Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[BlueMeanie]

Ever taken a risk and paid good money for an album you've never heard, or by an artist you'd never heard of? And then it turns out to be one of your favourite albums? This has happened to me quite a few times. In the 70's I used to regularly buy stuff I'd never heard of, either on recommendation, or just because I had a good feeling about it. In fact, my favourite album of all time was bought under these circumstances - Something/Anything, by Todd Rundgren.



A double, self indulged masterpiece, on which Rundgren playes all the instruments on the first 3 sides, recording the 4th side 'live' in the studion with a band.  In my opinion he never bettered this.

Last year I bought an album just because I liked the title: Shootenanny, by The Eels.



It's good clean guitar pop, with references to Beck, Wilco, and Karl Wallinger. I've never really enjoyed any of their other records.

A couple of years ago I heard the name Devendra Banhart, and thought that anyone with a name like that deserved my attention. After seeing the cover to 'Cripple Creek' I had to have it.



For anyone who's never heard it, Cripple Creek fuses Brazilian Tropicalia, 50s-tinged Spector-esque guitar pop, and hippy freak-out. Marvellous stuff.

Last up. Earlier this year, on another forum, someone posted the sleeve of an album by Bill Fay, called 'Time of the Last Persecution'.



Recorded in 1971, and then all but forgotten, on the cover Bill looks like Charles Manson after a very large bong. It's a mixture of folk, blues, and psychadelia, and a wonderful relic from a time when the 70's was beginning to wake up to the excesses of the 60's.

So what have you risked your hard earned cash on?

[Joost]

I do that all the time. I often buy CDs without ever having heard anything by the artist. If I read or hear about a CD that seems interesting I'll search for some reviews on Google. And if the album gets good ratings and it's compared to artists that I like I'll just get it. Of course that's a bit risky, but on the other hand it's fun, it's like buying yourself a present cause you're not sure what you're gonna get.

The last album I bought this way was the latest album by Super Fury Animals. And I love it.

[BlueMeanie]

I don't listen to music radio much, and even though most of my friends have reasonably good taste, and my local bar plays some excellent stuff, I still would never have heard some of the stuff that I love if I hadn't taken the risk.

I go through Amazon Listmania sometimes, for recommendations.

[Andy Smith]

The last album I bought this way was the latest album by Super Fury Animals. And I love it.

Yes, i got that album as well, it's a very good album, even though
i'm not huge on them.

[mr kite]

I`ve taken a few chances over the years , and the one that stands out is
Long Gone Before Daylight  - The Cardigans , a classic
Oh B.M . i Have That Devendra Banhart album  
If i lived in China i`d have Chinese children     

[tkitna]

'Cosmic Thing' - The B-52's

Never thought i'd like something like that and its probably a top 20 album of all time for me. Ironically, I never cared for any of their other albums near as much.

[Klang]

...Ironically, I never cared for any of their other albums near as much.

Give 'Wild Planet' another shot.