Early flashes of genius to come

[Tactful Cactus]

Can we find examples of early work by great artists before they hit their stride that shows a glimpse of the genius to come, and did anyone (at the time) pick up on that glimpse as something special or noteworthy?

[Muskrat]

"Surfer Girl" was the first time I thought Brian was more than "pretty good."

[Matt Wilson]

"Surfer Girl" was the first time I thought Brian was more than "pretty good."

So nothing on the first two LPs was better than just pretty good?

[Six String]

Ryan Adams first solo album Heartbreaker

Bert Jansch first solo album

Ry Cooder's first solo album

All genius and I don't toss that label around much.

[Brickyard Jack]

Maybe not in the genius category, and almost certainly not quite what you were thinking about, but there is the now famous story about Susan Boyle recording Cry me a river for a charity CD supporting, I think, her local school. A journalist on the local paper reviewed the CD and singled out Boyle's tremendous rendition nearly ten years before her sensational appearance on Britain's got talent.

[Rorschach]

Maybe a daft response but this made me think of Bob Dylan's first album.

When I first heard it he was already a huge star with a huge back catalogue and reputation but I wasn't particularly familiar with much of it. When I first heard the first album, I had no idea which tracks were traditional and which were his own but "Talkin' New York" leapt out at me as being much more powerful than anything else on there.
Apparently, the album didn't cause that much of a stir at the time but at least Billboard magazine mentioned that track as a highlight.

For me looking back that song still represents an early indication of what he would achieve, while the rest of the album doesn't.

[GoogaMooga]

Surfer Girl, ditto.

[Tactful Cactus]

Maybe a daft response but this made me think of Bob Dylan's first album.

When I first heard it he was already a huge star with a huge back catalogue and reputation but I wasn't particularly familiar with much of it. When I first heard the first album, I had no idea which tracks were traditional and which were his own but "Talkin' New York" leapt out at me as being much more powerful than anything else on there.
Apparently, the album didn't cause that much of a stir at the time but at least Billboard magazine mentioned that track as a highlight.

For me looking back that song still represents an early indication of what he would achieve, while the rest of the album doesn't.

This is the precise example I had in mind when I put out the question. Its an album of mediocre cover versions and one standout song, which he happens to have written himself (Song to Woody). I doubt anyone predicted the super-stardom that lay ahead based on that song/album, no one could have, but I'm sure it was noticed that this guy could write something original that was beyond his years.

Side question -- at what point did Dylan become revered as the "voice of a generation" -- was it in the 60's or much later in retrospect?

[Rorschach]

Side question -- at what point did Dylan become revered as the "voice of a generation" -- was it in the 60's or much later in retrospect?

It was in the 60s. His second album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, along with singles like Blowin' in the Wind established him as number one in the folk/protest movement and his reputation just soared from there. His incredible body of work between 1963 and 1966 was recognised for what it was at the time.

[GoogaMooga]

Pablo Honey only had one good song - I never expected something as great as The Bends would follow.

[Muskrat]

"Surfer Girl" was the first time I thought Brian was more than "pretty good."

So nothing on the first two LPs was better than just pretty good?

I liked them but the third album was ‘way ahead of its predecessors.

[pcqgod]

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