Have you ever forced yourself to like an album?
 

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Yes. I actually did it as an experiment once. I remember I couldn't get into Love & Rockets' self-titled album even though I liked Earth Sun Moon and Express a lot. So I decided to listen to it once a day for a few weeks to see if it was possible to get into something by simple repetition. Turns out it is.

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yeah. Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie by Alanis Morissette. Loved Jagged Little Pill, but hated SFIJ at first.....but just listened to it over and over and forced myself to like it in the end lol.

I've never tried to force myself to like something by repetition. Life's too short, there is too much other music to listen to.

There have been a handful of albums that I have bought, didn't like all that much at first, but after a few more listens I came to appreciate them - but I don't think that's what the OP was talking about.

He's been one of the most consistent members on the site since 2007, and was a mod at one point. Quite frankly, I'm surprised he doesn't have more. Batlord's in the lead currently among active members if I'm correct.

"Forcing yourself to like an album is like trying to talk yourself into achieving an erection"- George S. Patton

"Forcing" might be to strong a word, but I do give music a lot of chances. Pretty much everything I love now was stuff I found to be 'meh' or even hated when I first listened to it.

How do you differentiate between albums you only listen to once and forget about and albums you give more time to?

My answer to the OP is: No. Not purposely.

I listened until Radiohead's Kid A until it finally clicked and i could admit that yes, it is indeed awesome and I should stop underrating Radiohead. Then I never listened to Radiohead again. I don't know why, since I finally did end up liking it.

No. If I don't like an album within the first 3 or 4 times listening to it, chances are I'm not going to like it the 5th or 6th time. Too much music out there to limit yourself to one album.

For me, the answer would be simple: If I decide to give more time, there's always some obvious trait to the album that sets it apart from others. I'll feel like trying harder to like an album if I can see that it is somewhat unique in some interesting way.

I hate almost everything I listen to the first time I hear it.

If they are a genre I usually like.
If they are by an artist I usually like.
If they come out on a label I usually like.
If they are being recommended by someone whose taste I dig.
If they are being hailed as historically important and influential.
etc.

Sure! Sometimes you need couple times to understand if you like it or not. Plus very much it depends on mood and attention.

I think you mean to ask, 'Has an album grown on you'?

A few albums have grown on me, but there has been albums that I forced myself to listening just because it was the "cool" thing to listen to. That was back when I was 14, though.

I've forced myself to sit down and listen to The Black One by Sunn O))) multiple times in hopes of understanding why people like it so much, or making myself like it, but it hasn't worked yet.

Did you blast it on good speakers?

I've tried good speakers, I've tried headphones, I've tried listening to it in complete darkness, and it just doesn't do anything for me. I hate to call music boring, but I'm normally tired of it by the time I get half way through Cursed Realms.

I can definitely see that for someone who doesn't listen to a lot of drone. Does that criticism extend to Monoliths and Dimensions?

Haven't given that a listen yet. Would you consider it to be a better intro album? There are moments were I can really dig the sound they're going for, and I like just how loud they play, but I just find The Black One is missing that one thing to hold my attention span through it's duration. You're right about the drone thing though, I have very little familiarity with the genre as a whole.

I like Black One better, but Monoliths is more accessible (and has a lot more gorgeous moments).

Alright, I'll give it a listen sometime soon then, hopefully with better results.

Play it loud.

I really like White1 and 00 Void, I really need to start looking into the other records.

The white albums are seriously underrated imo. White2 especially.

http://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/6a5798fe876...22/4741307.jpg
I bought this album in a cut-out bin. I didn't get into it right away. However it was my go to album when I need an album to fall asleep to, because of the slow pace of the music. I would play it at very low volume and listen to it till I dozed off. I didn't set out to force myself to like the album, however after listening to it night after night it became a favorite of mine.


http://i2.cdscdn.com/pdt2/6/2/8/1/30...mily-small.jpg
Well I set out to look for some old 60s' Psychedelia. I gave Pipers at the Gates of Dawn a try because of all the hype I've seen about it, but I couldn't get into it at all. I found this as a related albums for other Psychedelic albums. I was wasn't too impress at first but I persisted to give the whole album, which took about a week, because I would listen to a few songs a day at a time. It reminds me of mix of bands around the same time like The Monkees, The Association, The Beach Boys, and John Fred & His Playboy Band. I think it's a pretty cool album cover, it's very Austen Powers-esque. The music is ok, it's a bit slow & mellow, but for some reason I can't get into vocals.