Ten Personal Favorite Albums

So, I got this invitation, if invitation is the right word for it, on Facebook to list the ten albums that have impacted me the most in my life. I hesitated for a moment or two, because their really are a lot of albums that I could mention that did not make this list. Quite a few Beatles albums, although the only one listed below is "Revolver". But I love Abbey Road, and it reminds me of my family's home town in France, Marly-le-Roi, because it was one of the few rock albums in my aunt's collection when we stayed their for a week. "Rubber Soul" reminds me of a trip to Canada we took with my grandparents, when I got that album on cassette tape in Lake George. Plus, I just love listening to the Beatles in general. I could mention Faith No More's "Epic", because it was just such an awesome sounding album at the time, very fast energy, and with what was then a very unique sound. There was another album, "Acrobates et Musiciens", from a little known French folk band, Lo Jai. My father and brother went to go see them, for free, back in 1989, under the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in NYC, and we loved it! Also, Alan Stivell's "Again", which my ex-wife loved so much, she chose to play that album on the day that she gave birth to my son. So, it is the music that he was born to! I also really enjoyed the "Woodstock" album, even though that was not by one artist in particular. Back when I was younger, I would definitely have said that Metallica's "Master of Puppets" album ranked highest on my list, although my tastes have moved in a different direction since.

There are probably others that did not quite make the cut, either. But the ones that I listed, I will now place here, because it is an interesting topic, and one that got me writing quite a bit. In retrospect, I kind of wished that I had added "Again" by Alan Stivell, since that was the one my son was born to, after all. But, this is a pretty comprehensive list of some albums that meant a lot to me at various points in my life, and for a variety of reasons, too:

Roger Waters "The Wall" Live from Berlin - Yes, I know, this wasn't exactly the more familiar album version. But it was what got me into a great album as a whole, instead of being familiar with some of the more iconic songs from it. I actually got the VHS version first, as a gift from my brother, and soon was watching it with an alarming degree of frequency, the beginning of a fixation on "The Wall" that lasted the better part of two years. The album just spoke to me, as it addresses issues, both personal and political, that I felt I could identify with. It also came at a time of great change in the world, and what better city to host this than Berlin, where "The Wall" had just been torn down?

U2 "Achtung Baby" - This just might be the album of the 90's, at least as far as I'm concerned. I liked U2 before this, but they probably reached their peak with this album, where they experimented with all new sounds, and did all sorts of things that made this album stand out. Haven't been overly thrilled with anything that they have done since, but I can listen to this album still, and every song still sounds good, and well placed on the album.

Dead Kennedys "Bedtime for Democracy" - This was the album that got me into punk, back in the late 80's or so. It was actually my brother's album, but I listened to it plenty. Not even entirely sure that it's their best album, and my brother mentioned that he prefers some of their others. Still, I liked almost everything about it, even the rather chaotic artwork. It's the one that got me into punk, and so probably deserves mention, and being highly energetic and angry it was a much needed outlet for a teenage kid.

Malicorne "Les Cathedrales de l'Industrie" - I'm guessing not many people here will know this one, but I am French, after all. This band is a traditional folk band, but in this album, they were starting to sound a bit more pop. But the lyrics have an intelligence to them, and the music just sounds great (to me). Got into this at around the same time that I got into "The Wall", and it spoke to me for many of the same reasons (albeit in a very different way). This also helped to make me feel connected to France, to the Old World, and to my family roots, all at once.

Beatles "Revolver" - When my family briefly lived in Liberty, NY, and even after, when my brother and I would stay there during vacations, we longed to hear cool music. That was kind of hard, since my grandparents did not have anything but an old, beat up, cheap record player, and mostly classical albums and that did not appeal to kids of our age so much. They also liked Lawrence Welk, for anyone who might know who he was. But my parents had some records there, including this one from the Beatles. Loved the cover of it, and just enjoyed listening to this album, over and over again. When I hear this album (and the Beatles in general), it takes me back to that time in my life.

Eric Burdon &; the Animals "Eric is Here" - Much like Revolver, this was one of the rock records that we listened to often in Liberty. Love the cover, which is a bit similar to Revolver, actually. Mostly, this is an album of covers, and actually, most fans of the Animals really don't care for this one, as it was the first album that Burdon essentially took over the name after getting rid of the original members. But I love the music, particularly the somber sound, and like Revolver, it reminds me of my childhood.

The Animals "Ark" - Two Animals albums on the list? Yup, two albums. But this one was underrated. It was the original lineup, and they were trying to make a comeback. For whatever the reason, the album is seemingly not highly regarded, either, but I like it. At times bluesy, at times more pop, and otherwise just pure rock, it just is a great album to listen to, with some thoughtful lyrics, like only Eric Burdon can provide.

Pearl Jam "Ten" - I'm a huge Pearl Jam fan for a long time now, but I wasn't always. In fact, in the very beginning, I identified more with Nirvana, and perhaps subscribed to the skepticism of Pearl Jam. But I was going through some issues when younger, and a friend told me about 'Jeremy", and what the lyrics meant. She did not know the band at the time, and I kept trying to find out more about this song, because I really wanted to hear it. Then, one day, it came on, and it sounded awesome. The band was Pearl Jam, and it dawned on me that I had never given them a real shot. So, I went out and got the album, and needless to say, was hooked. They have addressed a lot of issues, ranging from the personal to the political and social, and I have consistently appreciated them for it. But this was the album that really got me into them, and which made them stand apart from the rest (for me).

Red Hot Chili Peppers "Blood Sugar Sex Magic" - This was just such a great album, and like Ten, I got into it at a time in my life when the meaning was probably magnified. He probably doesn't remember this, but a friend from high school actually first identifed "Under the Bridge" for me after it came on the radio, and I was impressed with it. My brother happened to have the album, and I started listening to it religiously. I think it might be right up there with Achtung Baby as the best album of the nineties. Every song is good, and the band was doing things musically that I had never heard before. They had such an incredible approach, such a unique sound, and I just loved it! Plus, again, it was a dark time in my life personally, and some of the more somber pieces and lyrics really spoke to me. Like with U2, I was not nearly as impressed with the material this band has done since, and it sounds almost like they are trying to imitate themselves. But this album was the real deal!

The Police "Synchronicity" - Another great album, through and through, and this is when the Police were at their peak, simply put. They tried new things here as well, deviating from their previous sound. But it was an incredible album, great musically, and with imaginative and descriptive lyrics that really spoke to me. Just an incredible album, and I still very much enjoy listening to it right up to this day!

Finally, I know that I technically reached ten albums on this list already. But perhaps the very top album, the one that I think felt like musical perfection, where almost every note fit exactly where it was supposed to, would be "Love Over Gold" by Dire Straits. My father got this album and listened to it a lot when it came out, and I liked it, too, but was just a kid. When I got back into it years and years later, I became obsessed with it, right around 2004-2005. Again, everything about it, musically, lyrically - everything just really sounds unique and incredible to me. I think "Telegraph Road", specifically, might just be the best rock song, period. But the entire album sounds great, and since I wanted to finish this list with a bang, I had to mention the album that seems to me to probably be my favorite overall!

Wow! Wasn't expecting to write so much, but when I get passionate about a subject...well, you know. In any case, there's my list. What about you?