Yes this is a kind of hoary old post, but what, totally acknowledged classic have you literally just heard and what did you think of it?
About three weeks ago I found a vinyl copy of Willie Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger” going for a tenner. “I have vaguely heard of this” says I, “And a tenner isn’t much for vinyl. I will have this.”
Folks I have been playing it obsessively ever since. And I know this album is the opposite of an undiscovered classic. I just never heard it before. I am 45. I know a lot about music.
Any of you lot had anything similar happen to you? “I am 50, and this great album called Thriller just entered my life.” Feel free to share here.
Nice work, Gangle! We live in a society where there is a lot of ridiculous one-upmanship about culture.
Never read a book by Dickens?
Never seen a play by Shakespeare?
Don’t know about Tartan Noir
My attitude is: Lucky you! You have a lot to look forward to,
Currently, I am at the Roskilde Festival,
A couple of new discoveries, Today, among others, I saw
Sharon
And Vinicio
Both excellent and artists I should have discovered earler
Most of the people who had already discovered Sharon Van Etten have discovered she has changed a bit. From slightly dull but worthy to wow!
I preferred the ‘dull but worthy ‘ phase I think. Maybe all the time travel and being killed and brought back to life she did in The OA messed with her head
I bought the Crazy Horse debut the other day because I had never heard it.
I don’t wanna talk about it is up there as one of my favourite all time songs. I had never heard the original version which I specifically bought the album for.
The album is great so too this song but I still think the Ian Matthews version is the definitive one.
I could give you a list of fifty albums or more that I’ve bought in the last couple of years, long after they’ve dropped out of the charts/been consigned to charity shops/had their anniversary deluxe edition boxset reissue.
I’m not sure if I’m late to the party – or if there was any party to being with for this record – but I’m gobsmacked as to just how good James Taylor’s 68 Apple L.P. is.
Lost in the Beatles’ shadow, and released within weeks of the White Album, Electric Ladyland and Beggar’s Banquet (did or could anyone keep up with all the scarcely believable run of releases at the end of 68?), it seems to have completely sunk without trace.
I have very mixed feelings about JT’s first album. It has some cracking songs, but it is so overproduced.
Carolina In My Mind is a prime example. In later live versions, stripped back to basics, it reveals itself as a beautiful song, but those backing vocals and the strings – de trop, monsieur.
See also: randy Newman’s first.
Too many to mention, but last night and this morning I have been very much enjoying The Happy Hammond Plays Great Western Movie Themes.
(NB: May not be an established classic.)
Pah – when it comes to Great Western Movies Themes, Geoff Love and his Orchestra make the Happy Hammond sound like the Cryin’ Casiotone.
Never fear, there is a healthy Geoff Love section chez Breakfast.
Schmexcellent…
(twirls pantomime mustache)
I suppose I ought to make an “organ” joke. Ain’t got time, the cellists need licking into shape.
On a more serious note, I recently bought used CDs of Unhalfbricking and Liege & Lief. Yes, yes, what took me so long…
It was finally brought on by a rather tasty British folk/folk rock charity shop vinyl haul, including both Trees albums, which Allmusic slightly unfavourably compare to the Fairport crew’s oeuvre.
All great, but I still prefer the Trees elpees.
I’ve got a vinly Liege and Lief. It’s shagged, but splendid. Rather like me.
More belonging on this thread, Lindisfarne’s Dingley Dell. Splendid! Not at all bad for a joke regional band with heritage facial hair. And the same label as Peter Gabriel’s car album.
I have an original pink label vinly L&L which is so shagged it must have been very busy back in the day and completely unplayable so i sprang for a nice pristine reissue which is lush.
I lent it to Tam Lin and it came back in that ruined condition.
Girls called Janet, eh. I married one, BTW.
PS. I fuckin’ love Trees. Seriously, doesn’t everyone?
I was asked yesterday to put some songs onto a cd for a friends Dad’s funeral. This was one of them and I was immediately filling up – God help me on the day. Brings back memories of cosy nights at home when I was about 7 or 8; tea and biscuits in front of the black and white telly . I love this.
My Dad had that single and now you’ve got me filling up.
It’s just a nice piece of music, well played. What’s not to love? Makes me think of being a kid again too…
One of the tunes I most frequently listen to. Brilliant.
Well, since you mention it: Thriller. Bought it and Off the Wall in the HMV sale to play at the cafe. Never felt the need to own either album before as 7 of the 9 tracks were singles, released at an age where I listened to Radio 1.
Both are great, although my timing was lucky – within a few weeks of playing them to a full cafe, the C4 doc came out. Doubt they’ll get much more play.
Not music but am finally reading my way through Neil Gaiman’s sandman series (the 30th anniversary re-issues). It is every bit as marvellous as I had been led to believe.
Love that Willie album. A fave of my late mother in law.
I was very late to the party on Miles’ “In a silent way” – like, shortly after the recent podcast – despite knowing his albums before and after it. Thanks to the other participants on that ‘cast for showing me the error of my ways.
When the 86 year old leaves we won’t see or hear a legacy as grand : he has a truly golden voice that he can get away with covering nearly anything. His Whiter Shade of Pale duet with Waylon Jennings is a bit shit, mind.
I love Willie on this – especially the harmony in the chorus where he is several miles behind the beat, and that unique lead guitar playing.
I was extremely late coming to The Zombies’ miraculous Odessey and Oracle. Didn’t hear it until my mid 40s, possibly in my top 10 of all time now.
I’m lucky, my parents bought it in ’69. My mother’s favourite album, with the possible exception of Well Respected Kinks or SF Sorrow. I discovered it in ’93 when it was still forgotten. It’s a masterpiece, everyone on it is at their peak.
I’m late to everything. Part of that is because the moment I hear hype, I run the opposite direction.
Latterly, I feel very late to the Robert Earl Keen party; a wonderfully witty story teller I only came across because he shared the Birchmere stage with Lyall.
Oh. And Karine Polwart (see posts passim).
Is there a REK party?
I have been a fan since hearing him on the Lost Highway sampler that was given away free in record shops many, many years back.
He’s never toured in Europe and remains an artist I would really like to see, but as far as I can tell remains unknown not just to most music fans outside North America (I would hazard unknown largely outside Texas) but I think unknown to all but a handful of Afterworders.
His songs are fine until he lays on a comedy brush and then it all goes wrong, selling umpteen live records of varying poorness. West Textures is however brilliant, from 1989.
Well, he sold out The Birchmere (with Lyall) to a crowd who knew every word.
Lucky to have seen him in Austin – excellent and lead me to buy his albums. Understand he has a fear of flying that has stopped him coming to UK.
Talk Talk – The Colour Of Spring.
Bought for £1 in a charity shop several years ago. Played once, confirming Life’s What You Make It is brilliant, and then put to one side.
About six months before Mark Hollis died, I bought Spirit Of Eden in Poundland, and thought I’d better listen to TCOS again before playing this. I must have now played TCOS a couple of dozen times, and it is quite wonderful, especially ‘April 5th’.
Spirit Of Eden has yet to grab me; it sounds like an unfinished TCOS, but I shall have to hurry up and listen to it some more, as I have ‘Laughing Stock’ in the pending pile.
Despite the laudable efforts of @feedback_file this band eludes me. I just hear dreary voice and turgid arrangements. I understand I’m the problem as so many people whose opinion I value like them. Never mind.
One day the magic will work. As ever music weaves it’s mysery in odd ways – but turgid arrangements ?? I don’t know of a more adventurous sounding album to have appeared under the guise of rock music. I will finally admit defeat though @Twang and stop the conversion therapy !
Two or three years ago I bought this vinyl called Dark Side Of The Moon by a band called Purple Floyd. It’s pretty good.
I think my previous aversion stemmed from the fact that a childhood friend played The Wall endlessly for years. Still don’t get that one, mainly, I think, due to the overblown production. It turned me off PF in general.
My favourite of theirs is Wish You Were Here though. Beautiful from start to finish.
Me too. Although still haven’t managed to listen to WYWH all the way through without nodding off.
Perhaps try it on 45 rpm.
Big Star – often spoken about with great reverence, but beyond September Gurls I didn’t own anything by them.
Couple of years ago, I bought the #1 Record / Radio City / Nothing Can Hurt Me DVD set – don’t think I played anything else for about 3 months.
Those 5 CD Original Album Series sets are also a great way to fill gaps in listening.
Or in my case, get the albums I thought I already owned
Exhibit A – I could’ve sworn I owned Teenage Fanclub’s Grand Prix. I was wrong, but 10 quid and 5 CDs later this oversight has been rectified
A couple of years back I watched Jurassic Park and the Back To The Future films for the first time. I did enjoy them, but I also felt like I was incapable of extracting maximum joy from them now that I was all growed up..
I too recently watched all three Back To The Future back to back, though I think I had seen II before. They hold up remarkably well, but I also feel if I had seen them back in the day (and I was the perfect age) I would have LOVED them.
I’ve had a weird thing happen lately in that while I’ve always liked the band A Place To Bury Strangers, something’s clicked in the last fortnight and I’ve suddenly gone right up to REALLY F’in LOVING them.
Maybe it’s a volume thing. A mood thing. I don’t get it. And maybe I shouldn’t interrogate it too much but I find it quite weird that songs I previously ‘quite liked’ I now think are masterpieces.