[Kronsteen]

What records did you acquire (from your parents or siblings) as a kid, that had an impact on your musical tastes?

I remember being 11 or 12 when I found my dad's collection of records gathering dust. My dad had just given me his old stereo system (which consisted of a pair of Acoustic Research AR-5 speakers, a Lafayette receiver, a Dual turntable, and a pair of Koss headphones - big metal green ones - very heavy - you could kill someone with these if necessary) and I was looking for new stuff to listen to. What I found was:

1. Stan Getz - Sweet Rain
2. Oscar Peterson - Blues Etude
3. Shelly Manne / Bill Evans with Monty Budwig - Empathy
4. John Coltrane - The John Coltrane Quartet Plays Chim Chim Cheree, Song of Praise, Nature Boy, Brazilia
5. John Coltrane - Expression
6. John Coltrane - Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
7. John Coltrane - Coltrane Live At Birdland
8. John Coltrane - Coltrane
9. The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Further Out
10. Duke Ellington - Duke Ellington's Far East Suite

Some random thoughts associated with this collection:

1. My dad must have taken great care of the albums - they were in mint condition
2. I remember playing Sweet Rain to death. I absolutely loved that album!
3. There is this awesome picture of Shelly Manne at his drum-kit. The bass drum has this huge logo for the National Rifle Association - We Do Our Part on it
4. Although Coltrane's music was a bit far out for a 11 year old (Expression was really, really far out) , I really got into it. I remember playing Chim Chim Cheree over and over for hours on end.
5. My favorite track from Time Further Out was Blue Shadows In the Street - it had this great moody, film noir-ish kind of sound to it.
6. None of the other kids I grew up with appreciated listening to this stuff. It use to drive me nuts when they wanted to listen to ELO and Jethro Tull instead.
7. I didn't realize until I got to college just how great (although small) this collection was.
8. Once my dad gave me his stereo system he ran right out and bought himself a replacement system consisting of a pair of Acoustic Research AR-LST speakers, and a top of the line Lafayette Receiver.
9. I still own those AR-LST's but I haven't quite figured out what to do with them.
10. That Lafayette Receiver had the most powerful reception I've ever seen. Once, with just an indoor antenna from the top bedroom of my house in the Boston metro west area, I picked up my old College radio station located out on Long Island.

 

[AngusMcToon]

My 3 favorite parental handmedowns:

1. An old Lenny Bruce record on red vinyl.

2. The Worst of Homer and Jethro. I recently converted this to CD...

3. An Evening Wasted With Tom Lehrer.

Any of their records that were non-comedy were, well, just not funny.

 

[Mr.PD]

My dad still has his records (I hope). I remember listening to Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass a lot. I think it was the cover picture on Whipped Cream and Other Delights that I liked first. I still like that band.

 

[Gord SW Ont]

I've allowed my kids access to most of my old albums but still keep a few specials, such as, direct masters by Lincoln Mayorga, etc off limits.

These days though the kids seldom listen to anything but CD's ... actually that applies to me as well

Happy Head-Fi'ing ... Gord.

 

[Outdoor Man]

Be glad your dad has a good taste for music.

I'll never want to have my dad's collection.
Stupid German hoempapa music.

Burk.

Peter.

 

[Tuberoller]

ironically it was my mother and her music that most shaped my listening preferences.She loves jazz,blues and early pop vocals.She still has her old records but as a kid our house was always filled with the sounds of music. some of her favorites that have also become mine are:

Brook Benton,Dinah Washington,Johnny Mathis,Frank Sinatra,Vic Damone,Nina Simone,Miles,Coltrane and many others.

My dad was more into rock and heavier blues but I liked soem of the more funky stuff he was into.He got me into Shuggie Otis,Hendrix,Al Cooper,the Bar-Kays and lots of other really trippy blues and R&B type stuff.It's funny that both my parents are/were educators and music lovers.

 

[coolvij]

Wow, those are some great Trane records..........

Wow, those are some great Trane records..........

Wow, those are some great Trane records..........

Wow, those are some great Trane records..........

 

[BenG]

Well, not much Trane from the folks but alot of Miles, Brubeck, Ahmad Jamal, Getz, Oscar Peterson, Sinatra...

I remember when I was 8 and wanted to be like Paul Desmond.

The folks have a KLH Model 11 Turntable/speaker system that I used to listen to(like a mini-system but a fairly good one for it's day, still in working condition today).

 

[john_jcb]

I was introduced to Jazz at a very young age by my father. He had an extensive record collection including Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Coltrane and many lesser known artists etc. He had an entire cabinet of records perhaps 200-300 that he would play at night. My memories are from the mid 50s to the mid 60s. Then came the mid 60s and I drifted away. Hendrix and Clapton replaced the old Jazz greats. My father took ill in the early 70s and my Mother hastily sold almost everything and they moved from the farm to a condo. His record collection along with hundreds of classic baseball cards disappeared in the sales.