Cooped up inside all day, so Facebook meme ahoy. In 10 minutes, come up with 15 albums that changed your life. I went back and added some commentary to each when I was done.
2. Warren Zevon, Mutineer. Not the strongest album in his catalogue, but the first record of his I owned that wasn’t a greatest hits collection. I’d eventually get everything the man did. Still one of the best lyricists rock and roll has ever known.
3. The Dead Milkmen, Beelzebubba. A breath of fresh, profane air. The band that proved you could be funny, juvenile and smart all at once. I try to live by that code.
4. Guided by Voices mix—not an album, but a mix made for me by my friend Cary. I’d heard of them, but this was the first time I’d ever actually listened to them. After you hear Teenage FBI, there’s no going back.
5. Jack Logan, Bulk---“What do you mean, this guy just records on his boombox? His first record is a double album? Is it any good?” Uh, yeah, it was. Still is.
6. Drive-By Truckers, Gangstabilly—Saw these guys for the first time at a Merle Haggard tribute show at the 40 Watt. I picked up their first album not long after, and that was where it all started. I’ve seen them play dozens of times in the last 12(!) years, and they helped influence the way I think about being from the south and all that brings with it.
7. The Smithereens, Blown to Smithereens. Including a greatest hits record is kind of a cheat, but this is the album that got me into power pop. From there, I went to Cheap Trick. Cheap Trick to Big Star. Big Star to Marshall Crenshaw. Crenshaw to Sugar…
8. Body Count, self-titled—This album really wasn’t all that good. But it was the one that got secretly passed around once “Cop Killer” was banned, so that got to be my little teenage rebellion. This was also the bridge that led me to listen to more rap and hip-hop, so it’s got that going for it, too.
9. Wilco, Being There—I heard about a band called Uncle Tupelo when I was in high school. Never listened to them. Didn’t pick up Wilco’s first record, either. Finally got hit over the head with a bunch of reviews for Being There. Bought it on a lark and couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Smart, literate rock and roll that didn’t sound like anything else I knew then. Immense.
10. Bob Dylan, Time Out of Mind—A latter day Dylan record, but it hit at just the right time for me. He was back in full force just as I was developing my musical sensibilities. I got to see him play not long after that, a show that holds a lot of meaning for me. The lyrics from this one hit me harder and harder as I get older.
11. Nirvana, Nevermind—I was actually a little late to the party on this one. It passed me by in high school because I felt like I was getting the band crammed down my throat. Once I finally just listened to the damn thing, I realized it deserved every bit of the praise it got. Plus, it gave us Dave Groh’s career.
12. Tom Waits, Rain Dogs—The first Tom Waits record I ever bought. That summer, I was working as a dispatcher for the college police in my hometown and I had to work some insane shifts. When I was working nights and sleeping during the day, I would put this album on to listen to as I drifted off. I dreamt a lot about pirates that summer.
13. Alejandro Escovedo, More Miles than Money—The album that got me into alt-country, a genre that I ended up spending several thousands of dollars on.
14. The Ramones, self-titled—Their first album was the shotgun blast of a revolution. It still sounds fresh and new, and they rightfully influenced countless bands that I love. I can listen to the Ramones every day of my life and never get bored with them.
15. Johnny Cash, Unchained—The second of his American comeback records and the first one I bought. It’s the sound of a man reclaiming his crown and it opened my eyes not only to his back albums, but Willie, Merle, Waylon, etc.
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2 comments:
Since I hate replying via Facebook, I'll say here that I had a similar problem with rethinking things. For instance, if I could actually have had 20 instead of 15 albums, I'd include the first Dead Milkmen album for sure. I'd round it out with DBT's Southern Rock Opera, Chuck Berry's Chess Box Set, Black Flag's My War and Five Eight's Weirdo album.
As it is, I stand by what I have.
Yeah. It's weird to think what this list would have looked like five years ago, or what it'll be five years from now.
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