Album 'Growers' - Indifference to Appreciation

[Bluedroog]

As the tile suggest really, which albums were you completely under whelmed by on the first listen but slowly became to really like? I got this idea from reading the Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow thread and how many people seem to be growing to like this album the more they listen to it.

Sometimes I think you just need to hear an album a few times before you 'get it', other times I think some tracks just sound better once you're familiar with them. For me The XX album by the same name is a good example, first time I heard it I found it quite bland and couldn't understand the rave reviews it was getting, but it soon became one of my most listened to albums last year.

So how about you?

[keiths]

Joni Mitchell - 'Hejira'

I really hated this on first play back in the '80s, but after a few forced listens (poor student, so £4 on a record was a serious investment) it all started making sense. From then on it's become my favourite Joni Mitchell LP (and one of my favourite LPs by anyone - a real desert island disc)

Pink Floyd - 'Animals'

For ages this was my least-favourite Floyd album, but all of a sudden I started to enjoy it more and is now at least equal with 'Wish You Were Here' for me.

I'm sure there are lots more

[Macca]

Steely Dan - Everything must Go - that was a big disapointment on first listen but grew on me big time

[Border Riever]

Massive Attack -- Heligoland --
Not an Album which blew me away but every time after the first it just started to get better...

[Alex_UK]

Massive Attack -- Heligoland --
Not an Album which blew me away but every time after the first it just started to get better...

Hmmm... Bought this and only played it about twice I think, before shoving it away (and shuffling off despondently - I love all their other albums...) Well that's my challenge set, then - I will revisit it next. Thanks!

See, I have just in a round-a-bout way answered the thread question - I can't think of a single album that I have that has been a "grower" - usually, if I don't get it in a couple of listens I lose patience and it never sees the light of day again... Another New Year's resolution coming up, I think! (Or as my school report used to say year after year - "must try harder" ;))

[jazzpiano]

John Fahey - ...Deathchants and Military Breakdowns
Bert Jansch - A Rare Conundrum

~Barry

[Border Riever]

Yes Alex it's not an album that jumps out and grabs you and thinking back to when I first played it I think I was doing other things at the time so wasn't really listening to it.
It wasn't until I sat down and started to to listen to it I though actually this isn't a bad peace of music at all.. for me anyway..

[aquapiranha]

Richard Thompson's Mock Tudor took a while to grow on me, as did Rush's 2112 back in the day. Now I love 2112, it is one of my guilty pleasures.

[Pete The Cat]

The Fall - "This Nation's Saving Grace". They'd always done their best to put me off and succeeded much of the time. When this first came I out I thought it was just more of the same. Still, it was there in the background for a couple of years, played in the house I was sharing and always cropping up on John Peel. 26 years on and I'm often to be found going up the aisles in Sainsburys gently chanting "I Am Damo Suzuki". Curiously wonderful.

Pete

[JJack]

Anything by Robert Zimmerman.

Then I bought the SACD reissues and LISTENED. Big fan now.

[Spur07]

The most recent example for me is 'Measure' by Field Music. I've gradually grown to love this album.

If an album grabs you straight off the bat the chances are you'll soon grow bored of it. There is such a thing as a cheap hook, nice and shinny on the outside but ultimately without substance. Thrift stores are groaning under the weight of discarded Coldplay CD's.