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Bands you didn't think were any good, and the album that turned it around for you

sean [Edit] [Delete] 43 replies 14:32 January 30th, 2013

A positive spin on the bands who lost it thread http://drownedinsound.com/community/boards/music/4424371

There are quite a few bands in recent years where I've been pretty certain their music wasn't for me, and then I check out their latest release and I'm totally won over (and revisit the previous ones, and sometimes my opinion hasn't changed much)

An unpopular opinion - and I don't mean to troll - but Boxer was exactly this for me. I had tried getting into The National a few times before that, and even with Boxer it took a little while to click. Still not nuts on Alligator or any of the earlier records, to be honest, and yet Boxer is definitely one of my top 20 favourite albums. Perseverance and time are important - I mean, what did you think the first time you tried Guinness or Whisky?

Bright Eyes' 'Lifted...' changed my heart too, and allowed me to get beyond Conor's vocals, which on cursory listens to Fevers, I hadn't been able to hear beyond. Became obsessed with everything from that point on tho, and love the earlier stuff now (although I can kinda see why on first listens it wasn't doing it for me)

Just listening to the new Wave Machines album (think I may've been confusing them with Wave Pictures).

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Camera Obscura

Listened to "underachievers..." and was a bit underwhelmed - a little bit too in thrall to belle and sebastian.

Whereas "let's get out of this country" turned it round for me - big drums, harmonies, less of the guy singing.

colon_closed_bracket | 30 Jan '13, 15:00 | X | ^ This | Reply

ThirstyDog and Royter-Hatfood this'd this
My Morning Jacket - Z

i prefer the preceeding two now, but this is the one that got me into them.

Jordan_229_2 | 30 Jan '13, 15:05 | X | ^ This | Reply
I hear you on Boxer, Sean.

Severed799 | 30 Jan '13, 15:12 | X | ^ This | Reply

Stuzza and kubrahhh this'd this
- Boxer dips a little in the middle.
  
  I find myself skipping 2 or 3 tracks. I know this band have the potential for an absolute belter of an all time great album, but not quite delivered it yet.
  
  OllieH @Severed799 | 6 Feb '13, 15:30 | X | ^ This | Reply
Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site

I used to think they were boring and whiney but then this album made me realise they were actually all heart and great songs

soapy | 30 Jan '13, 15:21 | X | ^ This | Reply
I'm probably on my own here

but I really loved Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring.

Then I went back to hating them when the latest album came out.

Clair_de_Lune | 30 Jan '13, 15:37 | X | ^ This | Reply

d-dontshoot, cliquester, timberford, and tifaspiano this'd this
- Not on your own
  
  First Days of Spring is a great album. The rest of their output is beyond dull.
  
  MarwoodW @Clair_de_Lune | 30 Jan '13, 16:10 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  johnwiddop this'd this
  - The title track in particular is terrific
    
    johnwiddop @MarwoodW | 30 Jan '13, 22:17 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Yes, how strange is this record... really elegant, stately, almost Smog like... brilliant
  
  everything before and after, embarrassing
  
  MrBones @Clair_de_Lune | 30 Jan '13, 19:21 | X | ^ This | Reply
The Horrors - Primary Colours

Puds | 30 Jan '13, 15:40 | X | ^ This | Reply

JaguarPirate, orangejuice, cliquester, kilgore-trout, jopzorz, 8stepstoperfection, kubrahhh, and OllieH this'd this
- it just made me think
  
  they'd found a new way to suck
  
  soapy @Puds | 30 Jan '13, 18:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  bornin69 this'd this
  - Not so much a new way as a different way
    
    Nothing they do is in any way new
    
    bornin69 @soapy | 30 Jan '13, 19:46 | X | ^ This | Reply
    
    lyserge and soapy this'd this
    - I came here to post The Horrors 'Primary Colours'.
      
      It's a fucking stomping album, which just came out of nowhere and blew me away after their first piece of shit album. I regularly listen to this album.
      
      OllieH @bornin69 | 6 Feb '13, 15:25 | X | ^ This | Reply
      - Skying was the album of The Horrors that I really liked
        
        Their best by far.
        
        deep-blue @OllieH | 6 Feb '13, 16:25 | X | ^ This | Reply
Radiohead - Kid A

I still don't have any time for Pablo Honey or the Bends, or even all that much for OK Computer but after years of thinking they were boring and wanky this album really did it for me. It's still my go-to Radiohead album if the mood ever takes me to give them a whirl.

soapy | 30 Jan '13, 15:49 | X | ^ This | Reply

justanothersheeldz and sunstroke_house this'd this
- ^^ came to post Kid A too ^^
  
  but more a case of me not being bothered to check them out before that album. Of course I knew them, heard the songs, but nothing made me go Radiohead-mental. Got into them a lot more, and appreciated them more, after Kid A.
  
  Albert-Swearengen @soapy | 30 Jan '13, 16:13 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  soapy and justanothersheeldz this'd this
Liars

Wimix

mikefarky | 30 Jan '13, 18:13 | X | ^ This | Reply
Liars

Last album

mikefarky | 30 Jan '13, 18:15 | X | ^ This | Reply

funkycow this'd this
Sufjan - Greetings From Michigan

Year of the Rabbit is piss. A Sun Came is okay, but no indication of quite how brilliant he would become.

pichaelmarker | 30 Jan '13, 18:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Seven Swans?
  
  pretty clear indication there.
  
  chickenbones @pichaelmarker | 30 Jan '13, 23:24 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - Wasn't Seven Swans after Michigan?
    
    kubrahhh @chickenbones | 2 Feb '13, 13:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
    
    pichaelmarker and Wooly31 this'd this
Deerhoof - Milk Man

Apple 'O, Reveille, Holdypaws etc didn't do much for me at first. Milk Man was the one that clicked with me.

see also: Animal Collective - Feels

pichaelmarker | 30 Jan '13, 18:21 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Strawberry Jam
  
  was the Animal collective album for me when it started making sense. I hear Feels and loved Purple Bottle and Grass, but the rest at the time just felt like they were wanking about trying to make all the songs really long.
  
  Whereas now I can happily listen to most their stuff
  
  lovelessrapture @pichaelmarker | 6 Feb '13, 16:31 | X | ^ This | Reply
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy

Cat Power - You Are Free
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi

pichaelmarker | 30 Jan '13, 18:25 | X | ^ This | Reply
- wait so
  
  you didn't think The Soft Bulletin was any good?
  
  chickenbones @pichaelmarker | 30 Jan '13, 23:25 | X | ^ This | Reply
  - Apart from Race For the Prize, not at first.
    
    pichaelmarker @chickenbones | 2 Feb '13, 14:54 | X | ^ This | Reply
Arctic Monkeys

probably not a popular opinion i'm not sure but
Favourite Worst Nightmare. a combination of that and seeing their flat-out stunning set at that year's Glastonbury made me do a proper 180 on them.

cliquester | 30 Jan '13, 18:43 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Same here
  
  I couldn't stand them when they first came out but I warmed to them when Brianstorm came out
  
  Annoying_person @cliquester | 30 Jan '13, 19:16 | X | ^ This | Reply
Mars Volta

Being a mix of an At the Drive-in fanboy and not having embrace my inner-prog, I didn't get them for a while until I finally actually listened to their first EP and Frances the Mute properly and it all made sense.

Annoying_person | 30 Jan '13, 19:18 | X | ^ This | Reply
Lots of older acts gave me meh vibes.

Progressive rock acts. You also have bands like Steely Dan, often ridiculed for being too "adult contemporary" or whatever.

Aja turned that around for me, and then I got Gaucho. It was all over.

BladeJB343 | 30 Jan '13, 19:46 | X | ^ This | Reply

pichaelmarker this'd this
Deep breath, here goes: Fleetwood Mac

A few months ago there was a bit of hate for people claiming to like this band... honestly I thought they were just a beyond-boring oldies group until I picked 'Rumours' out of a bargain bin and gave it a whirl. The group dynamic, understated instrumental talent, etc. really surprised me. Still a long way from favorites but I see now why everybody owned a vinyl of this album when it was released.

Stone_Wick | 30 Jan '13, 19:58 | X | ^ This | Reply

BladeJB343 this'd this
- Yeah I think everyone thought that
  
  until they actually developed some music taste and listened properly.
  
  FromANewWorld @Stone_Wick | 30 Jan '13, 21:38 | X | ^ This | Reply
Re: Fleetwood Mac

Definitely another good choice. Obviously Rumours, but Tusk is also an incredible (and at times even weird) recording. The fact is that we youngsters (I'm 28) know this music in the context of our mellowed-out parents. At times, our "startlingly uncool" parents. We need to discover it for ourselves before making any statements. My dad tells me that Fleetwood Mac was even better pre-Buckingham/Nicks.

Maybe it's time I took a look into that. :D

BladeJB343 | 30 Jan '13, 23:08 | X | ^ This | Reply
- Pre Buckingham/Nicks
  
  The Peter Green era was a lot more bluesy. You can pick up their Greatest Hits for an overview. It's got some excellent songs on it like Need Your Love So Bad, Oh Well, Green Manalishi. There's probably a better release somewhere but this is the one I have and it keeps me happy.
  I'll vouch for Tusk as well. Fantastic album.
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Hits-Fleetwood-Mac/dp/B000006YPU
  
  Albert-Swearengen @BladeJB343 | 31 Jan '13, 09:27 | X | ^ This | Reply
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

hanshotfirst | 31 Jan '13, 09:29 | X | ^ This | Reply
Yo La Tengo - Ohm

I couldn't click with them until this very month. Now I'm a bit obsessed.

ThisTemporaryLife | 31 Jan '13, 09:59 | X | ^ This | Reply
- You lucky, lucky person.
  
  funkycow @ThisTemporaryLife | 6 Feb '13, 16:03 | X | ^ This | Reply
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Just sort of ignored them till two years after it came out, then I had the fun of working my way backwards.

rainmaker | 31 Jan '13, 10:28 | X | ^ This | Reply
The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree

I heard Ghana, and could not get past the first track. I could not handle it. I hated it.

Then I decided to download The Sunset Tree on a whim. I'm STILL obsessed with that record. What a band, man.

ThisTemporaryLife | 2 Feb '13, 11:19 | X | ^ This | Reply
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town

I really only knew Born In The USA era stuff & stayed away from him until I read a Thurston Mooore interview where he mentioned DOTEOT. Saw it in a sale section in HMV, couldn't believe what I;d been missing & got lost in the rest of his back catalogue over the next 12 months or so.

Trev | 2 Feb '13, 11:49 | X | ^ This | Reply
Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions

Always dismissed them as being a bit too emo before that. I had Puzzle on my itunes from a guy at work but never really listened to it and when That Golden Rule came out I thought I'd better take another look. I don't get the hatred for "new" Biffy cos to me there's not that much difference between the old and new except for the tunes that were a bit shouty like Jaggy Snake. They always had a Many of Horror in them - just listen to All the Way Down or With Aplomb - and they still do weird time signature stuff which so what's the problem? Anyway, I like all their albums now and Infinity Land's probably my favourite but this need for music to be challenging to be good doesn't wash with me. Sometimes it can just be enjoyed without the pretentions of moaning about "selling out". If a band sells more records with a new "formula" than they did when they were supposedly more avant garde, they have a right to do so without their fans giving them stick. It's their career after all and everyone deserves to make money if they put in the effort. And, yes, I do like Foo Fighters.

withakay | 2 Feb '13, 13:11 | X | ^ This | Reply

Murder this'd this
- Yeah but they're releasing really boring shit music
  
  Icarus-Smicarus @withakay | 2 Feb '13, 13:39 | X | ^ This | Reply
  
  Comaboy and badmanreturns this'd this
Kate Bush '50 Words for Snow'.

I went and bought her back catalogue and am now in love with her.

OllieH | 6 Feb '13, 15:32 | X | ^ This | Reply

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