The "I took a chance, and I'm glad I did!" thread.

[Gordon Williams]

Ok, we all love music so much, that I'm sure everyone of us have bought CD's before without having a clue what it sounded like. You just "took a chance", hoping you would like it. Sometimes, it might be an artist you've liked before, but have never heard anything from the release you take a chance on.

Or, sometimes, it may just be a band name that catches your eye...like, "what a cool band name...they GOTTA rock...I'm buying it, and taking a chance..."

Or, maybe, you just like the cover art enough, so you take a chance.

So anyway, list something you took a chance on, and you are real glad you did. For me, I remember taking a chance on "Carnival Of Souls" by Kiss, an artist I liked since the mid 70's, but took a chance on this release, and love it. Another awesome one would be "Back To Reality", by Slaughter. Both of these discs would be at the top of my "under-rated" list.

Two others I can think of right now, where I took a chance, and never had even heard any kind of sound bites, are "Chemical Wedding" by Bruce Dickinson, and "The Lizard" by Saigon Kick. Both very good listens.

I also took a chance on both Black Country Communion records, but with their line-up, you just knew it was gonna be good stuff. As we say in the south...C'MON BACK YA'LL!! WHADDAYA GOT??

 

[Scandal 2000]

Gordon, he is one hundred percent correct. Accident of Birth is a flat out masterpiece. I would take it over anything Maiden has done since Seventh Son.

[TageRyche]

I wouldn't say that myself, but Accident of Birth is a fantastic CD.

[TageRyche]

The first Maria McKee solo album. It was self-titled. I had never even heard of her before. But I saw the cover art and was mesmerized by such a beautiful photo of the beautiful woman. I actually own the album on vinyl, cassette and CD. It is phenomenal.

 

[Jon]

She was in Lone Justice, they had a farly decent hit in the 80's (I think) with a song I believe was titled "Sewet, Sweet Baby". I have that CD, and it's pretty good.

[TageRyche]

I know all that know!

But back then I didn't.

I own every thing that was released for Lone Justice and Maria McKee...HUGE FAN.

[Niels (Mod)]

I guess, I've taken a lot of changes through the years. I remember in '84, I had seen an article about Queensrÿche, and I thought it might be something, so I bought "The Warning" and Dokken's "Tooth And Nail" the same day.  

I saw Cheap Trick in a magazine in the summer of '79, and there was a picture of Bun E. Carlos in Paul Stanley-boots, and being a KISS-fan at that time, I thought, that I should check that band out, and bought "Live at Budokan".

But I've also taken some changes, where it DIDN'T turn out as good. But who hasn't bought a lot of crap?!!!!! 

[Jon]

Crap, by cover art alone, back in the 80's I picked up stuff from Picture, Armored Saint, Helloween, Grim Reaper, Keel (man, that album sucked), Warrior. Just tons of stuff because it looked "metal". I'm most proud of having picked up Picture and Warrior's debut.

More recently, probably in the last 15 years or so I've picked up Opeth, Therion, Ayreon, Edguy, Mercenary, Vintersorg, Brand New Sin, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Nightwish and I'm sure a bunch more, never hear a track from any of these bands before I purchased and wasn't really let down at all. 

[Niels (Mod)]

Was it "Heavy Meal Ears" by Picture?? I bought it in '81, I think, not because of the cover-art, but because of the title, ha ha. It was crap!!!!

[Jon]

No it was Diamond Dreamer and Eternal Dark. ED looked like it was definitely metal because of the cover, DD had a heavy metal chick ready to toss a brick or something and I picked them both up at the same time because of those covers.

Another I bought just because of the cover was Uriah Heep's "Abominog". Heard of them, might have heard a song or two on the radio, but that album cover sucked me in and I love that album to this day.

[Niels (Mod)]

"Heavy meal ears"!!!!? Of course it was "Heavy METAL ears". I wasn't a FAT kid!!!!

Ditto on the Abominog-album!!!!

[Jon]

I didn't even catch that. I 've read reviews about that album and they all say it stinks. So I'm happy with the two I have....but it's actually three and you'll all be able to hear it eventually....

[Scott]

Heres some I recall buying on an impulse that I ended up liking alot....

• QUEENSRYCHE - The Warning ..  Probably because of the band name since the cover isnt that great.  I liked the title track but didnt care for the rest at the time.  It did grow on me as more and more people caught onto the band, so I went back listened closer.  Glad I did.
• STARZ - Coliseum Rock ..  Seen it in my friends collection, cool band name, cool logo, and the album cover wasnt terrible.  Had to be good!  And it still is...

 

And some that didnt work out so well ...

• BILLY RANKIN - Growin Up Too Fast .. Former Nazareth member, so I took a chance, he ended getting a small top 40 mention for Baby Come Back, but the album had nothin else worth listening to
• DOC HOLLIDAY - Rides Again ..  I bought them because they were coming to town in support of April Wine, so they had to be good right?  They were actually really good in concert, but on vinyl?  Another Skynyrd sound alike...