Yes - albums you didn't quite 'get' on first listen, but which grew on you slowly - almost subliminally - until you find yourself loving them.

For me, the most obvious example would be Biosphere's 'Substrata'. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for it, the first time I played it, as I thought it was just pretentious, meandering rubbish. However, something must have made me go back to it, because I gradually realised it was possibly the most atmospheric music I've ever heard (in terms of creating images in your mind). It's now one of my top 5 albums.

'Nevermind' for me. On first listen, a tune-free zone (apart from the first two). I like it very much now, though (but still over-rated - 'In Utero' is much better).

Beyond Skin by Nitin Sahwney was a very slow grower for me. I listened to it about twice, then didn't come back to it for nearly 4 years. After which time it was almost as if it were a completely different album.

I also like those albums you listen to and don't really "get", until you by chance hear something else in the meantime and suddenly can come back to and really enjoy. Kid A by Radiohead was a bit like that for me, I didn't properly enjoy it until I'd listened to some Miles Davis records. Then it made more sense, I could see what they were up to.

More Specials

Burial's first album. First few listens I thought it was shit. Just as I was about to post something on OTF along the lines of 'this is crap, why do all you lot keep going on about it? I demand you all club together and refund my money' when it suddenly got its hooks into me.

And Frank Sinatra 'Nice and Easy.' Second Sinatra album I bought. This is no 'Songs for Swinging Lovers' I thought as I put the needle onto the beginning of side 2. I think later on I taped it and played it on my Walkman during a train journey and then the its full majestic glory was revealed to me.

It does sometimes help to hear the music in a different context doesn't it? Currently on in my car is a Curtis Mayfield greatest hits which is really kicking ass. Listening at home it never had half that effect.

Jon wrote:

QUOTE:

It does sometimes help to hear the music in a different context doesn't it? Currently on in my car is a Curtis Mayfield greatest hits which is really kicking ass. Listening at home it never had half that effect.

Strange you should mention that, Jon. I rarely played 'Violator' by Depeche Mode at home, but I found it was great music to travel to. I used to have a girlfriend in Hull and it was a fixture on my personal hi-fi for the train journeys up there and back. It's just great 'travelling music'. Perhaps inevitably alot of Richerd H Kirk's mid-90s stuff is like that, too: 'Virtual State', 'Closed Circuit', Digital Lifeforms' etc.

This has actually inspired - or rather reminded me about - another thread to start, about self-made 'themed' compilations.

The one that really needed an extraordinary amount of patience was Brian Wilson's Smile. First time I played it I thought it was a piss-take. Then one evening I had it on WinAmp while busy playing CM0102 in full window mode. The album played on loop three times. By the third time it finally clicked.

Slanted and Enchanted by Pavement. Bought it, listened to it twice and it remained on the shelf for about four years.

Good topic.

LP5 by Autechre is an obvious one that springs to mind. Very hard work on first listen. It's the slow hard won brilliance of this record that keeps me trying with their later stuff. I don't think there are enough years left to my life to convince me that Confield is good though.

Funeral by Arcade Fire is probably the most recent example where I'm really glad I stuck with it cos it left me completely cold for the first few listens.

Others,
Reload - A Collection of Short Stories.
Frank Zappa's Strictly Commercial and Joe's Garage.
Northern Picture Library - Alaska.

lost in rock by canvas took me about 18 months. i got it because they were highly rated by all the hardcore kids, and i was pretty non-plussed to be listening to what seemed like one long track of strange, abstract progressive metal.

then i got the first cd ages later, and it all put it in the correct place kind of thing.

now i think it is the best metal album this country has produced so far. it's amazing.

The Streets - Original Pirate Material
The Strokes - Room on Fire
U2 - War

Summerteeth by Wilco
Trust by Low

The Wilco one I went 6 years without playing and only rediscovered after I got A Ghost Is Born

Huge Wilco fan, and Summerteeth still doesn't really do much for me. It was just so different after Being There, and I can see now that it's really important in seeing where they were going, but even going back I'm not a huge fan.

It took a few listens for me to get into A Ghost Is Born, and now I think it's their best.