There are a lot of "great" debut albums, though I’m reluctant to characterize any record as "greatest":
Rickie Lee Jones self titled album is fabulous, musically and sonically. No need to buy an audiophile pressing; a standard issue Warner copy is fine.
Black Sabbath’s first album is wonderful- it is slower, and has fewer songs that are embedded into everyone’s DNA, but it is genre defining and templated what the band would do at its best (UK Swirl recommended; great artwork as well).
Chris Whitley’s Living with the Law- his most accessible, brilliant, original Columbia pressing fine, better is the National Steel promo version with fewer tracks and better sound.
Lucifer’s Friend-s/t- a hoot, German Philips (the reissues I've heard are all lackluster), combining the vocals of Heep, the heaviness of Sabbath and organ power of Purple with some slightly off-key Zep riffs played on horns (could be Mellotron).
Zep 1- blah sonics, but the only Zep album I keep coming back to since its original release.
Pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd- Al Kooper wasn’t wrong here either.
Free’s Tons of Sobs- Kossoff, plus Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Andy Fraser, produced by Guy Stevens. Their bluesiest album, loose, unvarnished and addictive. Island pink label, but today, tres cher for a good copy. They got more polished and more pop/rock as time went on, and lost that mojo.
Jimi- Are You Experienced- both the UK and US versions. Less esoteric than his later albums, but man, what an opening statement!
To name a few. (Yeah, I’m down with Big Pink as a great listen and an important album- hard to argue that).
I’m sure there are many more.
Like,
Wishbone Ash- s/t- MCA UK
Crimson- In the Court- UK pink label- tough ride on that mix; Steve Wilson’s remix enables you to hear Greg Lake’s voice on the song "Epitaph" and should eventually be released on vinyl separately.
Sorry not confined to ’60s-’70s rock, where I also spend a lot of time, but much of the above is that period.
Rickie Lee Jones self titled album is fabulous, musically and sonically. No need to buy an audiophile pressing; a standard issue Warner copy is fine.
Black Sabbath’s first album is wonderful- it is slower, and has fewer songs that are embedded into everyone’s DNA, but it is genre defining and templated what the band would do at its best (UK Swirl recommended; great artwork as well).
Chris Whitley’s Living with the Law- his most accessible, brilliant, original Columbia pressing fine, better is the National Steel promo version with fewer tracks and better sound.
Lucifer’s Friend-s/t- a hoot, German Philips (the reissues I've heard are all lackluster), combining the vocals of Heep, the heaviness of Sabbath and organ power of Purple with some slightly off-key Zep riffs played on horns (could be Mellotron).
Zep 1- blah sonics, but the only Zep album I keep coming back to since its original release.
Pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd- Al Kooper wasn’t wrong here either.
Free’s Tons of Sobs- Kossoff, plus Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Andy Fraser, produced by Guy Stevens. Their bluesiest album, loose, unvarnished and addictive. Island pink label, but today, tres cher for a good copy. They got more polished and more pop/rock as time went on, and lost that mojo.
Jimi- Are You Experienced- both the UK and US versions. Less esoteric than his later albums, but man, what an opening statement!
To name a few. (Yeah, I’m down with Big Pink as a great listen and an important album- hard to argue that).
I’m sure there are many more.
Like,
Wishbone Ash- s/t- MCA UK
Crimson- In the Court- UK pink label- tough ride on that mix; Steve Wilson’s remix enables you to hear Greg Lake’s voice on the song "Epitaph" and should eventually be released on vinyl separately.
Sorry not confined to ’60s-’70s rock, where I also spend a lot of time, but much of the above is that period.