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Records Worth Re-listening to

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Ok dumb question, most of us will listen to favourite albums dozens or hundreds of times, but which album have you listened to the most? Not necessarily your favourite album

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  1. June 84, was working and living in London. Springsteen’s Born in the USA is released. I went to HMV in my lunch break and managed to stop off at home to listen to the first few tracks on my way back to work. Sounded pretty good.

    Then I played the rest later that day. I think that I hardly listened to any other music for over a year. Played it pretty much every day, so probably 300-400 times. It’s not my favourite Springsteen album and I rarely play it any more, although I fairly recently picked up a Japanese 40th anniversary edition (includes a full 1985 live show too, and books, posters etc)

  2. Fugazi by Marillion. Not my favourite (that’s The Wall), but it is the best album by my favourite band. It’s also the one – along with Dark Side of the Moon, probably – that I’ve owned in the most formats (cassette, LP, CD, remastered 2CD, box set).

    I expect close seconds would be Hounds of Love by Kate Bush, and Inner Pale Sun by Arcana.

    • Just thought of another that I’ve played far more than almost anything: if we can include compilations, The Collection by Ultravox. One of the best “hit singles only” compilations.

  3. This is a really hard one to answer because there have certainly been extended periods where Mrs BC had had the same CD in the family car for months – but I probably tuned them out after a while, so I don’t think those ones count.

    I’ll go with New Gold Dream 81/82/83/84 – Simple Minds. I played it to death at the time and it has been consistently actively listened to and purchased on all formats. I still love it.

    • I think it’s also New Gold Dream for me. I have it on CD three times so I have one in my den, one in the kitchen/sitting room and one at work so I can play it whenever I feel like it. It’s not my favourite album but it’s one that I turn to frequently whenever I fancy just putting some music on. No skippable tracks. I still love listening to it. I picked up a new to me CD player last week and NGD was the first album I played on it.

      • For a long time I used to skip Colours Fly and King is White…but I particularly like those ones now, so yes, every track unskippable.

        I remember Jim Kerr talking about Trans Europe Express as inspiration and you can certainly hear that on the title track and Hunter and the Hunted – these are songs that feel like you are part of a very long journey – when you leave them, they disappear over the horizon rather than fade out.

        • It is indeed near enough flawless.

          I’ve been following the schism between Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill versus The Minds (pretty much the other founding members including the mighty Mr Forbes.) It appears Kerr and Burchill have pretty much written everyone else out of the early years. Kerr allegedly gets royalties for instrumentals like ‘Theme for Great Cities’ even though he can’t write or play a note.

  4. Ever? Probably Aqualung by TMT or possibly Blue Valentine by Tom Waits. Mind you I played my Dad’s LP of Beethoven’s 5th endlessly before I even had any albums.

  5. A good question.

    Probably a 60s album as I had so few that I played them to death. The first I ever had was With The Beatles in 1963 and I must have listened to it hundreds of times.

    • A good point. When I only had 10 LPs or so they would have been played a lot more than when I had 1000. So A Hard Day’s Night would be up there along with Rolled Gold and Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits.

      • Yes, for me it’s either A Hard Day’s Night or Songs In The Key Of Life by Stevie Wonder, which I listened obsessively to as a child but also kept listening to over the years (if not quite as often as I did back then). I’d probably still put both of them in my Top Ten favourite albums today.

  8. The 3 that spring immediately to mind are Eden by EBTG,the Wong People by Furniture and Life’s Rich Pageant by REM. As my collection has increased time has been spread ever thinner so it’s unlikely that I will ever listen to any album as often. I do however love finding a new gem and playing it as much as I can. The Queen of Denmark by John Grant and These Frightening Machines by Katherine Priddy are examples. (Even though, as I have just realised, Q of D is now 18 years old!)

  9. I have absolutely no idea. I know as a yoof DSotM was listened to incessantly which is probably why I can’t abide it anymore but surprisingly this doesn’t apply to Stormcock which I still listen to now and again. I guess albums from Joni Mitchell would be up there in the reckoning along with albums from Steely Dan, Little Feat and Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt. I used to love Yes so Close to the Edge, Fragile and The Yes Album would be in the running along with both of the Hatfield and the North albums. A few outliers spring to mind in the form of Hot Rats, After the Goldrush and Hunky Dory. The Beatles and Dylan are a given. Post Punk it was all Joy Division, Gang of Four et al. So something amongst those or probably one that’s become obscured by the fog of time will in all likelihood be the one I’ve played the most. Whether it’s the music I’ve heard the most is a different conundrum and one that I doubt I could ever hope to answer.

  11. Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole And The Commotions is probably it. I spent nearly a year cycling to my Saturday job in a Waitrose when I was 16 and it was the only tape I ever needed in my Walkman.

  12. In amongst the first ten albums I ever owned, and still played:
    All Mods, Setting Sons, Sound Affects
    Parallel Lines
    London Calling
    There were others – Out of the Blue and Discovery – on heavy rotation aged 12 and dropped like a stone by `14.
    Also put it to you that anyone who doesn’t say Abba Gold is lying. When the kids were about 6/7 the go-to car cd. No place it doesn’t work.

  13. Rock of the Westies by Elton John. Not a favourite but certainly most heard, from the time I owned only 15-20 lp records. I don’t know, it was Elton with a new band, sounding way funkier than ever before. Very upbeat and great musicianship. Somewhat different but instantly recognisable. Loved it in the late 70’s.

    Fun fact: popular vocal trio LaBelle was supposed to come to the Caribou ranch where it was recorded, to put some backing vocals on songs and they are mentioned in the album liner notes to have done so. What happened in the words of producer Gus Dudgeon, “there were some problems and LaBelle never arrived. So I waited for everybody to leave, went into the vocal booth, closed my eyes and sang the chorus three times the best I could”.

  14. As a young kid, probably “A Journey Into Stereo Sound’ or Hancock’s ‘Blood Donor/Radio Ham’ LP.
    Later, almost certainly Bill Wither’s ‘Live At Carnegie Hall’ when it came out in 1973.

  15. Difficult to say…but on balance, it would be one of Country Life by Roxy, Still Life by VdGG or BPO/Karajan Sibelius 4th from 1963. Respectively: first decent record actually chosen by me; first progressive LP I ever owned; and first classical LP that I bought with my own money. All played until the vinyl was nearly see-through – and still owned and played.

  17. Longevity is a crucial factor:

    With The Beatles was the first LP that was ‘mine’.
    Songs For Swinging Lovers was always on in my house.
    Aladdin Sane is probably most played.
    Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons was my introduction to classical and I own multiple versions.
    Waltz For Debby was my entry into jazz.
    More Songs About Buildings And Food helps me make sense of a bewildering world.
    Swordfishtrombones is a portal to a different existence.
    Automatic For The People provided solace when my dad died.
    When Anthology and the Good Vibrations box were released, I compiled and recompiled Get Back and SMiLE and have never stopped.
    Into the 21st Century, DAMN., Untrue, and No Deal have been most frequent.
    The most recent one rapidly climbing is Promises.

    There have been months I listened to nothing but Coltrane, then Miles, then Aretha, then Steely Dan. If we are talking artists I’ve listened to most, it would be those plus Bowie.

    • In recent times (since 1988) The Waterboys ‘Fisherman’s Blues’ has been amonget my most played albums.

      Then there’s several albums by Jimmy LaFave that are played at least once a week as are the albums from Jackie Leven’s magnificent catalogue.

      Others that get regular play The Byrds ‘Fifth Dimension, Big Big Train ‘English Electric’, Muddy Waters ‘Hard Again’

      Then there’s the obvious, to me anyway that have had the most plays ever and still do, ‘Highway 61 Revisited’, ‘Revolver’, St. Dominic’s Preview’, Springsteen’s ‘The Rising’, ‘Forever Chsnges’

      I could go on, I play music a lot.

      • Do you have the “Fisherman’s Box 6CD” set, Bingo?

        If you love the Fisherman’s Blues album, it’s well worth getting. And when it was released, it was really cheap, too.
        Mike and the band recorded so much brilliant stuff over that 2-year period that they could easily have put out 14 or 15 vinyl LPs of new material. Whittling it all down to one 40-minute album must’ve been incredibly difficult.

        As you probably know, a further 3 CDs of unreleased recordings from that era came out a few weeks ago, in the form of the “Atlantic Rain” set. In my view, the first CD maintains the high standard of the big “Fisherman’s Box”, but the second and third discs are less impressive.

        • The Atlantic Rain set is highly recommended IMHO, the first 2 CDs are excellent and CD3 is the Jam CD which is also very enjoyable once again IMHO opinion. I can also very highly recommend the ‘Strange Boat’ EP which accompanies the Box Set if you buy from The Waterboys site.

        • Sadly not. I don’t own a CD player these days, and I can’t find it on vinyl or streaming. A friend picked up the box last year and keeps telling me it’s amazing. All a bit torturous.

          I have listened to Atlantic Rain, and enjoyed it, although agree the first disc is the strongest.

          I am sorely tempted by the Fisherman’s Blues show the Waterboys are playing at the O2 next month, but we have a household birthday the next day, so parental duty will probably keep me away. Next time!

          • Atlantic Rain condenses to a very decent 60 odd minutes. Mainly the first album. The covers and the jams are less essential, but I do rather like the spiky mandolin jangle of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.

  19. The Blues vol.1, a Chess compilation that was my intro to ver blues.
    Five Leaves Left – Nick Drake
    The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter – ISB
    Music in a Doll’s House – Family
    Ascenseur pour l’échafaud – Miles Davis
    Abbey Road but all the Fabs
    Blood on the Tracks but all Dylan
    Sail Away – Randy Newman
    Pontiac – Lyle Lovett
    Dixie Chicken – Little Feat
    Yellow Moon – Neville Bros
    Blue Valentine – Tom Waits
    I’m Your Man – Leonard Cohen
    Lush Life – John Coltrane
    Nocturne – Oliver Nelson

    Better stop there.

  20. It’s impossible to be completely certain but I could probably narrow it down to:

    Parallel Lines (Blondie)
    The Gift (Jam)
    Hatful Of Hollow (Smiths)
    Rattlesnakes (Lloyd Cole)
    Skylarking (XTC)

    All fabulous, all still regularly listened to. I do like other types of music too though, honest!

  22. I’ve never really thought what album I’ve played the most.

    For movies, it’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or the Blues Brothers, each of which I’ve probably seen literally hundreds of times by now and can quote in their entirety.

    For books, it’s probably Wodehouse’s Psmith series, because I started with them so young, and have gone back to them so frequently. Or maybe A Christmas Carol, which gets an airing every December.

    Albums is much tougher. Probably one of Siamese Dream, Astral Weeks or Logical Progression 1. But who knows – we’re talking maybe thousands of listens over decades.

  24. Since 1972, my ‘go to’ album has been the double album, Manassas by the band, Manassas, led by Stephen Stills. It’s the first one which came to mind though there others from that time which have been listened to many times.

  25. Abbey Road – The Beatles (my 15th birthday present in late 1969 and have owned in various formats since)
    Feats Don’t Fail Me Now – Little Feat (my flat mate in mid 1970s introduced me to them as well as Steely Dan, Bob Dylan and lots of either great acts. He was also a Grateful Dead fan, but I am still trying – and mostly failing – to get my head round them)
    In the Land of Grey and Pink – Caravan (my go-to in-car record)
    The Wall – Pink Floyd (it might not even be their best but it’s the one I play most and have done since it was released in 1979(?))

    Current in-car favourite CD, pretty much on a loop for the past year or so, is Songs of a Lost World – The Cure. It’s a good-un.

  26. For me it’s more songs than albums, I’m happy to play A Day In The Life again and again but not so much the album it comes from. Many albums have lesser tracks that you can skip. Exile On Main St is very much an album I can take all of no problem. It’s been going strong in my world since the 70s, as has Station To Station. These two albums have grown in my appreciation if anything.

  27. I guess any list would include these:

    Early records in the days, as others have said above, when I only owned a few
    Creedence – Cosmos Factory; the first album I owned. Still gets an outing from time to time
    Bob – Blood on the Tracks and Highway 61 Revisited
    Van – St Dominic’s Preview
    Bruce – the Wild the Innocent
    Eric – 461 Ocean Boulevard
    Rory – Live in Europe
    Paul S – Still Crazy
    Fabs – Blue Album, Let it Be and Abbey Road

    Later records (or ones I came to later) that mean a lot to me and which I have always loved since I first heard them

    Emmylou – Wrecking Ball
    Style Council – Cafe Bleu
    Television- Marquee Moon
    Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean
    David B – Station to Station and Black Star
    Van – Astral Weeks
    Lucinda – Car Wheels

  28. The combination of having (by current standards) a modest size collection, my first car with a tape player. LPs recorded onto TDK 90 minute tape. Access to music on the move and Walkman. Remain in Light (Talking Heads) and Tin Drum (Japan). Never tired 45 years later.

  29. It’s a toss up between Solid Air by John Martyn, Lifes Rich Pageant by R.E.M and Swordfishtrombones/Rain Dogs by Tom Waits.
    I originally had both those Waits’ albums on a cassette and in my head I can’t separate them as I played that tape incessantly at the time.

  30. Likely to be:
    The Who – Quadrophenia
    Pink Floyd – The Wall
    Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks
    Iron Maiden – Live After Death

    After that, it would probably a suite of compilations rather than “proper” albums

    The Jam – Snap
    Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady
    The Clash – The Story Of The Clash
    Squeeze – Singles 45s and Under
    Stiff Little Fingers – All The Best
    Undertones – Cher O’Bowlies

    Any one of those compilations bears repeated listening, and never disappoints

  31. Leaving aside the albums I played until they were worn out because I only had 10 in my collection, I would say it’s a toss-up between Neil Young’s Freedom and Roger McGuinn’s Back From Rio, both of which got played to death when they first came out, and still get a regular airing even now.

  32. Apart from the diehards Blood On The Tracks, It’s Too Late To Stop Now, Big Pink, Marquee Moon, Pretzel Logic, Paradise and Lunch, Late For The Sky, Shoot Out The Lights, Born To Run, Sailin’ Shoes, Good Ol’ Boys, Rhymin’ Simon, St. Dominic’s Preview, Born To Run, Bring The Family I think I would choose “Ambush” by Marc Benno, an album that I have kept going back to for well over 50 years.

  33. It’ll be The Stone Roses for me. Still gets a play all the way through about once a month even after all these decades. Hard to say what else would be behind it as I tend not to play whole albums so much now, though Reading, Writing and Arithmetic and Tapestry have had full outings for years.

    When iTunes used to log your plays my Number 1 track by a fair margin was ‘Give It Up or Turnit a Loose’. I was spending a lot of time on spin bikes, and used to put it on repeat to match my pedalling speed!

  35. Probably the tapes I listened to on my Aiwa “walkman” on my paper round. Sparkle In The Rain b/w The Crossing and Purple Rain b/w Infected.

    40 year later, they are still taking up valuable space in my brain, and get an occasional spin.

      • Yes indeed. Also their most consistent album. Steeltown had a very poor second side/half, and although The Seer was very good, I don’t think it had the same quality as The Crossing. After that, I jumped ship, but from what I’ve heard of their later material, nothing came close to their early albums.

  36. When they came out, probably All Mod Cons and Kilimanjaro by The Teardrop Explodes. Now, over all my life, a toss-up between, It I Could Do It All Over Again by Caravan, Forever Changes, The Hangman’s Beautiful Daughter, or The Campfire Headphase.

  37. Revolver was released sixty years ago this week. I listened to the demix/remix again. SSSS and AYBCS sound a lot better with time and the rest including the single was bloody marvellous anyway.

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