Is this the greatest album ever by a teenager?

[Warner2BruceTD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9Wnh0V4HMM&list=ALBTKoXRg38BDWHiguME6Jzzf7V_Mo8AYv

Pretty amazing (and heavy) material to be written & performed by a 17-year old.

Three pretty big hits (Criminal, Sleep to Dream, Shadowboxer), all of which are really amazing pieces of music, but like most great albums it's great because of what lies beneath. "Slow Like Honey", "Sullen Girl", "Never is a Promise", & "Carrion" are really the backbone behind the hits and are not the type of songs you'd expect written by a high school sophomore (she wrote & recorded the "Never is a Promise" demo when she was 16!).

Shadowboxer is one of the great songs of the 90's and to me one of the best single recordings by a female ever. Blows me away that a child created this. Despite her rough experiences (she was raped) I have no clue where she gained her perspective on relationships at such a young age.

I'd put this album borderline top ten all time, I really find it to be amazing work, but I suppose that's a matter of taste. I'd like to hear what some of you think of it from an artistic & creative standpoint even if you don't love the songs like I do. It's only 50 minutes or so if you've never heard it start to finish, that YouTube playlist is the entire album in order.

 

[NAHSTE]

Interesting topic. Just off the top of my head here are some candidates:

Adele "19"
Jake Bugg's debut
OutKast's debut
Nas's debut

... among others

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Interesting topic. Just off the top of my head here are some candidates:

Adele "19"
Jake Bugg's debut
OutKast's debut
Nas's debut

... among others

Thanks for this. I will listen to three of these start to finish over the next day or so, and will attempt Nas but realistically I know I will never get through it without handwaving it as I recognize that's not my wheelhouse.

 

[Houston]

Laura Marling's second album missed the cut by a month:smh:

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Laura Marling's second album missed the cut by a month:smh:

How old when she recorded it? That's what counts.

 

[jms493]

Donovan was pretty young when he had a few top 10 hits.

 

[NAHSTE]

Thanks for this. I will listen to three of these start to finish over the next day or so, and will attempt Nas but realistically I know I will never get through it without handwaving it as I recognize that's not my wheelhouse.

Illmatic is 10 tracks, like 45 minutes long. So at the very least it won't waste much of your time. It's your typical 90's east coast style boom-bap beats, very simplistic, but Nas has such a distinct flow and dense writing style that it sets itself apart as a classic.

 

[Pitty]

Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik holds up ridiculously well across a number of genres.

 

[MvP]

Criminal is a fantastic song. I haven't really listened to anything else off that album though. Will do so this weekend.

I think Alanis Morissette was 19 when she recorded Jagged Little Pill, so there's that.

 

[Golden Taters]

Interesting topic. Just off the top of my head here are some candidates:

Adele "19"
Jake Bugg's debut
OutKast's debut
Nas's debut

... among others

I personally would rank Bugg's 2nd/latest album over his debut. Both are really great, though.

 

[Tailback U]

I was trying to throw some names into the ring but Alanis morissette was 21 when she released Jagged Little Pill and jewel was too with her album (never really listened to hers but it was popular).

I never really could get comfortable with Fiona's voice so I never listened to her but I'll check out the songs mentioned and go from there.

 

[NAHSTE]

I personally would rank Bugg's 2nd/latest album over his debut. Both are really great, though.

True, that one technically qualifies as well.

 

[1ke]

Interesting topic. Just off the top of my head here are some candidates:

Adele "19"
Jake Bugg's debut
OutKast's debut
Nas's debut

... among others

Not that you're wrong, I don't think you are putting him there. But I could never justify putting Jake Bugg in the same sentence as Nasir, or Outkast.

 

[JeremyHight]

How about greatest album by a group of teenagers?

Loved this album growing up.

 

[Houston]

Well if we're going by recording date and Nas is allowed, then Illmatic is about 2 or 3 steps ahead of any other album mentioned so far.

 

[Golden Taters]

How about greatest album by a group of teenagers?

Loved this album growing up.

This is a good listen too, especially considering these teenagers were only 15 when they recorded this.

 

[Golden Taters]

Aaliyah

 

[dell71]

Well if we're going by recording date and Nas is allowed, then Illmatic is about 2 or 3 steps ahead of any other album mentioned so far.

Illmatic is my fave album of all time, but it's borderline to qualify for this discussion. Released when he was 21, and far as I can tell, recorded at age 19-20.

Never listened to Fiona Apple's entire album, I'll have to give it a go.

One no one has mentioned...

"For You," Prince's debut album. Recorded when he was 18/19, released when he was 20. Light on subject matter, but long on talent. He not only wrote and produced every song himself, he also played every instrument.

 

[NAHSTE]

Illmatic is my fave album of all time, but it's borderline to qualify for this discussion. Released when he was 21, and far as I can tell, recorded at age 19-20.

Never listened to Fiona Apple's entire album, I'll have to give it a go.

One no one has mentioned...

"For You," Prince's debut album. Recorded when he was 18/19, released when he was 20. Light on subject matter, but long on talent. He not only wrote and produced every song himself, he also played every instrument.

Hmm I always thought Nas was 18-19 when he recorded it. Might be cheating a bit with that one then.

 

[dell71]

Hmm I always thought Nas was 18-19 when he recorded it. Might be cheating a bit with that one then.

I dunno, you might be right. Can't seem to find anything certain.


Oh, almost forgot this...

I've been listening to it often lately, great album.