Do you subscribe to the "grower" school of thought?

Ninetales · 02-04-2014, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I don't think it has anything to do with being open. Also I guess that's your experience with first listens to albums that you just do it casually but when I listen to an album the first time through I give it my full attention to pick apart the things that I do/don't like about it.

Which I guess is only something that I do and not anyone else in this thread.
Maybe Trollheart does as well.

Do you listen to different music depending on mood? It's not about listening to it "casually" but sometimes certain pieces click when im in a different state of mind

djchameleon · 02-04-2014, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninetales

Do you listen to different music depending on mood? It's not about listening to it "casually" but sometimes certain pieces click when im in a different state of mind

Mood doesn't come into play with first listens though. If it is something that I'm hearing for the first time and it's new to me so I just take it in regardless of my mood.

Forward To Death · 02-04-2014, 11:09 PM

Yeah, music can definitely grow on you, but it usually doesn't for me. Usually how music grows on me is I listened to one song and assumed the artist sucked, and then I listened to a whole album and it wasn't really that bad.

Ninetales · 02-04-2014, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

Mood doesn't come into play with first listens though. If it is something that I'm hearing for the first time and it's new to me so I just take it in regardless of my mood.

How would first listens be any different? If its a first listen of black metal and youre not in the mood for it itll skew your initial views

**Janszoon** · 02-04-2014, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I don't think it has anything to do with being open.

Sure it does. If you view repeat listens to an album that didn't immediately click with you as "torture", then clearly you're not open to repeat listens.

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

Also I guess that's your experience with first listens to albums that you just do it casually but when I listen to an album the first time through I give it my full attention to pick apart the things that I do/don't like about it.

My experience is that nothing is set in stone. How closely I listen can vary. My mood can vary. Circumstances beyond my control can vary. Sometimes it's a matter of where I was in life when I heard something. There are albums that didn't click with when I first heard them but then years later, when I was in a different place in life, I rediscovered them and ended up loving them.

djchameleon · 02-04-2014, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninetales

How would first listens be any different? If its a first listen of black metal and youre not in the mood for it itll skew your initial views

First listens are different with me because I let myself be open to what it is I'm hearing regardless of my mood. My mood doesn't skew first listens. It may for you and others but it doesn't work that way with me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Sure it does. If you view repeat listens to an album that didn't immediately click with you as "torture", then clearly you're not open to repeat listens.

Why do you need to put yourself through repeated listens of something that you don't specifically click with in the first place I don't get it.

**Janszoon** · 02-05-2014, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

Why do you need to put yourself through repeated listens of something that you don't specifically click with in the first place I don't get it.

You don't "need" to do anything, but I think being open to the idea that your opinions and perceptions can change is a good thing. If I just chucked everything that didn't click with me right away I'd have missed out on a hell of a lot of good music.

I also think you might have a mistaken impression of what I'm talking about here. You keep referring to giving an album a second chance as "torture" or something you "put yourself through" as if it's some kind of difficult regimen one makes a serious commitment to. All I'm talking about here is skimming through my library looking for something to listen to and thinking, "Hmm, I forgot about this album I downloaded a couple weeks ago, maybe I'll give it another spin. I think I'm more in the mood for it today."

Neapolitan · 02-05-2014, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Not sure if you meant that: Like it or not said twice!

Actually I do like that track, but one of their best ever? Pfah! "One for the vine", "White mountain", even "Burning rope" piss all over it. Abacab was Genesis' attempt to go all pop and it failed, but you're entitled to your opinion of course. I like WCD, but can pick out maybe three, possibly four tracks on Abacab that I like or can stand. I mean: "Another record?" The godawful "Whodunnit?" Please!

That is a wrong assessment of the album, Trollheart, maybe one of these days I should do a review of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Incidentally, ya seen my review of "Calling all stations" today? Interested in your comments...

uugghh I hope Briks rips this idea of yours off as well. Though he hasn't the years behind him to see a bunch of his favorite bands crash and burn in their ultimate demise.

Trollheart · 02-05-2014, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

I don't think it has anything to do with being open. Also I guess that's your experience with first listens to albums that you just do it casually but when I listen to an album the first time through I give it my full attention to pick apart the things that I do/don't like about it.

Which I guess is only something that I do and not anyone else in this thread.
Maybe Trollheart does as well.

I think I do. I almost never (unless I get distracted by burning toast or a knock at the door or aliens invading --- or aliens knocking at the doorto tell me my toast is burning!) listen to an album with half an ear. Especially if it's the first time, I want to know if it's something I'm going to like, so whether or not I'm reviewing it or filing it away for later review, I listen as fully as I can. I want to know like DJ what's good about it, what if anything is great about it and what if anything is bad about it. If it's a band/artiste I've never heard of and I like it I'll then probably go looking for more by them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninetales

Do you listen to different music depending on mood? It's not about listening to it "casually" but sometimes certain pieces click when im in a different state of mind

No. Mood has nothing to do with me. If I'm depressed I can usually listen to a slow instrumental but could as easily listen to Iron Maiden or Tom Waits. It's seldom if at all that I fit music to my mood, though of course particular albums/tracks may AFFECT my mood, ie sad songs etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Sure it does. If you view repeat listens to an album that didn't immediately click with you as "torture", then clearly you're not open to repeat listens.

My experience is that nothing is set in stone. How closely I listen can vary. My mood can vary. Circumstances beyond my control can vary. Sometimes it's a matter of where I was in life when I heard something. There are albums that didn't click with when I first heard them but then years later, when I was in a different place in life, I rediscovered them and ended up loving them.

That's true as well, with the oft-quoted-by-me example of Phil Collins' "Face value". But what I think we're saying here is that if you listen to a NEW album (to you) first time and HATE it --- I mean don't see anything good in it at all --- then why push yourself to like it? I know this is not what you're saying but the overall consensus often seems to be "you'll like it if you spin it a few more times." That may be true, but I'd rather go with my formulated opinion made by listening to the album once than try to keep listening to it to make myself eventually like it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by djchameleon

First listens are different with me because I let myself be open to what it is I'm hearing regardless of my mood. My mood doesn't skew first listens. It may for you and others but it doesn't work that way with me.

More or less the same for me, plus there's the anticipation factor: will it be great/terrible? Am I on the brink of something special here? Will this end up being my new favourite band and so on. Also for me, it's always a case of will this merit reviews? Do I think it's that good that I want to share it with people, or, conversely, so bad that they need to know how bad it is, and how disappointed I was with it?

Quote:

Why do you need to put yourself through repeated listens of something that you don't specifically click with in the first place I don't get it.

Nor me. It's the old "acquired taste" thing I was talking about...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neapolitan

That is a wrong assessment of the album, Trollheart, maybe one of these days I should do a review of it.

You should do that. However remember it is MY assessment of the album, and so is not "wrong", just different to how you feel.

Quote:

uugghh I hope Briks rips this idea of yours off as well. Though he hasn't the years behind him to see a bunch of his favorite bands crash and burn in their ultimate demise.

He has been warned legally.

Also, "Swan song" is not just about bands crashing and burning. a-ha went out on a high, so did Lizzy. It's about how they prepare their final album and what it says about the band and the time they've been together. I assume you didn't agree with that review either?

Darrenaj9 · 02-05-2014, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I don't mean are you into gardening! A lot of people, particularly here, seem to be happy to listen to an album multiple times before they decide if they like it. Such an album is referred here to as a "grower", presumably because it eventually grows on you. But I've more music backed up on my computer than I could ever realistically listen to in a lifetime (which doesn't stop me downloading more nearly every day!) and don't have time to let albums grow on me. Personally, if I don't hear at least some promise in an album first time out I'll usually drop it. Whether or not my opinion would change after several spins is not something I have the time or patience for: albums have one chance to impress me and that's it.

So how do you feel? If you're a believer in the grower theory, how long does it take or how many spins before an album is or isn't pronounced worthy by you? And is this a constant thing, spinning back to back or every day say, or do you put it away, come back to it, put it away, come back to it and so on?

Just interested. How do yaz all feel about this?

There are not only 'growers' but 'shrinkers' too. I absolutely loved Urban Hymns by the Verve when I bought it and now I just cannot be bothered listening to it.

I think sometimes you don't bother to let an album grow on you others you over listen to at the time and end up falling out of love with the album.

I guess it's like a nice meal, eat it way to often and the day comes you decided that's it and your mind just falls off it.

On the other hand plenty of food I've tasted and thought not for me only to find out over time actually I quite like it.

02-04-2014, 11:09 PM	#33 (permalink)
Forward To Death Trolier Than Thou Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 1,336	Yeah, music can definitely grow on you, but it usually doesn't for me. Usually how music grows on me is I listened to one song and assumed the artist sucked, and then I listened to a whole album and it wasn't really that bad.