Java or Python?

I know nothing of Java. I have done JavaScript and Python. I found Python rather refreshing after doing JavaScript. I can't imagine really that Java would require more code than Python, unless there are no frameworks available for Java. But I just did a quick search and there ARE frameworks for Java and in at least some peoples minds it is in very high demand. I have heard people say Python is a good first language. But, I think if you have been leaning toward Java you should do it. You can always learn others after. I do get the impression that Java is a bread and butter language. You probably can't go wrong in learning it.

Well... In my humble opinion (I simply don't want to start a programming language war here), language choice isn't really a big issue especially when you just starting out. Modern programming languages can pretty much do the same thing. Python is easier to learn comparing to Java. I'm fairly sure you can join the Python track without prior knowledge. Different languages have its own benefits and weeknesses. And for large tech corporations they use more than just one programming language. For example, Facebook uses a large amount of PHP, C++, Java and Python to achieve what they have today. If you could, learn both. But be sure to become a master in at least programming language.

I want to clarify that you don't need any prior knowledge to start either the Java or Python track on Treehouse, pretty much all of the Basic courses on Treehouse assumes that you have no prior programming knowledge.

I'm not sure where you read that the Python track requires previous knowledge, the Python basics course's introduction text specifically states that the course is meant for people new to programming.

Python is often considered to be easier for beginners nowadays, and it certainly has a simpler syntax overall. But Java has a long history as a beginner language as well. And while it has a bigger learning curve in the beginning I (personally) feel that it actually becomes pretty easy and pleasant to use once you get used to the general concept that rule the language.

Python and Java are fundamentally quite different languages in syntax and structure, which one you will end up liking best is hard to say as it is somewhat of a personal preference thing. My recommendation would be to take a look at the basic courses of both languages to get an idea of what the basic structure and workings of the languages are. And then continue learning about the language that resonated the most with you.

Ultimately you will likely end up learning both at some point anyway, as most programmers these days are expected to know multiple languages. That's not as hard as it sounds though, as once you master one language you will likely find that there is a lot of concepts that are very similar in other languages. Which make it far easier to learn them than when you learned your first language.