15 Albums

Another challenge from the girls on Facebook.

"Think of 15 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. They might not be what you listen to now, but these are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world."

1. “Star Wars - the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” by John Williams: In 1977, this album (actually two LPs) was constantly on my turntable. I had it on when I was playing, and I had it on just to listen to. It brought me into the world of movie soundtracks.

2. “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles: This was my first real cassette album, and truly introduced me to the Beatles.

3. “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys: This collection of the Beach Boys was the cassette that was most often in my car my junior year of high school in Maryland. I created an entire musical (in my head) using the songs in order cast with my friends from school.

4. “Pipes of Peace” by Paul McCartney: This was the first album (and LP) that I bought with my own money.

5. “Brothers in Arms” by Dire Straits: I didn't realize the Dire Straits had done “Sultans of Swing” but enjoyed their stuff on MTV from this album. Some friends of mine were really into DS, and said if I listened to one complete album, I would want everything they had recorded. I did, I did, and I do.

6. “Star Trek II - The Wrath of Kahn soundtrack” by James Horner: The music from the fight in the Mutara Nebula was incredible to me, and this album was impossible to find for years. I had to hunt and hunt for it, finally finding it in an ad in a comic book.

7. “Lethal Weapon 2 soundtrack” by Michael Kamen: There is a song in here that when I was fast forwarding on my cassette I heard completely differently. Played normally you really wouldn’t hear it, but sped up it is based on the stereotypical scary music of rising notes “duhnt, duhnt, duhnt, duhnt, duuuuuhn, duhnt.”

8. “Alchemy” by Dire Straits: Simply taught me that I don’t like concert albums. I prefer studio recordings.

9. “Himself” by Bill Cosby: My first purchased comedy album. Also and LP, I got this one at an auction. I remember buying this and a black leather baseball glove.

10. “Batman soundtrack” by Prince: This one was the first album to really be a difference between soundtrack and score. It seemed that we all had to wait so long for Danny Elfman’s score. And I still argue that it should be “Songs from…” and “Soundtrack”; a score is the music itself not the performance or recording.

11. “Footloose soundtrack” by various artists: My first CD. My parents got this for me because I was enjoying the movie so much. It’s pretty dated now.

12. “The Extremist” by Joe Satriani: My friend Steve and I listened to this album all the way to my one and only SCA event. It amazed me the emotion that went into and came out of a “simple” electric guitar. I get every studio album of Joe’s that I can get my hands on.

13. “Dance Into the Light” by Phil Collins: Jennifer and I received this album as a gift (actually a bribe I think) from the regional manager of Kleinfelder. There was something about him giving us the album that tainted it to us, and has slowly tainted most of Phil’s music. I have all of his albums, but probably only 5 songs on my iPod.

14. “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd: Lots of people say that the Beatles “White Album” is the album they have to have, but DSotM is a must have. When CDs and MP3s go away, whatever format is next, then after my foundation soundtrack, DSotM will be there.

15. “The Eiger Sanction” by John Williams: I found that even the greats have their bad days. This may have been good soundtrack when it was written, but it seems that there is a point in music where a switch gets flipped somewhere, and the whole feeling of it seems old and dated. After this soundtrack and before “Jaws” was when it flipped for John Williams.