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Bands You Discovered By Buying One Of Thier Records, Based On Album Cover.


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The Rush topic on the forum made me realize I have personally discovered quite a few band that I have come to love based on Album covers alone. Meaning I had never heard any of their music before that moment of buying the LP.

 

These are the standouts

 

At age 14 I bought Rush "2112" at a Sears store, Judas Priest "Sad Wings of Destiny" and AC/DC "High Voltage" and Rainbow "Rising" at a Lazarus store. Aerosmith "Toys In The Attic" Ontario Store. Funny I remember where I bought about every album I have owned. But as a 14 year old growing up listening to AM & FM pop radio in Ohio these albums were a "What The Hell Is This" and "I Love It" moment. And of course my all time favorite Alice Cooper "Billion Dollar Babies" . Those few albums were what started the whole move from "Bubble Gum" music to Rock !!! And it was based on Album Art alone !! Then I discovered a world full of great bands !!!!!!!

 

RainbowRainbowRising.jpg

Acdc_high_voltage_international_album.jpg

Sad_wings_of_destiny_cover.jpg

Rush_2112.jpg

Aerosmith_-_Toys_in_the_Attic.jpg

Alice_Cooper_-_Billion_Dollar_Babies.jpg

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Never did, unfortunately. As a kid I never had the opportunity to visit a "record shop". I lived in a very small rural area and there just wasn't one close by. So when I did get to a place that sold albums, I had limited funds and new exactly what I wanted before I got there.

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I discovered many bands buying from the album cover just because I liked it. Wound up with a bunch of flops too.

 

One that comes to mind was The Butts band.

 

 

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The looks of that beat up Fender amp intrigued me.

I bought the 8 track of that album in the late 70's and listened to it till the 8 track quit working. A common issue with 8 tracks was the tape would shed and quit feeding.

 

The kicker was, I didn't realize the significance of who was playing on that album. I liked the guitar and keyboard playing. There wasn't any hit makers but at least if the music was good I could learn something from it.

 

A few years back I went looking for that CD again still not knowing who was on it, only to discover John Densmore and Robby Krieger from the Doors made that album. Go figure. I had owned or at least heard all the Doors stuff and didn't know I had bought stuff done by them after Morrison had died.

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For me, it was loads.

 

But this is one of my faves, of all time. 10 cents, I think, cut-out bin. I bought it pretty much because I figured anyone who would put an album cover like that out in 1969 must be pretty damn outside. And that was certainly true -- but in a subtly twisted way, a blend of jazzy, bossa-influenced acoustic bluesy art rock. Sorta. (Pratt's next album made Al Kooper's much-vaunted 100 Greatest Albums of Rock list.)

 

R-3419504-1329684018.jpeg.jpg

 

 

 

John Peel intro and Andy Pratt's "Wet Daddy"... (the music doesn't start until about the 22 second mark) [video=youtube;XeCYJjR6qS4]

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images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSRukF_5flk-fKLMT6B7FzOQzPkSDzidDhblBBMrzyIDdoC3VLMNQThis is the only album I ever bught 'Cold". I was in a record shop in Houston that I frequented and the album had literally just arrived. The guy at the store said he had not heard it but that he'd heard they were a pretty good British band so I thought, Why Not? It was Tull's first American release. After several listens I decided "Cat's Squirrel" was the best cut. Didn't really become a real fan till "Benefit" though.
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Back in the 70's I bought Johnny Winter And Live based on his looks. I was about 10 years old and knew nothing about rock and roll but figured with the way Johnny looked he had to be rock and roll. The same day I bought Uriah Heep live - not based on the cover but on the band name..

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I discovered many bands buying from the album cover just because I liked it. Wound up with a bunch of flops too.

 

One that comes to mind was The Butts band.

 

 

fetch?id=31452962

 

The looks of that beat up Fender amp intrigued me.

I bought the 8 track of that album in the late 70's and listened to it till the 8 track quit working. A common issue with 8 tracks was the tape would shed and quit feeding.

 

The kicker was, I didn't realize the significance of who was playing on that album. I liked the guitar and keyboard playing. There wasn't any hit makers but at least if the music was good I could learn something from it.

 

A few years back I went looking for that CD again still not knowing who was on it, only to discover John Densmore and Robby Krieger from the Doors made that album. Go figure. I had owned or at least heard all the Doors stuff and didn't know I had bought stuff done by them after Morrison had died.

 

 

That is very cool. I am a huge Doors fan. Will definitely have to check it out.

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Back in the 70's I bought Johnny Winter And Live based on his looks. I was about 10 years old and knew nothing about rock and roll but figured with the way Johnny looked he had to be rock and roll. The same day I bought Uriah Heep live - not based on the cover but on the band name..

 

Dickens fan, huh? ;)

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Bought the first Kiss album based on the album cover.

 

That was the moment I learned what getting ripped off feels like.

 

Me too! Except I DUG IT! I was 13. On a happier note...

 

The Pretenders. Just a white photo studio infinity wall and 4 rad rockers standing there looking hip but not like jerks. They knew something. They dressed like me then, but way cooler. Not enough to go off of yet. But... there was a tough ass chick not faking it in a red leather jacket and eye makeup in an 'eff you' style. The back cover revealed she played a tele. ROCK! It sounded just like I hoped. I was 19.

 

Stanley Clarke's 1st solo record. Alembic on the back cover I think. I was 14 and playing in a Jazz Big Band.

 

Van Cliburn - Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto 1. Garage sale. 16 or 17. The center movement, an adagio opening with quiet, quiet flute and oboe. Blew my mind. Still does.

 

 

 

I forget all the stinkers

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I think I got turned on to Touch by Cheetah Magazine during the period they were living in a 'chateau' or Moorish style castle in the Hollywood Hills and recording the album... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_%281960s_band%29

 

I have the album on vinyl someplace -- and just popped it into my stream queue for old time's sake.

 

 

I've been listening to it shuffled into my morning mix... it's pretty great in a totally don't-color-between-the-lines 60s kind of way.

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