Albums you used to think were crap, but are now good?

OK, a twist on the usual question.

So most people’s record collections are littered with stuff that was once cool, but in retrospect was just awful. But what did you buy as a teenager, and think was crap and a waste of heard earned pocket money, but is now a favourite?

Bought on the strength of “With Teath”, which I now just think sounds loud, poppy and horrible. Maybe I just needed to hit 30 and become bitter and angry with the world before it actually made sense?

“Adolescent Sex” released in 1978, perfect for listening in the dark, hated it on the back of “ghosts” and “quiet life” when i was 15, now it’s my favourite Japan album

neverliked Pink Floyd much, but watched an interesting documentary about them, and gave Wish You Were Here another go.

It’s not bad, I suppose 😆

I’ll have to dig out my copy of the downward spiral and give it a spin, I think I bought it because Adrian Belew was on it, I seem to remember giving it one listen and never bothering again.

I’d previously only ever listened to the “hits” off The Doors’ LA Woman. Then last week I gave the whole thing a listen. It’s ace 🙂

Cheating slightly, when I was a teenager I absolutely detested the whole 80’s electronica stuff (Depeche Mode etc). I now realise my error. Same goes for Human League.

I was right about Duran Duran though

I was right about Duran Duran though

the only reason to like DD in the 80’s was to chat to girls, Haircut 100 was a step too far though

Beggars Banquet by the Stones that I bought when i was in the 6th form in the early 80’s. The white cover with the gatefold sleeve not the toilet wall version.

Obvs two outstanding tracks are Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man but I already had those on a ‘best of’ album so I was relying on the other tracks for my entertainment which I found a bit weak TBH.

In retrospect tho’ ‘Jigsaw Puzzle’, ‘No Expectations’ and ‘Prodigal Son’ are masterpieces and all the other tracks are strong with the exception of ‘Dear Doctor’ which I still see as a filler track. Combined with the original two classics that I mention up there then this is a great album.

On the other hand, I borrowed ‘Let It Bleed’ from Banstead library around the same time, bought my own copy shortly after. Loved it all then and still love it now.

More about genres than LPs for me. I’ve never since missed any LP that I’ve chucked out. But so many genres I gave a pass as a young music listener have now come back to haunt me. Only used to listen to rock, some leftfield pop (and later techno/electronic) for the majority of my youth and customarily scoffed at jazz, funk, disco, soul, folk, country, classical etc etc – but by the the time I hit thirty was scouring the internet and a few bands and a few writers had begun to open my mind and musical palate. At some point I had an epiphany – that I *really* liked music in the broader sense – and I’d so far missed most of it! Once the barriers in my head came down I couldn’t (and can’t) get enough. From Afrobeat to Zeuhl and everything between. Why I was stuck on one or two genres is anyone’s guess.

Still can’t tolerate fake, preening, derivative egotistical shite though. Whatever genre. Suprised anyone can!

*Edit – here’s one – ‘Tapestry’ by Carole King. Used to sniff at that soft rubbish. Then I sneak-listened to it one quiet day while GF was out. Wow.

can’t tolerate fake, preening, derivative egotistical shite though

Yeah, I Bloody hate Robbie Williams too!

The doors LA woman, most of the pre fuel Metallica albums and pretty much all of slipknots offerings 🙂

KidA/Amnesiac didn’t get it at the time love them now, National Anthem is my favourite Radiohead track.

Radiohead in general, couldn’t stand them, then saw them live at Reading (’05?) and suddenly made much more sense live than it does on a CD.

Charles and Eddie…

Aaah, sorry – still shite. 😀

The Holy Bible. Still hate the production tbh but I hated it full stop when it came out. Maybe because my brother loved it. But it’s got some awesome stuff on it, we went and saw the anniversary tour and it was bloody brilliant tbh.

Confield by Autechre. I loved their early stuff, Tri Repetae is one of my favourite records still. Then they released this incomprehensible disc of noise which sounded like a malfunctioning industrial robot horrifically torturing a load of Ataris with tesla coils and power tools, and I sort of gave up on them because it was just a bit too weird and I was annoyed at shelling out a tenner for it. Then a few years back I stumbled across Exai, which is aaaaamaaaazing, so looked up some of their other recent stuff, and that was also ace. I remembered Confield, and went back to it. It’s still really **** weird, even in comparison to all their other weird stuff, but now I really quite like it.

The Holy Bible.

One of the best albums ever recorded, yes. ‘Faster’ is the soundtrack to my happy place. Well, it’s more of an angry place, really, but it also makes me happy. 😀

“Adolescent Sex”

thats interesting, i too hated that one but loved the stuff from quiet life on, i still quite regularly play the track gentlemen take polaroids. i’ll have to dig my copy out and give it a spin.

Obvs two outstanding tracks are Sympathy for the Devil and Street Fighting Man but I already had those on a ‘best of’ album

the further you get from the ‘brand’ rolling stones front of window display the better they get and the more you find out what an damn good band they are.

anyhow, led zep in through the out door for me. i really only liked one through to physical and hated the stuff after, but last summer at the local car boot saw a copy for a few pence, cleaned it but didnt even bother playing it, then a month or so ago i was on a bit of a robert plantb trip one night so popped it on and found myself sitting down listening to the whole thing. good record.

good call on that japan album rocketdog. i think i may have played it once when i bought it and as it wasnt like tin drum etc never played it again, until today. i’m actually quite amazed i didnt like it back then.

Brothers in arms / Dire Straits.
My dad loved it (and the one before it).
Hated it when I was too cool for school.

Anymore?

Sandinista! by The Clash I thought it was rambling, shoddy and self indulgent. Now I like the rambling it’s a sign of an open minded band picking up new influences, trying new musical styles

It’s been a constant source of interest for me to see albums come ‘full circle’ as such, and seemingly get better with age.
I’m in the same camp as many commenters above, stuck resolutely to a genre or two for years before becoming ravenous for all music over the last 10 years or so.

Downward Spiral is a great shout. Years ago I would’ve said Closer was about the only standout track, turns out the entire album is a masterpiece. Agree with With Teeth being a louder rockier album, and by no means is it a genre defining moment, but I still dig it very much. (By the way, have you listened to the new NIN ep yet? It’s really damned good)

The Doors in general, I liked the well known tracks as a kid – but now would put Doors and LA Woman in my top 100 albums.

Other contenders for ‘once meh, now genius’ for me would be seminals like Velvet Underground & Nico, Raw Power, The Idiot, Man Machine, Exile on Main St, Rocket to Russia, Bringing it all back home, Unknown Pleasures, Born in the USA – I could probably state dozens more.
Recent contenders? Common People, 13 (Blur), most things by R.E.M., The Soft Bulletin (actually always loved that one, but love it more and more through the years) Grace Jones early catalogue(!).

Also agree that it’s primarily more of an acceptance and appreciation of new genres though. This year has been my first real dig into reggae, and I’ve made some great discoveries.

I remember years ago listening to John Peel sessions and thinking ‘I love half of his recommendations, but the other half are not even music!!’ Etc.. I always wondered how someone could be so open minded to every single genre – but now I see that I have acquired some of that musical curiosity, and I can generally find some good in anything I listen to (which feels great!)
Generally, music really is the gift that keeps on giving.

I always wondered how someone could be so open minded to every single genre – but now I see that I have acquired some of that musical curiosity, and I can generally find some good in anything I listen to (which feels great!)
Generally, music really is the gift that keeps on giving.

I’ve always been accepting of pretty much anything if it strikes an emotional chord (!), growing up with only the radio from the 50’s means finding where you can, whatever was good in the charts or pop radio like the Beatles, Stones, Jethro Tull, Deep Purple, King Crimson’s ‘In The Court Of The Crimson King’ from a classmate at school, folk stuff, later on prog, rock, metal, country…
99% of what Radio 1 plays has zero appeal, the same with Nemone on 6, and very little jazz or Nashville ‘hat acts’,
other than that, I can find something in most genres, but some artists just grate; the Manics being a very good example.
There’s no such thing as good music or bad music, just music I don’t like.

no not really

If i thought they were crap then then they are surely crap now

however most of the stuff i like most most people think are crap both now and then