Anyway, forgive the indulgence... but there are literally a handful of albums that I could not live without... and since I never did one of those "desert island" lists, I felt somehow compelled to make one... Feel free not to give a shit about what follows... I probably wouldn't.
THE BEATLES "Meet the Beatles": Predictable? Probably. But like many others, it all started here for me. Pop music that was like candy - I literally listened every day. Several times. Easily the record I have listened to most in my life. Don't like the Beatles? Think they were overrated? Blow me.
FRANK SINATRA "Sings for Only the Lonely":I actually can't remember how I first heard this. I think it must have been at my pal Adam's in high school. Adam was my record buddy... we constantly listened to music together. Learning pop, country, soul, funk, rock, punk, and jazz. I rejected jazz - i didn't get it. I went to an Ornette Coleman concert at the Palace when I was 19 (again, probably with Adam) and it literally gave me a headache. So, unconsciously really, I kind of backed into jazz through vocal standards. This Sinatra/Nelson Riddle disc is probably one of the most romantic albums ever made - perfect for bliss and heartache. Although I actually am a much bigger Tony Bennett and Dean Martin fan when it comes to that era's singers, Frankie easily made one of the most powerful records of his time. As for my pal Adam... he was and is an incredible guitarist. He went on to have a really nice career making music. He is still one of my best pals. I'm a lucky guy.
THE CLASH "London Calling": In 1982 I ditched school with a bunch of pals to go see The Who play at the Colosseum - with the Clash as the primary opening act... I knew very little about the Clash. Sad to admit, but true. I knew a couple of songs, but I had never listened to an entire album. Seeing the band was one of those "nothing is going to be the same after this" moments. The world's greatest live rock & roll band? Probably.
LINDA RONSTADT "Heart Like a Wheel": We got my brother this record for his birthday when it came out... I remember going with my folks to the mall record store (the Wherehouse?) to buy this. There was a huge poster display on the wall. That night he got in a fight with his then fiance, Terry (now his wife), after too passionately confessing his crush on the lady on the cover. "You're No Good" and "When Will I Be Loved" were all over the radio... country and rock from the same singer (the tag alt-country didn't exist yet)... who was incredibly sexy. I learned more about songs from this record than anywhere else - I heard songwriters Hank Williams, the Everly Brothers, Lowell George, Spooner Oldham and Dan Penn, JD Souther, and others for the first time. It led me to records by Johnny Cash, the Everlys, Emmylou, the Stones, Gram and the Burritos, and the Byrds. Her voice blew my mind - it still does. Tho selling several million copies (and nabbing a few Grammy's, I think), it remains one of the most under-appreciated albums of it's era. Can always put me in a good mood. A perfect record. Most of my friends know I'm a massive LR fan... this is why.
REM "Life's Rich Pageant": I definitely used to be a much bigger REM fan than I am now... but I still listen to this record constantly. Not a clunker in the batch in my opinion. A favorite while driving. Buy it if you don't have it.
NICK LOWE "Labour of Lust": "Cruel to be Kind" was a hit on the radio, so I bought this record... then Nick Lowe changed my life. One of the most important artists and songwriters to me as a teen and today. The Jesus of Cool indeed.
THE PRETENDERS "The Pretenders": Also purchased because of a hit single ("Brass in Pocket") and because I read that Nick Lowe produced one track (the Kinks' "Stop Your Sobbing")... this record, much like X's "Under the Big Black Sun" and the earlier-referenced Clash show, absolutely changed everything I thought I knew about music. Plus, I never heard a girl singer say "Fuck" before. And once I figured out that she was saying "I shot my mouth off and you showed me what that hole was for" I was totally shocked. So I listened to it every day for years. One of the best chick singers on the planet.
THELONIOUS MONK "Alone in San Francisco": Adam had me get this as my very first jazz record. It made me realize that I could understand and enjoy jazz. I love buying this record for people who also suffer from what we'll call "jazz panic". It's incredible.
THE ROLLING STONES "Exile on Main Street": Another predictable entry. But the funnest, rawest record I had ever heard when it entered my consciousness. "Tumbling Dice" is by far my favorite Stones tune. And "Happy" makes me just that...
BEACH BOYS "Pet Sounds": Another obvious choice. But this record has actually driven me to (happy and sad) tears on more than one occasion... "God Only Knows" is the single most romantic song ever written. Ever.
X "Under the Big Black Sun": X means everything to me. The sound of "Hungry Wolf" coming out of the radio for the first time is one of my happiest memories. Seriously, it is. Love at first sight with this one.Well, that's it... I am a pretentious fuck who likes the smell of my own farts. Not really. Just a little... maybe.
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1 comment:
This is a great range of records, definitely a few surprises. I can almost forgive the total absence of anything with Lou Barlow. ;-)
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