July 2021 Vinyl Spin Challenge: Summer Breeze Makes Me Feel Fine

July 26 - 2nd chances
Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

R.E.M.'s album Out Of Time has taken a very, very, very long time for me to get into.

So long, in fact, that I'm still not onto it.

So let's play some R.E.M. I'm very into...




R.E.M. - Murmur

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July 26 - 2nd chances - Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

I will truly never understand why it took me so long to fall in love with this album as neo-soul is pretty much my favorite genre. So theoretically it should have clicked with me immediately. I knew I should like it and wanted to like it so bad so I kept trying. I had to come back to it a couple different times over several years and then one day it clicked, and is now an all time favorite of mine!

 
July 26 - 2nd chances - Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

This is likely me exposing myself more than anything but I generally don't have a lot of these. Most of the time, it's just artists or albums who get enough airplay in my "sphere" that I eventually come around on them, but there's a litany of great musicians I never really got into after an initial distaste.

This is probably my most obvious choice. A lot of my collection is "female singer-songwriter with heart breaking personal lyrics", combined with my early love of 70's hippie inspired folksy rock (the James Taylors and Carole Kings of the world), with "River" being one of my favorite Xmas-adopted songs (which I have a lot of), I would think Joni Mitchell would've been there. Nope, took about 30-years-and-change of living before Joni really clicked with me. Thanks to Blue not too surprisingly really.

Joni Mitchell - Blue

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July 26 - 2nd chances
Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

Amy Winehouse "Back To Black" (2006 Universal; 2007 repress)
I'm a big fan of the Dap-Kings, but at first I really didn't like the way they sounded on this album. Something about how Mark Ronson cleaned up their sound and took away the rawness characteristic of their work with Sharon Jones turned me off. But I revisited the album around her passing and it started to click with me. It was the voice and lyrics that overtook my early hesitations. The title track is so heartfelt. This is now one of my all-time favorite albums (and it made my all-time top 50 when we submitted our selections here last winter).

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July 26 - 2nd chances
Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

It took me a long, long time to appreciate country.
I was completely unfamiliar with his music (I knew the name but, I had never listened to him because "country"). When he passed away last year I did a little research and picked up this album.
I love it, he's such a great lyricist. I now have to explore more.

John Prine - S/T

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2nd chances

Dawn Richard - Second Line
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This album holds the distinction of being the longest something has sat sealed on my shelf, by a very long margin. I was quite excited for its release, but quite underwhelmed when I streamed it on release day. Thought it might wind up being a PIF but kept giving it a chance on Spotify with different listening experiences and came around to it, thankfully. Which is good, because it sounds way better on the platter!
 
July 26 - 2nd chances
Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

To echo @gafacaode sentiments, I wrote off country for a looong time. I had my reasons, some were valid some were immature or close minded. But I got past all that baggage as I dove into Willie Nelson’s catalog about a decade ago, which in turn opened my mind and ears to some of the best artists in the genre that I had previously ignored, like Merle.

Side note - there’s a slight illusion on this cover; I see the grim reaper towards the top right, and can’t unsee it.

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july 26 - 2nd chances

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arcade fire - neon bible

i could have seen them in the heat at lollapalooza 2005 but felt my time was better spent lazing in the shaded grass listening to sts9 despite my friend saying i absolutely should not miss it. i’m still not a huge fan of arcade fire today, but their live shows i have seen since that lollapalooza have all been more than worth it. i wish i had went to their set that year to see an up and coming buzz band play a set that still gets talked about whenever ‘best of lolla’ lists come out. alas, i couldn’t bring myself to appreciate them til later.
 
July 27 - Scotch Whisky Day
Play something connected to Scotland

I could've gone Chvrches but I have a standing rule to bust out this OST whenever a challenge gives me a reasonable chance to. The movie is based in Scotland, the main original song is titled "Glasgow", and it leads off with an absolutely pitch perfect, sick cover of Country Girl by Scottish legends Primal Scream. Hard recommend for the movie and soundtrack. As always

Jessie Buckley - Wild Rose OST

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Day 25: All Of You Are The Best!
Play something that you got as a PIF or because a forum member turned you on to the artist

Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
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This fantastic Shoegazey Electronic album was introduced to me via PIF (and Challenge Thread) All-Star, @Kris . The generosity and kindness of the N&G community is second to none but even still the music discoveries/knowledge I’ve made because of everyone here has been staggering and greatly appreciated.
 
Day 26: 2nd Chances
Play something that took a very long time for you to get into

Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
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Music is weird sometime it takes awhile for something “click”. Mac was one of those artists for me. He had been well hyped during the previous few years after his quick back to back releases of 2 to Salad Days but his musical charm was lost on me. I liked him as a person, he seemed like a goofy fun loving dude but nothing musically pulled me in to really give it a chance. That all changed one night when me and my SO headed over to a friend of a friends apartment for after hours drinks after closing out Zoo Bar in Eastlake one evening. There was probably around a dozen or so people there and we drank, played foosball, and spun records for anther couple hours. Their record selection was limited but they had Salad Days and it was the perfect soundtrack to some drunken carefree revelry. After that night all the pieces clicked and I have been a fan of Mac and his music ever since.
 
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