Albums Not Listened To...
- Thread starter JOv2
- Start date
I honestly can't think of many. There are some I've purchased and played once or twice (a few were new $1 cut-outs, others were cheap used record finds) but always reach for something else when I want to play something. So I have some albums that are overlooked.
I did stupidly buy that 2009 (?) Beatles stereo vinyl box--unfortunately they were cut from digital sources so the sound isn't as good as it should be, but they still sound good for what they are, and the pressings are flawless (this was from the EU, not the dismal sets pressed at Rainbo in the US). Thing is, I rarely ever play anything from the set. I can only remember playing maybe one or two sides of a single album per year, and I'm done. Yet I hate to get rid of the set! There's nothing wrong with it, and I like maybe about a third of the songs in their catalog...so it's always good to have it around.
Maybe a decade ago, too, I was buying some records "just because." Peter Gabriel was releasing his entire catalog remastered on 45 RPM sets. So why did I buy all of them? Because I wanted a complete set. Yet I don't think I've ever played the Us album, and PG2 (aka "Scratch," his second album--his first four were all self-titled) I might have played one side just out of pity for it.
Even his breakthrough album So ("Sledgehammer," "Red Rain, "Don't Give Up") may never have gotten a play here.
There are others I've bought and played once and didn't like, but they are now in my "resell/trade" pile. They're gone, soon as I can find time to list them somewhere or trade them in at a rekkid store for something I want.
The one problem I'm having now, though, is downsizing, so there are many records I thought I would never get rid of, that I'm now considering clearing out.
I was going to list a few regrets for things I didn't buy, but that would probably be a whole new thread!
I did stupidly buy that 2009 (?) Beatles stereo vinyl box--unfortunately they were cut from digital sources so the sound isn't as good as it should be, but they still sound good for what they are, and the pressings are flawless (this was from the EU, not the dismal sets pressed at Rainbo in the US). Thing is, I rarely ever play anything from the set. I can only remember playing maybe one or two sides of a single album per year, and I'm done. Yet I hate to get rid of the set! There's nothing wrong with it, and I like maybe about a third of the songs in their catalog...so it's always good to have it around.
Maybe a decade ago, too, I was buying some records "just because." Peter Gabriel was releasing his entire catalog remastered on 45 RPM sets. So why did I buy all of them? Because I wanted a complete set. Yet I don't think I've ever played the Us album, and PG2 (aka "Scratch," his second album--his first four were all self-titled) I might have played one side just out of pity for it.
Even his breakthrough album So ("Sledgehammer," "Red Rain, "Don't Give Up") may never have gotten a play here. There are others I've bought and played once and didn't like, but they are now in my "resell/trade" pile. They're gone, soon as I can find time to list them somewhere or trade them in at a rekkid store for something I want.
The one problem I'm having now, though, is downsizing, so there are many records I thought I would never get rid of, that I'm now considering clearing out.
I was going to list a few regrets for things I didn't buy, but that would probably be a whole new thread!
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
Oh my there are only a few since I ripped everything to my computer ( and subsequently copied the computer content to SD Cards for my tablets for extra access) however I'm very hesitant to get rid of anything ( leftover vinyl as well as CDs etc) as it took all my life to find everything I desired and then some. Like Rudy said " it's all very nice to have all this great stuff around. Since I've pretty much run out of room for CDs I've been purchasing more of the digital downloads ( which I can copy to a CD later if I wish)
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
The favorites that I have in my lp collection have all been repurchased at cd's. It is tough to say goodbye to the lp's but I am downsizing and really taking time to decide what I want to keep. Many of the lp's have not been bought as cd's.
One that I have not bought on cd is Worst of Jefferson Airplane. I have two copies, one purchased in 1976 or 77 that was a single jacket. Later on, I found an earlier release in superb condition with a gatefold cover. I am not sure which to keep anymore. I have not listened to either lp in a very long time. The early release might have some value for a collector but it still sits in my living room but does not get played.
One that I have not bought on cd is Worst of Jefferson Airplane. I have two copies, one purchased in 1976 or 77 that was a single jacket. Later on, I found an earlier release in superb condition with a gatefold cover. I am not sure which to keep anymore. I have not listened to either lp in a very long time. The early release might have some value for a collector but it still sits in my living room but does not get played.
I probably have a lot of 'never listened to' albums in my collection. The great bulk of those were grabbed from the radio station's throwaway piles. My rule for picking up one of those and taking it home was if I recognized the artist at all, I'd grab it. So, many times an album I grabbed might have been a second album that stiffed after a hit single. A lot of those were sold off in bulk at a yard sale up north.
Still there are albums in there that I haven't listened to - and may never listen to. It depends on if my interest goes there or not, but it's always fun when someone says 'you need to listen to X', and it turns out I HAVE X in my collection. That's happened with a number of albums over the years. Three examples are: The Fifth Dimension's THE MAGIC GARDEN, Frank Sinatra's WATERTOWN, and more recently Jack Daugherty's CLASS OF 1971. All three of those have become big favorites.
Then there are the ones that I was urged to listen to and they went nowhere in my humble estimation. An example there is Patrick Williams. I was told that because I loved some of Williams' arrangements and TV and movie themes, so it was recommended that I get AN AMERICAN CONCERTO and THRESHOLD. I spent time and energy cleaning up and digitizing THRESHOLD and found it wasn't something that I cared for, so I never got around to listening to the other album at all. At the rate I'm going, probably won't.
Still there are albums in there that I haven't listened to - and may never listen to. It depends on if my interest goes there or not, but it's always fun when someone says 'you need to listen to X', and it turns out I HAVE X in my collection. That's happened with a number of albums over the years. Three examples are: The Fifth Dimension's THE MAGIC GARDEN, Frank Sinatra's WATERTOWN, and more recently Jack Daugherty's CLASS OF 1971. All three of those have become big favorites.
Then there are the ones that I was urged to listen to and they went nowhere in my humble estimation. An example there is Patrick Williams. I was told that because I loved some of Williams' arrangements and TV and movie themes, so it was recommended that I get AN AMERICAN CONCERTO and THRESHOLD. I spent time and energy cleaning up and digitizing THRESHOLD and found it wasn't something that I cared for, so I never got around to listening to the other album at all. At the rate I'm going, probably won't.
What's odd is that I've had albums like that with many recommendations that did nothing for me when I listened to them. But after a few decades went by, I'd put one on the turntable out of curiosity and find I like it quite a bit. Or, sometimes it's by an artist I've collected and used the record to fill in a hole in the collection, never appreciating it until many years later.
One offshoot to that is that many records I had were just too noisy, and I never wanted to play them. The SugarCube totally transformed that part of my listening and a lot of records I avoided now get a lot of attention. A good cleaning also helped--the ultrasonic cleaner has gotten a workout. Now the only thing that really gets to me is groove burn, but those records immediately get weeded out into the trash pile.
Best plan of attack!
The few times I've gotten rid of something, I always found later on that I wish I had kept it.
JOv2
Well-Known Member
For many years I had Sonic Youth / Goo. I never played it, yet everytime I did my recurring weeding-out, I would look at it, pause, and keep it. I honestly don't know why I even had it or all the more why I wanted to hold on to it. About 10 years ago I dumped it -- and, frankly, never even thought about it until this posting. A strange one for sure.
It's funny to look back in this forum: every time Jack Daugherty's CLASS OF NINETEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE had come up in past years, I'd chime in with the same, patented remark that I'd had the album for years but never listened to it, so I couldn't comment on the thread other than that.
Then something gave me the impetus to put the record on. I don't recall just what that was, but I became fascinated with the record. I played it over and over again during the past couple of years, and then even felt the need to investigate whatever singles were out there, finding that there were sometimes multiple mixes of songs for the 45s. It proves that you never know what lies in those languishing grooves.
Another one I just thought of was Jackie & Roy's TIME AND LOVE. I remember grabbing it from a radio throwaway pile because I recognized two things about it: the song "Time And Love" had gotten brief radio airplay, and the CTi logo was at least familiar from an A&M standpoint. But the thing sat unlistened to for many years until one day, it needed listening to and I found a lot of things about it that I liked.
Then something gave me the impetus to put the record on. I don't recall just what that was, but I became fascinated with the record. I played it over and over again during the past couple of years, and then even felt the need to investigate whatever singles were out there, finding that there were sometimes multiple mixes of songs for the 45s. It proves that you never know what lies in those languishing grooves.
Another one I just thought of was Jackie & Roy's TIME AND LOVE. I remember grabbing it from a radio throwaway pile because I recognized two things about it: the song "Time And Love" had gotten brief radio airplay, and the CTi logo was at least familiar from an A&M standpoint. But the thing sat unlistened to for many years until one day, it needed listening to and I found a lot of things about it that I liked.
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
Same here My friend it took so long and a lot of money investing in what I have now and if I were to ditch anything in my collection it wouldn't be the same I made that mistake a few times and I regretted it
I have lots of CDs that I haven't listened to in a long time, but if I ever think of tossing them, I go "well....I might want to hear that again" and can't go through with it. I have a hard time even deleting something from my online collection, figuring I MIGHT want to listen to it again. I fear my heirs are doomed to deal with a huge pile of CDs when I shed this mortal coil.
Although, since our house has a couple of stairways in it (split level design from the late '70s), we may wind up having to move to a one-floor arrangement at some point, and my better half may force me to downsize!
Although, since our house has a couple of stairways in it (split level design from the late '70s), we may wind up having to move to a one-floor arrangement at some point, and my better half may force me to downsize!
That's why we all need our 30x50 man cave pole barns out back.
There's a few on I.R.S. that fit that description... But to be fair I DID give every albumI've purchased at least ONE listen. Some I've gone back to later in life and have come to appreciate. I know when I first got into I.R.S. The Buzzcocks were a hard "no" but then I started to hear something that appealed to me, maybe riff or an interesting lyric so a few plays later I found my self listening to them on repeat. My Navy roommate at the time, watching me do this, said, "You're the only person I know who would listen to music you didn't like repeatedly until you like it."
--Mr Bill
--Mr Bill
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I kind of grew into URGH! A Music War the same way. I admit I mainly wanted it for the live Police track. But I think a few times I played it, I was doing other tasks and didn't get around to stopping the record, so I heard a similar spark in one of the songs and kept playing it the record, and it grew on me to where I'd play the whole thing.
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