How Do You Decide What to Buy?

[Reid]

The Penguin thread made me think of this question. Although I like the Penguin guide, I usually don't buy a cd on their recommendation alone. Usually, I try to look to a variety of sources: Penguin jazz guide, AMG, magazines like STN and Wire, and above all the posters here at this site. If a lot of people here rave about a cd, I usually put a lot of stock into that (not to say that's a full-proof way). (Although, I gotta give special props to Vince, who has picked out some great recordings.)

If possible I like listening to the recording before hand, and that's usually the best way. Of course, that's not always possible. If I don't know anything about the recording, I look at the musicians, the label, and last the cover. (I hate to admit it but the label does exert some amount of influence on my purchasing habits, although I don't think I've bought an album strictly for the cover.)

What criteria do you use in purchasing an album?

[Tom Storer]

The stuff I buy is usually either by musicians I already have an interest in, in which case I consider who the personnel is and whatever circumstances of the recording I know about, or new stuff that I become aware of through whatever source: magazines, websites, this board, or word of mouth. I never base purchases on recommendations from Penguin.

[SinginSumo]

I enjoy reading posts right here in JC, especially under the "What Are You Listening To?" threads, and then listening to samples (if available) at online retailers.

I also enjoy subscribing to Alan Lankin's e-mails of new jazz release and, again, listening to samples if something piques my curiosity.

I wish others would post (and regularly post, at that) under my "If You Like This Album, Try..." thread.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I rely heavily on chicken entrails for most of my decisions.

[SinginSumo]

Tea leaves could prove to be a tad less messy, Steve.

[gnhrtg]

If I can I listen. If I can listen in full (i.e. listening post), I listen in full; if not, I use the 30 sec. samples that most (even brick and mortar) stores offer nowadays.

If I cannot listen I look to see who's playing. If there's one player in a band of otherwise unknown (to me) players, I use that as a signal. If, for instance, I see a smooth jazz guitarist I know playing with a couple of others whom I don't know, I would not but that album. Similarly, if I see a guy who I really like coupled with others I don't know, I would pick that up.

If I don't know anyone in the band (or the solo artist if that is the case) and am really in an impulsive mood, I would recollect some of the recommendations that were made here (and maybe AMG but I like AMG less because there is only one review and I mostly do not know the guy who reviews, and increasingly I've noticed that anything that comes up is labeled as "great") and buy something. This is especially the case if the album in question happens to be mid-price, and this is more of an issue in classical music.

In case I can't do any of the above (which means that it is very likely that I won't buy the album) I look at the cover, the posture of the guys and the label to get a feel for the overall style of the album.

I do have long lists for the styles of music I enjoy but I cannot stick to that since new releases come more often than I can keep up with and therefore I rely on listening posts and advice.

[Tom Storer]

Originally posted by gnhrtg
In case I can't do any of the above (which means that it is very likely that I won't buy the album) I look at the cover, the posture of the guys and the label to get a feel for the overall style of the album.

"The posture of the guys"? Really? What does that include? Whether or not they slouch, body language... ?

[Gary Sisco]

For artists with whom I'm unfamiliar, I rely mostly on recs from people here who I've known long enough to understand their tastes. Otherwise, reviews that sound interesting (very interesting, if I'm relying on that) or because I'm familiar with the reviewer's tastes.

If I am familiar, I check the other personnel, the date, the label, and where it was recorded, if possible, as there are some studios who produce a sound I like and others that don't.

I don't buy anything on reviews alone, unless the reviewer's taste is very much known to me.

Things like Penguin, I know, pretty much, what these guys like and what I like by comparison, so I can translate their take into a reasonable one of my own. Not always, of course, but lots of times.

There isn't a source of recs that works more often for me than JC, though, to tell the truth.

And, of course, there's a big long list of cats whose recordings I just buy, without needing a review or rec or anything else. And a smaller list of names that, even if "only" a sideman on the date, I still will buy it if their name's on it. Warren Smith is my most recent addition to the latter list, to use an example. If he'd playing on it, I'll buy it.

[gnhrtg]

There's a hint of sarcasm in your comments Tom, but I'll try to elaborate notwithstanding.

I said that I looked at the cover, the posture and the label. Yes, I do believe that these three collectively (along with the artwork, at times) do provide some information. If they do "pose" that usually - not always - is a sign for me to stay away because I believe that it is one - among many others - sign of their attire and personality. I also think that the cover and the artwork (when they actually differ, see ECM) are instruments that convey something about the artists. I think the label is pretty straightforward.

But these things work collectively. None of them alone would convince me to buy an album I did not know (unless the extreme case where I see they guy and he looks like a genius, and he still might not be one but I have not really gone wrong with people who look like geniuses; they have never turned out to be dim) but if I saw a new guy on a label I that has not disappointed me and if the guy and the band look fine and the artwork looks interesting (i.e. the hands of caravaggio). As an example of posture see Keith Tippett on the cover of Mujician 1 & , and for the coverwork see Max Nagl's Evil Garden. Similar things do entice me (regardless of how non-sensical they may look to you). I bought my first Braxton record (Charlie Parker Project) on the basis of how Mengelberg looked on the back cover if I remember correctly. So yes, I would also look for posture but, as you can tell from my previous post, it's way down the hierarchical list.

[Pete C]

It's not something I agonize over.

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

I think ghnrtg is just voicing the subconscious decisions many of us make when we buy records. If I see a picture of someone on their record, and they look like a wanker, I'm much less likely to buy it. Some people look nothing like the music they make - Benny Wallace is the best example I can think of at the moment, not saying he looks like a wanker, but on the two LPs I own he looks incongruos to say the least. The pictures on the Schlippenbach quartet atavistic CD were at least part of the reason I bought it - mainly because of Evan Parker, but those photos probably swung it against some other CD. If I've seen stuff about people before thinking about buying the record, this has little effect - I've probably made up my mind before seeing the cover. But if I see a cheap record somewhere, I'm much less likely to buy something with '80s CTI airbrushed poses on the front than some abstract coverart. Would you say the covers of Sun Ra's records have no effect on your purchasing of them?

I generally have such a long list of musicians I want to check out, or get more of, that I generally buy depending on what's cheapest in the store out of an internalised list of names and memory jogging when I get there. FWIW the only times I buy online are records recommended on JC that I don't reckon I'll get in a shop, or will have to pay silly money for if I do find them. Otherwise it's luck of the draw. When we have a British half.com or distibutors like verge, I'll check them out, but economically it makes little sense to buy online here if your mainly buying used CDs and direct from musicians and can't bulk order 20 at a time.

[Tanager]

I made most of my buying decisions long ago, and I'm just trying to catch up by actually doing the buying.

For new stuff...all of the above. Recs, reviews, hearing it on the radio, personnel - it's a mish-mash, and I don't have a list of criteria I consciously use specifically - why I buy this or that album varies pretty widely from purchase to purchase.

[achilles]

The Penguin guide has worked quite well for me.
I didn't really know much about the European free jazz scene until I got that book a few editions ago.

Recs here have worked nicely, save for my continuing struggle
with eai.

Reviewers in The Wire and STN (like most mags) seem to like everything (I should know, I've been reviewing for STN and have found it hard to dis too much).

[Stuckinagroove]

I only buy cds endorsed by steve reynolds

[kc bob]

I buy anything that is Grammy nominated.

[Sergio Zamora]

Originally posted by Pete C
It's not something I agonize over.

I, on the other hand, do agonize over it. My whole being is drowned in existential malaise when I'm in a record store.

[Scott Dolan]

My wallet agonizes over it, while I try and cut the list down so that the final tally at the cash register lands me somewhere between my wife giving me an exasperated look of dismay while saying 'thats all the money you're going to get for awhile' and her looking at me sternly and not saying anything at all. I once crossed the line into the second of these options once, and to this day I still sleep with one eye open.