Top 50 Debut Albums - No.50 "Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot" Sparklehorse (1995)

Most of the debuts on my list are also the best album the artist recorded. It seems to be often true that a first release manages to perfectly capture everything brilliant about an artist and becomes a marker point they often find difficult to surpass. Whilst Sparklehorse's 1995 debut Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot is brilliant, I think second album Good Morning Spider is even better, but Vivadixie is definitely worth your time especially if your musical bag is lo-fi alternative country.

Sparklehorse was essentially the recording name of singer/songwriter Mark Linkous. Linkous had been working as a guitar tech for David Lowery, of Camper Van Beethoven fame, who proved pivotal in reigniting Mark's enthusiasm in music. Lowery's new band, Cracker, feature extensively on Vivadixie but it's Linkous' fragile vocal and heartfelt lyrics that shine through.

It was almost worth including Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot on the strength of the title alone. It's long been a favourite album title for me and supposedly came from a dream Linkous had about Confederate General Robert E. Lee and a crude submarine used in the American Civil War. It's certainly a name that conjures up some brilliant images in my mind and brings a smile to my lips whenever I hear it mentioned.



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