Life-changing Albums
Jason was discussing this little thing he's participating in on "the Facebooks" in which he is listing something like fifteen albums that changed his life (i.e. had some profound impact).
The discussion was intriguing, and, while I don't intend to list fifteen (that's a whole lot of albums) I would like to muse a bit over some of the more memorable moments in my life associated with certain purchases, musical or otherwise.
1) Creedence Clearwater Revival: Cosmo's Factory
This, among several other collections of what is commonly termed "classic rock" is one my earliest, fondest memories of sitting with my father on a Saturday afternoon, sipping rootbeer, and jamming to some "kick-ass" rock and roll. Even now, as I have told my father, the track: "Up Around the Bend" serves as a theme song for Dad--more importantly our time and relationship with one another.
2) Bill Cosby: Wonderfulness
This is another memory associated with my father. I did not realize, as a young child, until Dad played this for me that comics actually put out albums. This is a bit naive, I know, but my father and I often watched stand-up comedy on television, and I thought that a large part of the act was visual. I couldn't believe how incredibly funny Cosby was, even on record. He introduced a hilarious cast of characters (some actually drawn and portrayed on the Fat Albert television program) and some classic routines like the one about the removal of his tonsils and the quest for icecream.
3) Michael Jackson: Thriller
What can I say? It was the Michael Jackson craze. This was the first actual album that was bought for my sister and me. This was something that we owned, that was not Dad's, and that reflected the fact that we were reaching an age where were forming our own musical tastes. I must have listened to that thing over and over. The title track, with the eerie monologue courtesy of Vincent Price, is still one of the coolest things I have ever heard.
4) Pink Floyd: The Wall
This is cliche, I know. I usually resist citing a particularly commercial work by any of my favorite bands, opting instead for the more obscure, something more indicative of true fandom. This album, however, is what initially turned me on to what has become my trademark favorite group. In high shool, several years after its release, in fact, a friend asked me if I ever listened to Pink Floyd. I had heard of the band, of course, but replied honestly that I really wasn't into that kind of music--though I don't know why. Upon his insistence, I borrowed it for a weekend trip our choir was taking out of town. I listened to it the entire weekend, and the rest, of course, is history.
5) Queen: A Night at the Opera
This was simply the very first CD I actually purchased. It was my senior in high school, and many of my circle, being schooled in music and vocal performance, were turned on to the choral overdubbed sound of Queen. CDs were relatively new, and when I bought my first CD player, I couldn't think of a more obvious choice for its innaugural run than a classic Queen outing. This is not rock, folks. This is something else entirely. This was one of the first instances I had ever had with true use of stereo surround sound. They were masters of recording.
6) Soundgarden: Superunknown
Somewhere in my early twenties, Soundgarden, of whom I was not hitherto a fan, released "Black Hole Sun" as a single. I was blown away. I rushed out and bought the only Soundgarden album I own. To my delight, the entire collection was even better. This was a unique experience--that of buying an album for one track and being treated to a whole series of great tunes.