I'm trapped in a crypt-like hole in my nominator's basement. I've been charged with naming the Top Ten Most Influential Albums of my life. The instructions say, "Album covers only, no comments necessary," but what's the fun in that? Besides, what else do I have to do? My captor has kindly provided me with the stub of an old crayon ("Vivid Violet" my favorite!) and a piece of discarded butcher's paper.
Here are the results. It was impossible to rank them, so they're listed in order of release date, not necessarily when I first became aware of them. I hasten to add that these are not my current top-ten favorite albums, but the ones that had the most influence on me.
My Top most Influential Albums:
The Beatles (White Album). 1968. All ten of these albums should probably be The Beatles. Hands down, the biggest influence on me, even though they were mostly before my time. They put out 12 official albums in just 7 years (and changed the world at the same time!). Drop Yellow Submarine and Beatles for Sale, and boom, there’s your ten albums. Everything else pales. I was six on February 9, 1964, when they famously appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. I didn’t quite understand what my older siblings were getting so excited about, but I knew from that day that I wanted to be a drummer. I was nine when they played their last public show, so I never saw them live.
(The “White Album” is not a fan favorite, but I love it; their individuality comes through loud and, but it’s still The Beatles! And I love all the little dribs and drabs between tracks.)
Tommy. The Who. 1969. It was the first album I bought with my own money, after having seen them live 1971 in Schenectady, New York. I wore that double-disc set out. No one had prepared me for the bombast that was Keith Moon, nor the full-on destruction of their live show. That had a huge impact on this 14-year-old. A great band happens when the whole is greater than the sum of parts; two plus two plus two plus two equals nine. Therein lies the magic. It couldn't have been truer of The Who. Moonie was a negative number -- an obstacle that needed to be overcome by the rest of the band for the magic to happen.
Led Zeppelin II. 1969. I heard this one before their debut (released earlier the same year). WHO IS THAT DRUMMER?!?! It was around 1971 before I heard it. Bonzo was almost as influential to me as Ringo. I had the opportunity to see them live, but never did. Back in 1974, I debated whether I should buy a ticket to their show at the Richfield Coliseum or buy their most recent release -- Houses of the Holy -- and decided on the vinyl. At the time, they were about the same price. Whoops.
Tarkus, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. 1971. This one is a little more embarrassing than the rest, but it had a huge impact on me when I was 14. WHO IS THAT DRUMMER!! The rest of the ELP catalog is even more embarrassing, but I knew those albums backwards and forwards. The pros and cons of "Prog-Rock" could be the subject of another entire blog. I saw the supporting Tarkus tour at Wooster College with my big brother. They opened with the bombastic 20-minute-long title track! The opening act was Dr. Hook and the Medicine show. Laughably bad billing.
Machine Head. Deep Purple. 1972. Essential Hard Rock. Ian Paice is the reason I drum left-handed. I mean, I am left-handed, but it had never dawned on me that the drums could be set up “backwards.” Blackmore’s solo in Highway Star still stands as the best rock guitar solo ever. Sure, “Smoke on the Water” is trite now, but in 1972, to this 15-year-old, it was one seriously BFD. We played SOTW in my high-school garage band (and must have butchered it). I was at the infamous Cloverleaf Speedway concert in 1974, where a riot broke out. It was the first and last rock concert at that venue (Ted Nugent, and Billy Preston were the two opening acts).
Dark Side of the Moon. Pink Floyd. 1973. I Saw the entire album performed live -- at Kent State - about a month before it was released! It was the first time I saw fog and lasers! My big brother had exposed me to Meddle and Umma Gumma, so I was a already a fan. Chances are very good that if you were between 12 and 30-years-old in 1973, it's on your list as well. All that nonsense about the album lining up with The Wizard of Oz is complete bullshit, though amusing.
A Wizard, A True Star. Todd Rundgren 1973. Whoa! What kind of drugs was HE taking? This was a huge psychedelic departure from the harmless ballads of Todd’s previous album. There was a lot there to digest, even on the jacket and sleeve, but it was worth it! I saw him live in Cincinnati around 1975.
Overnight Sensation. Frank Zappa. 1973. Like The Beatles, all ten of these albums could easily be FZ. Overnight Sensation is far from my favorite Zappa album, but it’s the first one I became aware of. Like so many others, I was lured in by his naughty lyrics and stayed for the incredible music. His instrumental compositions are far and away the best -- and are more irreverent than any of his lyrics. I saw him live six times.
Reggatta de Blanc. The Police. 1979. The first album flew under my radar at the time, But then I had to learn Message in a Bottle for a cover band. Whoa… WHO IS THAT DRUMMER! Stewart Copeland completely changed my attitude about splash cymbals -- and Reggae! I never saw them live.
Discipline: King Crimson. 1981. Four excellent players -- Fripp, Bruford, Levin and Belew -- playing forward-looking, rhythmically and harmonically challenging music. Dr. Bill Bruford remains on of my favorite drummers. I Saw the live show as well, at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron, OH. It is one of the finest shows I've ever experienced. Both the album and the show gave me hope for the future of music.
Honorable Mentions (that might have been in the top-ten on another day):
The Yes Album. Yes. 1971
The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust... David Bowie. 1972
Jeff Beck Group. Jeff Beck. 1972
Birds of Fire. Mahavishnu Orchestra. 1973
Aja. Steely Dan. 1977
Remain in Light. Talking Heads. 1980
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Eurythmics. 1983
Legend. Bob Marley. 1984
The Downward Spiral. Nine-inch-Nails. 1994
Crazyhorse Mongoose. Galactic. 1998
Top Ten Influential albums synopsis:
As I write with my bruise-colored crayon on greasy paper, I remain at the bottom of deep hole, eating only the rancid meat and stale bread crumbs provided by my nominator, along with the occasional hapless insect that wanders within range. I’ve become inured to the constant taunts and the random jabbing with a stick but, oh, how I long for daylight!
My captor's commandment that I be brutally honest in compiling this list has not been without merit, however.
- They are all white males.
- All broadly fall into the rock category.
- All but two are British, beneficiaries of Beatlemania coattails.
- Seven of the ten fall within 1969 and 1973, corresponding with the years of my adolescence.
- I saw seven of them live (and seven of the ten Honorable Mentions). Is that a testament to the power of live music, or a case of correlation vs. causation?
My list demonstrates how impressionable we are during adolescence. I don’t contend that the music of that period was better than any other, but it was, dammit! (Grumble, grumble...) Rest assured, my tastes have broadened considerably since those heady early-teenage days.
What's this? A ladder! Freedom! Sunshine! Did I pass the test?
