What? No _____________ ???
OK, so I got "tagged" today in Facebook-land to put together my top-25 album list. And, seeing how nothing generates a good comment war quite like these silly exercises, I thought I'd share it with my loyal readers.
I limited each artist to one entry on the list, so as not to bore you to death by cut-n-pasting the entire discographies of Rush, Christy Moore, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and calling it a night.
In no particular order...
1. Kiss - Destroyer
My first real rock album. I'm not counting "Sounds of Silence" or Dylan's "Freewheelin'", that I had "borrowed" from my Dad prior to my joining the Kiss Army. And, why I haven't posted any pictures of me in my Peter Criss Halloween costume, I have no idea.
2. Christy Moore - Live at the Point
Politically speaking, Christy is somewhere between Chomsky and Guevara (not exactly my cup of stout), but damn, the mother-f***er can sing.
This was the only tape we had to play as [names redacted] and myself drove across Ireland in our rented Volvo, grinding the ever-loving shit out of the poor thing's gearbox.
3. AC/DC - Back in Black
A classic of classics. Not a "filler track" on it.
4. Gun & Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The guys should have retired after this one. Nothing they've done since even comes close, IMNSHO.
5. Rush - Permanent Waves
The one that grabbed me and pulled me in.
I heard "Spirit of Radio" in [name redacted]'s art class, and that was it. I got someone to tape it for me, and after "Freewill" and "Natural Science" it was a done deal.
6. U2 - War
One of the first CD's I bought back when the entire CD "section" at Recordtown (Maine Mall), A to Z, was all of three feet across. Selection sucked butt, and CD's were going for the low, low price of $18.99...on sale.
Opening track, "Sunday Bloody Sunday", was the "clarion call" announcing the end of the week, and the beginning of the weekend, my sophomore year at Tufts.
Pass the Molson Ex.
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying
Could have gone with anything by the late, great Stevie Ray, but his version of "Life By the Drop", played unaccompanied on a 12-string acoustic still gets me.
8. Olympus - Down From the Mountain
"If you have to ask..."
9. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Live at the Middle East
What can I say, other than I certainly had my "throwdown swerve" on the night they recorded that one? That was the year the band signed the Christmas card for [the wife], thanking her for letting me throwdown with them (four nights in a row).
Yes, I still have "the suit". Thanks, Dicky.
10. Sugarcubes - Life's Too Good
11. Pulp Fiction - Soundtrack
Can't say much more about these two. The wife reads myFacebook page blog.
12. B.B. King - Live at the Regal
Three Words: "Sweet Little Angel"
13. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Yeah, it's a little cliche, as it's on all the so-called music experts' lists, but yes, it is that good.
14. The Who - Quadrophenia
Featuring the dulcet tones of Keith Moon's vocals on "Bellboy". What's not to like?
15. Pete Townshend - Scoop
A great compilation of stuff "from the vault", if you will - mostly home studio outtakes.
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Majik
Masterpiece.
17. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Hearing Geddy Lee play bass made my buy one. Watching Tina Weymouth play bass made me realize, "Shit, anyone can do this."
18. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
It was a toss-up between this one and their self-titled debut album. Both albums were featured prominently in my college daze.
19. Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
"Rolling down 295 out of Portland, Maine..."
20. ZZ Top - Eliminator
File this one in the "memory lane" category. Hot cars, hot women, and blues-based boogie-rock turned up to 11. Again, what's not to like?
21. The Beatles - White Album
Had to put something by the Beatles on the list, and "Rocky Raccoon" was the clincher for this one. The moral of the story: Don't bring a raccoon to a gunfight.
22. Jim Croce - Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits
Can't believe I almost finished this damn list without getting this one on there. And, it has nothing to do with the fact that one of our class songs that we sang at our graduation at FHS was "I Got a Name".
Jim Croce rocked. And, the Muppets' take on "Time in a Bottle" is an absolute classic.
23. Donovan - Greatest Hits
Saw him play the Somerville Theater just minutes before going to the Ramones show at Tufts. Holy sensory whiplash, Batman!
24. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
It's "Green Briar" music. 'Nuff said.
Probably the closest I ever came to getting my ass kicked in a bar was when my roommate Joe and I were walking the new neighborhood in Brighton (fall of '94), looking for a good bar to call our "regular spot".
We walked into Joey's at the end of our street, ordered a couple beers, and looked around. The place was filled with BC losers and jock wanna-bes, wearing their "cool" white baseball hats with the visors curled so hard the sides nearly met underneath.
We put like five bucks in the jukebox and played "Vasoline" in a near-endless loop, doing our best, and loudest Beavis and Butthead impressions.
Those were the days.
25. Enigma - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!
Ask the Mrs.
(post edited to add a handful of YouTube links)
Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!
I limited each artist to one entry on the list, so as not to bore you to death by cut-n-pasting the entire discographies of Rush, Christy Moore, and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and calling it a night.
In no particular order...
1. Kiss - Destroyer
My first real rock album. I'm not counting "Sounds of Silence" or Dylan's "Freewheelin'", that I had "borrowed" from my Dad prior to my joining the Kiss Army. And, why I haven't posted any pictures of me in my Peter Criss Halloween costume, I have no idea.
2. Christy Moore - Live at the Point
Politically speaking, Christy is somewhere between Chomsky and Guevara (not exactly my cup of stout), but damn, the mother-f***er can sing.
This was the only tape we had to play as [names redacted] and myself drove across Ireland in our rented Volvo, grinding the ever-loving shit out of the poor thing's gearbox.
3. AC/DC - Back in Black
A classic of classics. Not a "filler track" on it.
4. Gun & Roses - Appetite for Destruction
The guys should have retired after this one. Nothing they've done since even comes close, IMNSHO.
5. Rush - Permanent Waves
The one that grabbed me and pulled me in.
I heard "Spirit of Radio" in [name redacted]'s art class, and that was it. I got someone to tape it for me, and after "Freewill" and "Natural Science" it was a done deal.
6. U2 - War
One of the first CD's I bought back when the entire CD "section" at Recordtown (Maine Mall), A to Z, was all of three feet across. Selection sucked butt, and CD's were going for the low, low price of $18.99...on sale.
Opening track, "Sunday Bloody Sunday", was the "clarion call" announcing the end of the week, and the beginning of the weekend, my sophomore year at Tufts.
Pass the Molson Ex.
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying
Could have gone with anything by the late, great Stevie Ray, but his version of "Life By the Drop", played unaccompanied on a 12-string acoustic still gets me.
8. Olympus - Down From the Mountain
"If you have to ask..."
9. Mighty Mighty Bosstones - Live at the Middle East
What can I say, other than I certainly had my "throwdown swerve" on the night they recorded that one? That was the year the band signed the Christmas card for [the wife], thanking her for letting me throwdown with them (four nights in a row).
Yes, I still have "the suit". Thanks, Dicky.
10. Sugarcubes - Life's Too Good
11. Pulp Fiction - Soundtrack
Can't say much more about these two. The wife reads my
12. B.B. King - Live at the Regal
Three Words: "Sweet Little Angel"
13. Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Yeah, it's a little cliche, as it's on all the so-called music experts' lists, but yes, it is that good.
14. The Who - Quadrophenia
Featuring the dulcet tones of Keith Moon's vocals on "Bellboy". What's not to like?
15. Pete Townshend - Scoop
A great compilation of stuff "from the vault", if you will - mostly home studio outtakes.
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Majik
Masterpiece.
17. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
Hearing Geddy Lee play bass made my buy one. Watching Tina Weymouth play bass made me realize, "Shit, anyone can do this."
18. Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
It was a toss-up between this one and their self-titled debut album. Both albums were featured prominently in my college daze.
19. Jackson Browne - Running on Empty
"Rolling down 295 out of Portland, Maine..."
20. ZZ Top - Eliminator
File this one in the "memory lane" category. Hot cars, hot women, and blues-based boogie-rock turned up to 11. Again, what's not to like?
21. The Beatles - White Album
Had to put something by the Beatles on the list, and "Rocky Raccoon" was the clincher for this one. The moral of the story: Don't bring a raccoon to a gunfight.
22. Jim Croce - Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits
Can't believe I almost finished this damn list without getting this one on there. And, it has nothing to do with the fact that one of our class songs that we sang at our graduation at FHS was "I Got a Name".
Jim Croce rocked. And, the Muppets' take on "Time in a Bottle" is an absolute classic.
23. Donovan - Greatest Hits
Saw him play the Somerville Theater just minutes before going to the Ramones show at Tufts. Holy sensory whiplash, Batman!
24. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple
It's "Green Briar" music. 'Nuff said.
Probably the closest I ever came to getting my ass kicked in a bar was when my roommate Joe and I were walking the new neighborhood in Brighton (fall of '94), looking for a good bar to call our "regular spot".
We walked into Joey's at the end of our street, ordered a couple beers, and looked around. The place was filled with BC losers and jock wanna-bes, wearing their "cool" white baseball hats with the visors curled so hard the sides nearly met underneath.
We put like five bucks in the jukebox and played "Vasoline" in a near-endless loop, doing our best, and loudest Beavis and Butthead impressions.
Those were the days.
25. Enigma - Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!
Ask the Mrs.
(post edited to add a handful of YouTube links)
