Do You Feel You Can Judge an Album Based on Only One Listen?

SilverScreen

Since music is so accessible to us these days, with Spotify and all that craic, I've noticed quite a lot of people writing off or praising albums after only giving them one listen. It's something I'm probably guilty of doing myself sometimes. But the dilemma here is do you give the album at least three or four plays before making a judgement on it, as some albums can take a while to get into? Or do you just immediately feel that it's not something that will grow on you and quickly move on and not waste your time with it since there's a lot of music out there you want to listen to?

Rigsby

I think it is quite possible to like an album on the first listen. However in general I agree that an album can take a few plays to grow on you. It depends on the type of music. Jazz for example can take a lot longer to grow on you than say, pop. In some ways I think people are spoiled for choice these days, and can be impatient to move on if they don't like something at the first listen. That's their call, but sometimes a true gem of an album can take a few listens to be recognised as such. In the days of vinyl, there was a kind of ritual to getting an album. Going to the record store, buying it, and bringing it home, the scent when you broke the album seal, reading the liner notes, admiring the cover art, etc. Then you sat down and played it many times before you came to a definitive conclusion about it. Back then the whole approach and attitude to albums was a lot different. Now, one click of the mouse is all that's required, and there is an almost infinite amount of choice available. This in itself is no bad thing, but can lead to complacency.

Zillah

I don't think I've ever changed my opinion on a album after the first listen, so yes.

GLaDOS

I'll only really make a confident judgement on an album after one listen if I think it's very good, or very bad. Even then I'll have to have a few more listens to cement that position. Usually I need at least 3-4 listens to make my mind up on an album, sometimes more. Can depend on the type of music though to a certain extent.

MilanPan!c

yes I do... but I don't always

SilverScreen

Zillah wrote: »

I don't think I've ever changed my opinion on a album after the first listen, so yes.

I've changed my opinion on quite a few albums after the first listen, both positively and negatively. Some albums I don't get on the first listen but grow to like after listening to it a couple more times. Other albums I might find enjoyable on the first listen, but after listening a couple more times my enjoyment of it wears off and I can't remember why I liked it in the first place.

Jimmy Iovine

Absolutely not.

I've lost count of the number of albums that I've dismissed after one, two or even five listens before coming back to them a good while later and realising just how good they are.

Latest case in point: "College Dropout" by Kanye. I bought it years ago, listened once and didn't like it. I put it into the cd player in my car at the end of August and I haven't taken it out since. I'm amazed on a daily basis by it. I keep on noticing new things despite having listened to every song on it at least 100 times. I've potentially listened to "Through the Wire" up to 200 times.

I'm so glad I went back and gave it a shot again.

Another one I can think of is "Speakerboxxx/Love Below". In face, I dismissed Big Boi as an artist completely when I was 16. I ignored his half of the album. Now, he's in my top-5 artists. He oozes talent.

lordgoat

Jimmy Iovine wrote: »

Absolutely not.

I've lost count of the number of albums that I've dismissed after one, two or even five listens before coming back to them a good while later and realising just how good they are.

Latest case in point: "College Dropout" by Kanye. I bought it years ago, listened once and didn't like it. I put it into the cd player in my car at the end of August and I haven't taken it out since. I'm amazed on a daily basis by it. I keep on noticing new things despite having listened to every song on it at least 100 times. I've potentially listened to "Through the Wire" up to 200 times.

I'm so glad I went back and gave it a shot again.

Another one I can think of is "Speakerboxxx/Love Below". In face, I dismissed Big Boi as an artist completely when I was 16. I ignored his half of the album. Now, he's in my top-5 artists. He oozes talent.

Good mornin'....

Sometimes with a great album, you have to sit with it.

The albums i love on first listen are usually the ones that burn out the fastest.

karaokeman

It all depends, my enjoyment of music always depends on my mood, and depending on the thoughts currently on my mind I can understand some albums better than others that would be lost on me if I listened to them around the same time.

If I'm listening to an album with a mixture of themes I can enjoy some songs, and be indifferent to others. Sometimes even if a lot of songs are different I can see how the album fits together as a whole, but that takes repeated listens.

In general I would definitely recommend multiple listens, even now I'm enjoying the original Star Wars trilogy more with repeated watches and I loved them at first viewing. The best works of art are those that never age, and music is no different.