The difficult second album syndrome

Should start with something simple I suppose but with many explanations for differing results of the somewhat (but not always) second album.

Picture the scenario if you will----- Band is underground, band/Artist(s) is cool, band/Artists(s) signs record deal (is a major or indepedent prevelant in these situations), band/Artist(s) releases classic first album and then what happens???

Down the years we've seen so many classic albums it hurts on so many different music genre's, whether its Public enemy's It takes a nation of millions to hold us back' to The Strokes 'Is this it' which pioneered an indie slew of followers (who lets say haven't quite lived up to such heights) but for so many bands debut album heighs are a paradox to the usual second album lows.

Getting inspiration from this, I watched 'Meeting people is easy', a dark look into the band Radiohead as they released 2 career defining albums in 'The Bends' and 'OK computer', the meteriocal rise as seen in the film caused lead singer Thom Yorke to nearly have a breakdown, is the complex nature of going from local heroes to national greats and possible international superstars a culprit in this?

Can we blame the record labels (as mentioned earlier), the platform is laid with a solid debut album, the second album gives the band/artist(s) a chance to transcend their original fanbase and usually infiltrate the mainstream, is the pressure from major labels a factor in this seemingly endless reign of lacklustre second albums.

If we look at the schedule the bands/artists hit with a debut classic especially in today's modern world of sucking every last ounce of performance, the chance to cultivate and prepare a classic second record could be heralded as to much to bear when champagne parties, after party antics, money and tour bus stories take to the forefront (front page or otherwise).

Not sounding too miserable though as over the years we have seen some classic second albums which have made ordinary folk like you and me have some faith in the magic of talent such as 'aha shake heartbreak(i must take a modern appraoch)', R.E.M's 'The Reckoning', 'The Freewheeling Bob Dylan', Closer (R.I.P Mr Curtis), 'The Bends' (thank you Yorke, Greenwood(s)), Selway and Etheridge, 'Loveless' (yes Shields!) and inevitably the rightful ego of the Gallaghers on 'what's the story morning glory'.

I think the justification of naming these bands/artists is that they have stood the test of time through their sheer brilliance of writing, recording (and yes if you can afford Nigel Godrich then it helps) and balancing touring with the need to fulfill us music dracula's thurst for more.

Today though through the eyes of media a truly classic second album is never going to happen(in my opnion). People need something fresh and the media feeds this with ridiculously overhyped column inches to how this band will SAVE THE WORLD!!! with a quick note on the 'much anticipated' second album to which they have found the next SAVE THE WORLD!! band.

There many probable reasons for an apparent lacklustre amount of great or even good second albums in this year 2009 (cheap shot cough*The Enemy*cough, im sure talking about the closure of steel works and how your Peugout doesnt start seems like a distant memory). I put this down in today's modern culture obsession with the mainstream (cliche i know but the truth hurts) aswell as many other reasons, share???

I'll leave you with this thought, Primary Colours by the Horrors, a true innovative stance on a second album (80's Kraut-rock redefined) with the producing tweaks of Geoff Barrow and seemingly Kevin Shields (all we needed was the elegance of Bilinda Butcher), but will this album get the credit it truly deserves, we shall see.

Leon x