There are a ton of people doing this meme, and I’m not one to do memes very often, but I actually kind of like this one.
Think of 20 albums, CDs, LPs (if you’re over 40), that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then when you finish, tag 15 others, including me, make a donation to Any Blogger Can, sit back and drink a brewski, watch your favorite DITL. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill.
Here are mine. Except I did 22 albums.
And I’ll warn you ahead of time that I seriously doubt the existence of any human being out there with even five of the same albums as me. Shoot, I bet there isn’t anybody with even THREE of these on their list. What can I say? I’m very weird awesome in my own way.
Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
There are people who say they like this album, or were “changed” by it, and then there are the rest of us who really were. You know who you are – the kind of fan that lists an album because it’s cool to list an album. If you can’t sing every lyric, every studio-added sound effect or murmur and can’t sing out the rooster parts or actually played the end of the album in the infinite loop, you don’t count.
Yes – Tales from Topographic Oceans
We start the eclectic. This is a double-album with only four (4) songs total. Yes, one song per album side. I told you I was weird awesome.
Mannheim Steamroller – Fresh Aire II
I could list several of the Fresh Aire series because I immersed myself in all of them at one point or another, but I’d have to say Fresh Aire II was my first and most potent.
Mannheim Steamroller – Fresh Aire III
There was this one song, Mere Image, that I played dozens of times per week. Yes, it was that fetching. I still do sometimes. I even dreamed up my own music video to the song and still want to make it come true. It has a wistful nostalgic energetic make-you-cry-after-dancing feel.
Olivia Newton-John and ELO – Xanadu soundtrack
I made my own homemade version from the DVD because the many of the songs had versions on the actual published soundtrack that were different from the movie and that devastated me to no end. I hate it when movie soundtracks do that!
Steve Vai – Passion and Warfare
There’s a song on there that kind of feel like dueling electric guitars and I frequently would daydream about my brother and I performing this on stage. Alas, he is the guitar player and I’m the guitar hero.
Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
So shoot me. Wait, I already shot myself for this one.
The Moody Blues – On The Threshold of a Dream
This is one of many tastes I picked up from my dad, who had this and the next album on vinyl. I would put it on and be amazed. When I discovered headphones it sent me to the next level. This is one of those albums that you put on, close your eyes, and let the sounds take you over. In fact, a lot of my picks are sensual albums – you don’t just put them on in the background or flick on the radio to listen. They are to be enjoyed specifically, not as the soundtrack to your daily life.
The Moody Blues – In Search of the Lost Chord
Om.
Tracks 7 through 12 are the ones to get lost in.
Steely Dan – Citizen
I had to put in the “Everything” compilation album because once I discovered the ‘Dan, I consumed every song they had and played this collection on repeat for about a year.
Metallica – Master of Puppets
It was hard to choose between this and Ride the Lightning but I listed to Master of Puppets a tad bit more. Plus, it has Orion on it.
The Statler Brothers – Old Testament and New Testament
I had the double-album set. I can still list all the disciples because of this album.
Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water.
My first CD, ever. I got it for my 15th birthday.
Yes – Going For The One
This is another one of those that will be unique to me, and guess what? Awaken? intense 15-minute long song.
Celtic Woman (custom rip)
This is another one where the released soundtrack differed from the video release (DVD) so I ended up ripping my own MP3′s off of the video so that it would match. I’m linking you to the DVD instead of the CD since it’s the one with the music I love. The CD actually took off a couple of tracks!
Rush – Hemispheres
It’s hard to choose just one because of Grace Under Pressure and Signals and Power Windows and AFTK and 2112 and… and… and… But this is the one I sank into deeply and didn’t come up for air for weeks.
Jon Anderson – Olias of Sunhillow
I don’t expect anyone to understand this one. But, man oh man. I love this album. It’s like the Lord of the Rings put to music but without J R R Tolkein.
Jonathan Coulton - Thing A Week series
Can’t list one of the TaW albums since I got the whole collection and put it on repeat. Definitely changed my view of self-published music in a very positive way. This guy is my hero.
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
Again, this is an artist that has so much to choose from, it’s hard to pick just one album. I choose it because my dad had it on vinyl and it was my first Zep album. I wore that puppy out once I heard What Is And What Should Never Be. This is the first time I actually made a tape that was just entirely one song repeated over and over from the album. I did this to save on battery life on my knock-off Sony Walkman because rewinding took up too much battery.
Don Harriss – Elevations
As a senior in high school, I’d sometimes put this CD in, lay back, close my eyes and simply float. Especially on track #2. I seriously think I floated a few times while wearing headphones. Too bad they weren’t wireless back then. I think it was the wire that stopped me from hitting the ceiling.
Ozzy Osbourne – The Ultimate Sin
I remember freshman year in High School – as a band geek *and* a computer geek, I wasn’t all that popular, but that was fine with me. In fact, instead of being popular I was more of a target. But there was this one time when my walkman and collection of tapes was “confiscated” by The Current Cool Guy in the gym along with the “let’s see what Dork-Man is listening to, shall we?” verbal introduction to a humiliation assault. As he went through picking out The Ultimate Sin, Black Sabbath’s We Sold Our Souls for Rock and Roll, Van Halen’s 1984, Motley Crue’s Theatre Of Pain, Led Zeppelin and Rush, he said aloud “wow, for a nerd, you listen to some really cool music” and handed me back my stuff and went on to the next nerd. Later that week he borrowed The Ultimate Sin from me and I was left alone the rest of the year.
BONUS ENTRY! The Simpsons – Songs in the Key Of Springfield
Let’s go crazy, Broadway style!
Whew. This was harder than I expected, but I stayed true to the meme.
So. Did anyone have even more than one that they shared with this list?
Yeah. Didn’t think so.
(Bonus topic: I spent more than an hour on this post. It meant a lot to me. However, I anticipate a very low comment turnout. I’m finding that the more important (ie, personal) a blog post is to me, the less other people will care about it. Sometimes the stupidest shortest post generates the most interest. There seems to be a direct inversely proportional relationship between the amount of effort I put into a post and how interesting it is. However, I will post it anyway because I’m one of those “this blog is about ME” people. At least for now I am.)
Awaken — my favorite Yes song ever.
shiny´s last blog post..Plagiarism Week ‘09 Hits a Few Snags…
shiny – really? either you’re pulling my leg in the extreme and will make fun of me later (which likely would be pretty funny to watch) or I just fell in love with you a little. ok, that’s a little forward. And awkward.
Come crawling faster…obey your master!
(that’s one of my top 20 also)
Hilly´s last blog post..Your Puppet On A String…
hilly – how synchronicitous (is that a word?) that your blog post also references it…
My dad loves Mannheim Steamroller. I was forced to listen to the drivel that is the Fresh Aire albums so many times when he was driving us somewhere.
And I love the Simpsons CD. I own that one and used to have every song completely memorized.
Avitable´s last blog post..Super Happy Special Announcement
Avitable – are you talking about the 1-8 series or Christmas stuff? (or both?). I LOOOOOOVE Fresh Aire 1-8. 2,3, 5 and 8… whoa. Oh wait, and SEVEN! The liner notes on Fresh Aire 7 are very very cool on how the compositions came about. really? you think it’s drivel? That surprises me more than I’d think.
Both the Christmas stuff and the other stuff. I can’t stand it.
Avitable´s last blog post..Avitable’s Gift Guide for the Four Year Old Girl
Yeah, I have a number of these albums but none of them made my list…
Nat – yeah, just as I predicted.
There are people who say they like this album, or were “changed” by it, and then there are the rest of us who really were. You know who you are – the kind of fan that lists an album because it’s cool to list an album. If you can’t sing every lyric, every studio-added sound effect or murmur and can’t sing out the rooster parts or actually played the end of the album in the infinite loop, you don’t count.
That’s EXACTLY how I feel about whether an album has changed your life or not…..awesome!
Robin´s last blog post..Sore
Robin – welcome to the blog of whall! (sorry my moderation scheme had you post your comment twice, I’ll remove the 2nd one). And do you know what rooster part I’m talking about, hmmm?
There are people who say they like this album, or were “changed” by it, and then there are the rest of us who really were. You know who you are – the kind of fan that lists an album because it’s cool to list an album. If you can’t sing every lyric, every studio-added sound effect or murmur and can’t sing out the rooster parts or actually played the end of the album in the infinite loop, you don’t count.
That’s EXACTLY how I feel about whether an album has changed your life or not…..awesome!
I came thisclose to having Rush on mine, but not that particular album. However, I do have Off The Wall! And dangit – where is the fricking Simpson’s cd?! I NEEDS it! I had the Beatles, too, different album.
I really don’t like Mannheim Steamroller. Or, at least, that Christmas song you hear everywhere…
Sybil Law´s last blog post..20. Really?!
Sybil – wow, Rush? We probably should never meet in person because I’d probably marry you. Well, in a blog sense.
Ok, a cool list indeed. Scoring big points with sharing the same favorite Rush album as me. LedZep II rocks. And Master of Puppets, and of course Steely Dan.
But the icing on the cake is that Ozzy story. That’s pretty cool.
martymankins´s last blog post..Snowy Sunday #14
martymankins – can’t wait to swap ipods for a few hours in Santa Fe. Yeah, I just thought of it. Good idea, isn’t it?
That is a good idea. I will make sure I bring my 30gb iPod.
martymankins´s last blog post..Snowy Sunday #15
Sgt. Pepper and Bridge Over Trouble Water are great albums. I’m all about Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas music but I don’t think I’ve ever heard any of their other stuff.
Sheila (Charm School Reject)´s last blog post..Goals
Sheila – the XMAS stuff is “ok” (I like it well enough) but their non-XMAS stuff is INCREDIBLE. Especially 2,3,5, 7 and 8. 1, 4 and 6 are so-so but still have their moments. Give it a shot!
Yeah, Passion and Warfare was a big one for me. Along those lines, I was also a big fan of Joe Satriani’s “Surfing With the Alien” and Eric Johnson’s “Ah Via Musicom.”
kapgar´s last blog post..Candy, candy, candy, I can’t let you go…
I saw Eric Johnson in concert in NYC almost 9 years ago. Amazing talent.
martymankins´s last blog post..Snowy Sunday #14
You are so sneaky! Did no one else notice how you inserted your DITL’s link into the rules? LOL!
BlondeBlogger´s last blog post..Ash Wednesday
BlondeBlogger – no, I think you’re the only one. (if you know what I mean, winkwink)
We agree on 4 if you parcel the Steely Dan box set into individual discs. I do not think I have played anything in my collection more than it.
The only curve ball you threw was the Xanadu soundtrack. I would not have suspected that.
Tony – NOONE expects my Xanadu position!
I don’t have a list, but have all Manheims, I have Simon & Garfunk, and also Metallica. My dad has the Statler Brothers – does that count?
Tug´s last blog post..It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…
Tug – great list! and yes, it counts, since I got mine from my dad too. We used to listen to those two (Old and New Testament) when we went out calling on salons / salesman type of thing.
I used to enjoy some Manheim. I should download some. Been a while. Great music to read by.
Karl´s last blog post..Poppy is my Special Guest Tonight
Karl – yes, Mannheim is good as background music but I also get completely lost in it. It and the Don Harriss music is something I can just put some GOOOOOD headphones on, turn down the lights, put the fan on and just lay down and relax, letting the melodies and math of the music take me away.