"Their early stuff put me off"

[bob_32_116]

Sometimes it happens that I dislike an artist or band's first releases so much that I just refuse to explore them any further, until some chance encounter causes me to re-evaluate them and realise that what they did later was a vast improvement. It's annoying when I realise I have effectively been missing out, because of an early bad impression. Still, what can you do but base your music search on what you have already heard? Has this ever happened to you?

My primary example is Radiohead. The song "Creep" was flogged to death on radio here, and it still seems to be the only song from the band that most DJ's here are aware of. I hate that song with a passion, not least because of the melody line in the middle stolen from The Hollies' "The Air That i Breathe". Because of that, it was a very long time before I discovered The Bends and OK Computer, both of which are rightly regarded as landmark albums.

Beck is another example. I completely dismissed him after "Loser". A few years later I heard another Beck song and thought "that's not too bad". Following a 5-star review of his latest album, "Morning Phase", I listened to some samples, and was mildly astonished at how good some of it is.

[klothos]

Im usually oppositte: I generally prefer band's earlier work over their later material ( R.E.M., Bee Gees, U2, and The Who come to mind)

but there are several bands that I much prefer their later material over their earlier stuff:

Porcupine Tree ( my personal preference - i know some ppl here are oppositte and prefer early PT)
The Beatles
Soundgarden
Stone Temple Pilots

[presdoug]

That happened to me with The Soft Machine. I heard the debut and didn''t like it (I thought "Hope for Happiness" really bad) and also could not relate to their second album.
Later, I heard Third, and I was completely sold on it, and the following albums in a jazz rock vein.

[Rarebird]

The only group I can think of is Weather Report. I once heard their debut, because a man, whose cats I took care of, played it for me. The man is something around the same age as my dad, so somewhere in his 80's. I didn't really like what I heard. Their later stuff I liked and when I bought Live in Tokyo, I finally gave it away.

[rcarlberg]

A lot of artists are constantly changing and growing and trying new things.

Others play the same song over and over and over again. Knowing who is which is key.

[Vic2012]

Sometimes it happens that I dislike an artist or band's first releases so much that I just refuse to explore them any further, until some chance encounter causes me to re-evaluate ....................................Still, what can you do but base your music search on what you have already heard? Has this ever happened to you?

Yes, this has happened many, many times over the last 10-15 years. I'd have a prejudice against a band over their image, or maybe I thought the genre was too "banal/pedestrian" or maybe it was the opposite extreme, too pretentious or high falootin.' Then on a lark I'll grab a random, used (or jusr cheap) album by a band because one particular song appears on that album. Next thing I know I running around getting everything I can get my hands on by these bands. A few examples would be Metallica, AC/DC, Van Halen, Black Sabbath - all bands I was familiar with but for some odd reason, the thought of having their albums in my collection bothered me. Anyway, better late than never.

[Rarebird]

A lot of artists are constantly changing and growing and trying new things.

Others play the same song over and over and over again. Know who is which is key.

And some people are angry, because their favorite artist has changed it's sound.

[rcarlberg]

I'm finding Pandora is great for this.

I'll set up a channel to play some style of music I'm investigating, and invariably Pandora will throw in some artist I'd long since dismissed as worthless and I'll hear the song and go, "Whoa really? That's X?"

[mogrooves]

Groundhogs
Strawbs
Jade Warrior

[ronmac]

I think The Beatles are a great example of many not caring for their early stuff. (I happen to love it all.) One phenomenon with bands of that era is that styles and technology were changing industry-wide at a rapid place, unlike today. So, what the Beatles did in 1964 was revolutionary; as was what they did in, say, 1969. But, in retrospect, 20, 30 or 40 years later, people are accustomed to a relative flatlining of innovation and, thereby, cannot look at the material through the prism of the time it was released.

[Facelift]

Radiohead and Pearl Jam

[ThomasKDye]

Enchant, definitely. I remember my reaction to them in the mid-nineties was "The thought of making this stuff gets you up in the morning?" Only way, way later in 2012 did I discover Blink of an Eye and Tug of War and LOVE it. However, the last one came out in 2003 and they haven't done anything since. Dang it.

[Vic2012]

I think The Beatles are a great example of many not caring for their early stuff. (I happen to love it all.)

And I bet the majority of those people are probably a lot younger than 50 or 45. For me it was the opposite. For years I never bothered with anything after Revolver, and prefer stuff even earlier, like Meet The Beatles, A Hard Days Night, Help, etc. I'm pretty sure my brother had all the Pepper-era stuff but I just couldn't get into it back then. I really didn't listen to those albums (especially the white album) until maybe 12 years ago.

[TheH]

Enchant, definitely. I remember my reaction to them in the mid-nineties was "The thought of making this stuff gets you up in the morning?" Only way, way later in 2012 did I discover Blink of an Eye and Tug of War and LOVE it. However, the last one came out in 2003 and they haven't done anything since. Dang it.

Hmm... I think the debut is their best album by miles.

Anyway, new Album will be out in late August or September.

[SteveSly]

My primary example is Radiohead. The song "Creep" was flogged to death on radio here, and it still seems to be the only song from the band that most DJ's here are aware of. I hate that song with a passion, not least because of the melody line in the middle stolen from The Hollies' "The Air That i Breathe". Because of that, it was a very long time before I discovered The Bends and OK Computer, both of which are rightly regarded as landmark albums.

.

“Creep” is a great example. It was pretty much the same for me. I hated that song and wrote Radiohead off immediately. Of course “Ok Computer” changed all that.

Another similar situation that comes to mind for me is Flaming Lips. They had that big hit song about Vaseline (can’t remember if that is the actual title or not) that I just totally hated. I completely blew the band off. Then a few years later when “Yoshimi Vs. The Pink Robots” kept appearing on every year end top 10 list that I saw I took a chance, picked it up and loved it. I still hate the Vaseline song, but Flaming Lips have done a lot of great music since then.

[WytchCrypt]

Hawkwind - bought In Search of Space around 1977 and hated it...wasn't until the early 90's that a Hawkwind friend turned me on to Quark/Warrior/Hawklords that I "got it"...
Zappa - bought Uncle Meat around 1976 and hated it...5 yrs later I found Studio Tan at my local library and gave it a chance...been a bit of a Zappa nut ever since...
Tull - bought Minstrel around 1976 and loved it, then got This Was and absolutely hated it...thank god I didn't give up on Tull
Floyd - did not like anything pre-DSOTM for about 3 yrs then bought Relics and saw the light!
Opeth - read all this great stuff about them but hated the 1st few albums...finally clicked at Blackwater Park...
Rush - still don't own anything before All the World's a Stage...
Type O Negative - didn't like anything they did until October Rust...
Yes - don't really like anything pre-The Yes Album...

[Paul Smeenus]

I don't really care for the first album by Tull or Genesis. Yes and Giant are ok but nowhere near what they would become. Of the major prog bands of the 70's EL&P's debut was best

*edit: what I really mean by this is that the EL&P eponymous debut is the most fully developed, the most like the subsequent albums

[Jubal]

Yes is one of my all time fave bands. I don't own the first two albums because I have heard them and simply don't care for them. The two or three tracks I liked were included on the YesYears box set.

[grego]

The Who
The Beatles ( first two LPs)
Talk Talk

[grego]

The only group I can think of is Weather Report. I once heard their debut, because a man, whose cats I took care of, played it for me. The man is something around the same age as my dad, so somewhere in his 80's. I didn't really like what I heard. Their later stuff I liked and when I bought Live in Tokyo, I finally gave it away.

I wasn't impressed by their debut either. But the second one, I Sing The Body Electric, I liked..and the rest was from good to great, except for last two albums, which are OK at best ( if memory serves))

[grego]

I don't really care for the first album by Tull or Genesis. Yes and Giant are ok but nowhere near what they would become. Of the major prog bands of the 70's EL&P's debut was best

Better than In The Court of Crimson King?

[Trane]

Sometimes it happens that I dislike an artist or band's first releases so much that I just refuse to explore them any further, until some chance encounter causes me to re-evaluate them and realise that what they did later was a vast improvement. It's annoying when I realise I have effectively been missing out, because of an early bad impression. Still, what can you do but base your music search on what you have already heard? Has this ever happened to you?.

Actually, when it comes to "rock" I generally tend to prefer the early stuff , because all too often after a few albums, a band or a solo artiste has used up all his ideas and starts to make new music out of habit (keep the machine going)...

Now of course, in case you started discovering a band through their debut album (like you hint in your OP), it's a different ballgame.

However, for prog, it's rather different, because it's nearly impossible for a band to strike the perfection they reached during their heydays on their first two or three albums (Crimson being an exception)

Im usually opposite: I generally prefer band's earlier work over their later material ( R.E.M., Bee Gees, U2, and The Who come to mind)

Mmmhhh!!!... U2, I tend to prefer their 84-91 period

The Who obviously needed to mature like the Beatles...

[Paul Smeenus]

Better than In The Court of Crimson King?

No. I forgot that one, you're right

[grego]

No. I forgot that one, you're right

ELP debut is great though, I wholly agree, I'm an old fan of them.. KC, ELP, and PF had made great first albums.

[Progtastic]

Zappa for me. Around '69 the guy who lived down the corridor from my room played Zappa, Beefheart and Wild Man Fisher to death, and I hated it. Then around '92 I turned on the TV and watched a BBC programme on Zappa and I was floored. In the following 3-4 years I bought everything.