Albums which blew you away on first play.
Posted by: dave marshall on 16 August 2018
The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced.
I've just mentioned this album over on the "University" topic, and I can still remember bringing it home from the record shop and
being absolutely gobsmacked, hearing it for the first time.
I'd never heard anything remotely like it before, and to say that the first listening was jaw dropping would be an understatement
indeed.
So, what album had a similar effect on you, the memory of which has stayed with you till this day?
So a few people have mentioned it, but I think it deserves a picture.
Generally I find that albums which 'blow me away' on first listen don't stand the test of time. For me it's most often those which take several plays before they start to make sense that have the enduring appeal. Close to the Edge by Yes was one such album. On first play it was just so alien that I was most upset that I'd wasted my pocket money. But I couldn't afford to buy many records, which in money terms weren't any different to today's ticket prices, but in real terms were ridiculously expensive. Hence, I had to live with it and play it. Eventually after a half-dozen or more plays I had that "OMG this is brilliant!" epiphany.
Conversely, and a record which disproves that theory is this one, the Who's Quadrophenia. The sound of the sea on the beach, the four themes and then Daltrey opening with "Can ya see the real me, can ya? Can ya?" Then the power chords, the crashing drums of Keith Moon and I was instantly hooked. And have been ever since. One of the finest rock albums ever. Ever.
I first heard this when it came out, in early 1977. It was on a crappy old EMI Soundhog blank tape. An older boy at school taped it for me, as I was 14 at the time and LPs were very expensive and unaffordable to us lower middle class types.
Even though I was listening to it on one of those mono Philips portable cassette machines (sometimes with a single earpiece) in my bedroom or on the family's Ferguson Studio 6 music centre in the front room, I used to play it endlessly. I hadn't been listening to music seriousy for that long, and liked Bowie a lot, but I'd never heard anything like this. It was utterly spellbinding.
The 'sound' of it (much later I learned a lot of the album's unique sound was down to producer Tony Visconti's heavy use of the Eventide Harmoniser), the strange and exotic textures, the enigmatic lyrics, the synths, the arty, downbeat music on side two... all heaven to these teenage years.
In those pre-internet days, Bowie - someone whom I (and tens of thousands of others) regarded as a person of exquisite and cutting edge tastes, was a kind of search engine, a Google in human form. If you read in the papers that he liked a certain artist or kind of music; if he was working with someone; or had namechecked someone, you sought out that person or that genre. Thus, Low led me on a journey of discovery to all manner of outré music, from Neu! to Penderecki through to the Stooges and Eno.
In 1980, after having worn out endless tapes of it, I finally bought it on LP and still have many copies of it - including a much-prized Japanese LP. I still play it regularly. For me, it is the apex of The Dame's long and remarkable career. And I still think "Subterraneans" is one of the loveliest pieces of music ever made.
I keep reading the words "when it came out", except I keep reading them as "when I came out".
There's probably some deep psycholocical stuff going on in my brain here, but without getting into that, could folks please consider using the words "when it was first released" ?
Thanks in advance, Roger 
Tell me about your childhood, Roger 
Kevin-W posted:I first heard this when it came out, in early 1977. It was on a crappy old EMI Soundhog blank tape. An older boy at school taped it for me, as I was 14 at the time and LPs were very expensive and unaffordable to us lower middle class types.
Even though I was listening to it on one of those mono Philips portable cassette machines (sometimes with a single earpiece) in my bedroom or on the family's Ferguson Studio 6 music centre in the front room, I used to play it endlessly. I hadn't been listening to music seriousy for that long, and liked Bowie a lot, but I'd never heard anything like this. It was utterly spellbinding.
The 'sound' of it (much later I learned a lot of the album's unique sound was down to producer Tony Visconti's heavy use of the Eventide Harmoniser), the strange and exotic textures, the enigmatic lyrics, the synths, the arty, downbeat music on side two... all heaven to these teenage years.
In those pre-internet days, Bowie - someone whom I (and tens of thousands of others) regarded as a person of exquisite and cutting edge tastes, was a kind of search engine, a Google in human form. If you read in the papers that he liked a certain artist or kind of music; if he was working with someone; or had namechecked someone, you sought out that person or that genre. Thus, Low led me on a journey of discovery to all manner of outré music, from Neu! to Penderecki through to the Stooges and Eno.
In 1980, after having worn out endless tapes of it, I finally bought it on LP and still have many copies of it - including a much-prized Japanese LP. I still play it regularly. For me, it is the apex of The Dame's long and remarkable career. And I still think "Subterraneans" is one of the loveliest pieces of music ever made.
Bravo - beautifully put. I'm going to play it now!!
Clive B posted:
So a few people have mentioned it, but I think it deserves a picture.
Generally I find that albums which 'blow me away' on first listen don't stand the test of time. For me it's most often those which take several plays before they start to make sense that have the enduring appeal. Close to the Edge by Yes was one such album. On first play it was just so alien that I was most upset that I'd wasted my pocket money. But I couldn't afford to buy many records, which in money terms weren't any different to today's ticket prices, but in real terms were ridiculously expensive. Hence, I had to live with it and play it. Eventually after a half-dozen or more plays I had that "OMG this is brilliant!" epiphany.
Conversely, and a record which disproves that theory is this one, the Who's Quadrophenia. The sound of the sea on the beach, the four themes and then Daltrey opening with "Can ya see the real me, can ya? Can ya?" Then the power chords, the crashing drums of Keith Moon and I was instantly hooked. And have been ever since. One of the finest rock albums ever. Ever.
Of course I agree with the record in question! I think this post also makes a very good point - about the albums that have stood the test of time OR NOT! I don't want to hijack the thread, but it might be interesting if posts were to mention if the record has stood the test of time for them as well as the initial impact. It might be fun to see the ones that did make it and ones that didn't.
Here is one from me: U2 - The Joshua Tree - when I got it in 1987 I thought it was great. It went quickly off and I can't stand U2 any more!
Isao Suzuki - Blue City, TBM
A few from memory which really stand out:
The Story of the Who c.1977 - played on my dad's chisel-stylused Ultra record player. I recollect playing this as loud as I dare in our terraced house, always checking to see if neighbour's cars were outside. Strangely, I didn't listen to Who's Next until 2005 and that also blew me away and brought back many memories.
John Miles - Zaragon c.1983 - this just leapt off the record at me.
Joe Jackson - Jumpin' Jive c.1985 - great fun and an introduction to a new genre, noting Joe's albums are different in style.
Dave Brubeck - Live at Carnegie Hall - I'd not explored jazz much and the likes of Take Five was pretty much elevator music to me but this was ear-opening, with so much power and energy.
King Curtis - Live at Fillmore West - R&B at its best - such a fun album, again full of power and energy.
Sarah Jane Morris - August - her vocal style and phrasing caught my ear and I was hooked.
..notable absence of Coldplay on this thread 
The Yes Album
Emerson,Lake and Palmer's first album.
Deep Purple In Rock.
Dave Brubeck Time Out.
Neil Young Harvest.
All the above were played at least 4 or 5 times on first hearing them 
Not so much an album that blew me away - although its a damn good album anyway - it was one track.
Alvin Lee's "Nineteen Ninety-Four" track 5 " The Bluest Blues"
I've been an Alvin Lee fan from his days with Ten Years After, he's an outstanding guitarist, pure & simple. Anyhow, getting back to the album & track 5 ........ it's a beautiful guitar duet with George Harrison, George plays slide, the track is rated as "the most perfect blues song ever written" ......... can't disagree with that - & then some. Another amazing track is John Lennon's "I Want You" (She's So Heavy), again with GH. The rest of the album is all good with some of Alvin's classic standards & for me one album I would never be without.
I originally bought it as a vinyl, but it got well worn & when I moved to streaming none of the streaming vendors have it & I could only get hold of an MP3 copy. So I looked around for a CD to rip & found it on Amaz.com (USA). In USA the original album is published under a different title as "I Hear You Rockin' ". I just looked around the www again & see it with some totally madness prices, £150 !!! you cannot be serious !!!!.
I bought it as a 2015 remastered release on the Rainman label, the latest price on The Big River (USA) is $13.95.
The whole album is a classic & is a must have if for all Alvin Lee fans & any electric blues guitar enthusiasts.
Lambchop - "Nixon"
I bought this as it was on some best of the year lists at the time and I was intrigued by the description of the music. It was quite unlike anything I had heard before and I still love it to this day. For me it's their best album.
well, well, well … 2 albums in 1 night!!!
My dear wife is out tonight and I had time to listen to some albums a friend had dropped off at a decent volume … and two of them were wows on first listen
Philip Glass, etudes - had heard of him but never any of his works, these etudes are marvellous, must buy a CD of them for myself (still not convinced about his operas though).
Ravel's Bolero - ok we have all heard this when those 2 skaters were doing their thing but this is the first time I had actually listened to it properly; Bernard Haitink and the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1998 (I think) were a revalation. Still don't like a lot of Ravel's works too much but this track was a winner right from the off and had me sitting up and paying close attention.
Probably not correct from the OP title since I had to wade through all the other tracks to get to this one (it is the last track) but worth it when I got there.
I note both of these are rather repetitive architectures and wonder if this is a reflection of getting older (& wiser?) since I am also partial to a bit of Bach fugues as well.
... anyway, a really enjoyable evening to myself with not 1, but 2 wow moments.
Allan
