5 albums that changed your life

[Buccaneer]

Funny how we still call them albums .. isn't it ??


#1. Born To Run ...... Bruce Springsteen

#2. Sgt Pepper ...... Beatles

#3. Dark Side of the Moon ....... Pink Floyd

#4 Legend ....... Bob Marley

#5. Live at the Agora - Cleveland - 8/9/78 ....... Bruce Springsteen
This is a bootleg, and I wish the sound was better, but to me its simply
the BEST live album ever.

[macaddicted]

5. Dave Matthews Band- Under the Table and Dreaming. As I'm getting older I find myself turning to old favorites. This was the first band to come along in quite some time that I knew I had to have the album.

4. Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms. Sure, I bought it for "Walk of Life" and "Money for Nothing" but songs like "So Far Away," "Your Latest Trick" and most especially "Brothers in Arms." In the 80's it was a joy to find someone who used a guitar for something other than a noisemaker.

3. George Benson- Collection. Oh my, can George Benson make a guitar sing. "On Broadway" is just what you need to get up and dance, and "Greatest Love of All" is soft and introspective (as opposed to Whitney Houston's version).

2. Sting- Dream of the Blue Turtles. I had stayed away from the Police, their style didn't suit me. This album turned me around. Sting gives what I want most from an artist: a vision. And let's face it his are perhaps some of the most intellectual pop lyrics around.

1. James Taylor- JT. I had already picked up a few James Taylor albums, but JT is what made me a Taylor fanatic, and is still my favorite single album to date.

[tarheel]

Obviously these are not necessarily my favorite albums, but each is some sort of milestone in my life as a music fan:

J Geils Band - Freeze Frame (1982): The first time I really started being a music fan.

R.E.M. - Document (1987): When I realized that the best music was not on the radio.

Robert Plant - Now and Zen (1988): The first album I bought on Compact Disc.

Dave Matthews Band - Under The Table and Dreaming (1994): This one really did change the way I listen to music.

I can't think of a 5th one at the moment...

[vacuumslayer]

Nothing's Shocking--Jane's Addiction

Uplift Mofo Party Plan--The Red Hot Chili Peppers

Truth and Soul--Fishbone

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back--Public Enemy

Elephant--The White Stripes

[Ipodder@Heart]

What a great thread!

and it's great to see some of the truly classic albums in and amongst the choices. so without further ado here are mine:

5. The sondtrack to the Matrix - Various Artists
The first true album that I latched onto. After I saw the film I became involved and interested in the philisophical aspects of the film...much more then then I was interested in the film itself. The CD was the same way, filled with Gems such as Rob Dougans "Clubbed to Death" and Rammsteins "Du Hast"

4. Audio and The Complex - The Blue Man Group
The world is MUCH more then what we can see, These albums are a GREAT audio journey that is REALLY worth listening to for everyone out there.

3. In Search of the Lost Chord - The Moody Blues
A FANTASTIC album that in combination with the next album really opened my eyes to the music of the late 60's. Songs like "Departure", "Ride My See-Saw" and "Voices in the sky" really formed my wide ranging taste in music.

2. The Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against the Machine
It really opened my eyes and in conjunction with the aformentioned music from the late 60's made me the politically aware person I am today.

1. Nancy and Lee - Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood
It's sad that SO few people know about this album, simply put it is a work of auditory genius. Songs such as "Summer Wine" and "Some Velvet Morning" make this an album that is a MUST to listen to...

[AMEason52]

5) The Afghan Whigs - 1965
It's a rock album. No, it's an R&B album. No... It's a Greg Dulli album. Everything is perfect on this record, everything. Standout tracks are "Uptown Again" and "Neglekted."

4) Pedro The Lion - Control
Not only are the lyrics thoughtful and very real, the songs just rock like nothing else by this band. The guiatr sounds of "Second Best" are very sinister and huge and the drums of "Magazine" are some of the best I've ever heard. David Bazan is one of my favorite song writers ever.

3) Lemonheads - Come On Feel
Some say this album/band is a throw away, but it is about as good as pop can get if you ask me. Check out "Dawn Can't Decide" and "The Great Big No." I've loved this album since the seventh grade. Did I mention Rick James contributes vocals too?

2) Nada Surf - Let Go
Another perfect album. Check out "Blizzard of '77" and "Killian's Red".

1) Nirvana - In Utero
I bought my first guitar because of this band. The chaos of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" and "Tourette's" are enough to make anyone crazy!

Other favorites of mine are bands liked Versus, Smashing Pumpkins, Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth.

[arsather]

Maybe not the five best albums I've ever listened to, but five that really changed the way I lsiten to music or veiw the world (or both)

Beethoven Symphony #6 - "Pastorale" Discovered at age 6. Let me know that music doesn't have to be stuck in a specific form and opened me up to the idea that music can evoke strong images, without lyrics.

Beatles - Revolver Discovered at age 10. My older sister brought this home when it was first released (1966) and I never listened to rock music that same way again. From the mind searing guitar in Taxman, the amazing horn section in Got To Get You Into My Life (which would influence an entire genre of horn driven jazz/rock) through the dreamy weirdness of Tomorrow Never Knows this album hit me as hard as anything. Taught me that rock could be serious and beautiful not just sing along tunes. I think the best album by the best rock band ever.

The Firesign Theater - Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him - Discovered age 14. Funny, weird, stream of consciousness, topical, wacky, did I mention weird? Taught me that there are more than ten ways to think about everything anything nothing.

Return To Forever - Romantic Warrior - Discovered age 16. This was my introduction to jazz. Complex tunes, serious dynamics, fascinating rhythmn changes and some of the best guitar bass keys and drumming ever laid down.

The Disposable Heros of Hiphoprisy - Hipocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury - Discovered age 40. This CD turned me onto the lyrical possibilities of hip hop. I'm a middle aged guy who grew up in rural Wisconsin in the 60s and now I can't get enough Michael Franti. I had never gieven hip hop a chance until I heard the song Television, The Drug of the Nation. Proves that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

[pohatu771]

1970
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon I didn't have the greatest opinion of John as a musician or person until I heard this... I saw him as a crazy man that was more interested in other things than The Beatles, leaving Paul to make everything work... This album changed that for me. Paul's no saint, but John wasn't the only problem. Now, I can't think of an individual who has influenced me more.

1997
Rock Spectacle - Barenaked Ladies I have to say, I love live albums. Rock Spectacle is made up from two different shows on the Born On A Pirate Ship tour (1996), and really made me appreciate Barenaked Ladies (as wrong as that sounds when spoken). I had Stunt already, but I still think it's pale compared to their other material.

1998
VH1 Storytellers - Johnny Cash & Willie Nelson - John and Willie may not have been the best of friends, but they can still sit on stage, just them, a few microphones, and two guitars (one being the well-aged Trigger), share stories, play some songs, and have a good time, like the audience isn't even there. They do the usual music, sure, Folsom Prison Blues, Crazy, On The Road Again, but each song has a story to go with it. This is the album that introduced me to both of those great outlaws. I still get shivers listening to the entire thing... I get shivers writing about it.

1969
Abbey Road - The Beatles I knew I had to choose between Sgt. Pepper's and Abbey Road for this spot... a year ago, I would have said the former, but since then I've learned to appreciate the little things from Abbey Road. Sgt. Pepper's is still an amazing album, and paved the way for future concept albums, but I love everything about Abbey Road, from the front cover through the 17 tracks, right down to the crack through "Beatles." It has a great selection of songs (even if the second half seems to be dominated by Paul)- John has Come Together, one of the songs I think he was really proud of, Something and Here Comes The Sun, from the desk of George. Even Ringo donated his bit- the upbeat Octopus's Garden is right at home with other joyous songs- and some that aren't, like Paul's Maxwell's Silver Hammer, the story of a young hammer-wielding murderer. Not to mention... Her Majesty may have been the first hidden track on an album.

I took so long with Abbey Road, I almost forgot I had to do #5...
1968
Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison (by John, June, and the boys) is quite possibly one of the greatest records of all time. Yet another live album on my list... John knew how to speak to people- all people- and his plentiful list of songs about doing time sat near the audience's heart- hundreds of prisoners put in Bloody Folsom for some of the worst crimes imaginable. Remember- this post is being recorded for an album on Columbia Records- so you can't say 'hell' or '####' or anything like that. (How's that grab ya' Bob?)

I get a little involved- I hope someday someone will talk about Mara like I talk about these records.

[EDIT] Now, looking at what other people posted, I'm surprised to see only one other person post something I posted. I almost posted Eric Clapton's Unplugged album, but chose John and Willie because, despite being God and all, Clapton just didn't explain his songs, he just played them.

[RmboCheech]

1. Dark Side of the Moon
2. Led Zeppelin IV
3. Billy Breathes - Phish
4. ####'s Pick's series - Grateful Dead (too many to name which one influenced me the most)
5. Hampton Comes Alive- Phish

[corysterling]

1. Cradle of Filth - Cruelty and the Beast
[B]2. Coheed and Cambria - GABSIV[B]
[B]3. Bone Thugs -n- Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal[B]
[B]4. Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2[B]
[B]5. HIM - Razorblade Romance[B]

[ctg115]

Like others, I don't think any of these changed my lives, but all of them were important at a certain point in time...

1. The Queen is Dead- The Smiths- Bought it in the late 80's during 9th grade. Radio rock wasn't me, nor was the punk scene I believed I could fit into, but this album fit my 15 y.o. self like a glove.

2. Disintegration- The Cure- I lived and breathed this album for a good year or so of my life.

3. Slip- Quicksand/Undertow- Tool- Made me realize that nancy-boy mope rock (see the above two) didn't really make sense anymore.

4. Living In Clip- Ani DiFranco- For years I couldn't get into bands/artists with a female on lead vocals until Ani. Led into PJ Harvey, Sleater-Kinney, etc...

5. OK Computer- Radiohead/The Moon and Antarctica- Modest Mouse- Just two amazing albums that lived in my cd player for months at a time.

[Derek McNelly]

Originally Posted by ctg115

2. Disintegration- The Cure- I lived and breathed this album for a good year or so of my life.

Amen. My favorite album of all time.

[Ohio Trekker]

Pink Floyd-Dark Side of The Moon, What can I say a product of the 70's. But it had to be on an 8-track for the continuity. This album more than any has always amazed me in countless ways.

Beatles-Rubber Soul, Older Brother & Sister were a product of the 60's. :-) But at the time, it meant they could do more than Wanna Hold Your Hand, they signified a revolution in music.

Queen-A Night at the Opera, The contrasts in songs and within songs, was amazing.

ELO-Out of the Blue, Mainly because of the flying saucer, but their combination of orchestra and synthesizer, lyrics and vocals were a show with a lasting impression, regardless of your state of mind.

Nazareth-Hair of the Dog, nice combination of synthesizer, driving beats, nice transitions and food for a rebellious spirit.

I'm too old for music to "change my life" now, but enjoy almost anything my kids bring home. The best thing is watching them discover music from my time and thinking how lucky I was! Led Zepplin, The Who, ELP, Foghat, Rush, Frampton, AC/DC, and so on.

One thing that's kind of irritating though is so many of their newer groups sound so much alike, I often have trouble discerning one from the other! They're learning me to differentiate though!! ;-)

[Lady21]

Ooh, good topic. Here's mine:

Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual
"Girls Just Want To Have Fun" was my favourite song when I was 10 years old and so I had to get this album. The range of vocal stylings and quirkiness on the album intrigued me and kept me interested for a year when it was the only album I had. They also contributed to my love for quirky, unusual music later.

The Beatles - Help!
This was one of those "my parents were always listening to it and it got under my skin" albums. Now I'm a bigger fan than they are, and I even work at a store called The Beatlemania Shoppe

Alanis Morissette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie
I was a fan of "Jagged Little Pill", of course, but the follow up album was a masterpiece for me. Probably the closest I have come to wearing out a CD.

Radiohead - OK Computer
I was 12 the summer this came out, and so I felt a bit "young" for it. But as I watched the videos and heard the songs on TV, I fell in love with what Radiohead was all about. Throughout my teens they were (still are) my favourite band and I have seen them in concert 4 times and even visited Oxford, England to check out their home town. Radiohead's own influences led me to the post punk music I love so dearly, including Joy Division and Magazine.

Yoko Ono - Fly
My introduction to her was through the compilation album "Walking On Thin Ice" that I bought in Grade 11, but it wasn't until university that I began exploring and collecting her discography (not easy, btw, but I always love a record collecting challenge). She has been more recognized in the past decade as having contributed to the punk scene in the late '70s, and her music is irresistably intriguing and incredibly rewarding when you do get into it.

Close seconds: Bjork - Homogenic, Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom, Weird Al Yankovic - Bad Hair Day, an 80s compilation called "The Best Modern Rock Album in the World... Ever!", Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures, Petula Clark - The Best Of.

[Nollie2]

Snow Patrol - Final Straw
R.E.M - Automatic for the People
Pearl Jam - Ten
Keane - Hopes and Fears
Daft Punk - Discovery