Sophomore releases

[JJ88]

Barclay James Harvest's 'Once Again' is a big improvement over the debut IMHO. Most of the songs on it are still fan favourites even now...'She Said', 'Mockingbird', 'Galadriel'...

Carpenters' 'Close To You' was in fact their second album...the first one 'Offering' (later re-released as 'Ticket To Ride') did nothing much when released in 1969, on the same label A&M Records.

With The Moody Blues, the sound and general aesthetic of their 2nd album is so completely different from the first (due to personnel changes and shift in musical direction) as to be a different band altogether.

It seems not much if any of it got released in America and it barely made any impact in Britain either, but I'm quite fond of the 2nd Hollies album 'In The Hollies Style'. Their debut isn't very good, but on this one most of the cover versions are better and there's more original material. 'Set Me Free' is a good track, harder-edged than was heard from them before.

I think 'With The Beatles' shows definite artistic growth. Play 'It Won't Be Long' and marvel how they could put out such a wonderful, clearly commercial song as just an album track. 'All My Loving' was also never a single over here.

[Trane]

Van Morrison would probably like to think so too, but there's no denying that Blowin' Your Mind exists. I expected a similar cavil about my Moody Blues mention.

Actually I never saw that 1st album in record store... to the point that I didn't even know it existed until three or four years ago (on RYM)

[Mister Triscuits]

Actually I never saw that 1st album in record store... to the point that I didn't even know it existed until three or four years ago (on RYM)

I wasn't sure if Blowin' Your Mind was even released outside America at the time, so I looked it up. I was surprised to discover that it was Morrison's highest charting album in the UK until the '90s.

[klothos]

"The Road Warrior" was a far better movie than the first film, "Mad Max"...................oh wait: we are talking about music...................

[mozo-pg]

I like Goodfather II better than I but III sucked.

[Lopez]

Turn! Turn! Turn! - The Byrds (slightly better than the first only because by then they were playing their own instruments)
Burrito Deluxe - The Flying Burrito Brothers (not as country/laid back as the first and with catchier melodies; thank you, Bernie Leadon)
Climbing - Mountain (only if you consider the first a group album rather than a Leslie West solo album)
Closer - Joy Division (not counting their album playing as Warsaw)
Give 'em Enough Rope - The Clash

[Trane]

I wasn't sure if Blowin' Your Mind was even released outside America at the time, so I looked it up. I was surprised to discover that it was Morrison's highest charting album in the UK until the '90s.

Really????

[Lopez]

How could I forget: The Family That Plays Together - Spirit (at least as good as the first; Randy was starting to emerge from Jay's shadow)

[hippypants]

Goodfather?