Albums that blew you away the first time you heard them

Chuck Negron-Am I Still In Your Heart.....My favorite singer from Three Dog Night released this solo album in the mid 90s. I knew what problems he had for years so I didn't have high expectations for this. I was in tears once I played and heard what a beautiful voice he still had.

Michael Morales-Thump (1991) Sheer pop/melodic rock joy.
Laura Nyro-Angel In the Dark.....My favorite album of hers.
Todd Rundgren-(re)production......Yeah! I love it....and I'm a major Todd fan...I love how he revamped these songs and the way he sings them....Right up there with "No World Order".
The Tubes-Love Bomb.....The Abbey Road of the 80s as far as I'm concerned.
Chilliwack-Breakdown in Paradise...(1980)
Honeymoon Suite-Lemon Tongue ....This obscure nugget from the early 2000's is one of the rare times that a former 'arena rock' band did something modern and did it convincingly and right.

 

ween - 'the mollusk'

 

Knocked me right out. Even though I think Queen II is their best album, I totally understand why this is regaraded as their masterpiece.
The diversity, the epic songs, the more simple songs, the vocals, the guitar orchestration, the production itself.... it's all there.

 

"blew me away" is perhaps a wrong term, as I find that music to lesser degree has that effect on me as I get older and life gets more and more busy - but one album in recent years that really caught me off guard and that I couldn't stop listening to for the longest time is this;


Lyrics are all Yeats, and it's obvious that Mike Scott is a huge fan. The music fits so well, and the mood of the album is just brilliant.
For anyone who hasn't heard it - check it out!

 

It's weird, but sometimes the albums that "blow you away" the first time you hear them, reveal their flaws with repeated listens. Speaking for myself, most of my favorite albums didn't overwhelm me the first time , but were compelling enough to keep me interested and looking forward to playing them again. It usually took sometime to recognize , internalize and appreciate the excellence of the music.

There have been exceptions, and , one album that truly impressed me on first spin--and has long remained among my favorites would have to be --The Clash, London Calling.

 

James Taylor- Greatest Hits. Yes I know it's a compilation but it was the first James Taylor album I bought and it really is a great collection of songs.

 

There and Back by Jeff Beck. [heard in 2nd hand record shop, asked them to play it. When i heard it i thought 'this is what i've been looking for all my life, only i never realized it!]
No Place To Run by UFO. [well actually it was tracks 2 and 3. Again I heard them in a 2nd hand record shop and i couldn't believe just how great they were. I bought the album!]

Would be interesting if any single songs blew some of us away on first hearing them, I know Bohemian Rhapsody and also Van Halen's Eruption did just that.

 

The very first albums I heard on my headphones, in Spring '70, listed by band, alphabetically:
Déjà Vu - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Climbing! - Mountain.
After hearing "Mississippi Queen" for the first time, I put the headphones on my Mother and had the volume just a little bit too high.
She still hasn't forgiven me for that.

 

led zeppelin 1

me and a couple of friends in my mom's basement....it just blew us away......so different, so good.

 

Jimi Hendrix. "Band of Gypsys" in my 1970 Cuda 8 track player!

 

Zillions but i'll mention the first albums by Moby Grape and King Crimson because back in the dark ages of their release I knew nothing about either band or either album when I saw the albums and just bought them on spec because of the cover. I but bought both albums on a hunch and was knocked out by both of them.

 

Soundgarden - Superunknown

 

Fresh Cream, to name one of hundreds. I still remember the very first time I heard it at a friends house when it was released. Blew me away.

 

echo and the bunnymen - 'ocean rain'

 

Gee, I forgot to mention that one! Love this album since first listening. 'Father To Son', 'White Queen' and 'March Of The Black Queen' became some of my favorite Queen songs right away!

 

Kiss - Destroyer
Meat Loaf - Bat Out Of Hell
Scorpions - Blackout
Beatles - Any Beatles album

 

The big three for me in Junior High:
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Moby Grape - S/T
Jeff Beck - Truth
Still listening with regularity.

 

japan's "tin drum" for me. god it's so good.

 

Likewise 'Black Side' is particularly good. I like the way the songs link from 'Ogre Battle' straight through to 'Funny How Love Is' Then finishing with Seven Seas Of Rhye. I also love Father To Son and White Queen (as it began) on the White Side. It's a brilliant album. One of my all time favourites.

 

Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti

I was 13.

 

The entire King Crimson catalog.

 

OK, the expected ones:
Sgt. Pepper, Revolver and Abbey Road, Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers (Exile not so much for me), Village Green, Arthur, Lola

In The Court of the Crimson King

Remain in Light

In A Silent Way

Peter Gabriel 3, For your Pleasure, Stranded, Country Life (Roxy Music)

Fear Fun, I Love You Honey Bear (Father John Misty)

 

Beatles - Yellow Submarine (in 1st grade...)
AC/DC - Highway To Hell
Joe Jackson - Big World
George Benson - Give Me The Night
Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive
Sade - Stronger Than Pride
David Gray - White Ladder
Beck - Guero
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Montrose (s/t)
Bebel Gilberto (s/t)
U2 - Achtung Baby
The Story - Angel In The House
Stone Temple Pilots - Core
Soundgarden - Superunknown
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl