...that the only time you hear anything is when you make a conscious decision to do so. If that were the case our lives would be immeasurably poorer. The best musical experience comes from the stuff that steals up on you - not the stuff you seek out.

The music that tends to be the stuff that lasts is the stuff that I didn't like immediately. Oddly, an exception is Bruce Springsteen's Magic. I was virtually singing along to it on the first listen and it just gets better; I can't think of any other album where that's happened.

And I have to second David's point. When a song pops up unexpectedly, be it on the iPod or that thing called the radio, nothing beats that rush that spontaneity gives it.

I was nonplussed by Sufjan Stevens upon the first listen and didn't bother listening again for ages until it popped up on shuffle a couple of times. Now I'm seriously considering giving up the day job so I can stalk the man.
The same thing happened to me with Chutes Too Narrow by The Shins.

....given the strand on the shrinking violet that is Lou Reed, I never "got" the Velvet Underground until a few months ago: funnily enough it was versins of their songs by others, the Oysterband and the Ukrainians, that forced me to re-examine my prejudice.
Still haven't formed a band, tho'.

When I first listed to The Band, I just couldn't get it (apart from an obvious one like "The Weight"). This was about 17 years ago and it's only in the last couple of years that I have been able to appreciate their intricacies. I'm not saying that you have to be over 30 to enjoy but I have found a slightly more mature ear helps.

A recent, and admittedly obscure example is Dr Buck's Letter by The Fall from the Unutterable album. It popped up on a randomised ITunes session and, heard out of context, sounded very strange and alluring. I've listened to it a number of times since and its definately grown on me. Previously I'd dismissed it as yet another instance of MES buggering about in order to fill up a CD, but it turns out not to be the case.

...it doesn't happen to me these days in the way that it used to. I had assumed it was down to age and a growing tendency to impatience. I simply don't give the same time to listening to new music as I used to in my youth - the demands of job and 2-year-old proving more time-consuming than churning out the occasional history essay - and as such if something doesn't grab me early it stands little chance.

At the same time, I think my ability to sort the wheat from the chaff has improved greatly - which I suppose is an inevitable consequence of just having listened to more stuff.

So I don't feel quite so bad about it.

When I first encountered the Arctic Monkeys (some time after the 'kids' it has to be said) they literally stopped me in my tracks. But it does take something special to do that.

Bought several records of late that I've only listened to on a handful of occasions - Cherry Ghost's 'Thirst for Romance' being one. Couple of great tracks but the rest have left me a bit cold. Every chance they would grow on me some more with concentrated listening but I just can't see it happening. Something more immediately vital came along to take my attention away.

Does this make me very shallow?

Songs that intially impress then you find are not so great. Duffy was one such experience for me. Don't know what you'd call these. Opposite of growers?

Generally I feel the best music grows on you and keeps on doing so. Not necessarily difficult stuff either. I am thinking of The Beatles pre-1966 singles for example. Seem deceptively simple yet have sufficient ambiguity/complexity to endure.

There are those I don't get first time. Certain tracks on Radiohead In Rainbows took a long time to reveal themselves to me. I never really got Can 'Soup' although other tracks on Ege Bamyasi are accessible enough. That is difficult, and to my mind just hard work with nothing really to be gained from the effort.

didn't grab me as being special the first time I heard it. 2 tracks stood out - Never any good with money and an instrumental I cant recall the name of without the cd in front of me. Now its absolutely brilliant - took about 7 or 8 plays which is more than some cd's get.

Another is Manitoba - bought a cd played it, didnt much care for it. Put a couple of tracks on the old IPOD - shuffle played one last week that grabbed me. Got the cd out and put it in the car - guess what? Loved it!!

The Seeds?

...same here. I was put off by certain fawning 5 star reviews that were published a matter of hours after the album was unleashed. I couldn't really get into it, but I can appreciate it more now. Still prefer 'The Bends' and 'OK Computer' though!

Yes' 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' is my nomination here. It's one of the most criticised and lambasted albums ever but few of the negative comments I've seen ever bother to comment on the actual music contained within it, some of which is really daring and at times, incredibly beautiful. It gets better for me on every listen.

Also nominate Marillion's 'Brave' which is a lot to take in on one listen. It continues to reveal more and more layers every time I play it.

The 'layered' thing is also true of that Plant/Krauss album, I think. Didn't really blow me away on first listen but I uncover something new every time I play it.

I made the mistake of reading the sleeve notes while I listened to it "This was recorded really quickly" - "Yeah", I thought, "sounds like it". Stuck with something to play in the car the other day I rooted around in the glove compartment (rut around) and stuck it on. It's really rather wonderful. Same trick with Richard Thompson's last. Perhaps everything should be played once, set aside and then revisited a couple of weeks later? Mind you, the reviews section would be a bit behind the times. Like Uncle Bulgaria.