Is it a rule that if an artist or band releases a self-titled album that's NOT their first album, that album is generally not among their best? It's usually a signal that the band is trying to make a comeback and/or trying to reinvent themselves, right? Which non-premiere self-titled albums do you like/dislike?

Cheap Trick and Barry Manilow have something in common: They both released self-titled debut albums and later in their careers released a second self-titled album.

What that signifies? I have no idea.

Peter Gabriel ruined this topic forever.

Metallica's self titled "Black Album" was pretty good. Better than anything they've done since anyway.

The Beatles - was the group's 9th studio LP (or 9th & 10th if you wanna count both discs ) and is generally regarded as one of the best albums they put out. Each of the solo members (except John) put out self-titled LPs (Paul put out TWO!), the best of which, IMO, was 1973's Ringo

Semantics, so feel free to dismiss:

Ringo still hasn't done an album called Ringo Starr (with his last name), Paul hasn't done Paul McCartney (with his first name), and one could make an argument that John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is self-titled.

True, but I figure their first and/or last names only are enough to qualify them as "self-titled". I considered POB, but I figured the only reason John's name was on it was to differentiate it from Yoko's POB album.

(I also didn't count Ringo's Rotogravure, Ringo the Fourth or Ringorama (although the latter is my all-time favourite Ringo album), nor did I count Wings Wild Life, Wings At The Speed Of Sound, With The Beatles or Beatles For Sale, but I had to draw the line somewhere!)

wilco released the album "wilco" (the album) last year and it had a song called "wilco" (the song)

Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album is nearly the equal of Rumours. It was also their second self-titled album.

Oingo Boingo's fifth studio album was titled "BOI-NGO" and their seventh (and last) was titled "Boingo." Both were pretty great, I thought. The latter especially is one of my all-time favorite albums by any group.

The Small Faces 3rd album (1st for Immediate) was self titled (in England)......it's a really great record......about as amazing as Ogden's Nut Gone Flake.

As did Duran Duran, although their second is commonly called The Wedding Album.

"Blood Sweat and Tears" (the band's second album) is a geat one, although it is DEFINITELY a reinvention of the band. I'm not saying it's better than their first album but it's still a damned good LP.

Whereas Weezer turned it into an art form all its own.

...as did the Small Faces.
There's actually 3 self titled Small Faces albums....though the last of the 3 is the first Faces album.

The Grateful Dead's 6th album is self titled (though known better as Skull and Roses)...it's very good.

The Band (their 2nd album) -- 'nuff said.

Heart's self-titled 1985 album, their eighth, revived their career, sold 5 million copies and spawned four top-10 hits, including their first #1 single, "These Dreams." It was a comeback, as you say, but easily ranks as one of their best.

Pearl Jam's second album originally had NO title. When the label forced one on them, they picked Vs.

(I can't back that up. I heard that somewhere.)

Columbia entitled a 2007 best-of compilation "Dylan", perhaps to make it to Bob for the 1973 outtakes collection with the same title, released as revenge for Zimmy's (temporary) defection to Asylum Records.

"Bob Dylan", Dylan's first album, has been in print for nearly fifty years. I wonder how many copies it's managed to sell...it's never received any sort of RIAA certification.

Genesis-Genesis was a damn good album, often referred to as the "Mama" album.

Traffic's second album (at least in the U.S.) was self-titled. It was pretty solid and (in my opinion) at least the equal of their debut, Mr. Fantasy.