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Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 2d

#5debutalbums8084
Won't make my top 5 but I can't pass up the opportunity to give Robyn Hitchcock a spin. As a general rule I'll be setting a higher bar for solo debuts by established artists compared to true debuts.
open.spotify.com/album/5vsPv9...

Black Snake Diamond Röle

4

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 2d

Incredibly assured and great songwriting, particularly for a supposed "pop" act. Definitely in the mix for my top 5.

2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 3d

#5debutalbums8084
Not a contender for my top 5 but the 4 tracks that make up side one are fantastic, with the superb cover of my favourite Prince song being the absolute standout.
open.spotify.com/album/1FvdZ1...

She's So Unusual

3

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 3d

Album is patchy but I always think of To Cut A Long Story Short as the definitive new romantic song.

2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 3d

#5debutalbums8084
Everything you want from a debut album, accomplished yet still with the naivety that adds to the charm. Strangely it reminds me of Orange Juice's debut but in a much more muted style.
open.spotify.com/album/37FJhy...

Everybody Is Fantastic

3

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Never heard it before but I've always got time for a lost classic. Sounds very good on first play.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

#5debutalbums8084
Not sure it will make my top 5 but it's an album that never fails to impress. The singles are infectiously fantastic but beyond that it's also a landmark world music album. Hard to believe this is 3 years before Graceland.
open.spotify.com/album/6S4f7y...

Duck Rock

1 11

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

I did like the first one but wilfully difficult.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Good call, Love Plus One and Fantastic Day belong on any soundtrack to the 80s.

2 2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

I did buy that at the time. There was a period when I was reading the album reviews in the monthly mags trying to find the next 3 EPs.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

I don't think anyone saw this with Liverpool. Their league position probably flatters them.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

First time I've ever seen them live and one of my favourite bands from the time so I was always going to enjoy it.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Saw them in Leeds last week. They definitely are a studio band but clearly all great musicians too, which they definitely wanted to showcase, so it was a bit indulgent at times. That said, still very enjoyable.

1 3

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Blimey, a tale of woe from weeks 2 to 6. When I picked Wirz on the back of you bigging him up I assumed you were good at this. As a result though I started the season with Haaland over Salah, so overall you did me a big favour.

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Nothing between them. You've got to find space though from some personal favourites from the actual time. Albums like Murmur I'm sure will take care of themselves.

1 2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Love it, the Deebank era of Felt, where they tried to be the British equivalent to Television is so underrated. The Duffy era is great too of course.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Great debut, they definitely arrived fully formed.

1 3

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

#5debutalbums8084
You maybe had to be a certain age at the time but I still love this. The rare beast of a double album debut, so excusably a bit patchy, but the highs more than compensate anyway. I still prefer their version of Born To Run over the original.
open.spotify.com/album/0FU4Eo...

2 1 39

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 4d

Fantastic album, in contention for my top 5.

Emergency Third Rail Power Trip

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 5d

#5debutalbums8084
The pinnacle of the paisley underground and an absolute certainty for my top 5. Incredibly assured for a debut album.
open.spotify.com/album/3aIbPq...

And Don't the Kids Just Love It

1 2 26

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 5d

Starting #5debutalbums8084 with this. The Television Personalities are a hugely underappreciated band who came out of the gate with their best album. A unique blend of post-punk and 60s psych. Strong contender for my top 5.
open.spotify.com/album/14mAXC...

1 1 14

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 5d

An absolute certainty for my top 5 and most likely at the top of it. I can't think of any other album with such joie de vivre. A truly stunning debut.

1 2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 5d

I've got a few favourites and a long list of other albums to explore too. Should be fun.

2

Richard Watterson @richardwatterson.bsky.social · 5d

Huge thanks as ever. Only one of my picks made it through but that came as no surprise. Been a lot of fun so looking forward to the next installment.