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Sophomore slumps have probably killed off more bands than the debauched lifestyle that they live on tour. The Stone Roses never recovered from the ‘Second Coming’ and if MGMT recover from ‘Congratulations’ I will eat my own hipster head band.Ìý

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However we are not gathered here today on this blog to discuss failure, instead we are here to talk about success! We want to know what second album is your favourite? What band’s have done the unthinkable and actually released a better album than their debut? Maybe it was only the second album that got your juices running and made you stand up and take notice of the band.

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Let us know your thoughts and opinions by tapping us up here, on the ATL Facebook or the ATL Twitter and we will give you a shout out on tonight’s show. Ìý

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The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole

Rigsy – ATL Presenter

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A big one for me, anyway. Having dabbled in rave with their first album and having had a passing interest in big beat around the same time (it had been nowt but Brit-pop up until then) 'Dig Your Own Hole' finally realed me and made for a love of dance music that will last a lifetime. It opens with a blinding bassline ('Block Rockin' Beats') and ends with gloriously trippy spangles ('The Private Psychedlic Reel') via contributions from Noel Gallagher and Beth Orton and a breakbeat masterpiece called 'Electrobank'. What a treat. 'Dig Your Own Hole' doesn’t rank as their best album and some of it sounds a tiny bit dated, but for me, that record has a lot to answer for. Then I bought 'Ö÷²¥´óÐãwork' and never turned back.

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Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

Paul McClean – ATL Producer

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Not saying that Youth and Young Manhood is in any way poor, it’s a great, great debut record. That said, Aha Shake Heartbreak is where the band started to flex some muscle. The Bucket, Pistol of Fire and Four Kicks are still very much live setlist favourites but retaining some of the spike and spit of the initial hit. Not quite yet appealing to the singalong stadium masses that would come on recent efforts, there is talk of cockfights and roosters and rodeos and much romance borne of Oklahoma and Tennessee. Its not all manners and drawl though when the girls have motel faces and you can smell their tears. There is more depth to their south.

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The Beastie Boys - Pauls Boutique

Joe Lindsay – ATL Buddy.

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After the intensive and controversial tabloid-baiting tour for License to Ill the Beasties Upped sticks from New York and moved in together in the christianed 'G' house in Los Angeles and made what would become (In my opinion anyway) one of the most important and influential Hip-hop albums of all time. Pauls Boutique saw a change in direction from Frat House humour and minimal sampling to wigged-out rhymes, dizzying pop-cultural references and an absolute myriad of samples courtesy of production team the Dust Brothers. The record lost the Bud-swilling fanbase but gained an audience who would take the introduction to Johnny Ryall and the Eggman then Check their Heads all the way to the Five Boroughs. The Beasties had graduated high school….

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Meat Puppets - II
Steven Rainey – ATL Buddy

When the Meat Puppets released their second album in 1984, it's probably safe to say that the world wasn't quite ready for it yet. Their first record had been a howling, atonal collection of psychedelic hardcore, which was not for the faint-hearted. In total contrast, II is lightyears ahead of its predecessor, and lightyears ahead of everything else at the time (and everything since).

Punk fights for the soul of country music, whilst a psychedelic guitar solo played by an idiot-savant peels off notes that pave the way to infinity. All in under half an hour. Not only of the best second albums ever recorded, but one of the best albums ever made by anyone, ever. FACT.

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The Libertines – The Libertines

Phily Taggart – ATL Content Assistant

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The Libertine’s second album was a frayed and tense affair to say the least. The erstwhile likely lads Pete and Carl’s relationship had reached breaking point. This tumultuous relationship ended up scratching its way onto vinyl in the form of probably the best track the Libertines produced, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’.

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Their debut album ‘Up the Bracket’ is held by many as their magnus opus, however I reckon that their second outing, ‘The Libertines’ (Self Titled), is a better track for track pop album. Tracks such as ‘Music When the Light’s Go Out’ and secret track ‘France’ are honest, emotional and heartbreaking where as ‘What Became of the Likely Lads’ and ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ see the lads take the British kitchen sink drama of The Kinks and give it a ramshackle punk makeover. Its biographical, its candid and most importantly the tunes are great.

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