# What album did you most instantaneously want to buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026 "2007-12-06T14:51:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/1 "2007-12-06T14:51:59Z")
What album had you listened to the least of yet still wanted to buy. It has to be on the basis of the sound alone rather than it being a band you already like, although bands you didn’t like before are okay if the album in question is different from their previous albums. My vote: Park, Building a Better \_\_\_\_\_\_. I heard a half-minute of this being played over the PA at CD Warehouse and asked the clerk to listen to it. The song was melodic/hooky emo, and some indie bands have a couple of these songs on their records but not throughout (for instance, Float On vs. Good News for People who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse, although that’s still a pretty good album.) So I pop the CD in, and BAM! The first song starts off with a hook. Don’t need to listen to the rest of that track, since it’s a positive right off the bat. Next track – BAM! Third track - BAM! I’ve heard less than a minute of the record and I’m already buying it. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/2 "2007-12-06T14:59:24Z")
Most recently, it was “Mind If We Make Love To You” by The Wondermints, who are, for all intents and purposes, the modern incarnation of The Beach Boys. They are Brian Wilson’s backup band. They have toured with him, performing “Pet Sounds” and “Smile.” They also make their own albums, and Brian performs on them. So a lot of their music sounds like variations on a theme of The Beach Boys 1966-1968 era, because it is! What I want to know is, how do you grow up a BB fanatic, and get not only to play in Brian Wilson’s band, but get him to resurrect the aborted Smile project and finish it, then recreate the original recordings, under his direction? It must be nice. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/3 "2007-12-06T15:07:39Z")
[_Silvertone_](http://chrisisaak.online.fr/english/us-silvertone.htm) by Chris Isaak, my hands-down favorite album of the 1980s. I saw the video for “Gone Ridin’” while I was catching a dB’s show at the old 9:30 Club in Washington in November 1985 and bought a copy the next day. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/4 "2007-12-06T15:17:40Z")
Shakira’s ‘’¿Dónde están los ladrones?’’ (Where are the thieves?’’) I’d heard, _Bruta, ciega, sordomuda_ during a party in my Spanish class, and I went out at the end of the day and bought that album. And it is absolutely awesome from start to finish. She is an amazing songwriter (uh, in Spanish at least) and singing along with her is a blast. That album has survived years of play and the music still excites me. On the English side of things, there were The Beatles. When I was about 11 (in the interest of full disclosure, this was in 1994) I heard ‘‘Strawberry Fields Forever’’ and ‘‘Hey Jude’’ on my uncle’s stereo and promptly bought their Blue ‘‘1967-1970’’ collection, plastered my walls with Beatles posters and scored each of their Anthologies. I really had heard very little of the Beatles at that point, but the music was so unique and interesting that I never doubted I would love everything they did. And I was correct. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/5 "2007-12-06T15:20:31Z")
Yeah, all The Beatles albums for me. I didn’t care what was on them. I wanted each one as soon as it came out whether I had heard a song from it or not. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/6 "2007-12-06T15:28:24Z")
About 3 or 4 years ago, I bought The Shins’ _Chutes Too Narrow_ based on my brother’s recommendation alone. I had never even listened to it. He was so emphatic about the fact that it sounds like something I’d like. He compared it to Echo and the Bunnymen, even though I didn’t hear that _at all_. I had never bought a record sight unseen (sound unheard?). Before that, I had a “3 song” rule. If I like 3 songs on an album, I would part with my money. Now, if it’s an interesting band like Kaiser Chiefs or Spoon, I have a “1 song” rule. And I buy every Tragically Hip album that comes out, even if I haven’t heard any songs yet. But that’s the only band I do that for. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/7 "2007-12-06T15:30:06Z")
My friends and I were practically coming out of our skins in anticipation of **Fugazi** ’s first EP coming out, and bought it (on tape; damn I’m old) without hearing a note in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/8 "2007-12-06T15:36:59Z")
Well, if we’re counting buying stuff off of bands that contain members of other bands you liked, I bought We, The Vehicles, by Maritime without hearing them, as Davey van Bohlen’s voice could carry anything (even the Wood/Water album by the Promise Ring). ---
**Author:** ![Panurge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/fbc32d/32.png) [@Panurge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Panurge)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/9 "2007-12-06T15:39:03Z")
When I was into hip hop in the mid-ninties and lived in a small town with no record shop, I used to buy mail-order LPs without having heard anything. A lot of stuff I just _knew_ was great: Tribe, De La, the Wu-Tang + spin-offs, Ultramagnetic MCs + the Kool Keith solo stuff, etc. I rarely do this anymore (and I haven’t bought a hip hop record since 2000), nowadays I much prefer to rummage around in record stores for hours listening to anything that might be interesting before spending the little money I have. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/10 "2007-12-06T15:40:08Z")
[This one.](http://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Christmas-Sister/dp/B000ICLTKK/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1196955498&sr=8-1) Heavy metal music + the birth of the Lord - what’s not to love? 😉 I saw it at Wal-Mart yesterday and had to restrain myself from buying it - it’s been on my Amazon wish list since someone posted the link to one of the videos here last year. I’m hoping _someone_ takes the hint!! ---
**Author:** ![Ro\_Carter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7feea3/32.png) [@Ro\_Carter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ro_Carter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/11 "2007-12-06T15:44:23Z")
Probably a tie between Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me and The Killers’ Hot Fuss. I bought both after hearing the first single off them. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/12 "2007-12-06T15:45:43Z")
Jesus Christ Superstar. They had to change the original box packaging to a double slipcover because they couldn’t make it fast enough. Everyone bought it. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/13 "2007-12-06T15:45:49Z")
Hearing Best Looking Boys by the Promise Ring made me almost want to go out and buy their entire discography. Instead, I just bought one album by them, and that made me go out and buy their entire discography 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/14 "2007-12-06T15:49:05Z")
For me it was “Joshua Tree” \*1987 \* by U2. I knew about U2 and I liked them, but I had never bought any of their CDs. I heard two songs from the album and I had to buy it. The album made me a fan. Metallica’s “…And Justice for All” \*1988 \* had a similar story. I can’t count Yes’ “90125” \*1983 \* or Pink Floyd’s “A Momentary Lapse of Reason” \*1987 \* as I was already a fan of both bands and had some other Yes albums in 1983 and every other Pink Floyd by 1987. **olivesmarch4th** , the first two albums I bought, and these were actually vinyl, were Sgt Peppers and Abbey Road. I was 11 or 12 and this was around 1977 or 1978. My kids only like a small amount of my music, the Beatles are among the few. I sometimes wonder if they are the most universal Rock group with the greatest ability to appeal to multiple generations. I think they are. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/15 "2007-12-06T15:53:32Z")
I bought Holly Cole’s “Temptation” after hearing a snippet of _Little Boy Blue_ but knowing nothing about the artist. It was about a 80/20 success and I’ve picked up her catalog in bits and pieces. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/16 "2007-12-06T17:06:14Z")
I often used to buy albums without ever hearing a note. I bought the Bonzo Dog Band’s **Urban Spaceman** on the recommendation of a coworker who loved their first album (but I had never heard that). A good choice; they’re one of my all-time favorites. More recently, I bought Jonny Lang’s **Wander this World** from the description and maybe a sample or two. Years ago, I bought Free’s **All Right Now** without hearing any of it and knowing nothing about the group. I saw the title song was #1 in the UK and figured they might be interesting. There was also Robert Wyatt’s **Rock Bottom,** which I bought via iTunes after hearing it be critically praised for years. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/17 "2007-12-06T17:09:41Z")
When it comes to recommendations by friends, I’ve never bought an album by an artist that I hadn’t heard anything by, but I did buy Elvis Costello’s **This Year’s Model** without hearing anything off of it before (except maybe Pump it Up but I’m not sure about that one.) I didn’t know if I’d like him since while they were good songs, Alison seemed a bit too slow and Watching the Detectives a bit too reggae for my tastes and I wouldn’t want that repeated in an album (and let us not talk about Veronica further.) But I was hooked by the time “…but I was disconnected in time…” rolled around on the first track. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/18 "2007-12-06T17:27:03Z")
Meet the Beatles ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/19 "2007-12-06T17:43:51Z")
I remember first hearing the single “Woman” by “Wolfmother” on the radio, and thinking, “I gotta get that”. I did. I love it. Yesterday, I heard a bit of the cover Holy Diver by Killswitch Engage, and I decided to get the album. I’ve been trying to keep my ears open for some new metal, anyway, and it kind of clicked with me. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2007, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026/20 "2007-12-06T17:48:14Z")
Anything Michael Jackson. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-album-did-you-most-instantaneously-want-to-buy/429026.md?page=2)