I hope this topic stirs up some great memories and further sharing of good music. What was the first vinyl "LP" album you ever owned?
Mine was "Maynard '64" (Maynard Furgeson). I was 10 and learning to play trumpet, and my dad bought this album for me. He worked a lot, so it was really cool that he took the time to chase it down.
I cherished it and still have it, but it didn't take long to learn there was much better jazz out there. In all fairness, I grew up listening to my parents playing Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Tommy Dorsey - a pretty decent start given the general lack of recognition in the white middle class as to how African culture had molded the music they loved.
Great question! Wish I could remember! First one I can remember clearly and for sure - and still have that copy - was Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Being a double album it was pretty expensive for a kid with a paper route and so I had to wait for Christmas. Then playing it in my room, trying to get away with as much volume as I could. I was already an audiophile with acoustic treatment, guess you could say my bedroom was my first listening room.
But I really think the first one I owned was Nilsson Schmilsson. At least I can remember playing Without You and Jump Into the Fire over and over again, my preferred technique being to lay on the floor with the speakers on either side like headphones. Dang I was a resourceful little audiophile!
Actually, this is as much deduction as memory, but that probably was the first. Nilsson Schmilsson came out in 1971, when I was in Jr High and right about the time I bought my first stereo, a receiver/turntable combo, speakers bought separately, from Radio Shack. My bedroom was my listening room, complete with (I kid you not) acoustic panels.
Great question because I still have and listen to both albums. Only now they are White Hot Stampers, and while I still enjoy Elton I now appreciate Nilsson way more than I ever did as a kid. Happy to say the same goes for a lot of my other music from my Jr High school days. DSOTM. So poor we were- and yet so rich.
October 1964; bought my first "stereo" for $35, and my first 5 albums: the first 3 PP&M albums, Meet the Beatles, and The Singing Nun. Still have copies of them all, though not the originals. Those were the days...
Pink Floyd, Relics, second was ELP, Picture at an Exhibition. They were both cheaper, new, than the average for albums at the time. Third I think was Dark Side of the Moon, my first at full price.
First album I ever purchased myself was Meet the Beatles. I had other albums but they were all given to me and were either classical compilations or silly stuff like the Howdy Doody Song Book.
@ kirschner and keegiam "Dominique...inique...inique...what a catchy little tune (for '63). Just had to go to utube and check it out after all these years. What caught me off guard was how uptempo it was compared to memory.
Can't remember my first 12" LP but the first record I ever bought was a 7" "Surfin' Bird", mainly for the shock factor I knew it would have on my parents.
Great thread. My first was a superb compilation album...Stereo Plus 3, which was a promo LP released by City National Bank. This promo LP featured Gladys Knight, Beatles and other great performers. If you can find a copy today, its a great listen.
Crosby Still and Nash debut album. Bought at the Singer Sewing store at the MacDade mall in Holmes Pa. (Suburb of Philly), I was so excited to be buying it. That album (music) still holds up for me today.
Not sure on album but I clearly remember my first 45 - I was 4 years old and picked out The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" with "Eleanor Rigby" on the B side. I listened to it a million times on my plastic lidded TT that sat on a wire rack.
Can't remember exactly. Was either Hans Christian Andersen or Grimms Fairy Tales. Would listen for hours to witches being destroyed, etc. (circa 1956).
Dean Martin on 33, had all his hits at the time, and Sonny and Cher’s first 33 and a Justin Wilson, comic album, (my dad got that one). All at the same time. Sonny and Cher.. My first.. Man was she a knock out, he was kinda bad.. Smart guy though.. 1966-67?
Very enjoyable post! Have to agree "Nilsson Schmilsson" has stood the test of time better than "Yellow Brick Road." At least you had them both early on.
BTW I recall hearing way back then that pressed cardboard egg containers made a pretty good acoustical treatment for walls.
acresverde -- Hey, I've got the Surfin' Bird single, too. I also remember '50's - Early '60's L.A. Deejay Lloyd Thaxton using a puppet to lip synch the tune on his daily local teen TV dance show. I have the Dominique '45, as well. I guess we're brah's under the skin.
I remember like it was yesterday. 1967 at 13 years old. More of the Monkees. I didn't even have a turntable yet. Got caught playing it on my older sister's (20 years old) console. Got in big trouble as I wasn't suppose to touch it. Sure glad my musical taste has changed since then.
The Beach Boys' "All Summer Long," in mono. I got in in stereo a year or two later. Some great tracks on this one. I was probably 12. Some filler tracks as well, but it mostly holds up for me today. I think this might have been their last stereo release before they started doing that "Duosonic" garbage.
I have to join the growing "Meet the Beatles" crowd here. It was in the early 60's my Mom won a drawing at the Roosevelt Field shopping mall on Long Island. It entitled her to a selection of $35.00 worth of free records at the mall record store. That meant a lot of LP's, then so we had really hit the jackpot in my estimation... My sister and I both got to pick one for ourselves, which was exciting.
I chose "Meet the Beatles" and I think my sister's choice was the Beach Boys first album, "Surfin' Safari". I know we ended up with both. I was maybe eleven or twelve at the time, my sister three years younger.
Great post keegiam. Brought back a fond memory of a banner day.
Beethoven 5th symphony, Eugen Jochum conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra on Philips. Bought the album in 1977 while in high school, gave it to a friend when I went to college Dan
Steppenwolf Live, 79 cents at Turnstyle in Ford City shopping mall, Chicago. Luckily, my older brother already had most of the previously mentioned records.
I remember joining the Columbia Record Club and they had a deal where you can get 50 records for $50 as a sign-up bonus. I have no recollection of which one I picked first. All my other records prior to that had been hand me downs from parents or others.
The first LP I actually bought at college I remember it was “Ziggy Stardust”.
All great albums, many of which I still listen to now. First one I actually owned (jointly with my siblings) was Rubber Soul. For me this is still one of the greats. Parents hated it, couldn't work out why the Beatles had made such a 'screechy, horrible', album. Tried their best to get us to return it. We were adamant.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
