The measure of impact..or what this means to me...
It's only Rock n Roll but I like it….
25 Records that impacted my life one way or another
In no particular order
· Jeff Buckley "Grace" – unfortunately I did not discover this until after Jeff had tragically past away way too young and with so much more he could've given the world…incredible voice and musical composition…I remember feeling like I was in another world the first time I put this disc on…I still feel that way whenever I give it a spin…
· The Police "Message in a Box, The Complete Recordings" – I had been hearing the police singles for most of my young life and even had a greatest hits disc and a copy of "Ghost in the Machine" on Vinyl, but it wasn't until I got this boxset that I really learned to love the genius of this band. Sure Sting has had an impressive solo career and Andy and Stewart have both been involved in some ambitious projects, but to me they were never better than when they were together fusing punk, pop, and reggae. To this day I still can't hear Roxanne without thinking of Eddie Murphy in 48 hours…
· Metallica "…And Justice for All" – I remember being twelve years old thinking I was into Heavy Metal because I liked Guns and Roses, Bon Jovi, and Motley Crue…and then I heard One and saw the video and my perceptions were shattered…from that point on I was hooked and my tastes were expanded to include a number of amazing Thrash groups that I still go back to when the moment takes me…
· The Clash "London Calling" – while I have the box set and pretty much all of their albums, it's London that I most vividly remember from my youth…back when WFIT was a true college radio station and didn't care what anyone thought about their on air programming (those of you from the home turf know what I'm talking about). This album for me truly captured the spirit of the band and showed me that we all have a voice to make a difference…
· Hot Water Music "No Division" – the first time I remember hearing this album I felt like I had been fired out of a cannon…the musicianship is second to none and the raw unbridled emotion pouring out of the lyrics and throaty vocals was just amazing to me…I remember screaming along to the lyrics in my friend Aaron's car after one particularly distressing evening…very therapeutic…
· The Cure "Galore" – The credit for this should really go to my college roommate Joel. I remember listening to The Cure as a kid and through my teen years…but it wasn't until I listened to his copy of Galore that I really kindled my love for this band…this record has all the best tracks and really, how can you not love it?
· Believer "Dimensions" and Circle of Dust "Brainchild" – while two separate and distinct albums, I discovered them both on the same day and was absolutely blown away. I had never heard music by artists who proclaimed to be "Christians" that wasn't super preachy or sentimental tacky pop two steps behind all the rest of the tacky pop artists.
· Led Zepplin "IV" – While I think this record is probably on every Rock fan's list, for me it was just the ultimate discovery in my early years when I found this in my uncle's record collection. The loud guitars, incredible drumming and vocal wail was like a little piece of rock heaven…and then there was the stairway….
· The Beastie Boys "License to Ill" – this album proved to me that hip hop and rock could coexist and complement each other in the basics...and we all were willing to fight for our right to party that summer…
· Braid "Frame & Canvas" – I just remember hearing the opening drums kick off this record and thinking I just found another new favorite band…there has never been another band quite like Braid and I think that this record truly captured the genius these boys were capable of…
· Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak" – I found this album on a cassette one afternoon when I was about 13…and I remember thinking that this must be where a lot of the pop metal bands learned their licks from….and I would put Jailbreak and The Boys are back in Town up against any new song coming out today…and those two would still come out on top….
· Elvis Costello & The Attractions "The very best of Elvis Costello & The Attractions" – The very first Elvis Costello song I remember hearing on the radio was Pump it Up…and I liked it enough to pick up this cd…and I couldn't have made a better choice…every song on this is amazing and worth every repeat listen I can spare.
· MXPX "Life in General" – this album totally rewrote my perception of this band. I sang every song til I was blue in the face and I think it solidified my attempts to really be in a band that might go someplace. After all, these guys are the same age as me and they still rock as hard as they did when they started…me…I still rock…just not the mic in a band anymore….
· Pink Floyd "Wish you were Here" – while both Dark side of the Moon and The Wall could easily be in this list…I really remember putting this record on at night when I wanted to just chill…and waking up after a nap to the sounds of Welcome to the Machine was extremely haunting but worth it every time…
· Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Soup" – this album was released many years after his death and it pulled together a lot B-sides and rarities that didn't make it onto his studio recordings…and I remember thinking I would never be able to hear the guitar the same way again….and I would still choose his version of the Star Spangled Banner over any other….
· Weezer "Pinkerton" – Never has a more personal record really reached down and pulled me in as deeply as this one did. While the first record still holds a special place for me, it's Pinkerton where I really felt that Weezer had achieved true greatness…
· Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" - There's few things more vivid in my memory from being 15 than seeing the video for Give it Away and just sitting in my living room in awe…I had never really heard anything quite like it and I've been a diehard fan ever since…
· The Iceburn Collective "Meditations on Revolutions" – While I only own this on a double vinyl record it is still one of the absolute best, and possibly only, jazz influenced hardcore jam records in existence…the music left me breathless and enthralled…a feeling that has to be experienced to truly understand…
· Pearl Jam "Ten" – this record defined my sophomore year in highschool and I wore out my videotaped copy of their unplugged performance…I will always be a fan and have yet to hear them make a bad album…the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should have a spot reserved for them now…
· The Doors "Absolutely Live" – I've been told it's hard to wear out a CD….but I certainly gave this a try. I listened to these two discs everyday for months and I think the true essence of Morrison and Co. was captured in these recordings there will never be a Rock front man as truly Charismatic as Jim…
· Jimmy Eat World "Bleed American" – Another disc that I listened to everyday for like a month straight…there isn't a truer representation of what a good pop record should be…Sweetness is one of the true perfect pop hooks out there…this record should be in everyone's collection…
· Johnny Cash "Live from Folsom Prison" – it's Johnny Cash…do I really have to say anymore?
· Guns and Roses "Appetite for Destruction – I remember my cousin Chris telling me about this band that was going to be featured in the new Dirty Harry movie…but I wasn't truly captivated until I saw the Video for Welcome to the Jungle and got a cassette copy…and I was hooked…
· David Bowie "The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust" – I could listen to this album for days….it would definitely be one I would choose if I was only allowed so many for the rest of my life…but then maybe I would just choose Mr. Bowie's entire collection…it really does have something for everyone….
- The Refused "The Shape of Punk to Come" – innovation is not usually a word associated with punk or hardcore…but this album smashed whatever preconceived notions might have existed for me about what was "punk". Too bad they didn't last…the newer incarnation of the this group…The International Noise Conspiracy, while good…has never come close to the pinnacle this record sits on….
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