What Was The First Album You Bought?

Before we were old enough to buy our own music, we all grew up listening to what our parents already had. In some cases, this is a terrible memory. In other cases, what was once "Aw, dad! Do we really have to listen to this rubbish?" eventually became, "This is the beautiful music my dad used to listen to."

My folks were awesome enough to have such a wide variety, exposing me to opera, jazz, rock and everything in between. Hence my passion for music today! They had thousands of records and cassette tapes, all labeled and in their correct order. Some of them had even been imported from overseas, which was quite a big deal back in those times.

Photo: StefanG81

And listening to the music was an occasion - very rarely was it put on for ambience. We would literally slide out the Sgt Pepper vinyl, switch the TV off, get comfortable, place the needle in the groove and enjoy the music.
'Enjoy' could be singing along, playing air drums or listening to the technicality of the bass guitar - but we enjoyed the music hard!
There was a brief intermission to switch to the second side of the disc - "Catch you on the flip side!" - and we'd launch into side two.

At the end, we would sort of wake up from the dream and remember that there's a real life to get back to. But it was a dream that was real - a beautiful escape away from the norm of being busy.

And the cats were waiting for their food the whole time.

Yes, those musical moments were like mini holidays that you sort of kept in the cupboard for 'next time.'

Then came a day where you walked into a music shop, with your own self-obtained money, knowing that you would leave with music that YOU chose.
Perhaps you knew for a long time what your purchase would be.
Perhaps you were spontaneous.
Perhaps you bought several items - all of them being your first.
Nonetheless it was very, very thrilling.

In my story, it was a time long before Facebook, I remember wanting to tell the world that I had just bought my first album (Independence Day soundtrack). I wanted to shout it from the rooftops and have a huge party where we would dress up, say speeches, have celebrity guests and celebrate the music.
But instead, I simply wound up going home as quickly as I could (because the magic would leak out if I took too long) And making sure no one bothered me for at least an hour, I slipped on a good set of headphones, inhaled deeply and pressed play.

I felt like the TARDIS vanishing into another dimension. It was such a beautiful experience that for a while I compared other experiences to it, to see if it measured up.

Admittedly, it is a tough act to follow.

Not long after, I went and bought my second album, and then my third and fourth. Eventually I was hip-deep in CDs. One could now buy music and even tell the world about it without leaving their computer.

Today I still  make it an occasion to listen to music as much as I can. Sometimes I'll park outside the house and just youthfully savor the music in the car until the mini holiday has ended. All because of that first album that I bought.

What was the first album you bought?