If you’re on Facebook, you may have come across a recent meme there which states simply:
15 albums that have had a big impact on me.
Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you’ve heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.
Myself, Alex and Urbangraffito ended up posting our fifteen minutes of fame albums “that have had a big impact on us”, and thought it might make for interesting blog fodder. As first in a series, here’s my list – in no particular order, and annotated for good measure.
Let me state up front that this list does not necessarily represent my all time favorite albums. They are albums which, at the time, in context (given age and circumstance), effectively had “a big impact” on me. With that out of the way, here we go:
- Roxy & Elsewhere – Frank Zappa
Filled to the brim with wonderfully out-of-the-ordinary melodies, fantastic musicianship, crazy percussion, deliciously bizarre lyrics and an electrifying live vibe, this album is what first managed to immerse me into all things Zappa. Without it, there’s a good chance this website would not exist. - On The Beach – Neil Young
The final episode of Neil Young’s infamous Ditch Trilogy, preceded by Time Fades Away and Tonight’s The Night. Honestly, I could’ve picked any one of these three. - XO – Elliott Smith
And now for something completely different. Beautiful melodies, luscious panoramic arrangements, and Smith’s soft whispery voice would almost make you forget just how dark the topics he’s singing about are. Almost. - Revolver – The Beatles
Arguably not The Beatles’ best (most everyone seems to agree Abbey Road deserves that monicker) – but Revolver was the album that made me realize they were about much much more than the silliness that constituted Love Me Do and I Wanna Hold Your Hand. - Want One/Want Two – Rufus Wainwright
I’ve come to realize that Wainwright’s music is “an acquired taste” which, similarly to FZ, you either completely adore or hate with a passion. Yes: the songs are full of operatic pathos, yes, the arrangements are over the top throughout, yes, his vocal timbre is take it or leave it. And yes: I simply adore all that. - Back To Black – Amy Winehouse
I’ll be honest and admit that in retrospect, I wanted to omit this record from the list and replace it with Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited. But there you go, in the fifteen minute limit, Back To Black immediately came to mind as an album that I’ve played over and over again. Get well soon, Amy. - Let Love Rule – Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz? Yes, Lenny Kravitz. The man has made one exceptional album and that would be Let Love Rule. Listen (again) without prejudice. - The Blues Brothers – The Blues Brothers
What’s not to love here? Fantastic cameo’s from just about everybody who’s somebody in classic R&B – notably Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin. - Purple Rain – Prince
Great songs, funk the way god intended it, and Prince, the fabulous, forever underrated guitar player. - Pink Moon – Nick Drake
If Elliott Smith would’ve lived in early ’70s England, this is the kind of music he would’ve been making. - Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars – David Bowie
The Thin White Duke at the height of his talent (and yes, I do know about Lodger & Low). - Blue Monday – New Order
Why Barry, early ’80s electronic music? Why yes. My older sister brought this home in ’83 and played it 8 hours a day for months. How could this not have impacted me! See also: Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams. - Nevermind – Nirvana
Aaaah Nirvana, thank you ever so much for eloquently kicking the early ’90s music biz in the nuts the way you did. 70s Punk’s little brother. I’d mention the rather obscure predecessor Bleach as well, but you all would think I’m a bit of snob, wouldn’t you. - LA Woman – The Doors
Oh come now, this is a true classic. To this day, the casually sinister magic of Riders On The Storm captures my imagination for all its full 7+ minutes. - What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
For the wide range of topics Gaye touches upon, this seminal album sounds surprisingly coherent, like one long, uplifting stream of consciousness. The topics themselves are still every bit as relevant as they were then — if not more so.
I shall stop pontificating now. Feel free to discuss — or better yet: add your own list of albums that will always stick with you. That’s what comments are for!
1. Frank Zappa-Hot Rats
2. Pink Floyd-Dark Side of the Moon
3. Radiohead-OK Computer
4. Miles Davis-Kind of Blue
5. John Coltrane-My Favorite Things
6. Allan Holdsworth-All Night Wrong
7. Genesis-Foxtrot
8. Outkast-Aquemini
9. The Mars Volta-Deloused in the Comatorium
10. Frank Zappa-YCDTOSA Vol.2
11. Sublime-40oz to Freedom
12. King Crimson-Discipline
13. Weather Report-Black Market
14. Yes-Close to the Edge
15. Dun-Eros
1. Equinoxe – Jean-Michel Jarre
2. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son – Iron Maiden
3. Tougher Than Leather – Run DMC
4. Into The Dragon – Bomb The Bass
5. Thriller – Michael Jackson
6. War – U2
7. Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black – Public Enemy
8. Check Your Head – Beastie Boys
9. Debut – Björk
10. Greatest Hits II – Queen
11. Music – Madonna
12. Virgin Suicides – Air
13. Sympathique – Pink Martini
14. Hot Rats – Frank Zappa
15. Love On The Beat – Serge Gainsbourg
One is a compilation, not really an album and I could not make my choice amongst hundreds of classical and techno/house records.
This list took about 4 minutes to rattle off – 15 is too little! If you want explanations…that takes longer:
Level 42 – A Physical Presence
Steely Dan – Royal Scam
Rush – 2112
Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
Paul & Linda Mccartney – Ram
The Beatles – With The Beatles
Zappa – We’re only in it for the money/Lumpy gravy (the ryko 2-fer, my intro to Zappa)
Weather Report – Heavy Weather
XTC – Oranges and Lemons
They might be giants – Flood
Jethro Tull – Thick as a brick
Marlo Thomas and friends – Free to be, you and me
Joe Jackson – Will power
Todd Rundgren – Something/anything
Joni Mitchell – Hejira
1. Dreamboat Annie – Heart
I’ll let you know if I can think of anymore.
Without too much thought…
1) Talking Heads – The Name of This Band….
2) Bob Dylan – Bring It All Back Home
3) Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys
4) King Crimson – USA
5) Zappa – Burnt Weeny Sandwich
6) Miles Davis – Agharta
7) Ennio Morricone – For A Few Dollars More
8) Pink Floyd – Animals
9) Coltrane – Om
10) Stravinsky – Le Sacre Bernstein
11) Dub Trio – Cool Out And Coexist
12) Naked City -Black Box
13) Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
14) Birthday Party – Bad Seed Ep
15) The Who – Live At Leeds
Zappa/Mothers – Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Beefheart/Magic band – Trout Mask Replica
Soft Machine – Volume Two
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
James Brown – At the Apollo (Volume two)
Sun Ra – Second Star To The Right
Jean-Yves Thibaudet – The Magic of Satie
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
Ashkenazy/Philharmonia orchestra – Shostakovich 5th symphony
Jacqueline Du Pre/LSO – Elgar cello concerto
Aretha Franklin – Live at Fillmore West
Metabolist – Hansten Klork
Bob Marley/Wailers – Catch a Fire
Any decent doo-wop 15 disc 😉 box set compilation
Alban Berg Quartet – Beethoven’s late quartets
[quote comment=”12707″]Zappa/Mothers – Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Beefheart/Magic band – Trout Mask Replica
Soft Machine – Volume Two
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
James Brown – At the Apollo (Volume two)
Sun Ra – Second Star To The Right
Jean-Yves Thibaudet – The Magic of Satie
Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians
Ashkenazy/Philharmonia orchestra – Shostakovich 5th symphony
Jacqueline Du Pre/LSO – Elgar cello concerto
Aretha Franklin – Live at Fillmore West
Metabolist – Hansten Klork
Bob Marley/Wailers – Catch a Fire
Any decent doo-wop 15 disc 😉 box set compilation
Alban Berg Quartet – Beethoven’s late quartets[/quote]
Metabolist!
I like Hansten Klork, but it wouldn’t make my list of 15, to be honest. Some of your other choices would, though.
1. Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
2. ELP – Brain Salad Surgery
3. Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
4. Mahavishnu – Birds of Fire
5. Gentle Giant – Free Hand
6. Zeppelin II
7. Zappa – Overnite Sensation
8. Alice Cooper – Billion Dollar Baby
9. Yes – Close To The Edge
10. The Kinks – Low Budget
11. Kraftwerk – Radioactivity
12. The Who – Quadrophenia
13. Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True
14. Jeff Beck – Wired
15. The Clash – Sandinista
Thanks for mentioning The Blues Brothers, Barry. I love that first album! Btw, they played The Palladium to promote that record.
in no particular order
FZ – them or us
the clash – london calling
dead kennedys – plastic surgery disaster
the scabs – here’s to you, gang
nina hagen – unbehagen
tankard – chemical invasion
neil young – freedom
the who – tommy
pink floyd – ummagumma
ac/dc – dirty deeds done dirt cheap
motorhead – no sleep till hammersmith
ELP – ELP
fischer-Z – going deaf for a living
flip kowlier – ocharme ik
stiff little fingers – inflammable material
Now I definitely have to look after Rufus Wainwright, finally…
Prince: Purple Rain – so you say it’s worth a listen, it’s not merely simple pop music with heavy beat and high vocals? I’ll check that – though Prince means to me his (few) instrumental albums.
Wish you were here – Pink Floyd
The Madness – The Madness
Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell
Roxy and elsewhere – Zappa
Use you illusion II – Guns and Roses
The White Album – The Beatles
The Madcap Laughs – Syd Barrett
Love and theft – Bob Dylan
Sign o the the times – Prince
In Utero – Nirvana
YCDTOSA 2 (disc 1) – Zappa
Vauxhall and I – Morrissey
After murder park – The Auteurs
Way to blue – Nick Drake
Blood on the tracks – Bob Dylan
(BTW, I haven’t commented on this site before but I’m a regular reader and I love it, especially the mixtapes. You guys are awesome.)
Allman Bros – @ Fillmore East
Mothers – WOIIFTM (original vinyl stereo mix)
Santana – Borboletta
Nillson – Schmillson
Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
Who – Sell Out
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Bob Wills – Best of the Tiffany Sessions
Manassas – 1st album
Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells a Story
BB King – Completely Well
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Bloomfield, Kooper & Stills – Super Session
Rolling Stones – Aftermath (US version)
Tom Waits – Nighthawks at the Diner
(in no particular order…)
Zappa – Civilization Phase III
Zappa – Lumpy Gravy
Zappa – Roxy & Elsewhere
Zappa – 200 Motels
Zappa – Burnt Weeny Sandwich
Zappa – One Size Fits All
Zappa – Uncle Meat
Beatles – Sgt. Pepper
Beatles – White Album
Keneally– Half Alive In Hollywood
Ives – Symphony No. 4
Mahler – Der Rosenkavalier
Metheny – The Road To You
… got it?
zappa – one size fits all
zappa – the grand wazoo
zappa – ycdtosa vol.2
chuck mangione – feels so good
ween – the mollusk
the mars volta – de-loused in the comatorium
jeff buckley – grace
beck – odelay
the beatles – sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band
jimi hendrix – electric ladyland
david bowie – ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars
art blakey and the jazz messangers – moanin’
horace silver – song for my father
john coltrane – a love supreme
omar rodriguez – se dice bisonte, no bufalo
Can I play too? Actually find it really hard to limit myself to 15, but here goes…..
Sam the Sham – Wooly Bully
FZ – Absolutely Free
Beatles – white
Hendrix – R U Experienced
Hendrix – Axis
REM – Document
Allman Bros – Live at Fillmore E.
Cream – Fresh Cream
Animals – Animalism
Return to Forever – Romantic Warrior
Kinks – Victoria
Who – Magic Bus
Who – Live at Leeds
Richard Thompson – Rumor and Sigh
FZ – Hot Ratz/Grand Wazoo/Waka Jawaka (I consider them one)
My 15 cents:
— The Beatles: “Yellow Submarine Album”
— A box from my dad containing several vynils with the Nine Symphonies of Beethoven (artists unknown);
–Stevie Wonder: “Secret Life Of Plants”
— Sui Generis: “Vida”
–The Faces: “Coast to Coast: Overture and Beginners”
–Os Paralamas do Sucesso, “Arquivo”
–Supertramp: “Crisis? What crisis?”
–ELP “Tarkus”
–Pink Floyd: “Atom Heart Mother”
–Pescado Rabioso “Desatormentándonos”
–Genesis “Foxtrot”
–Frank Zappa “Overnite Sensation/Apostrophe(‘) ”
–Peter Gabriel (1977 Album)
–Eels, “Daisies of the Galaxy”
–Ween: “The Molusk”
@Joe: here’s another for your list!
In no particular order:
Rolling Stones: Aftermath
Beatles: Revolver
Beatles: Abbey Road
FZ: Hot Rats
FZ: Uncle Meat
Velvets: Loaded
Lou Reed: Transformer
Lou Reed: Berlin
Hatfield & the North: Rotter’s Club
J Geils: Bloodshot
Picchio dal Pozzo (1st album)
Bowie: Diamond Dogs
Bruce Cockburn: the Charity of Night
King Crimson: Starless & Bible Black
Groundhogs: Hogwash
Addendum: clearly, there’s a ton I left out….(struggled with not listing any Beefheart) But in context of the question, which was impact, these popped out without too much thinking. (Waits’ Small Change hit my memory a little late, and I know there’ll be others….Blood on the Tracks leaps to mind, the second Band album, Full House, This Year’s Model….) Not an easy exercise!
1. Zappa – Tinseltown Rebellion
2. Stevie Wonder – Innervisions
3. David Bowie – Low
4. Pink Floyd – the Wall
5. Zappa/ Beefheart – Bongo Fury
6. Todd Rundgren – A Wizard/ A True Star
7. Lou Reed – Berlin
8. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
9. Prince – Dirty Mind
10. Captain Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica
11. P.J. Harvey – 4 Track Demos
12. Queens Of The Stone Age – Rated R
13. Pink Floyd – Dark Side Of The Moon
14. Frank Zappa – Overnite Sensation
15. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
Damn you, Barry!!!
Tassavallan Presidentti – Lambert Land
Golden Earring: Together
the first three Supersister albums
Patto – Roll ’em Smoke ’em Put Another Line Out
Oldfield – Hergest Ridge
….luckily, the ECM albums I encountered between ’72 and ’76 were so numerous that titles don’t trouble me in this context….
Bill Evans – Alone (again)
Ack!
OK Barry, who wins and what’s the grand prize?
In order of appearance :
1. Nirvana – Bleach
2. Pearl Jam – Vs
3. Sepultura – Chaos AD
4. Whipping Boy – Heartquake
5. Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dreams
6. Angra – Holy Land
7. Symphony X – The Divine Wings of Tragedy
8. Yes – Close To The Edge
9. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King
10. King Crimson – Larks Tongues In Aspic
11. Frank Zappa – The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life
12. Frank Zappa – Roxy & Elsewhere
13. John Coltrane – My Favorite Things
14. Mississippi Fred McDowell – I Do Not Play Not Rock N’ Roll
15. Son House – Delta Blues And Spirituals
[quote comment=”12730″]OK Barry, who wins and what’s the grand prize?[/quote]
Fifteen albums that will always stick with you. 🙂
1. Zappa – Civilization Phase III
2. Zappa – Jazz From Hell
3. Zappa – Live in New York
4. Zappa – Roxy & Elsewhere
5. Zappa – Shut Up ‘N Play Yer Guitar
6. Zappa – Guitar
7. Zappa – Hot Rats
8. Zappa – Freak Out!
9. Zappa – Waka/Jawaka
10. Zappa – Zoot Allures
11. Zappa – Tinseltown Rebellion
12. Zappa – You Are What You Is
13. Zappa – Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch
14. Zappa – Sheik Yerbouti
15. Zappa – Sleep Dirt
There. An all-FZ list. The one you all have been waiting for. To me, none other albums beat the ones above.
These are the first that come to mind… ask me tomorrow and the list might look different.
Freak Out – FZ
Uncle Meat – FZ
One Size Fits All – FZ
Roxy & Elsewhere – FZ
Countdown to Ecstasy – Steely Dan
Close to the Edge – Yes
Red – King Crimson
Starless and Bible Black – King Crimson
Clear Spot – Captain Beefheart
The Spotlight Kid – Captain Beefheart
Another Green World – Brian Eno
Zawinul – Joe Zawinul
Sinfonia – Luciano Berio
Le Sacre Du Printemps – Igor Stravinsky
Agon – Igor Stravinsky
9. Insane Clown Posse – Bang! Pow! Boom!
5. Aqua – Aquarium
12. Rammstein – Herzeleid
7. Beatles – Yellow Submarine Songbook
2. Alanis Morissette – Now Is The Time
10. Cher – Believe
3. Spinal Tap – Shark Sandwich
8. William Shatner – The Transformed Man
15. Europe – The Final Countdown
11. Kenny G – Classics in the Key of G
4. Bruce Willis – Return of Bruno
1. Celine Dion – Let’s Talk About Love
13. Sting – A Brand New Day
6. Toto – Toto IV
14. U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
My list is centred on the period when I had realized that music was important to me, and started having favourite albums. Before that, I was a just a kid listening to the radio and sometimes taping songs, like Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here and Springsteen’s Born To Run. I remember liking my uncle’s John Mayall albums a lot. And cassettes with Elton John, Rod Stewart and so on. I even adored Roger Whittaker’s voice as a wee kid! But I couldn’t bring myself to put Roger and the likes on the list here, because they would push out much more relevant and formative influences. So here’s the slightly doctored, nevertheless spontaneous and pretty honest list.
The Beatles Blue Album 1967-1970 (my brother had the red album)
David Bowie ChangesOneBowie
David Bowie Heroes
Lou Reed Street Hassle
Pink Floyd Animals
Zappa Sheik Yerbouti
MoI Burnt Weenie Sandwich
Captain Beefheart Shiny Beast
Syd Barrett The Madcap Laughs
Pink Floyd The Piper At The Gates of Dawn
Can Tago Mago
De Press Block to Block
Pere Ubu The Art of Walking
This Heat Blue/Yellow
Cabaret Voltaire The Voice of America
Zappa – Burnt Weeny
Zappa – Uncle Meat
Zappa – Hot Rats
Zappa – Ponty Album
Zappa – Lumpy Gravy
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew
Weather Report – first album
Stevie Wonder – Innervision
Tower of Power – Back to Oakland
Tower of Power – Urban Renewal
Djavan – Seduzir
Larry Harlow – Greatest Hits
Glenn Gould – all, except for his Mozart
Early Stravinsky Ballets – Boulez
Stravinsky – Agon
Ray Charles – piano trio stuff (no singing)
Beefheart – Trout Mask
Eddie Harris – The Electric..
is that more than 15? ; )
[quote comment=”12743″]
This Heat
Cabaret Voltaire[/quote]
It was a close call between Metabolist or This Heat or Cabaret Voltaire or Residents or some such 🙂 but Metabolist has been popping up on the iPod a lot lately and they never disappoint.
Too much ELP people 🙁
In fluctuating rank, but 15 records…
Megadeth – Rust in Peace
MOI – We’re only in it for the Money
Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
Alice in Chains – Jar of Flies
Pink Floyd – Animals
KISS – Unmasked
Metallica – Ride the Lightning
NIN – The Downward Spiral
Shpongle – Are you Shpongled?
Koxbox – The Great Unknown
Frank Zappa – Joe’s Garage
Slayer – Decade of Aggression
Nirvana – Nevermind
King Crimson – Red
Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight single
Zappa – Joe’s Garage
David Bowie – Outside
Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Adrian Belew – Op Zop To Wah
T-Ride – T-Ride
Alcatrazz – Disturbing the Peace
Zappa – One Size Fits All
King Crimson – Red
King Crimson – Thrak
NIN – Fragile
David Bowie – Ziggy Stardust
Zappa – Overnite Sensation
David Torn – What means solid:traveler
Michael Hedges – Torched
Steve Vai – Passion & Warfare
If I could add 5 more to my 15 to make 20, I’d also add
16. The Tubes – The Tubes
17. Peter Gabriel – 1
18. Fela Kuti – Zombie
19. AC/DC – Powerage
20. Utopia – Ra