Josh's Top 50 Albums #1 - Siamese Dream
Siamese Dream is, without question, the album that changed my life more dramatically than any other. I had been interested in music my whole life (I grew up listening to the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel with my dad, and I was introduced to Pearl Jam and the early works of the Red Hot Chili Peppers by my peers in the very early '90's), but when Siamese Dream was lent to me by a friend, I had no idea what I was in store for. Hearing the fuzzy guitars and outsider lyrics found on this album awoke in me the ravenous appetite for rock music that I still have today.
I had actually never heard any of the songs from the album before I placed it in my stereo. As I recall, "Cherub Rock" was the only single out at the time, and I hadn't even heard that yet. My friend purchased the album, and knew that I had to hear it, and so he brought his copy in to school so I could take it home and record a copy. I'm glad that I experienced Siamese Dream with no preconceptions that first time, it allowed me to create my own opinions about each song in the context of the album. I immediately fell in love with each and every track, and it took several listens for me to decide which were the ones I would list as my favorites (a list that has changed continuously since then, a testament to the fact that there is no filler on this album).
The range from soft, tender ballads to psychadelic rockers all with unashamedly romantic lyrics is so brilliantly executed, that there is rarely a time when I will not be in the mood to hear at least a few of the songs on this album. All music I have heard since then has been compared to Siamese Dream, whether consciously or unconsciously. It is, simply, the best album I've ever heard, and I can't imagine another one outdoing it any time soon.