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Author: M. Johnson
Date: 04-12-12 19:09
Long ago I had a girlfriend....
What? Oh, I mean a girlfriend who would pick up albums by any particular artist at random.
I didn't notice it until, over the course of a couple of months, she'd come home from the record store with these first purchases- artists she owned no other records by:
Tori Amos, Boys For Pele
Sundays, Blind
Dylan, Hard Rain
Neil Young, Comes A Time
Liz Phair, Whitechocolatespaceegg
PJ Harvey, Dance Hall at Louse Point
Ever know anyone like this? Ever done it yourself?
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Author: rebelwithoutaclue
Date: 04-12-12 20:47
price was defintely an incentive for picking up albums as a youth. i went to garage sales and would just buy anything by an artist i heard of
so if i saw anything that was 1-3 bucks in the used record store by a artist i liked i picked it up without knowing one song on it. did
examples of some things i bought.
first dylan albums- planet waves, self portrait.
stones- goats head soup
george harrison- george harrison, extra texture
wings- wild life
neil young- trans
jimi hendrix- about a dozen post death albums put out by various labels
kinks- schoolboys in disgrace, soap opera
list goes on
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Author: nosepail
Date: 04-12-12 22:37
Well, I think Sundays, Blind and Liz Phair, Whitechocolatespaceegg are perfectly fine purchases but if you're going to buy a lone Lou Reed record it shouldnt be Coney Island Baby.
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Author: Delvin
Date: 04-13-12 12:29
My friend who has hassled me over my radio show — the guy who accused me of being too cool to play new tunes by the old fake-rock bands — does that pretty frequently. He'll pick out LPs from the cheapo bin, and if he finds an unexpected treasure, that's great. If not, well, there's always next time.
I've bought a lot of albums without knowing a single note in advance, based on good reviews I'd read. I guess that's not "clueless," though, since a well-written review should offer clues on what to buy, right?
And I have bought a few records sound unheard, based on a cover that I liked, or just on a hunch. That includes The Brains' first LP and a Be Bop Deluxe 2-LP compilation.
On the other hand, I've picked up debut albums in the store, looked at the cover, and without hearing a note, figured I was looking at an artist who was likely to be here today, gone tomorrow. Two artists I judged that way, just on that first impression of the cover? Pat Benatar and Van Halen.
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Author: M. Johnson
Date: 04-13-12 13:08
Yes, but this girl wasn't buying cheap bins or used.
Actually, there was a time she had a theft-insurance claim, and got to walk into the biggest record store and walk out with 100 new CDs. I knew that store- it was stocked with everything. Yet, unfailingly, she'd be like "I don't have any Dylan albums. Hmm there are 40 to choose from. I guess I'll get this one- "Hard Rain." And everyone in my university classes is always talking about how great "To Bring You My Love" is- I think I'll try "Louse Point."
Eventually she had a CD collection 80% of which were weak albums that had soured her on the artists she'd otherwise have loved.
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Author: Heff
Date: 04-13-12 14:15
I did that a lot in college. I ordered from the Subterranean mail-order catalog this way.
Clubfoot Orchestra - okay
Minimal Man - I remember going back and forth on this one, I finally broke down and got it on the third order. It wasn't that great but then I went ahead and ordered a single by them (because it was described as 'rockin') and it was great.
Code of Honor - generic SoCal punk - don't know why I decided on that one.
MDC - again I don't why I ordered it
Tuxedomoon - A Thousand Lives By Picture - great, great album. I didn't realize until later that it was a compilation.
Verbal Abuse - the only reason I got it was that it was described as having an awesome cover of 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' and it did! Rest of the album, not so good.
Stikky - one listen was enough
Tragic Mulatto - this album was a 12 inch that played at 45rpm. I didn't know that at first so it played really slow. I didn't know the difference.
DOA - Let's Wreck the Party - Another one I wavered one, I liked the title and now I'm glad I went for it - great album.
The Longshoremen - I bought two albums by these poet punks. I don't know what possessed me to buy two. I'm sure I figured I would be able to use it to impress some girls. Didn't work.
Subterranean was a great label and also to order from. On one particular order, the aformentioned MDC album was out of stock, so they threw in a bonus record and said they would send it to me when they got more. I figured oh well, I'll never hear from them again. But sure, enough I got it a couple of weeks later.
At that time I would buy most anything that wasn't played on the radio (college was a great time for me and music) and would trek on down to Tower Records when I was home on break and load up on whatever was recommended:
Bad Brains - I Against I (easily the best purchase I made this way)
Aztec Camera - High Land, Hard Rain and the second one
Thelonious Monster - I couldn't pass up an album called "Baby, You're Bumming Out My Life in a Supreme Fashion" Unfortunately, the title was the best thing about it.
and many more.
The sad thing is that now that I have more disposable income, I'm also more particular to what I buy and don't seem to be so willing to take a chance on unknown stuff.
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Author: HollowbodyKay
Date: 04-13-12 15:10
Quote:
I've bought a lot of albums without knowing a single note in advance, based on good reviews I'd read. I guess that's not "clueless," though, since a well-written review should offer clues on what to buy, right?
My friend Andre is forever saying that "One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore."
The putz.
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