In a previous Open Discussion thread, Kevin asked us to share our Country Convert song. On that thread, a comment by Jim Malec made me think of my very first album purchase.
While my parents started buying me country albums for birthdays and Christmases as soon as they knew that country music was a passion of mine, the first country album that I purchased with my own money was Vince Gill’s I Still Believe in You. At the time that I started listening to country radio, Vince’s “Tryin’ To Get Over You” was moving up the charts. I really liked that song and I especially liked his voice, but that’s not what got me to become a lifelong fan.
In my introductory piece, I mentioned that I had undergone several eye operations in a three month period that made me feel quite sick. Country music was the only thing that could take my mind off of the physical and emotional stress of that challenging time. Meanwhile, my parents insisted that the entire family had to go on a camping trip.
Camping was the last thing I wanted to do, mainly because I wouldn’t be able to have my lifeline of country music for a week. Fortunately though, unlike me, a nearby camper was granted the luxury of a boom box and he or she repeatedly played his I Still Believe in You album throughout the week. So, I was able to strain to hear it each time it was played, which really made that trip bearable for me. When we finally returned back to civilization, I bought the cassette tape of that album the first chance I got.
So, while I don’t expect your answers to be quite as trite or revealing as mine, I ask:
What is the first country album you purchased with your own money and why?
Great story and awesome topic!
As far as country goes, I’m pretty sure I bought Lorrie Morgan’s “Something in Red” and Pam Tillis’ “Put Yourself in My Place” on the same day. I remember thinking it was weird having country music mixed in with my pop/rock collection.
As for the why, it was as simple as liking “Maybe it Was Memphis” and “Except for Monday.”
Alan Jackson’s “Drive”
I actually didn’t listen to it much the first few years but then I opened it up earlier this year and realized how awesome and underrated that album was. Some of the lesser known songs like The Sounds and the one with George Strait, “Designated Drinker” are some of the best on the album.
I miss read the topic and can’t edit. Oh well. Drive was the first album I got as a gift. As for my first purchase, I think it was Horse of a Different Color by Big and Rich. I had liked the songs I heard off of it and it turned out to be a decent record.
I really loved the song “Stay the Night” so I saved up $7 and bought the Chicago 17 tape at K-Mart. Wow, that last sentence makes me feel old.
Trailer, sorry, but I forgot to say “country album”, so I’ve edited the post so that it says it now. My fault.
Now I have to think a little harder. I believe the first country album I bought was Garth Brooks “No Fences” and I’m sure “Friends in Low Places” was the hook that pulled me in.
Garth Brooks – No Fences :(
“Did I Shave My Legs for This?” by Deana Carter.
I first stepped foot into country music because I heard LeAnn Rimes sing “Unchained Melody” at the ’96 (or ’97) AMAs. After that, I went to the bookstore to find her album. Deana’s was beside LeAnn’s and I bought Deana’s first. I don’t remember why. I think the beauty of Deana’s album cover with the grass and flowers made it more appealing than LeAnn’s.
In college I had an overwhelming urge to find albums by the country bands I loved when I was a kid. I believe the first purchase was the first Desert Rose Band album. The O’Kanes’ first album was not far behind.
Tim McGraw//Greatest Hits
actually it was two lp’s at the same time:
1. the electric horseman soundtrack – robert redford and jane fonda, willie nelson, cowboy songs, a fantastic landscape plus a horse. i still watch that movie every time it comes on.
2. waylon jennings – i just had to have “luckenbach texas” and “good hearted woman”. they’re still among my favourite shower-songs.
this was in the spring of 1980 when i returned from a new orleans to san francisco road-trip.
It was the summer of 1968 and after working for a few weeks that summer I had some money saved up and I went to the Navy Exchange and purchased
SKIP A ROPE by Henson Cargill
COUNTRY CHARLEY PRIDE
ACCORDING TO MY HEART by Jim Reeves
I think I purchased a total of ten LPs that summer including JOHNNY CASH AT FOLSOM PRISON, MAMA TRIED by Merle Haggard and SWEET ROSIE JONES by Buck Owens
The Woman in Me by Shania Twain…she brought me back to country and made me appreciate the past, present and future direction of this genre.
I am thinking it was something by either George Strait or Garth Brooks — I was in college – I cannot remember — but the first country album I ever got was as a gift – John Schneider (did he count as country back then??, I think so)– I was about 8 and he was in Dukes of Hazzard and I thought he was hot —
I dont really remember a story involved other than I just liked the music, but my first was Clint Black’s “Killin Time”
“A Lot About Livin'(And A Little ‘Bout Love)—-Alan Jackson
WHAT: I remember buying a flurry of albums when I first started buying country music. I think it was probably “River of Time” by the Judds, but it could have been “Killin’ Time” or “Rumor Has It”. In any event, they’re all great albums.
WHY: In 1989, my family moved, and I went to a school where the kids were much bigger fans of country music than where I’d lived before. I’m sure that’s what prompted the album purchases.
“Reba” by Reba. My grandma played “Know How He Feels” to me, and I was hooked.
“Urban Chipmunk.” I am not kidding.
Since my interest in country music has only become reawakened in the more recent years of my having my own money to spend on music then it is:
Johnny Cash, Man in Black compilation.
However, when I was a small child I clearly remember once owning a copy of “Boy Named Sue” on 7″ single. by Cash. I can’t ever remember buying it though and more likely obtained it through some kind of trade at school.
I think at the time us kids were more fascinated by the part of the song that was bleeped out on the record than the music itself.
My first country album purchase was a cassette tape of Garth Brooks’ “Ropin’ The Wind.” The first CD I bought was Vince Gill’s “Whenever You Come Around.”
“Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs” – Marty Robbins
I fell into a little windfall when I found two nests of water moccasins in one week when I was a youngster. Good moccasin skins were pulling down 20 cents per. Big money at the time. Since I was rolling in dough and was too young to be anything but scared of gurls I bought Marty’s album and two new needles for my old rebuilt RCA Victor phonograph. Livin’ in high cotton!
Used to drive my folks nuts on how I “wasted” my money all the time! ;-)
Waylon and Willie: 1978, I still listen to it alot!
“Sweet Right Here” by SHeDAISY (they were the first country artists I started listening to ^^)
I wasn’t even aware that it was country until I got into sara Evans and Reba :)
I remember the hooks for me were “Passenger Seat” and “Don’t Worry ‘Bout A Thing”
in fact I love sugarland now but back then when i was stupid and young (haha) I always saw their album (Twice The Speed Of Life) on Amazon when I would check out SHeDAISY music I thought they were some weird pop artists LOL :D
I remember, when I was 8 or 9, my dad got my mom a portable CD player for her birthday (which were rather expensive in the early 90’s, I am told) along with Garth’s Ropin’ the Wind. So I’d sneek listens of that when I could.
A few years later, I got a my own CD player/stereo for Christmas along with Garth’s Double Live and Sevens. Do I need to point out how much I still love these albums? Sevens is now the “gold standard” by which I rate other albums. Nothing compares to the first, I suppose.
Oops! George Strait’s The Road Less Traveled was the first CD I actually bought myself. (I didn’t read the rules…sorry)
It was a very long time ago but the first country album I ever bought was Before I’m Over You, by Loretta Lynn.
Being in the UK, I hadn’t had a huge exposure to country music. The first CD I bought, therefore, was Martina McBride’s Greatest Hits, after Carrie Underwood (and others) did her songs on American Idol and made me curious!
I’m not sure if those early 70’s Elvis budget albums with country cover songs count, so I’ll say it was the Buck Owens Christmas album that had “Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy” and rockin’ version by the Buckaroos of “Jingle Bells.”
Lanibug, I think John Schneider definitely qualified as country — “What’s A Memory Like You” and “Take The Long Way Home” were stone country.