What Albums take you back to the summer you left School?

These stick in the memory.  James

I bought this the day after I left school. I'd heard it during the week and was stunned but had no money so cut all the neighbours' hedges that week to earn some cash.

I bought this the Saturday after it was released, coincidentally the same Saturday my parents were away and I was able to persuade my first real girlfriend to spend some time alone with me. Needless to say I didn't hear much of Who's Next until Sunday.

Tom,

I am going to have to find that Mountain album now.

I have not heard that for years man.

As for the rest of your post?Thats a thread in its own right.lol

Stu

The sound of my "Leaving Certificate" and early summer.

SJB

Have you had one of those vintage Bushmills?lol

Stu

Did they have records then? I don't seem to be able to remember!

OK then:-

Any excuse for that blue hat.

OK, so maybe I'm a few years older than that - so these are the albums I remember from back then (no and it wasn't Gracie Fields singing Sally much as I like Gracie). Here are some I remember from those hazy days of summer. 

In Search of Amelia Earhart by Plainsong

Tanz Der Lemmings by Amon Duul 2

Atem by Tangerine Dream 

Hands Off Jack The Ripper by Screaming Lord Sutch

(That was years before the Naim ripper)

The SpotLight Kid by Captain Beefheart

Eat A Peach by The Allman Brothers Band

Manfred Man's Earth Band

Pink Moon by Nick Drake

Grave New World by the Strawbs

Machine Head by Deep Purple

Lou Reed

Waterloo Lilly by Caravan 

Schools Out by Alice Cooper

Trilogy by ELP

Waka Jawaka by Frank Zappa's Hot Rats

Chicago V

All Together Now by Argent

Below The Salt by Steeleye Span 

Stardancer by Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine

I also used to play the Shirley Collins tracks from Morris On and No Roses every chance I got. I don't think there has ever been a singer before or since that came close to Shirley for me. Sandy Denny was a great singer and wrote lots of fantastic songs (the greatest singer/songwriter ever - quite probably), but even she could not surpass Shirley's vocal quality. Imagine being able to say that you could go and see Shirley, Sandy and Annie Haslam at their peak. I was very very lucky

Those were great times: it was the high point of progressive music, before the AOR dross took over. Thankfully Punk Rock blew most of the AOR dross away, only to be supplanted by disco dross (thanks Bee Gees and you used to be so good). 

If I had to pick my favourite album of that year then it would have to be the first on my list. I wore the thing out; magnificent music. 

Still those days have gone forever, over a long time a go. 

Stones - Emotional rescue

Chris

I left school in December.

Surf's Up and Imagine.

 July 1976 left school and played this all summer

I had a blurred (in more ways than one) transition between leaving school & leaving college. In those days going to Uni was a rare event for the downtrodden classes,  so I ended up working & studying part & full time for best part of 8 years. But I think I get the general idea,  like what records influenced you most in yer yoof. 

I spent a lot of time watching the live bands of legend so tended to just get records as reminders of the bands & those gigs & a Dansette does not really cut the mustard after spending most weekends listening to the greatest bands of the 1960's - live.  I think the measure of the greatness are those I have replaced with CD,  but my old records are still alive & well & do get a spin from time to time.

But the stand-out records & why ..................  

Fairport Convention - great gigs & nights out with loads of people that were part of the scene before they got famous.  Secret desires over Sandy Denny,  Liege & Lief got worn out in a remarkably short time.  But hanging around & sometimes playing with people from those times are real memories.    

Are You Experienced - That started my Henrix appreciation & caused great consternation over elegance to Clapton & the purist approach to the blues.   

Axis Bold as Love -  that record is on the list because of the stereo effects that I heard first time on a top of the range "stereo" (can't recall what make) at one of those infamous weekend parties of those times.  But it lit the light that started my hi-fi journey. 

Sgt Pepper - I "got" Pepper one hot summer sunday laying with friends & herb in a park watching blue sky & listening to a brass band.  After that the Beatles got my undivided attention as that record  took them out of pop into what we considered at the time to be serious music. It caused me to look into the structure of their music & was amazed at what I found.    

Pink Floyd  -  I am now a real fan of Floyd,  but not the stuff of the early years.

I saw them play around Cambridge in various guises before they were called Pink Floyd,  but did not understand what they were about until DSOTM,  I guess I did not understand the Syd stuff - still don't. 

Lucky man! Which venues?

What were there guises before they were Pink Floyd?

They didnt play live until they all got it together.

Stu

They couldnt play.

Rick Wright was the only one that could play and he had to tune Rogers bass and Nicks drum heads.

I was still at school, but that album remains a big part of my life's soundtrack. Unfortunately, I only have it on vinyl and have no TT.

Th' Dudes

Drink yourself more piss bliss,

Forget about the last one

get yourself another

...

Pink Floyd  -  Which venues & guises?

venues????     'err no.    Richard and/or Roger were friends of a friend so we tended to drift around the same places.  I watch them playing (messing around) with others in a pub back room & have vague other memories of similar events with various mix of people. 

I was not there for the music (wink wink) I got that in clubs & places around London that had people who were making it in the big time.   

I did see them once in London in a more serious line up - this was a year or more later probably around 1966 as I was then at Bristol Tech - but was not impressed if I remember.

The first time I personally associated those times with the band Pink Floyd was when I met up with my student buddy who said remember those guys ……… well they are the group in the hit parade with  Arnold Layne.     

These two stand out as the new releases most played the first half of that summer