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>National Album Day 2022 \u2013 Our Favourite Debut Albums<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As we approach National Album Day, you may be wondering what our favourite debut albums are! 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