Post The 10 Albums that changed your life... [Archive]

Foucault

Mar 31, 2005, 06:33 PM

A great album is something that you have a deep relationship with, it stays with despite the trends, and despite your growth. I know I have 10 albums that I could say will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Here is a list of 10 Albums that changed my life:

10. Come Away With Me - Norah Jones:
That voice can make a grown man cry.
9. Central Reservation - Beth Orton:
This entire record is an emotional tidal wave, that grabs you from the start to the end.
8. White Ladder - David Gray:
There is something so intimate and stoic about a man and his guitar.
7. Mixed Up - The Cure:
I didn't like The Cure until I discovered this album of remixes. It changed my life.
6. Amplified Heart - Everything But The Girl
An often-overlooked album that wrenches at your heart, twisting for every drop.
5. Laid - James
Tim Booths' voice just hypnotizes you in this whole entire album. Amazing!
4. Kid A - Radiohead
After listening to this album, I haven't been the same...
3. Transatlanticsm - Death Cab For Cutie
I discovered this album around the time that I was recovering from a long distance relationship, what a coincidence...
2. August and Everything After... - Counting Crows
This CD hasn't left my car in over 10 years.
1. Parachutes - Coldplay
You know how people can remember where they were when they first heard of JFK assassination or when the twin towers fell? I still remember vividly the first time I heard this album as I sat in the dreaded L.A. traffic, with my jaws dropping....

PlaceofDis

Mar 31, 2005, 06:55 PM

i dont think that i have ten to list so i will just list a few:

5. This Type of Thinking... by Chevelle this album allows me to vent my frustrations and any anger, helps me think things through when im frustrated, ive only had it a short time but i can already see that it will stay with me forever

4. Still by Nine Inch Nails stripped down versions of some of the more touching songs NIN has done, i am glad i found it because it shows a raw emotion that can make me cry at times

3. Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle This album is a movement of recovery from addiction, it helps me to come back from the hard times in life

2. The Fragile - Nine Inch Nails another touching, moving album, spread over two cds this album broadened my horizons and gave me just another way to look at the world

1. Lateralus by Tool this is just an amazing album that has changed the way i look at the world both musically and spiritually, very deep and powerful, i listen to it all the time and it will always be an album that touches a part of me deep down inside

clayj

Mar 31, 2005, 08:00 PM

In no specific order:

Peter Gabriel - So
Amazing album, every song a classic. Plus I can sing along...

The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In The Sky
One of the first albums I ever bought... Old And Wise is one of my favorite songs ever.

Wendy Carlos - Switched-On Bach
I listened to the LP of this quite a bit growing up... I love classical music AND synth music, so this is a great combination of the two.

Rob Dougan - Furious Angels
Two years later, this CD is STILL in my car's CD changer. Dougan is a genius.

Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
I love listening to Sarah McLachlan... listening to this CD reminds me of when I was in Seattle ('98-'99), one of the happiest times of my life so far.

Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics
Understated, but a classic CD.

Don Davis et al - The Matrix Revolutions (Soundtrack)
I'm one of the few people who really liked all three Matrix movies, and the score of this movie is one of the better ones I've ever heard.

Enya - Shepherd Moons
My first exposure to Enya... heard Caribbean Blue when I came to Charlotte to interview with Microsoft. I wish she'd release more work...

Moby - Play
The song My Weakness is another of my favorite songs of all time... heard it during the X-Files episode where Mulder finally lets go of his sister.

Mike Oldfield - The Songs Of Distant Earth
Inspired by Arthur C. Clarke's novel of the same name... I love listening to this CD.

brap

Mar 31, 2005, 08:23 PM

10 is too many. I think it took half that to derail my sorry ass. Not necessarily my favourite albums, either - these are just those of significance, which led me onto other things. Gateway drugs, if you will.

Kraftwerk - The Man-Machine.
-- this is where it all started.
Skinny Puppy - Remission
-- came like a kick to the groin.
Alice in Chains - Facelift
-- reminded me metal was pretty ****'in awesome, too.
Nine inch nails - Fixed EP
-- introduced me to noise. Is a good thing (and still my favourite work by said artist).
Ministry - Psalm 69
-- for kicks, man. For kicks. Back in the day when I couldn't get into my local 'rock' club without borrowing my friend's leather coat... those were the days, old Manson, Ministry, Faith no more, Fear factory... hell, I even danced to Green day. But Psalm 69 is the evil, feel-good daddy.

Mitthrawnuruodo

Mar 31, 2005, 08:33 PM

I don't think there are 10 albums that really changed my life... but a few had quite an impact...

In 1979 my father was in England and brought back London Calling by The Clash and The Wall by Pink Floyd. I was 9 years old and the musical world changed forever... fast forward 3 years, to 1982 and I was on holiday in London and bought myself The Gift by The Jam and Anthem by Toyah.

Songs from those albums formed much of my musical taste, forever... and I still play songs from at least one of those albums every single day...

jefhatfield

Mar 31, 2005, 08:39 PM

1) Glenn Miller's Greatest Hits
-a 78 rpm record which made me realize that i love music but i was sad that since he was dead, there was no way i could see him in concert

2) John Denver's Greatest Hits
-the first artist i was really into who was, gasp, alive and still in the business...unfortunately, i never got to see him

3) Jim Croce's Greatest Hits
-i was blown away by his depth and later discovered singer/songwriters like springsteen, david wilcox, and joni mitchell

4) Kiss Alive II
-this was my introduction to hard rock and power ballads and started me on the path to being a musician...led zep and deep purple followed

5) Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat
-new wave and a real break from classic rock and roll

6) Indigo Girls
-sophisticated, thought provoking folk

7) Tracy Chapman
-the most perfect record i have ever heard from beginning to end

8) Eagles Hotel California
-where i discovered the genius of Don Henley

9) Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bullocks
-the first widely distributed punk rock, along with the Clash and Ramones

10) Der Ring by Richard Wagner
-the ultimate epic opera

though these are the albums that changed my life, i most prefer to listen to frederick chopin and bebop and cool jazz, but no particular albums

i also later discovered the beatles and the stones, but as a 2nd generation fan and the individual songs by these masters, and others like the beach boys, put a major impression on me

scem0

Mar 31, 2005, 10:56 PM

1) Paint the Sky With Stars - Enya
Grew up listening to this, still do.

2) The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill - Lauryn Hill
This CD brought my to Lauryn Hill's music.

3) Lauryn Hill Unplugged
This album has taught me so many things about life, and how I shouldn't let other people put me in a box.

4) II - Boys II Men
I also grew up listening to this, and other BIIM music. Good music to grow up to.

5) Bjork in general
I can't really pinpoint a Bjork album that has effected me the most. She has taught my that conforming doesn't equate to greatness - the opposite, in fact.

When I was thinking of artists for this Lauryn Hill immediately came to mind. She has affected me in more ways that anyone could imagine. Her rawness and bravery in her lyrics are inspiring to anyone with a pulse. Next, artists that I grew up with came to mind, but so many of them don't have albums that have particularely affected me. Music has always been an especially significant part of my life, and I have very fond memories of listening to Ace of Base, Mariah Carey, Coolio, Alanis Morisette, etc. All of those artists have had a very profound effect in my life, and I feel bad that I can't put them all on that list. Next came Bjork, because creativity is always inspiring.

scem0

iSaint

Mar 31, 2005, 11:16 PM

I preface this by stating these are albums that I listen to beginning to end. They tell stories, they flow musically and lyrically.

Phil Collins - Face Value
Indigo Girls - 1200 Curfews I had never listened to them before this album, I bought the others after I heard it
The Police - Regatta de Blanc
Prince - Dirty Mind
Prince - Purple Rain
The Smithereens - Especially for You
Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
U2 - Joshua Tree
10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
Jesus Christ Superstar - Movie Soundtrack
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Greatest Hits
Heart - Dreamboat Annie
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant
Rickie Lee Jones - self titled
Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles

OK that's more than ten, but I've got a few years on some of you as witnessed by the above list of ancient tunes.

Blue Velvet

Apr 1, 2005, 01:19 AM

Brian Eno -- Ambient 1: Music for Airports
Music that doesn't demand attention, massively influential. Permanently hooked me to the works of Brain One and collaborators.

Heart -- Dreamboat Annie
Warmed-over Led Zep riffs but the girls will rock. School daze fave as was...

Boston -- Boston
The album that defined a long hot summer when I was 13 or 14. Usually followed by Peter Frampton's 'Do you feel like I do' on the radio...

Kraftwerk -- Autobahn
Can't express how different, how radical, how alien but fresh this sounded at the time. Started a love-affair that persists to this day.

Keith Jarrett -- The Koln Concert
Defined yet another summer, a little older this time, improv jazz-blues piano classicism.

Simple Minds -- New Gold Dream
The year I left home, went flatting and smoked my first joint.
'81, '82, '83, '84...

Stanley Clarke -- Rocks, pebbles and sand
The album that briefly had me trying my chops on a tatty old electric bass.

Talk Talk -- Spirit of Eden
Mark Hollis & co. change music for ever.

Goldie -- Timeless
London: Summer 1990. Designing flyers, I fell in with a fast and loose crowd organising raves in Clapham, Battersea. Took my first E, went to a blues party, then to the venue... WTF is this music? Dub lines, breakbeats & techno? Genius! My passion for drum and bass was ignited... this album merely represents all those killer choons scattered across countless CDs.

The Eels -- Beautiful Freak
An album for tough times full of heartbreak.

aus_dave

Apr 1, 2005, 01:46 AM

Hmm...I'll struggle to get to 10 but here goes:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 - Midnight Oil
Are You Experienced - Jimi Hendrix
Kick - INXS
Out of Time - REM
Nevermind - Nirvana
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Joshua Tree - U2
Internationalist - Powderfinger
Hotel California - The Eagles
Temple of Low Men - Crowded House

Well, what do you know...I got to 10 after all :D.

Any self-taught guitarists might recognise a few of these as well :).

CanadaRAM

Apr 1, 2005, 03:08 AM

Well damn. Read this thread and now I'm $150 poorer courtesy of ITMS. :rolleyes: Thanks a bunch, gang... ;)

Would have been much more other than the Canadian ITMS having so many un-purchasable partial albums and puzzling missing in action albums and artists...

Is it just me or have they turned off single-track purchases altogether on the Canadian store?? I may be woefully out of touch.

edesignuk

Apr 1, 2005, 03:22 AM

Loge

Apr 1, 2005, 04:28 PM

10) Der Ring by Richard Wagner
-the ultimate epic opera

That's one seriously long "album"! Of course it would be on my list too. :) I'm in a Wagner kind of mood right now; Twilight of the Gods is on in London tomorrow.

liketom

Apr 1, 2005, 04:41 PM

here's 5 as 10 would take me toooo long to workout

5 : Depeche Mode- the singles 1986 - 1998

4 : Tori Amos - talula

3 : Nirvana - nirvana

2 : Bjork - post

1 : Bjork - debut

mike3k

Apr 1, 2005, 04:46 PM

1. Where have I known you before, Return To Forever - I grew up listening to this one. When I was a kid, I listend to it almost every day.

2. Graceland, Paul Simon - This one introduced me to African music, which became one of my major obsessions. Before Graceland, I didn't even like Paul Simon.

3. Synchronicity, The Police

4. Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley & the Wailers - the first reggae album I bought

5. Watermark, Enya

6. Purple Rain, Prince

7. Nelson Mandela, Youssou N'dour - this was the first "World Music" album I bought.

8. Never Mind The Bollocks, Sex Pistols - this was the first punk album I've heard.

9. Remember Two Things, Dave Matthews Band - this one introduced me to DMB.

10. Face Value, Phil Collins - When it first came out, I listened to this one continuously.

feakbeak

Apr 1, 2005, 07:40 PM

Hmmm...I must be shallow :eek:

I love music, and listen to it all the time. I like all sorts of music and generally know the lyrics and things...but...none of it ever "gets" to me so as I'd say it effects my life in anyway, or I associate it to anything.I would agree with you, I wouldn't say these albums changed my life.

However, these are all great albums - some I associate with certain ideas/concepts or significant periods in my life. Here there are in no particular order. Some have comments, some do not.

1. Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind - My favorite rock album - reminds me of my college days.

2. Nickel Creek - Nickel Creek - Beautiful music, beautiful singing, especially the harmonies - amazing album.

3. Ben Folds - Ben Folds Live - I like nearly all of Ben Folds Five/Ben Folds solo material, but none of the studio albums seem as solid as this collection of songs.

4. Dave Matthews Band - Crash

5. Green Day - American Idiot - It's a little early to be certain of this one, but I've been listening to it a lot, lately. Great rock album and a good summary of the current state of American culture, IMO. Very profound.

6. Sarah McLachlan - Solace - These next five albums are just primary examples of artists putitng their emotion and themselves into their music.

7. Counting Crows - Across a Wire - This album is just filled with amazing renditions of their songs, filled with soul.

8. Sarah Harmer - You Were Here - Poetry set to music and her voice is so natural and unforced - simply beautiful.

9. Jesse Malin - The Fine Art of Self Destruction - A little dark and somber, but very touching.

10. David Gray - White Ladder

3rdpath

Apr 2, 2005, 12:10 AM

the beatles-revovler my mother bought me this album when it came out in '66 and though i was only 5 i knew immediately that writing/producing records would be my future.

george gershwin-rhapsody in blue actually, it was my mom playing it on the piano but it blew my mind...followed by " it ain't necessarily so".

wendy carlos-switched on bach this record bridged the gap in my mind between my classical training and my desire to explore synthesizers. ntm, bach is in my opinion the best composer-ever.

rick wakeman-six wives of henry the VIII ok, classical rock on synths, hammond and piano...now you're talking. within months there was a hammond, clav and minimoog sitting next to the family piano.

led zeppelin-physical graffiti the record was great but after seeing the concert i knew that louder WAS better...

the cars- the cars may of 1978, i was driving between denton and dallas..targa top off on a beautiful summer day. the opening chords of " let the good times roll" blast out and i knew that music was going someplace new, different and wonderful. when the stacks of vocals came in...holy cow. roy thomas baker had just leap-frogged george martin.

squeeze-pulling mussels from the shell 1980, driving thru my college campus for the first time and the college station played this. it was like a soundtrack...just perfect.

depeche mode-a broken frame beautifully dark music for a period of wonderfully dark exploration. i'll leave it at that.

counting crows-august and everything after after 12 months in los angeles writing and producing i felt physically and emotionally lost. i met a carefree california girl who liked to talk and watch the waves. one day i ran into her and she handed me a tape and said "this will change your life". it did.

zero 7-when it falls after basically retiring to chase my kids, i had grown disconnected from music-which had been such a large part of my life. a couple of dear friends dragged me to see this band of which i'd never heard. i was truly moved by the amazing music and the absolutely cosmic vibe of the crowd. its no overstatement to say that night changed my life.

vieoray

Apr 2, 2005, 03:11 AM

i think 10 might be too many...im just going to list what comes to the top of my head.

together alone - crowded house
achtung baby - u2
nevermind - nirvana
no code - pearl jam
ok computer - radiohead
murray street - sonic youth
essential miles davis - miles davis
time and tide - split enz
globe sessions - sheryl crow
( ) - sigur ros
who's next - the who

heh, well i made eleven. :p

Mudbugfish

Apr 2, 2005, 04:17 AM

The Beatles -White Album
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Neil Young - After The Goldrush
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
Nevermind - Nirvana
Beach Boys - Surfs Up
OK Computer - Radiohead
Kind Of Blue - Miles Davis
Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
U2 - Achtung Baby
:)

devman

Apr 2, 2005, 04:33 AM

To come up with the absolute top 10 would take quite a bit of thought, but here's some that really did have a very big impact.

Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin

Duke - Genesis

Machine Head - Deep Purple

Made In Japan - Deep Purple

Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin

Dark Side Of The Moon - Pink Floyd

Houses Of The Holy - Led Zeppelin

Strikes Twice - Larry Carlton

Captain Fingers - Lee Ritenour

Rust Never Sleeps - Neil Young

Never Mind The Bollocks - Sex Pistols

wrc fan

Apr 2, 2005, 04:39 AM

These are albums that changed my life as the title says, not nessesarily my 10 favorite.

10. Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Guns N' Roses was my first favorite band. I remember watching their videos on MTV with my sister. Good times.

9. Thrice - The Illusion of Safety
My music taste started changing when I first heard this album. I don't know why, but I really love this album and listen to it constantly even though it's now a couple years old. I haven't listend to any of Thrice's newer stuff though.

8. Operation Ivy - Energy
I think every punk rocker teenager listens to this album (or the Op Ivy comp that contains this album and other songs). Op Ivy is so defined in my head in a time when I was really into punk and ska. It brings me back to my high school years and being in a band.

7. Live - Throwing Copper
This was the first "Alternative" band I liked, and also the first band who's concert I went to. This album defines my middle school years.

6. Radiohead - The Bends
I love all of Radiohead's albums, but this one introduced me to them. So just because of that it gets ranked so high.

5. The Clash - Combat Rock
This album introduced me to The Clash, who is now my favorite band. Although this album isn't my favorite Clash album.

4. The Get Up Kids - Woodson EP
This is only ranked so high because of the song "A Newfound Interest in Massachusetts" but that's how much this one song impacted my life. I came accross this album whilst I was living in Seattle and my (now ex-)girlfriend was in San Francisco and it just spoke so much to me. It's probably my favorite song in total.

3. Rancid - And Out Come the Wolves...
This album introduced me to punk rock, which shaped my high school years. Back then punk music was a huge part of my life, now I hardly ever listen to it.

2. Weezer - Weezer (the blue album)
I think this is the greatest album of my lifetime and that Weezer is the greatest band of my lifetime. Ok that might be over-exagerating it, but I love this album, Pinkerton and the Green Album. I haven't really listened to any newer ones, but these are so great the rest don't matter.

1. MxPx - Life In General
I can't stand this album. Yeah a weird way to start your number one, eh? This album was what brought my ex-girlfriend and I together. "Move to Bremmerton" was like our song if people still do that sort of stuff. It was my way of introducing her into the world of punk music by giving her some pop-punk. We probably listened to it thousands of times in the 10+ years we knew each other (we only dated for 6 though). Now I can't stand any of MxPx's music.

leftbanke7

Apr 2, 2005, 11:31 AM

10. The Cure - Galore
9. Wedding Singer Soundtrack
These CDs made me aware that I am, indeed, a pretty big fan of 80s
New Wave.
8. The Cranberries - Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can't We
The First CD that I ever bought on my own ushering me into the CD era.
7. Billboards Greatest Hits - 1981 through 1989
9 CDs that got me through high school.
6. DJ Tiesto - Magik 5 - Heaven Beyond
First Electronica CD I ever got. Also made me aware of how much I like
Electronica
5. The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Received as gift. Ushered in my Beatles kick which lasted though high
school.
4. Ben Folds Five - The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner
3. Ben Folds Five - Whatever And Ever, Amen
Finally, a group who vocalizes the problems of us middle class white
males!
2. The Beatles - Abbey Road
Still, one of my all time favorite albums.
1. The Left Banke - Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina
I can still remember where I was when I first heard "Walk Away
Renee". 1997. I was dropping off a friend at his house after school and
as I was leaving, the song came on the radio. Still my favorite song of
all time and obviously plays a part in my life (see user name).

Mitthrawnuruodo

Apr 2, 2005, 12:57 PM

4. Kid A - Radiohead
OK Computer - Radiohead
ok computer - radiohead
6. Radiohead - The Bends
Am I the only one who think "Pablo Honey" is the best Radiohead album...???

vollspacken

Apr 2, 2005, 01:40 PM

Underworld - "DubNoBassWithMyHeadMan"
- I don't know what to say or HOW it affected me... but it certainly does, evertytime I put it on

UNKLE - "Psyence Fiction"
- this album was the reason why I bought my MPC 2000xl and started to listen to obscure funk and breaks from the 60s and 70s

Kemistry & Storm - "Studio !K7 DJ-Kicks"
- where I'm from, no one listened to Drum'n'Bass. When I heard the bassline of Dom & Roland's "Trauma" opening the set, I knew that this was the kind of music I was always looking for... that was the day when rock was dead for me...

Santana - "Santana I"
- the percussion, the basslines... wow made me start to play bass guitar as a teen...

vSpacken

clayj

Apr 2, 2005, 01:47 PM

wendy carlos-switched on bach this record bridged the gap in my mind between my classical training and my desire to explore synthesizers. ntm, bach is in my opinion the best composer-ever.Cool that two of us so far have listed this. My dad's LP actually says "Walter Carlos" on it... it came out pre- his gender reassignment (Walter is now Wendy).

Horrortaxi

Apr 2, 2005, 01:59 PM

Depeche Mode, Black Celebration - Right words at the right time with a good sound.

Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine - Innovative and inspiring for the young talentless musician.

Metallica, Metallica - Before this I was unaware that some bands had long hair and used these things called guitars.

The Pixies, Doolittle - Once you get The Pixies in your blood it's for life.

Joy Division, Substance It's good music but it's life-changing in that it can always make me happy to listen to Joy Division. I'm happy that I'm not Ian Curtis and could never in a million years write most of those songs,

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Murder Ballads Changed my misconception that only rappers use violence and the F word in their songs. Nick out-F'd any of them and killed hundreds of people on this album.

Sigur Ros, ( ) Showed me that not all bands that started since the mid-90's suck.

Beastie Boys, Licensed To Ill - Owning this in 1986 got girls to talk to me... somehow.

Pulp Fiction Sountrack - Exposed me to different kinds of music that I wouldn't have heard otherwise and opened my eyes a bit.

The Damned - Light At The End of the Tunnel How many girlfriends did I end up having that were Damned fans? This ended up being quite a good purchase back in 1988.

auxplage

Apr 2, 2005, 02:03 PM

10. Contraband - Velvet Revolver
9. Screaming for Vengeance - Judas Priest
8. Back in Black - AC/DC
7. Dr. Feelgood - Mötley Crüe
6. Rush: Spirit of Radio - Greatest Hits - Rush
5. Led Zeppelin IV - Led Zeppelin
4. Appetite for Destruction - Guns N' Roses
3. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden
2. The Blizzard of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne
1. Paranoid - Black Sabbath

Only what comes to mind. All of that is some of the best guitar ever.

lavar78

Apr 2, 2005, 04:43 PM

Picking my favorite albums would be a lot easier than the ones that most affected me. There is some crossover obviously. Let's see...

1. Crowded House - Together Alone - This is my all-time favorite. The atmosphere is phenomenal and the songs are top-notch. Neil Finn is a genius and this is his finest work.
2. Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life - If you don't own this album, something is wrong with you. Really, it's that simple. This one surpassed The White Album as the best double album ever.
3. Marvin Gaye - What's Going On - 'Nuff said.
4. Crowded House - Crowded House - It's probably the weakest of their four CDs (that isn't saying much considering they're all excellent), but it's the one that introduced me to my favorite band. Besides, it has "Don't Dream It's Over," which is easily my favorite song.
5. Michael Jackson - Thriller - I can vividly remember listening to this record nonstop as a little kid. Even now, every track still sounds great.
6. Digital Underground - Sex Packets - This always reminds of me of sixth grade.
7. Guy - Guy
8. Travis - The Man Who - I found this one late, but it's outstanding. I'm a Coldplay fan, but the best thing about them is that they led me to Travis.

Phat_Pat

Apr 2, 2005, 05:47 PM

Im going to have to say the PAPA ROACH Cd's

The reason? Well they are from the (small) town that I am from. They grew up in the same area and it brings hope that one day i'll "break free" and do something big :o

aus_dave

Apr 3, 2005, 07:00 AM

Besides, it has "Don't Dream It's Over," which is easily my favorite song.It certainly is a good one. They played it at the Opera House as the last song of their farewell concert - it capped it off beautifully :).

Sad to hear about Paul Hester too, a tragic loss :(.

rockcanyon

Apr 4, 2005, 02:31 AM

10. Breakfast in America - Supertramp
Listened to this one on 8-track for hours on end in my photography darkroom in High School

09. 2112 - Rush
Side one is a great concept piece. Side two is full of great songs too.

08. ChangesOneBowie - David Bowie
An early collection of Bowie. One of my first vinyl albums I wore out, but still have today.

07. Toys in the Attic - Aerosmith
Also one of the best Aerosmith albums. One of those albums that there is not a bad song on.

06. An Evening with John Denver - John Denver
Just good music, played by a guy who really believed what he sang.

05. Rocks - Aerosmith
One of the best Aerosmith albums ever. New Aerosmith does not even compare.

04. MCMXC A.D. - Enigma
A great album for massage, sex, or just relaxing.

03. The Seeds of Love - Tears for Fears
I like all TFF, but this one is their best so far.

02. Amused to Death - Roger Waters
Another masterpiece by Roger Waters. If you give this one a chance be sure to read the lyrics; very prophetic. Written around the time of the Gulf war, but the message about war rings truer today than it was then. Also a great commentary about television and man's obsession with having to be constantly amused by media.

01. The Wall - Pink Floyd
I have not stopped listening to this masterpiece since it came out in 1979. Truly Roger Waters lyrics have influenced my feelings about war and human nature.

narco

Apr 4, 2005, 03:35 AM

1. The Cure - Pornography (always a good "depressed" CD)
2. The Auteurs - After Murder Park (one of my fav CDs of all time)
3. Suede - Dog Man Star (a good mellow CD, fell in love with it instantly)
4. Devo - Hardcore Devo I & II (most amazing stuff ever)
5. Birthday Party - Hee Haw (always inspired me to create a time machine, kill Nick Cave and steal all of his ideas)
6. Wire - Pink Flag (without this album, I wouldn't have found out what a great band this is when they're not doing punk)
7. Gang of Four - Entertainment! (inspires so many different emotions for me)
8. Television Personalities - And Don't The Kids Just Love It (one of my "if I were stranded on a desert island" CDs)
9. Jesus & Mary Chain - Psychocandy (the best, EVER)
10. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (always listen to this when I paint or do anything creative)

Man, this is hard, there are sooo many bands I want to include: Beatles, Pastels, Sisters, Pulp, Chameleons, Clash, Suicide -- GRR!!!

Fishes,
narco.

California

Apr 4, 2005, 03:39 AM

THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS - David Bowie

SIREN - Roxy Music

COUNTRY LIFE - Roxy Music

IN YOUR MIND - Bryan Ferry

THE RAMONES - The Ramones

BLONDIE - Blondie

THE MASTER AND THE MUSICIAN - Phil Keaggy (instrumental)

A SWINGIN' AFFAIR - Frank Sinatra

DAY BY NIGHT - Doris Day

LATIN FOR LOVERS - Doris Day

Other "life changing" vinyl - TRUTH DECAY - T Bone Burnett; SUZI QUATRO - Suzi Quatro, LOVE ME TENDER - Mick Ronson, COURT AND SPARK - Joni Mitchell, RUMOURS - F. Mac, MADONNA - Madonna; DON JUAN'S RECKLESS DAUGHTER - Joni Mitchell, KILLER QUEEN (?) - Queen (can't remember title of album!)

narco

Apr 4, 2005, 03:39 AM

Horrortaxi

Apr 4, 2005, 12:17 PM

What an excellent list! I remember buying the "light at the..." comp a while back and HATING it because I wanted more Machine Gun Etiquette, DamnedDamnedDamned or even Strawberries -- but after I got over all that I learned to appreciate their "later" stuff. Even Captain Sensible's solo stuff! He said captain, I said wot?

I believe I made another comment about the Damned and your Macrumors user name. Could be mistaken.

Fishes,
narco.

Yes, Horrortaxi was lifted out of the song Nasty. Not for any particular reason--I just like the way it sounds.

When I got it I really liked Light At the End of the Tunnel. It's one of a handful of albums that I've had to buy many times because I played it to death (damn cheap cassettes). At the time the only other Damned album I had was Anything and Light... was the only thing I could buy with older Damned stuff on it. I liked everything on the album, especially the newer MCA stuff. I've since done a major flip-flop and can't stand most of the suff they did on MCA. Now I rarely listen to anything but Machine Gun Ettiquite, The Black Album, Strawberries, and The Friday the 13th EP (only 4 songs but a great piece of work nonetheless).

Nanda Devi

Apr 4, 2005, 11:41 PM

These albums didn't exactly "change my life" in a way I can easily describe in words, but I see these as being the group of albums that form the core of my musical tastes:

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
Velvet Underground and Nico - Velvet Underground
Beggar's Banquet - Rolling Stones
Green - REM
Ritual de lo Habitual - Jane's Addiction
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Harvest - Neil Young
The White Album - Beatles
Led Zeppelin I
A Picture of Nectar - Phish
Mud Slide Slim - James Taylor
After Bathing at Baxters - Jefferson Airplane

Oops, went a few over... but these are the "'golden dozen" in my music history. :)

devman

Apr 5, 2005, 06:53 AM

In no specific order:

Don Davis et al - The Matrix Revolutions (Soundtrack)
I'm one of the few people who really liked all three Matrix movies, and the score of this movie is one of the better ones I've ever heard.

I'm one of the few too. I've just started listenting to the audio commentaries in the Ultimate Matrix set (the philosophers first).

Although I noticed in another thread here about the worst movies you ever saw, that a lot of people voted for the matrix reloaded.

obeygiant

Apr 13, 2005, 02:58 AM

led zepplin 4

new order republic

inxs kick

spirit feel

depeche mode violator

any beatles album

i`ll have to think some more

Mav451

Apr 13, 2005, 03:18 AM

Hah I see someone mentioned Greenday. Man, that brings me back (Greenday for me = middle school).

Anyways:

Coldplay: Rush of Blood to the Head.
-Didn't really listen to Coldplay until college. Reminded me of those dreamy weekday afternoons before the Terp games at night. Sigh, those were the days. (I say dreamy, cuz dreamy = lazy => me before realizing engineering would be kicking my ass later).

DMB: Crash.
-Heard these songs on my friends E5 + amp setup. ALMOST pulled me into the audiophile addiction, but fortunately I got out of that. For now. Also, overall, some of the best stuff (musically) out there.

ATB: Movin' Melodies.
First heard this during the bus ride on a field trip in high school. Basically my first exposure to trance/electronica.

John Mayer: (Heavier Things or Room for Squares; both)
-Hehe, basically listened to this while I started to get sucked into Apple stuff, I guess. Listened to alot of this while I was using iTunes more and more, while I got alot into Aqua-soft (emulating Apple theme). Eventually I would get my iBook during the same time. Is it a wonder that Mayer was also at a ton of those Apple events recently...hmmmm

^^ seriously the ONLY album, I have heard in my entire life that I can agree there is not a single bad song.

The more I think about it,

Horrortaxi

Apr 13, 2005, 09:53 AM

Hah I see someone mentioned Greenday. Man, that brings me back (Greenday for me = middle school).

Now that you mention Green Day, I could have put Dookie on my list. That record might have officially made me old and bitter. That's the record that brought "punk rock" to every high school football team and 4th grade classroom. I've always considered that an unforgivable act, especially since they're such an un-punk rock band.

anonymous161

Apr 13, 2005, 12:40 PM

I reserve the right to modify this list as my brain comes online.

I ranked the top 5 pretty much soley on how many copies of each I own.

10- Atari Teenage Riot - 60 sec wipeout -- it may have not truly been as good as the earlier self titled album but it is still great noise
9- The White Stripes- White Blood Cells -- fairly new, but I love listening to this
8- fleetwood mac - Rumours -- the most popular of their albums, and undeniably a pop album at its core, but damn it is good
7- Depeche Mode- Violator-- another popular album, but the textures and the song structures just feel so right
6- The Doors- The Doors [1 cd, 1 vinyl]- from Break on Through's guitar to Light My fire's keyboard- to the all out audacity of The End- wow
3(tie)- Led Zeppelin- untitled (IV?) [1 copy]-- From Black Dog to the bombastic Levee Breaks (oh John's drums!!!) and they managed to sneak Stairway to heaven in between.
3(tie)- The Beatles- Abbey Road [1 copy] -- Paul's swampy bass with John's lyrics: Come Together made no sense and perfect sense at the exact same time. You could hear where the beatles had been in their short life together and where their seperate paths were leading them. Magic.
2- CCR- Chornicle [2 copies] -- a greatest hits album that actually has 20 great tracks and sums up the band perfectly- southern music by a white california boy didn't make me who I am, but it sure changed the way I went about it.
1(tie) Nine Inch Nails- The Fragile [3 cd copies, 1 vinyl copy] -- an ambitious two hours of music that covers so many emotions (albeit mostly negative)- there can be so much beauty in suffering.
1(tie) Nirvana- In Utero [7 cd copies] -- noise, oddly powerful lyrics, screaming, melody, and raw anti-production values- this album would be my one and only if it hadn't accidently inspired so much bs music that we still suffer from.

busasa

Apr 13, 2005, 01:45 PM

Well, since I am a Taiwanese, I will have to list some Chinese albums that changed my life.

1. Richie Ren's "Love like Pacific"-It's one of my all time fav. album, when I was in gr. 11-12, I listen to this CD like ALL THE TIME. I even drew the guy in my art class, and that canvas actually went into this Grad Arts Show, amazing.

2. Methodman's "Tical"-Rap was what I grew up with listening, while I liked all Wu-Tang production generally, this was the album that stood out at the time. It's more like a song to song basis in the whole Wu-Tang family, but I felt this album said it all. Too bad I very rarely listen to hip/hop now anymore.

3. Mayday's "Mayday"-The first CD that really brought me into the world of rock. This was THE first album that led me want to know more about music, including listening to one instrument only during the song. This also marked the time when I began stay away from pop/mainstream songs.

4. Slipknot's "Iowa"-The CD that led me into the metal scene, which constitutes my music taste today. I was waiting for people at airport in my car, and when the song "people=****" was played, my jaw simply just dropped, I didn't really listen to any hard stuff at the time. I still like 'em pretty much today, despite what other ppl may think of them.

5. Metallica's "pre-black" albums including "Kill'em all", "Ride the Lighting", "Master of Puppets", and "... and justice for all". Alrite, before I describe anything about them, Metallica, period, is my fav. band of ALL TIME. I could care less with them selling out in the mid-90's. All I care is that I used to listen to "one" atleast 10 times a day for couple months, the best song ever for me yet. All four of these CDs are mainstay of my ipod and car, and that's the bottomline.

6?. Misia's "Love is the message"- While this CD didn't really change my music taste or contribute to any personal development, this is the CD that kind of made me appreciate music significantly more.

wordmunger

Apr 13, 2005, 01:57 PM

Hmmm...I must be shallow :eek:

I love music, and listen to it all the time. I like all sorts of music and generally know the lyrics and things...but...none of it ever "gets" to me so as I'd say it effects my life in anyway, or I associate it to anything.

I'm with you, edesignuk. I have hundreds of CDs (well, now thousands of AACs), but none of them "changed my life."

Well, there was one CD of Mozart piano concertos that I wrote papers to in college. I'm not sure that counts, though -- I mainly listened to it because it DIDN'T particularly inspire me and so freed up my brain to just write.

I've had teachers, and friends, and family members who changed my life, but never an album -- let alone TEN albums.

crdean1

Apr 13, 2005, 02:25 PM

I could jam to any one of these artists (most any of their songs) at anytime, past, present or future. I have also listed my fav. albums to keep in line with the thread.

Not in a particular order:

1. Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite
2. Coldplay - Parachutes
3. Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
4. Diana Krall - Live in Paris
5. Eleven Hundred Springs - Straighter Line
www.elevenhundredsprings.com (Texas Band)
6. Erasure - Pop
7. Johnny Cash - American IV
8. Monte Montgomery - All of my mixes from different albums
www.montemontgomery.com (Guitar Genius)
9. Nickel Creek - This side and Nickel Creek
10. U2 - Joshua Tree (and anything else for that matter)

Foucault

Apr 13, 2005, 02:28 PM

Music is too powerful for it not to change your life. I think if someone really sat down and explored the various highlights of their lives, there must've been a mental soundtrack going on. I remember waking up after surgery and hearing Yellow on the radio in my hospital bed, that song became engraved in my head. It was such an uplifting song, and it gave me hope. It just so happened to come on at the right place and the right time. It moved me enough to buy the whole album, and the album became the soundtrack to my life thereafter...

When I visit a friend's room or apartment for the first time the first thing I do is look at their music collection. You can tell a lot about a person from their music collection.

anonymous161

Apr 13, 2005, 02:36 PM

I'm with you, edesignuk. I have hundreds of CDs (well, now thousands of AACs), but none of them "changed my life."

Well, there was one CD of Mozart piano concertos that I wrote papers to in college. I'm not sure that counts, though -- I mainly listened to it because it DIDN'T particularly inspire me and so freed up my brain to just write.

I've had teachers, and friends, and family members who changed my life, but never an album -- let alone TEN albums.

Being a musician at heart, I have to disagree. Music and visual art (even architecture) have had profound impact on different events in my life and have shaped the way I view much of life in general. Why make art if it can't affect something in another person?

mpw

Apr 13, 2005, 02:53 PM

Couldn't manage 10 albums that change my life but five that always take me back to good times when I hear them would be;

5 Nivana's Nevermind
4 Green Day's Dookie
3 Snoop Dog's Doggy Style
2 Cypres Hill's Black Sunday

...and number 1?

My Wedding Album ahh! :o

pulsewidth947

Apr 13, 2005, 03:08 PM

Nobodys probably going to read this far but here are mine in no particular order -

1 - Nirvana - Nevermind - opened my eyes wiiiiide!
2 - Oasis - Whats the Story (Morning Glory) - made me wanna play the guitar
3 - System of a Down - System of a Down - blew my face off
4 - Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile - made me fall in love with producing music
5 - Michael Jackson - Thriller - back in the day when he still ruled the world
6 - Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children - maybe the best album ever created, if not then BoC definately are the ultimate group
7 - Aphex Twin - windowlicker - not an album but its what introduced me to Aphex / glitchier music.. if it HAS to be an album then Drukqs by Aphex.. easily his best album so far - for simalar reasons why NiN - Fragile is so good.
8 - Human Waste Project - E:Lux - introduced me to Aimee Echo
9 - theSTART - Shakedown! - i love you Aimee!
10 - Chris Clark - Empty the Bones of You - a couple of tracks on this album make the hairs on my neck stand up

honorable mentions - the song "Snow Brigade" by Mew on their Frengers album, David Bowies Heathen album, Deftones - Around the Fur, Skalpel's debut.. blah blah blah hello if you are still reading blah blah

wordmunger

Apr 13, 2005, 03:12 PM

Being a musician at heart, I have to disagree. Music and visual art (even architecture) have had profound impact on different events in my life and have shaped the way I view much of life in general. Why make art if it can't affect something in another person?

It's not that I don't find art inspiring; it's more that I can't come up with an INDIVIDUAL work that has changed my life. My experience of going to college changed my life, and that experience certainly involved art, but there was no one set of works that particularly inspired me.

A couple things about art that I find amazing:

1. What inspires people to make art. Especially the massive undertakings like cathedrals, epic poems, symphonies, things that take years or even centuries to create, when there is no practical "use" for them.

2. Why people need art. What makes people pay huge amounts of money for paintings, or musical instruments, or even just stereo systems to listen to music?

3. What the value of "original" art is. Why do we go to Paris to see the Eiffel tower and the Louvre when we can find pictures of it on the Internet for free? Why do we pay hundreds of dollars for concert tickets when the album is $9.99?

Just a couple of thoughts. Still can't think of any albums that changed my life, though!

mpw

Apr 13, 2005, 03:40 PM

...A couple things about art that I find amazing:

...1. What inspires people to make art....
...2. Why people need art. What makes people pay huge amounts of money for paintings...
...3. What the value of "original" art is......

Hmm some interetsing thoughts.

The inspiration I would guess is the enjoyment of your achievement, either as you view it or as you view how others view it.
Why do people need art? Simply because of how it makes you feel, a bit like being drawn to a particular person when you see them for a fleeting second across a room. I doubt that all the fortunes paid for some pieces are paid out purely for this reason however.
The value of original 'live' art has got to be down to, a feeling again, of interaction.

I have very little artistic talent but have been lucky enough to see some great works in Italy and Paris mainly, but also every day. I saw the Mona Lisa at the Louvre and I can't say that it really moved me but then I saw an oil on canvas the other day in a coffee shop that blew me away and the artist was an 11year old school kid. I'm sure if asked he wouldn't even think of himself as an 'artist' but if I had to pay money for one of the paintings I know which it would be.

I'm inspired http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=1383823#post1383823

zelmo

Apr 13, 2005, 03:51 PM

The first 10 that come to mind are:

1- Demons and Wizards by Uriah Heep (very first record I ever bought)

2- Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

3- The White Album by The Beatles

4- Signify by Porcupine Tree

5- Pretty Hate Machine by Nine Inch Nails

6- Antichrist Superstar by Marilyn Manson

7- Exposed by Mike Oldfield

8- Genesis Live by Genesis

9- Sheer Heart Attack by Queen

10- I, Robot by Alan Parsons Project

anonymous161

Apr 13, 2005, 05:39 PM

It's not that I don't find art inspiring; it's more that I can't come up with an INDIVIDUAL work that has changed my life. My experience of going to college changed my life, and that experience certainly involved art, but there was no one set of works that particularly inspired me.

A couple things about art that I find amazing:

1. What inspires people to make art. Especially the massive undertakings like cathedrals, epic poems, symphonies, things that take years or even centuries to create, when there is no practical "use" for them.

2. Why people need art. What makes people pay huge amounts of money for paintings, or musical instruments, or even just stereo systems to listen to music?

3. What the value of "original" art is. Why do we go to Paris to see the Eiffel tower and the Louvre when we can find pictures of it on the Internet for free? Why do we pay hundreds of dollars for concert tickets when the album is $9.99?

Just a couple of thoughts. Still can't think of any albums that changed my life, though!

It's different for me. I can remember listening to the music I listed and how each work changed me in some way at the moment. My boundaries, my expectations, everything I knew or felt about what was possible was altered in some small way. The first time I saw Edvard Munch's "Scream", or even Van Gogh's "Ferme en Provence", some part of me was twisted, manipulated. Or photos of the work of John Pawson and Tadao Ando. To me, the answers to your questions are obvious. I make art because I can. 1. I want to add something to the world, or challenge the world, or thank the world. 2. I want to possess the thoughts and feelings of others so that they can inspire me and the original manifestation of those thoughts are the true expression, unfiltered by outside forces. The purer I can experience this, the better. 3. I want to see, smell, feel, and hear the Eiffel tower. I want to see the painter's brush strokes in three dimensions- not two. (I don't know why others want to see or possess originals, but that would be my motivation) and with music, every performance is unique and I want to see that artist in person expressing themselves. I want that expression, and I don't want anything to get in my way.

busasa

Apr 14, 2005, 01:15 AM

I believe the reason for why people enjoy beautiful objects is because of our primal behaviour for pursuing things that cater to our senses and mind. Just like the people who are looking for the perfect mate to complement themselves, art form is also a way of expression that people look for to fully develop each and everyone's inner self. Why is Monet's art form so striking at the time, was it because he liberated the form of classical painting to a more free-flowing art scheme that emphasis on light and feeling? I believe people will have psychological feedback at any kind of art form they intereacted. Whether it be negative, positive, or even none inspiring, there will be some kind of a feedback. Why do people prefer the real thing over the duplicated ones? There is no way a duplicate one can compete with the real thing. I went to my fav. musician's live concert, and I can safely say that no matter how much one's stereo system costs, there is nothing like live. I went to the impressionism exhibition, and there is simply no substitute for a print to fully recreate the aura that the real thing brings. The list goes on, but the point is clear, real thing is always better than the reproduction, and since we are at the time where the reproduction is easy obtain, it is unfortunate that real thing often get lost in the crowd of copycats.

circlegame

Apr 15, 2005, 07:56 AM

This is in the order of me finding them:
1. Guns 'n' Roses - Apetite for Destruction
2. The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers
3. Ocean Colour Scene - Mosely Shoals
4. Weeezer - Blue album
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
6. White Stripes - White Blood Cells
7. James Taylor - Sweet Baby James
8. Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter & Pink Moon (I listened them back to back like they were one album)
9. Love - Forever Changes
10. Shins - Oh, Inverted World!

Macaddicttt

Apr 16, 2005, 02:00 PM

Hmm...I'm having a hard time with coming up with albums that have changed my life. I usually ease into liking an album, hardly ever thinking "this is great" the first time through. But there are definitely albums that are extremely important to me. Maybe I'll post later my top ten albums that have a special place for me once I can gather my thoughts...

obeygiant

Apr 17, 2005, 09:01 PM

two live crew - welcome to the **** shop!

JackSYi

Apr 17, 2005, 10:28 PM

This is my List, and NOT in any particular order

1. Radiohead- Kid A
2. The Eagles- Hotel California
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication
4. Guns N' Roses- Appetite For Destruction
5. Metallica- The Black Albulm
6. Ben Harper- Diamonds On The Inside
7. Norah Jones- Come Away With me
8. Pink Floyd- Dark Side Of The Moon
9. Incubus- Morning View
10. Jack Johnson- Brushfire Fairytales

This list is just the albums which I had listened to during changes in my life.

sigamy

Apr 18, 2005, 04:41 PM

Here are some of mine in chronological order:

KISS Alive II: My brother's album. I was probably 10 years old. He was Gene Simmons one year for Halloween. "Shock Me" was awesome. Kiss was just pure fun and even a few good songs thrown in.

Bruce Springsteen - Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ: Born in the USA was the first LP I ever bought but my older brother and sister were into Bruce and I loved this album. Favorite tracks were "Spirit in the Night", "Blinded by the Light" and "Lost in the Flood". I remember being a kid and thinking it was so wierd that this music was released in 1972, the year I was born.

Steve Miller Band - Greatest Hits: High School was pretty much all about classic rock. I remember thinking I was so cool because I didn't listen to pop crap. "Some people call me the space cowboy..."

R.E.M. - Out of Time: It took "Losing my Religion" for me to really notice R.E.M. Within a month I owned most of their CDs and they were my favorite band. OOT came out right when I was starting college and was sick of classic rock. Opened my eyes to college rock/alternative.

The Dirges - Fiber: Penn State band. Great, great times at The Brewery on Wed/Thrus/Fri nights. I still listen to Fiber and Spliter (which is even better). Anyone in State College reading this?

R.E.M. - Automatic for the People: One of the masterpieces of the 1990s.

Radiohead - The Bends: another 90s masterpiece. Didn't get the credit here in the US.

Less Than Jake - Anthem: fun yet introspective pop-punk on my iPod for my commute to work

Social Distortion - Sex, Love and Rock n Roll: Just downloaded this from iTunes and I can't stop listening to it. Cowpunk, baby!

EGT

Apr 18, 2005, 05:35 PM

Basically all the stuff in my iTunes library has affected me in some way or another but the albums that really stand out and are important to me are;

Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn.
Can't believe so many Pink Floyd fans here haven't mentioned their debut album! Not to mention the only one written by the musical genius, Syd Barret! Shine on you crazy diamond! :(

Dark Side Of The Moon - Reached the top five of the 100 greatest albums on channel 4 last night!

Radiohead - OK Computer, KID A, Amnesiac.
What can I say? KID A is probably one of the most mind blowing albums I've ever listened to. Never really liked early Radiohead. Looking forward to Album No. 7!

The Pixies - Surfer Rosa, Doolittle
Black Francis is just .... wow! What a voice he once had. Heard some live recordings of the Coachella concert last summer and he seems to have lost that "kick", but the albums always do it for me.

Jonny Greenwood - Bodysong (music for the Film of the same name)
If your looking for some outstanding instrumental work, LISTEN TO THIS.
Fantastic stuff :)

That's all i can think of for now. I have quite a lot of good stuff that's been shuffling through my iPod lately; REM, The Strokes, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bowie, Muse, The Doors, The Kinks, 13th Floor Elevators, The Smiths etc etc

Loverly Stuff! :)

dvdh

Apr 18, 2005, 09:48 PM

I'm not sure that I could actually claim to be listing albums that 'changed my life'. However, that said, I will try to give a short list of albums that did somehow shape the way I view (or hear) things. Looking at it that way, I guess that one could consider that to be incrementally life changing, but none of the below represent any pivotal moment of transcendental self realization.

(In no particular order other than how I thought of them)

Santana - Abraxas - I guess in someways this one might seem like a cop-out since it resides firmly near to the top of so many best ever list. All I can say is there is good reason. It's an enjoyable listen every time it sits on my turntable.

Radiohead - I Might be Wrong: Live Recordings - While I am generally a Radiohead fan, for some reason this one stands out in my mind. I tend to like it as it seems somehow more layered and a little more dense than some of the studio recordings.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - I don't think I can even pick out a favorite part . . . Only for listening when I know that I won't be disturbed for 50 minutes. The cover is one of the best too.

Jethro Tull - Aqualung - One of my favorite social critique. I saw them in concert in November, and about a third of the songs played came from this album. Favorite song off the album - Locomotive Breath.

Godspeed! You Black Emperor - F# A# Infinity Brilliant piece of post-rock. Slow build-up to feverish intensity, emotional roller coaster, all woven and layered into one of the most vivid music experiences . . . My wife hates it when I listen to this . . . It means she will be totally ignored for an hour. As a bonus, it has the best sleeve and collection of odd things in my collection - handmade jacket, a blueprint, a litho of a train, a smashed penny . . .

DoMakeSayThink - Goodbye Enemy Airship, The Landlord is Dead - Another one in the same vein as Godspeed! . . .

Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People - Beautiful reinvention of pop. A great range of diversity packaged into a very solid all-around album.

Weakerthans - Fallow - Mostly because I miss Manitoba being stuck here in Ottawa. Lyrically and musically strong. Entertaining guys to watch live as well.

Clash - London Calling - Defining a moment long gone, but still all so relevant . . . (that I will only ever be able to read about cause it was before my time)

Counting Crows - August and Everything After - High school memories of sitting beside the lake on warm summer nights being young and foolish . . .

Nearly made the cut: Miles Davis - Aura, Pink Floyd Darkside of the Moon, Mogwai - Rock Action, Neil Young - Harvest, Pedro the Lion - It's Hard to Find a Friend, Tragically Hip - Fully Completely, Tangerine Dream - Zeit, Slick Shoes - Burnout . . .

Fact: of those albums, all are on LP, with the exception Counting Crows, Mogwai, Tragically Hip, Slick Shoes . . . maybe there is something about Analog??

GreeneGirl7

Apr 20, 2005, 01:30 PM

Wow... I think I'm going to be the first person to post a Bob Dylan record.

1. Jeff Buckley - Grace
2. Bob Dylan - Another Side of Bob Dylan
3. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
4. David Gray - White Ladder (I like his older albums more, but this was the first I heard)
5. Radiohead - The Bends
6. Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
7. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska

I can't come up with 3 more that I would really consider "life-changing."

Sox

Apr 22, 2005, 01:38 PM

MJLogan

Apr 22, 2005, 01:52 PM

"Court and Spark" by Joni Mitchell
"Hejira" by Joni Mitchell
"GP" by Gram Parsons
"King of America" by Elvis Costello
"Los Angeles" by X
"Broken English" by Marianne Faithfull
"69 Love Songs" by The Magnetic Fields
"Red Dirt Girl" by Emmylou Harris
"Telephone-Free Landslide VIctory" by Camper Van Beethoven
"Soul Mining" by The The

wowser

Apr 22, 2005, 02:18 PM

There have only been a couple of albums that changed my life (rather than just my musical outlook).

Passion - Peter Gabriel (in a HUGE way)
Ragged Glory - Neil Young (before heading out to Nor Cal)

mulletman13

Apr 22, 2005, 04:52 PM

Because ranking them would be ridiculous...

Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Elliott Smith - Either/Or, Elliott Smith, XO
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
Radiohead - Ok Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac
Weezer - The Blue Album (Weezer)
The Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

We can find new ways of living/Make playing only logical harm

Finally, somebody with Elliott Smith on their list!

Anyways, here are mine, not "favorite/best" albums per se, but things have changed me to some degree... so please no heckling, I know some of these are pretty bad :(

No particular order.

Dashboard Confessional - The Places You have come to fear the most
Ahh, this reminds me of high school, falling in 'love', breaking up and all the good things in between. Plus the acoustic value of this album is amazing. Yes, while "whiny emo", the music is great.
Weezer - The Blue Album & Pinkerton
Amazing albums I listen to today, Blue Album will never be topped...
Bright Eyes - Fevers & Mirrors
Simply Amazing.
Coldplay - Parachutes
A wonderful CD to listen to mellow you out.... great vocals
Elliott Smith - Self Titled.
" Needle in the Hay" is possibly my favorite songs ever...
Radiohead - The Bends & OK Computer
Listened to a lot in middle/high school, and still today... excellent staying power, excellent innovation
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits
Sentimental value and great, american music
Brand New - Déja Entendu
Showed me other bands could be experimental and rock...similar to Radiohead in theory, but not in sound. Nonetheless a near perfect album.
The Strokes - Is this it?
Modern molded into an 80's mold to create a great sounding album.
Everclear - So much for the afterglow
First album I ever bought... listened to it soo much, and still good.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
... I just love this for whatever reason, inspires good memories :)

Whoops, I went ahead and listed more than 10... ah well :-)

wowser

Apr 22, 2005, 06:08 PM

I should also mention REM's Monster - first album I ever bought, 11 years ago.

noel4r

Apr 22, 2005, 06:25 PM

the following albums got me through my teens (men, i missed being depressed)

depeche mode – some great reward, black celebration
the smiths – hatful of hollow, queen is dead
sex pistols – never mind the bollocks
new order – brotherhood, low-life, substance
joy division - substance
echo and the bunnymen – songs to learn and sing
the cure – head on the door
siouxsie and the banshees – once upon a time
concrete blonde – still in hollywood
dead kennedys – fresh fruit for rotting vegetables
nin – pretty hate machine, the downward spiral

noel4r

Apr 22, 2005, 06:33 PM

Horrortaxi

Apr 22, 2005, 06:45 PM

I'd like to sift through your albums. On second thought, people dont do that anymore. So, "I'd like to download your music library".

You can sift through my albums. That's where all the good stuff is. I would just have to go dig them out of whatever box they're in since I haven't listened to vinyl in YEARS. I haven't even listened to a CD for about 2 years. It's all buy -> rip -> stream these days. My shelves are a lot cleaner now although there's not as much soul in mp3's.

I could export my iTunes database for you--I think that's the new way to sift through somebody's music. The db is about 12 megs though.

spinne1

Apr 22, 2005, 08:18 PM

In no order:

The Beach Boys: Endless Summer The album that captured for me the myth and spirit of California, which for all us land-locked folks, really represented freedom of the soul and a search for our truest dreams. The close harmony of the Wilson brothers, cousin Mike, and friend Al is heaven sent and unmatched in rock history. Brian's gift for melody and arrangement is unsurpassed to this day (although he lost it in the late 60s because of drug abuse). This music brings joy to the soul.

Prince: Purple Rain His talent for performing is unmatched. His concerts are for me the Everest of concert experiences. When he puts it all together to create a thematic statement, as he did on this album, he is pure genius. This album took complete control of my generation when I was a junior in high school. I have listened to it hundreds of times.

Depeche Mode: Black Celebration There was a time when I was very depressed. At the time, no album better fit my mood than this one. Not only is it brilliant melodically, musically, and sonically, but it has without a doubt in my mind, the most brilliant lyrics of any album I have ever heard. It is pure poetry of the highest sort. Let me give you a brief example of such lyrics from the song "It Doesn't Matter Two:"

As i lay here with you
The shame lies with us
We talk of love and trust
That doesn't matter

Though we may be the last in the world
We feel like pioneers
Telling hopes and fears
To one another

And oh what a feeling
Inside of me

It might last for an hour
Wounds aren't healing
Inside of me
Though it feels good now
I know it's only for now

[B]Erasure: The Innocents Musically, Vince Clark of Erasure is one of our greatest composers. He is vastly underrated and only time will cure that discrepancy. This album captured my heart and mind and for a time was played over and over. I love this record, especially "Phantom Bride."

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together One of the most spiritually moving albums I've ever heard. Forget the muppet Christmas carol songs (about half the album). It is the John Denver-based songs that make this album so special. He sings beautiful, haunting, moving songs of devotion to spiritual principles that eminate from the spirit of Christ. My family's favorite Christmas album BY FAR.

Buddy Holly: Legend "Before Elvis, there was nothing," said John Lennon. True dat. But soon after Elvis got started, another master came along named Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley. He influenced more directly the entire early rock and roll movement than probably any one else, including Elvis. While Elvis was a great singer and performer, he wasn't much of an innovator. Buddy was. Listen to his use of the studio as an instrument. His early over-dubbing was revolutionary at the time. His songs are amongst the most brilliant of any rock composer. They are pure and melodic and driving. The most amazing thing is that he did it all before dying tragically at the age of 22! The sheer number of great songs he wrote and recorded would be a hall of fame career today for someone who was in the business 10 or 20 years.

Peter Gabriel: So One of the great albums of all time. Moving, and also very listenable.

Electric Light Orchestra: Time This has to be THE most underrated record in all of rock history. Side one of this album is a perfect sonic masterpiece of theme and flow. Put some headphones on and listen to the whole album at one time, good and loud. You will likely be as blown away as I am.

The Little Mermaid Soundtrack This album is pure inspiration. I can actually feel the spirit of God when I listen to it. It is a gift from the heavens to us all. The melodic themes are amongst the best ever written, and "Part of Your World" is heartwrenchingly beautiful. Jodi Benson's voice (Ariel) is absolutely angelic. What a GREAT album.

Bob Seger: Stranger in Town The greatest (by far) album by one of the greatest rockers ever. This album is pure genius, one song after another. "Still the Same" and "Feel Like a Number" are so brilliant that I am still in awe of them just thinking about it. Bob Seger, too, was great in concert. Right up there below Prince.

Well, there it is, albums that changed, and continue to mold, my life. I would be remiss if I didn't mention some others that are also great and should be mentioned (despite my playlist, I'm not gay, I just love great music):

George Michael: Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. I
The Indigo Girls: Rites of Passage
The Village People: Cruisin'
The Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill
AC/DC: Back In Black
Faith Hill: Take Me As I Am
The Beach Boys: Today
The Beach Boys: All Summer Long
The Beatles: all
Depeche Mode: Violator
Yaz: Upstairs At Eric's
New Order: Brotherhood
Bee Gees: Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack
Burkhard Dallwitz and Phillip Glass: The Truman Show Soundtrack
Shania Twain: The Woman In Me
Kraftwerk: Computer Love
Jean Michel Jarre: Rendez-Vous
Ewan MacGregor, Nicole Kidman, etc.: Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
They Might Be Giants: Flood
:D

sonictruth

Apr 22, 2005, 09:46 PM

Best first attempt to a most challenging question:

1. Sonic Youth/Daydream Nation (although every album seems to have much personal importance except the first two)
2. Neil Young/Arc-Weld (Decade being a close second; he's Uncle Neil)
No more numbering -
Camper Van Beethoven/Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
Pixies/Surfer Rosa
PJ Harvey/Rid of Me
Cowboy Junkies/Pale Sun Crescent Moon (Trinity Session too)
The Beatles [White Album]
Hendrix/Electric Ladyland
Jane's Addiction/Nothing's Shocking
Grateful Dead/Europe 72

From the 'formative years' (i.e. rarely listen to anymore, but have much respect and strong feelings for...):
REM/Life's Rich Pageant and Dead Letter Office
All Police albums, and Sting/Bring on the Night
U2/Live at Red Rocks and Joshua Tree
New Order/Low Life and Substance
Depeche Mode/Black Celebration
Tears for Fears/The Hurting and Songs from the Big Chair
Bartok, Beethoven, Debussy, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter

So many have been excluded... so many greats unmentioned...

All in all, I have to say the members of this forum have great taste.

deanbo

Apr 23, 2005, 01:59 AM

1. Tool - Aenima (Has my favourite song)
2. Primus - Pork Soda
3. Tool - Lateralus
4. Heather Nova - Oyster (Has my second favourite song)
5. Soundgarden - Super Unknown
6. Evanesence - Fallen
7. Muse - Absolution
8. Radiohead - OK Computer
9. Radiohead - The Bends
10. Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

peripatetic

Apr 23, 2005, 02:49 AM

no particular order

Elliott Smith - s/t
Coldplay - Parachutes
Oasis - What's the Story Morning Glory
The Clash - London Calling
Radiohead - OK Computer
Radiohead - The Bends
Blink 182 - Dude Ranch
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged
Pete Yorn - Musicforthemorningafter

Sirus The Virus

Jul 2, 2005, 02:54 PM

In no particullar order.

Zooropa, Achtung Baby, Pop, Joshua Tree - U2
Automatic For The People - R.E.M.
Computer World - Kraftwerk
Ambient 1: Music For Airports, Apollo Atmospheres & Soundtracks,Thursday Afternoon - Brian Eno
Ten Summoner's Tales - Sting
Syncronicity & Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police
Origional Soundtracks 1 - Passengers
A Rush of Blood to the Head - Coldplay
OK Computer - Radiohead
Confield & Tri Repetae Autechre

There's more. But not now.

nightdweller25

Jul 2, 2005, 03:15 PM

Evanescence - Fallen
Evanescence - Origin and other unreleased songs
Nirvana - Nevermind
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Unreleased songs and others
The Distillers - ALL FO IT
Garbage - Bleed Like Me
Hot Hot Heat - Elevator
The White Stripes - ALL OF IT

And thats it, and yes, Evanescence is my favorite band and has been for the last 2 or 3 years, since I first heard them. I am 15 and my generation basically hates Evanescence because they're too much in love with bands like My Chemical Romance and The Used, but I don't really care. I've always been different from the rest of the kids, on many levels, intelligence being one of them. Don't get me wrong, I like those types of bands too, heck, I just came back from the Warped Tour and it rocked, but oh well. Now, about Evanescence, I love them so much, their cords are heavy and epic, violins and chorus in the background, pianos of emotion, they're music is just so unique and stunning, epic, and cinematic, and the reason I love them the most, they're truly incredible, thoughtful, sad, dark, and just amazing lyrics. I think I will forever have them as my favorite band.

ksz

Jul 3, 2005, 12:08 AM

In no particular order:

Overture to Egmont, Beethoven
Introduced me to classical music as a freshman. It, and other Beethoven masterpeices, enthralled me and maintained my sanity. I have mentioned often my endless admiration for Ludwig van.

Symphony #7, 2nd movement, Beethoven
If music could speak, this piece is longing to communicate. Still moves me very profoundly.

Symphony #9, 2nd and 4th Movements, Beethoven
Simply exquisite.

Piano Concerto #5, "Emperor", Beethoven
A crowning achievement. Spectacular.

Violin Concerto in D, Beethoven
I am running out of superlatives.

Cello Sonata #3, 2nd Movement, Beethoven
Again an example of music longing to speak, but forever trapped.

Symphony #6, Pastoral, Beethoven
A return to peace after a tumultuous 5th Symphony.

Con te Partiro, Andrea Bocelli
Magnifico! Bellisimo! Introduced me to the world of light opera.

Les Miserables, Original London Cast
Powerful and moving, with brilliantly crafted lyrics. Compare, for example, Valjean's Soliloquy in the 1st Act with Javert's Suicide Soliloquy in the 2nd. Each man faced a fork in the road and made two very different choices. One ended in a spiritual rebirth, the other ended in death.

Symphony #6, Tchaikovsky
Wow! Delicate, spirited, powerful.

Symphony #9, From the New World, Dvorak
How could I forget this one? I purchased a turntable (Rega Planar 3 with a medium gain MC cartridge) just to listen to an analog LP recording of this masterpiece.

feakbeak

Jul 3, 2005, 12:52 AM

In no particular order:

Overture to Egmont, Beethoven
Introduced me to classical music as a freshman. It, and other Beethoven masterpeices, enthralled me and maintained my sanity. I have mentioned often my endless admiration for Ludwig van.

Symphony #7, 2nd movement, Beethoven
If music could speak, this piece is longing to communicate. Still moves me very profoundly.

Symphony #9, 2nd and 4th Movements, Beethoven
Simply exquisite.

Piano Concerto #5, "Emperor", Beethoven
A crowning achievement. Spectacular.

Violin Concerto in D, Beethoven
I am running out of superlatives.

Cello Sonata #3, 2nd Movement, Beethoven
Again an example of music longing to speak, but forever trapped.

Symphony #6, Pastoral, Beethoven
A return to peace after a tumultuous 5th Symphony.

Con te Partiro, Andrea Bocelli
Magnifico! Bellisimo! Introduced me to the world of light opera.

Les Miserables, Original London Cast
Powerful and moving, with brilliantly crafted lyrics. Compare, for example, Valjean's Soliloquy in the 1st Act with Javert's Suicide Soliloquy in the 2nd. Each man faced a fork in the road and made two very different choices. One ended in a spiritual rebirth, the other ended in death.

Symphony #6, Tchaikovsky
Wow! Delicate, spirited, powerful.
Do you like Beethoven? :)

I love Tchaikovsky's 6th - Pathetique. It's probably my favorite piece of classical music. I suppose it's not true classical - I've always enjoyed the romantic era music the most anyway.

Fuchal

Jul 3, 2005, 12:54 AM

Ready? Okay, good!

1, 2, 3, go!

The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever Amen
Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Eisley - Room Noises
The Divine Comedy - Absent Friends
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Tripping Daisy - Jesus Hits Like The Atom Bomb
The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages Of...

Music Library (http://homepage.mac.com/fuchal/musiclibrary/)

ksz

Jul 3, 2005, 01:03 AM

Do you like Beethoven? :)
It shows, does it? :)

I think people understand Mozart more readily. He is of course a giant. But I think Beethoven is more cerebral, more subdued, yet intense and passionate, complex and sublime. Tchaikovsky's Pathetique is similar in all these respects.

Duff-Man

Jul 3, 2005, 01:25 AM

Duff-Man says...as with anything in the music area, my choices would change day to day or week to week...but at this particular moment in time and in no particular order:

Peter Hammill - Over
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Welcome Back My Friends...
Neu! - Neu! 75
Lisa Germano - excerpts from a Love Circus
Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life
The Cure - Pornography
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Zuma
Rasputina - Thanks For the Ether
Peter Hammill - The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage

...ask me again next week....oh yeah!

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 01:48 AM

I don't know if any albums really changed my life per se, but many influenced me and affected me in different ways for different reasons. Here are some of them (which in some respects constitute my favorite albums) but I could probably name far more than 10... :cool:

Tower of Power - Live and in Living Color
Seal - Seal 2
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Daft Punk - Homework
Cleveland Symphony Orchestra/Szell - Dvorak Symphony No. 9
Counterpoint - Jaded Sunset
Sasha - Global Underground 013 - Ibiza
Sasha + Digweed - Northern Exposure Expeditions
LTJ Bukem - Journey Inwards
Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation
not to mention various BBC Radio One Essential Mixes (I have copies of them all... ;))

mcarvin

Jul 3, 2005, 01:59 AM

No particular order...

John Coltrane - Coltrane's Sound
King Crimson - Red
REM - Automatic for the People
Miles Davis - In A Silent Way
Phish - Billy Breathes/Junta/Story of the Ghost (I want to combine chunks of those three)
Yes - Keys to Ascension (live stuff, not the studio tracks)
Art Blakey & Thelonious Monk - Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk
King Crimson - Red
Ben Folds Five - Whatever and Ever, Amen
Frank Zappa and the Mothers - Apostrophe/Overnight Sensation (original Ryko 2-on-1 release)

Honorable mention:
Frank Sinatra - The Very Good Years
David Sylvian/Robert Fripp - Damage
The New Pornographers - Electric Version (showed me that canadian indie pop rocks)
Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station
Peter Gabriel - Secret World Live (8th row from the small stage at the Spectrum in Philly. Unreal.)

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 02:00 AM

Do you like Beethoven? :)

I love Tchaikovsky's 6th - Pathetique. It's probably my favorite piece of classical music. I suppose it's not true classical - I've always enjoyed the romantic era music the most anyway.

The 6th is very good, but I still prefer the 4th and 5th to it. I play in a Symphony Orchestra, and have had the pleasure of fully experiencing all these great pieces as a result, so perhaps one gains a different opinion of certain pieces after performing them.

One of my favorite classical pieces (initially impressed by just seeing the score!) is Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony - amazing musical journey and a draining yet rewarding marathon to perform.

katie ta achoo

Jul 3, 2005, 03:14 AM

The 6th is very good, but I still prefer the 4th and 5th to it. I play in a Symphony Orchestra, and have had the pleasure of fully experiencing all these great pieces as a result, so perhaps one gains a different opinion of certain pieces after performing them.

Oh, the fourth is AMAZING to play.
Freshman year, first concert, my school did a side-by-side with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and we did Tchaik Four. It was AMAZING.
At the time, I wasn't really so into classical music and my violin, but looking back on it, I get goosebumps sometimes. It was such a good concert...
I wanna do it again!!! :) :) :)

Oh, and my ten albums? (In no order...I can't pick between Mendelssohn and Bartok! haha!)
1Mendelssohn- Sonata for Viola and Piano in c minor
I heard this piece and was FLOORED. I love Mendelssohn, and I love viola... melding the two is PURE GENIUS! It starts out all mellow for the first few lines, and then **BAM!** a c minor arpeggio, going into more awesomeness! It is love in Sonata form!

2Renaud and Gautier Capuçon - Face Á Face : Duos for Violin and Cello
Specifically Passacaglia after Handel. My friend (cellist) and I went to see them perform, and we bought the CD. She got it autographed by them. When we popped it in the car on the way home, we listened to their playing the piece. We were in SHOCK because of how good it was. It is AMAZING.
...so we're playing it at our senior recital. :) :)

3Bartok - Viola Concerto (the 1949 edition)
Only the most greatest bestest viola concerto EVAR!!! It makes my grammar go all bad, that's how good it is!

4 The Beatles - Revolver
I love this album. I'm working on an arrangement of Elanor Rigby for violin, viola, and cello (I'll find a vocalist somewhere, hehe) for my senior recital. The arrangements of the songs on Revolver... I just really like them. they're fun. :)

5Bartok - Romanian Folk Dances for Violin and Orchestra
Such an amazing piece. It really showcases how well Bartok wrote, since it was transcribed for many different instruments, yet still sounds nice. I'd love to do it at my recital, but I need to keep the total playing time down to about 20 minutes or I'll injure myself thoroughly. :(

6Borodin - Quintet #1
there's a SWEET viola solo in the Menuetto! It's such a nice piece. I love the cleanness.

7de Falla - Three Cornered Hat Suite ( I think that's it.. the kind that is only orchestral)
I played this piece when I was going through some really tough stuff freshman year. It really helped to cheer me up when I was in a bad mood-- just practicing the piece made me feel better. Honestly, you can't NOT smile when you're listening to the Jota movement.

8Brahms fourth symphony
This was the very first piece I ever played with my symphony on viola. IT IS NOT A GOOD PIECE TO START ON, lemme tell ya. It is so hard. Even harder when you can't really read the clef because you're so used to treble!! I'd be playing along, then " :confused: :confused: wtf is that note supposed to be?" But, I learned it, I practiced like crazy, and it's the piece that really made me start playing viola, instead of just playing on it.

9Rachmaninoff - Symphonic Dances
the 2nd ever piece I ever played on viola. I kicked it's butt!! I could actually read the clef, and it allowed me to work on my technique. It helped me improve sooooo much.

10Hindemith- Symphonic Metamorphosis
It was the last piece I played before my arms went totally injured, IIRC. It's such an amazing piece. It's so hard, so you have to spend a lot of time with it to even get it barely playable. When you spend that much time on music, you get attached to it.. and performing it well is like nothing else in the world.

Wow... I'm really classically-inclined. It's all good, though.
Playing a piece REALLY affects me, some piece more than others.
Hmmm.. perhaps I should put my viola/violin down for a while and see what's happening in today's popular music scene.. hehe.

bartelby

Jul 3, 2005, 03:16 AM

In no particular order.

TOOL - Undertow
Bought it after being given the promo of Sober. Awesome album!

NIN - Pretty Hate Machine
I was completely blown away by this album, it was like nothing I'd heard before.

Einstürzende Neubauten - Haus Der Lüge
The first EN album I bought 16 years ago and it's still a favourite.

Fugazi - Margin Walker
The first EP was amazing but this album contains Margin Walker, possibly my all time favourite song.

Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is The Day, This Is The Hour...This Is This
What can you say? It was just way ahead of it's time.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream
Introduced me to a whole new world of misery.

Tom Waits - The Bone Machine
This album got me into Tom Waits.

Leonard Cohen - The Future
After years of hearing, but not listening to, Leonard being played by my mum. When she got this I was hooked. The man's a genius.

Minor Threat - Minor Threat
In 1984 this album showed me there was much better music than the stuff that got into the charts.

Rapeman - Two Nuns and A Pack Mule
Steve Albini's finest hour. Big Black were awesome and Shellac is amazing but I much prefer Rapeman.

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 03:25 AM

Oh, the fourth is AMAZING to play.
Freshman year, first concert, my school did a side-by-side with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, and we did Tchaik Four. It was AMAZING.
At the time, I wasn't really so into classical music and my violin, but looking back on it, I get goosebumps sometimes. It was such a good concert...
I wanna do it again!!! :) :) :)

Ah, very nice, that must have been an amazing experience for you! Yes, we play with our local youth orchestra as well and I can tell how excited and pumped the kids are, as usually they are just blown away by the experience.

I could probably come up with another list of 10 albums when it comes to classical music, but I'll stick with the one I mentioned in my initial list. As opposed to just listing the piece itself which I love, it is specifically that recording (specific conductor, specific orchestra, etc.) which is amazing for me. :cool:

ksz

Jul 3, 2005, 03:45 AM

I heard this piece and was FLOORED. I love Mendelssohn, and I love viola... melding the two is PURE GENIUS! It starts out all mellow for the first few lines, and then **BAM!** a c minor arpeggio, going into more awesomeness! It is love in Sonata form!
Very nicely said! "It is love in Sonata form." Brilliant.

Wow... I'm really classically-inclined. It's all good, though.
Playing a piece REALLY affects me, some piece more than others.
Hmmm.. perhaps I should put my viola/violin down for a while and see what's happening in today's popular music scene.. hehe.
Today's pop music scene? Nah, I came, I saw, I left. :) To be fair though, there's a lot of good popular music, but it doesn't have the same profound effect on me as classical (I use the term generically to include Romantic, Baroque, etc.), light opera (haven't really gotten into opera), and Broadway.

Anyway, thanks for that list. I will be listening to them.

proverbs

Jul 3, 2005, 04:51 AM

Outkast - ATliens, Aquemini, and In Due Time f/ Goodie Mob.

WinterMute

Jul 3, 2005, 05:15 AM

I didn't post here last time this thread re-emerged, because I couldn't get my head around the concept of a single album changing your life, I kept getting stuck on which album to choose from a back catalog of my favourite artists, so here's a list of them and some suggestions for each.

These are the people who have most influenced my life musically and socially.

Rush: Starting with 2112 though Spirit of Radio and Freewill all the way to the 30th Anniversary Tour this year, Geddy Lee was responsible for me starting to play bass.

Leonard Cohen: From Greatest Hits all the way through to Dear Heather, the soundtrack to far too many long nights. His voice and lyrics are a great aphrodisiac... My wife and I danced to "This Waltz" on our wedding day. :)

Pink Floyd: Dark side of the moon, Wish you were here, Animals, The Wall... Roger left and it all got too commercial.

Led Zeppelin: Heard Black Dog and never looked back. Achillies last stand, Since I've been loving you, Kashmir? Majestic.

Joni Mitchell: Particularly Hejira and Shadows and light, I'd have moved mountains to see her play live with Metheney and Jaco Pastorius.

Peter Gabriel: Shock the Monkey onwards, he just keeps getting better.

Kate Bush: The sexiest voice in music, even when she's screaming like a banshee, Hounds of love was her finest hour.

Live: Throwing Copper started it, just a great bunch of songs. LOUD live.

Counting Crows: Lyrical depth on a par with Cohen sometimes.

Pearl Jam: Eddie Vedder's voice is still the most recognisable in rock, lost their way a little occasionally.

....and a few single albums that cut it too:

AC/DC: If You Want Blood.
Tori Amos: Under the Pink
Emerson Lake and Palmer: Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.... (good call Duff man)
Faith No More: Angel Dust
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours

I could go on into the newer stuff, Audioslave, Slipknot, Rammstien, Disturbed...

Sad old rocker that I am.;) :D :cool:

zasjoh

Jul 3, 2005, 12:12 PM

In no particular order (and a dozen)

Less Than Jake -- Losing Streak
Pavement -- Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
Phish -- Story of the Ghost
Propagandhi -- How to Clean Everything
John Coltrane -- My Favorite Things
Radiohead -- The Bends
Tom Waits -- Bone Machine
The Weakerthans -- Fallow
Wilco -- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Ben Folds Five -- Whatever and Ever, Amen
Medeski, Martin, and Wood -- Notes from the Underground
Nada Surf -- Let Go

Loge

Jul 3, 2005, 12:59 PM

From a few minutes thought, and in no order,

Chopin, Etudes opus 10
Wagner, Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Steely Dan, Aja
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No 5
Beethoven, Piano Sonana opus 13 (Pathetique)
Keith Jarrett, Sun Bear Concerts: Osaka
Janacek, Katya Kabanova
Tippett, The Mask of Time
Egberto Gismonti, Música de Sobrevivência
Bach, Mass in B minor
Mussorgsky, Boris Godunov

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 01:10 PM

John Coltrane -- My Favorite Things

Excellent choice, I probably should have included that on my list as well. Although I can't say the album really influenced me or changed my life, it is truly a timeless work of art which I could never tire listening to. :cool:

MattG

Jul 3, 2005, 02:07 PM

In no particular order...

1. Counting Crows -- August and Everything After
Like the original poster said, this is definitely one of those 'never leaves the changer' types of CDs. Every song on this album is great...sound quality is great...they haven't done anything nearly as good since.

2. Elvis Costello -- King of America
His best work IMO

3. Led Zeppelin -- Physical Graffiti
If I could own only one Led Zeppelin album, it'd be this one...way underrated. From a guitar player's perspective, classic rock doesn't get much better than this.

4. Peter Gabriel -- So
So many great songs and very sonically pleasing.

5. Van Halen -- Van Halen
I listened to this CD constantly in high school while I was learning to play guitar. Eddie was a constant inspiration to get better at it.

6. Coldplay -- Parachutes
Changed my opinion that there aren't any new bands putting out good music anymore.

7. Coldplay -- A Rush of Blood to the Head

8. Steve Vai -- Passion & Warfare
Another guitar hero of mine.

9. Dream Theater -- Awake
So much going on in this CD...complex guitar parts, odd timings, great lyrics...DT hasn't been the same since Kevin Moore left.

10. Alison Krauss -- Now That I've Found You: Collection
Got me into and gave me a new respect for Bluegrass and Country music.

zasjoh

Jul 3, 2005, 03:39 PM

Excellent choice, I probably should have included that on my list as well. Although I can't say the album really influenced me or changed my life, it is truly a timeless work of art which I could never tire listening to. :cool:

(Sorry, I expect this will be phrased terribly but...)
It got me into the more classical jazz.... or, I guess.... it helped me discover stuff beyond MMW, the only Jazz band that I could get into for about four or five years....
Let me just say it felt great to move into new music frontiers with the trane

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 04:01 PM

(Sorry, I expect this will be phrased terribly but...)
It got me into the more classical jazz.... or, I guess.... it helped me discover stuff beyond MMW, the only Jazz band that I could get into for about four or five years....
Let me just say it felt great to move into new music frontiers with the trane

Not phrased terribly whatsoever, I totally understand your point. I'm glad you were able to ride the Trane into new musical frontiers. ;) :)

Are you a Miles fan? Ever heard Kind of Blue? That one made my list. Many jazz experts argue it is one of the greatest jazz albums ever produced, but of course that's the great thing about music - everyone has their likes and dislikes, and their own personal tastes (to that end, many people simply do not like Miles in the least) - in that respect, it's hard to make such a claim, however after listening to it, there is definitely something special about it, and I see where they're coming from. ;) :cool:

satty

Jul 3, 2005, 04:03 PM

I don't think that music has any influence on my life, but maybe this one could have changed it a little bit:

Dead Kennedys - In God We Trust

At the moment I am going through "The Ring":

Wagner - Rheingold
Wagner - Walküre
Wagner - Siegfried
Wagner - Götterdämmerung

Even for a German, this is tough.

mikeyredk

Jul 3, 2005, 04:33 PM

Crawling-Linkin Park

The change hasn't happened yet, but a strong song

more to come

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 05:40 PM

At the moment I am going through "The Ring":

Wagner - Rheingold
Wagner - Walküre
Wagner - Siegfried
Wagner - Götterdämmerung

Even for a German, this is tough.

The Ring is truly an amazing body of music. If you think it's tough listening through the whole thing, just imagine playing it like I have. :eek: :cool:

Loge

Jul 3, 2005, 06:02 PM

Are you a Miles fan? Ever heard Kind of Blue? That one made my list. Many jazz experts argue it is one of the greatest jazz albums ever produced, but of course that's the great thing about music - everyone has their likes and dislikes, and their own personal tastes (to that end, many people simply do not like Miles in the least) - in that respect, it's hard to make such a claim, however after listening to it, there is definitely something special about it, and I see where they're coming from. ;) :cool:

I really like Miles Davis. Kind of Blue is great, but my personal favourites of his are the three he recorded with Marcus Miller, that is Tutu, Music from Siesta, and Amandla. Miles was one of those guys who was into always setting trends rather than following them.

~Shard~

Jul 3, 2005, 06:18 PM

Miles was one of those guys who was into always setting trends rather than following them.

Well said, that's an excellent way to sum him up. I've only heard Tutu actually, I'll have to check out the others. :cool:

zasjoh

Jul 3, 2005, 06:38 PM

Not phrased terribly whatsoever, I totally understand your point. I'm glad you were able to ride the Trane into new musical frontiers. ;) :)

Are you a Miles fan? Ever heard Kind of Blue? That one made my list. Many jazz experts argue it is one of the greatest jazz albums ever produced, but of course that's the great thing about music - everyone has their likes and dislikes, and their own personal tastes (to that end, many people simply do not like Miles in the least) - in that respect, it's hard to make such a claim, however after listening to it, there is definitely something special about it, and I see where they're coming from. ;) :cool:

(Edit because of my lousy trackpad taking weird input and deleting part of my message, actually, no.... because I just made an awkward sentence :p )

My phrasing worry was because since I'm still new to jazz and wasn't sure if "classical jazz" is a conflict of terms. No, I haven't, but I'll definitely have to check that out... thanks for the recommendation

U2Rules!

Jul 4, 2005, 09:30 AM

U2- Joshua Tree
U2- War
U2- Achtung Baby
Led Zeppelin- 2
Metallica- Black Album
Cure- Wish
Eagles- Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Depeche Mode- Violator
Enya- Shephard Moons
Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill

~Shard~

Jul 4, 2005, 11:11 AM

My phrasing worry was because since I'm still new to jazz and wasn't sure if "classical jazz" is a conflict of terms. No, I haven't, but I'll definitely have to check that out... thanks for the recommendation

I never pay too much attention to semantics like that myself, so you have nothing to worry about. I'm more about the music, then what people care to label or categorize it as.

It's defintely not everyone's style, but if you do get around to listening to it, let me know your thoughts. The entire album was done is one sitting, no edits, and no second takes - it's pretty much as is, which adds to the overall effect. :cool:

PaRaGoNViCtiM

Jul 4, 2005, 07:45 PM

1. America's Sweetheart by: Courtney Love

2. Live Through This: Hole

3. Around The Fur by: Deftones

4. Sublime by: Sublime

5. Nevermind by: Nirvana

6. Core by: Stone Temple Pilots

7. Johnny Cash's Greatest Hits by: Johnny Cash

9. Add It Up by: Violent Femmes

10. Rage Against The Machine by: Rage Against The Machine

11. The Ultimate Collection by: The Supremes

Each of these albums has affected my life in a very big and fundamental way.

andreas.kuhn

Jul 5, 2005, 01:58 PM

mambo sinuendo – ry cooder & manuel galban
live at leeds – the who
revolver – the beatles
buena vista social club presents ibrahim ferrer – ibrahim ferrer
john wesley harding – bob dylan
mojo live – daddy joe’s bluesband
axis bold as love – jimi hendrix
live rust – neil young & crazy horse
the complete recordings – robert johnson
the southern harmony and musical companion – the black crowes

MattG

Jul 5, 2005, 02:22 PM

mambo sinuendo – ry cooder & manuel galban

AWESOME cd. I listen to this at least once a month. Everything I've ever heard with Ry on it has been pretty good.

superninjagoat

Jul 5, 2005, 03:03 PM

10. Look Into the Eyeball, David Byrne
9. Nirvana Unplugged, Nirvana
8. New South, Mike West
7. Breakfast in America, Supertramp
6. The White Album, The Beatles
5. Salisbury, Uriah Heap
4. OK Computer, Radiohead
3. Days of Future Past, The Moody Blues
2. Let it Be, The Beatles
1. Whatever and Ever Amen, Ben Folds Five

Jul 5, 2005, 04:19 PM

Ok.. these are the ones that have influenced me the most in some way and/or changed either the way I think or listen/play music. There are way to many to list, so here are the ones that come to mind first, in no paticular order (expect for the last one):

Men At Work - Buisness As Ususal
Only because this was the first LP I bought when I was a kid. Listened to it for hours on my dad's record player.

Oingo Boingo - Any Record
Just great, catchy and sometimes weird music. Not all music has to be top40 ready.... thank god.

Genesis/Phil Collins - Invisible Touch
ok ok ok.. I know .. Invisible Touch... how could I? I listened to that damn tape so much... and I gotta say that Phil Collins was a big influence on my drumming when I was young... especially his early records. This tape marked the first BIG concert I ever went to. I don't think I could stand Invisible Touch today.. even though it's on my iPod.

Wilco - Summer Teeth
Introduced me to Wilco.... what else can I say?

Nine Inch Nails - Broken
I bought this on accident from one of those CD clubs.. thinking it was Pretty Hate Machine, or at least the one that had Head Like A Hole. I hated it at first and didn't "get it". After about 3 listens.... it kicked my ass. One of my top fav albums of all time.

Eels - Electro Shock Blues
Two things to know before listening to this record... before they made this record, the songwriter's sister committed suicide and his mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Incredibly personal somngwriting here...If you haven't heard it... just go buy it.

Prince - Purple Rain
This record was huge when I was a kid. Lots of fond memories...

The Beatles - Abbey Road
It's the first Beatles record I fell in love with.... a bit late, but at least I got there.

Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin
Beautiful.

#1) Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
Ok... i know this band lifted alot of ideas and inlfluences from the Beatles, Queen and the Beach Boys etc... but... man, when I first heard this record, I was blown away. Maybe because when it came out, Nirvana and grunge where "the thing"... and this was such a stark contrast to what was happening. The harmonies, the melodies, the production, the lyrics, the depth of the instrumentation. Incredible songwriters. This record REALLY changed the way I thought about music and lyrics. Because Jellyfish sounded a bit like alot of other "older" bands, it made me revist "older" records with totally new ears. This CD made me REALLY appreciate harmonies, melodies, lyrics, production (not that it matters ALL of the time) , and the value of a good song.

Tahko

Jul 7, 2005, 07:49 AM

Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder
My first chunk of ultra-melodic death metal. Amazing arpeggios, lighting-fast but pin-point accurate playing combined with beautiful melodics. This album changed the whole Finnish rock/metal industry in one big smash, not only my life. As for me, I realized in age of 15 that I really am nothing.
This album made me ascend deeper into realms of darker music, untill I reached Dimmu Borgir and turned back.

Dream Theater - Awake
So I thought I was a God when I finally learned how to play Downfall intro. Then my friend borrowed me this damned album and again I saw I was nothing. This album made 1st broadement to my music tastes, as I realized that slow piano songs can be better than excellent (Space Dye Vest).

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
I listened to this album in a party when I was so drunk I didn't get to change the damn CD. Money and Time made my comfortably numb brain wanting to hear more of Pink and this opened my mind for more wide kind of music. Pink Floyd & Dream Theater combined has brought me to kinds of King Crimson and Wumpscut. No wonder my non-musical pals consider my music tastes a bit wierd.

Waltari - So Fine!
Most important record I've ever heard. Containing rap, metal, rock, techno, country, joik, funk... you name it. All by the same band, awesome lyrics etc. I just can't over-appreciate this record too much! If Pink Floyd widened my musical view, then Waltari exploded it. Thanks to Waltari, I have began to copycat their playing when it comes o flexibility & fluidity. Nothing beats changing the beat mid of the beat and still sounding good! From techno drumming to funk in seconds sounds so amazing when it sounds terrific! You here in forums should check "Space Avenue" from iTunes (finnish store), and listen to several of it songs. Especially "Walkin in the neon" As of "Rare Species", the band has began to lose it's touch. :(
This album REALLY changed my world by showning that genre doesn't matter, but music.

Michael Jackson - History
With Waltari-exploded mindset I found several Jackson songs to be excellent. Pieces like "Billy Jean", "Dirty Diana" & "Beat It" made me buy bass and appreciate Michael as a singer/songmaker, not as a freak.

J.S. Bach - 1st Symphony
Made me listen classical music. A lot. Noticing similarities between known classical pieces & music of Children of Bodom made it very rewarding experience, and kicked me ahead my musical friends in music knowledge. Made me buy keyboards.

Mozart - Requiem
After seeing Amadeus, I bought this Naxos cheap-o disc immediately and began to see whole classical scene in different light. Now I enjoy it daily, and I really do. While Bach-knowledge was more of a snobbing, Mozart (or Amadeus, the movie) made me genuinely understand whole scene better and listen to songs more focused. That focusing applies nowadays to every genre and I get much more out of any music.

I believe I've reached a state where everything good is heard and to listen more different music one has to craft such himself. That's why I need garageband2 + symphony pack. My head is exploding with different mutations/mixes of different genres, but I have no means to record the beat in my head... aaaaaahhh... release the damn iBook already!

Jovian9

Jul 7, 2005, 09:35 AM

10. Tie: Chemical Brother - Surrender -- Either/Or Elliott Smith -- Grace - Jeff Buckley -- Bjork - Homogenic

9. Portishead - Portishead
They did not invent Trip-Hop, but blew it up all over the world. This album is down right awesome.

8. Kid A - Radiohead - No one expected this type of album to follow up OK Computer. Excellent mix of guitars and electronica. This album creates a musical atmosphere for you to sit in and enjoy.

7. A Book of Human Language - Aceyalone
In my opinion....the greatest Hip-Hop album of all time. Lyrically it cannot be matched. This album has almost single handedly pulled me away from hip-hop b/c if I listen to hip-hop, 9 out of 10 times it has to be this.

6. Secret Name - Low
Beautiful, Angelic, Mesmerizing. Listening to Low (any of their albums) is a pathway to your spiritual side.

5. Tidal - Fiona Apple
Her voice is powerful and the lyrics are poetic.

4. Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
Do I really need to comment on this album?

3. Among My Swan - Mazzy Star
Perhaps the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. And the music is perfect to accompany her singing. This album is sad but triumphant.

.......and my 2 favorites.............

2. The Bends - Radiohead

1. OK Computer - Radiohead

Like a Kubrick film or great paintings, OK Computer and The Bends continue to amaze me and get even better with time. They continue to change my life after a decade and there is probably not a day that goes by that I either do not listen to these albums or think about them. If you are in the mood for a band/music that will grow with you slide these albums in your rotation and give them a few years and you will come to love them. OK Computer was recently voted by Spin Magazine as the greates album of the last 20 years....I would say ever (though you could easily argue DSOTM). It has staying power. Sure Nirvana's Nevermind was great, but it doesn't hold up to age as well as OK Computer. The Bends was the album that took Radiohead from "that band that sings Creep" to the band they are today.

Here are a few sites that always have good info on Radiohead:
http://www.greenplastic.com/
http://www.ateaseweb.com/

rockthecasbah

Jul 7, 2005, 11:07 AM

I'm in high school still so I haven't encountered enough music that has TRULY changed my life except this (not in order of biggest or smallest change, all were different):

1. Kenna - "New Sacred Cow"
2. The Mars Volta - "Frances The Mute"
3. MC Lars - "The Laptop EP"
4. Death Cab For Cutie - "Transatlanticism"
5. The Postal Service - "Give Up"
6. Marlon Simon - "Live In La Paz, Bolivia"
7. Dashboard Confessional - "The Places That You've Come To Fear The Most"

Raid

Jul 7, 2005, 12:22 PM

I tend to pay more attention to the song rather than the album, but here are my top picks that influenced me (in chronological order, when I started listening to them)

1. Beach boys -Endless Harmony
2. Beatles - Abbey Road
3. INXS -Kick
4. Metallica -Black Album
5. R.E.M -Document #5
6. Nirvana -Nevermind
7. Matthew Sweet -Girlfriend
8. Black Flag -Damaged
9. Miles Davis -Birth of the Cool
10. Parliament/Funkadelic -Give Up The Funk

Well it kind of looks like my music tastes go all over the map from this list, but looking at it I still listen to all of these! :p

stevietheb

Jul 7, 2005, 12:50 PM

Not sure about "life-changing," but here are my top 10 in no particular order:

Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
Bob Dylan - Time Out of Mind
Nirvana - Unplugged in New York
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Dave Brubeck - Time Out
The Old 97s - Too Far to Care
Van Morrison - Moondance
The Beatles - Revolver
The Band - Music from Big Pink
Ben Harper - The Will to Live

~Shard~

Jul 7, 2005, 01:19 PM

10. Parliament/Funkadelic -Give Up The Funk

Well, I don't know if I would call it an "influential" album in my life, but that's definietly a cool one. I should pull it out again, I haven't heard some good George Clinton in ages.... :cool:

Raid

Jul 7, 2005, 03:36 PM

Well, I don't know if I would call it an "influential" album in my life, but that's definietly a cool one. I should pull it out again, I haven't heard some good George Clinton in ages.... :cool:Well it's influential to me because it re-opened a whole genre of music I hadn't paid particular attention to. I borrowed that album from a friend, and liked it so much I bought a copy, which progressed into other Funk artists like Curtis Mayfield.

It's all good.
;)

zach

Jul 7, 2005, 04:10 PM

in absolutely no order...

Make Yourself - Incubus
this album introduced me to incubus, one of the bands that remains in my top few favorites to this day.

How The West Was Won - Led Zeppelin
sure, it's a live album. i don't care. this album introduced me to what i consider "real music". before this album, i was a top 40, linkin park loving preteen. after this album, i became a true music fan.

Lateralus - Tool
in terms of technical merit, difficulty, musical innovation, and composition, the best rock album ever recorded. not that it's my favorite, but this album showed me that hard rock and complicated composition were not mutally exclusive.

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
words cannot describe this album for me.

Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
before this album, i had never heard of pink floyd. but more importantly, before this album, i never knew you were supposed to listen to albums as a whole, rather than selected songs in random order.

The Wall - Pink Floyd
yeah, i like pink floyd, a lot.

Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers
introduced me to the red hot chili peppers, one of my favorite bands.

Bang Bang - Dispatch
it's only a shame that i discovered dispatch AFTER they broke up.

Morning View - Incubus
an awesome album.

Comfort Eagle - Cake
i have listened to every song on this album over 65 times. 'nuff said.

~Shard~

Jul 7, 2005, 04:21 PM

Well it's influential to me because it re-opened a whole genre of music I hadn't paid particular attention to. I borrowed that album from a friend, and liked it so much I bought a copy, which progressed into other Funk artists like Curtis Mayfield.

It's all good.
;)

Fair enough, I understand completely. :) It is always great to experience a whole newe genre of music you never knew about before - I find that it increases your overall appreciation of music even more. :cool:

hulugu

Jul 7, 2005, 06:56 PM

A few seminal albums in no particular order:

Wildflowers - Tom Petty
I was in high-school, I had a Jeep, it was summer. And I was in love.

Delicate Sound of Thunder - Pink Floyd
The whole collection of great songs, played live, this album just blew the top of my head off when I heard it.

Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
I didn't get jazz until I heard the first few bursts of Miles' music.

Joshua Tree - U2
A classic album by a great band, great for driving. This was the first album I went out and bought, then played and played until I wore out the tape. Then I bought the CD.

Ten - Pearl Jam
Better music than Nirvana. Sorry.

Crash - Dave Matthews' Band
I know, their last albums have become a series of self-congratulatory noodlings, but the songs were just totally different from anything I'd ever heard before.

Urban Hyms - The Verve
Even the overplayed Bittersweet Symphony is still a great song, and the rest of the album is just as good.

Talking Timbuktu - Ry Cooder, Ali Farka Toure
Good world music, nice jazzy riffs, etheral chanting vocals, what's not to like? This is a newer find for me, but it's left an indeliable impression.

London Calling - The Clash
So much modern music comes from this album. I heard this on a trip to San Diego, rushing through the desert, feeling like I suddenly understood all that was wrong and right about this world.

Are you Experienced? - Jimmy Hendrix
Yes, Jimmy I am now! I didn't get my parents' music until I dug this LP out of a box and blew my dad's speakers out. After this was the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Led Zepplin and others. But, Jimmy's screeching guitar guided me into classic rock.

Grace - Jeff Buckley
His cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is just awesome and the rest of the album matchs that ethereal greatness.

I can think of more albums I really like now, but these ones caused geological shifts in my musical tastes.

DrEasy

Sep 9, 2005, 02:58 AM

In the chronological order that they changed my life (which doesn't mean they're all still in my top 10!):

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasure Dome
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetics
The Pixies - Doolittle
Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing at Baxters'
Love - Forever Changes
Cat Power - What Would the Community Think?

Diatribe

Sep 9, 2005, 07:02 AM

There is soo much good music out there and I'm sure I've missed something. But my song count is already approaching 10,000 songs and there are so much more albums I wanna have...

Anyway here are the albums that changed my life, which doesn't mean there aren't A LOT of other great albums out there.

1. Eric Clapton - Unplugged - The album that I started listening to when I was 17 and still listen to a lot. My all time favourite.

The others that I don't want to prioritize:

Tracy Chapman - Telling Stories - Another great album that I accidently stumbled upon that has been listened to uncountable times.

2Pac - All Eyez On Me - The one album that changed my view of rap.

Nivana - Nevermind - obvious

Nikka Costa - Everybody Got Their Something - Great album, I have been waiting for another one for 4 years now...

Mighty Sam Mclain - Give It Up To Love - Great album that I recently discovered and one that I really love.

Willy Deville - Victory Mixture - An album I grew up with because my dad used to play it a lot. I didn't listen to it for a while but recently found it in my dad's attic and have been playing it ever since.

Dispatch - Gut The Van - Another one of my newer additions but a really special album in my collection.

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine - A classic. I could never listen to this one too much.

Shakira - Unplugged - Another great one.

Elefante - El Que Busque Encuentra - Awesome album. My entry to really loving latin music.

Chris Barber - Who's Blues - AWESOME album. Perfect for a lot of occasions, especially those sunday afternoons.

Eric Clapton - From The Cradle - Great blues album from one of my favorite artists if not the most favorite.

As I said, there are many more but those are the ALBUMS that changed a lot of things for me.

Nanda Devi

Sep 14, 2005, 10:52 PM

Jefferson Airplane - After Bathing at Baxters'

Seems like there are so few Airplane fans out there! Baxters is their best, in my opinion... a fine selection. :)

ammon

Sep 25, 2005, 05:18 PM

I must be a freak, cuz I can't even think of ONE album that has changed even one small aspect of my life... :eek:

~Shard~

Sep 25, 2005, 05:28 PM

I must be a freak, cuz I can't even think of ONE album that has changed even one small aspect of my life... :eek:

Nothing wrong with that - music affects some people more than others, and some people are more into it than others, which is perfectly understandable. Music has had as huge impact on my life, perhaps for you it hasn't - chacun à son goût!

HydroMan

Sep 25, 2005, 08:04 PM

The Jimi Hendrix Experience : Are You Experienced (bought for me by an American uncle when I was a 1 year old, he'd seen them at Monterey)
The Rolling Stones : High Tides And Green grass (compilation album on tape)
The Cream : Disraeli Gears
The Sex Pistols : Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
Madness : Madness (first album I bought for myself)
The Specials : Specials
UK Decay : Rising From The Dread (Ok it's an ep)
NWA : Straight Outta Compton
Adamski : Live And Direct
Nirvana : Nevermind

Bit of a mixed bag but it's what I like and set me off in many directions to make me the man I am now (good or bad, not my decision)

PlaceofDis

Sep 25, 2005, 08:07 PM

must say that Bright Eyes - Lifted, or The Story is in The Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (by Bright Eyes as well) have been influencing me as of late, fitting my mood and altering the way i look at the little things

~Shard~

Sep 25, 2005, 08:54 PM

PlaceofDis

Sep 25, 2005, 08:56 PM

Completely OT, but I like the new 'tar PlaceofDis... ;) :cool:

thank you, i am glad that people are liking it :D

emmawu

Sep 30, 2005, 08:58 PM

The Buddy Holly album with "Oh Boy" on it (stolen)
Bobby Blue Bland "Two Steps from Blues"
The Beatles "Rubber Soul"
The Beatles "Revolver"
James Taylor "Sweet Baby James"
Jackson Browne "Saturate Before Using"
Supertramp "Even in the Quietest Moments"
Pink Flyod "Wish You Were Here"
The Pretenders the first one with "Brass in Pocket" (stolen)
Keith Jarret "The Koln Concert"

Also any horns by Vivaldi, Mozart and Chet Baker
I'd write more but I have had my apartment broken into and lots of records stolen. And, the list was limited to ten.

ScruffyTheMac

Sep 30, 2005, 09:15 PM

In roughly the order I discovered them:

The Beatles: Meet The Beatles
Rolling Stones: Let It Bleed
W* Carlos: Switched-On Bach
Morton Subotnik: Touch
Yes: Close To The Edge (probably my all-time favorite)
Jethro Tull: Thick As A Brick
The Kinks: Vilage Green Preservation Society
R.E.M.: Reckoning
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians: fegMANIA!
Sonny Rollins: Way Out West

eRondeau

Sep 30, 2005, 10:00 PM

10. Steely Dan - Decade (Yes a Greatest Hits album can change your life!)
9. Prince - Purple Rain (Prince ruled the 80's. In my Plymouth Horizon anyways...)
8. The Tragically Hip - Road Apples (Canadian Rock. Crank it up!)
7. U2 - Achtung Baby (U2 reinvents itself and my stereo is very happy. My neighbours are not.)
6. Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night (This was playing the first time I got laid. We made the record skip. Enough said!)
5. Paul Simon - Graceland (I'd never heard anything like it, and I loved it. I still do.)
4. Dire Straits - Dire Straits ("Sultans of Swing" paints a perfect picture. It's great on Alchemy too. Love that sax!)
3. Pink Floyd - The Wall (I spent Grade 11 writing-out the lyrics when I should have been doing my homework. Tsk tsk tsk...)
2. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (...as a matter of fact, it's all dark.)
1. Jimmy Buffett - Feeding Frenzy (No matter how bad your day is, Jimmy will always be there for you. One Particular Harbor is my all-time favourite song, and Jimmy was in fine form when this was recorded.)

takao

Oct 1, 2005, 05:21 PM

hmm hard choice since "changed your life" is perhaps to much.. but music tastes ? of course
(i'm only 22 and don't own that much music so i might not be able to make up a list of 10)

1. Deep Purple - Machine Head
first... and won't leave this place ever... one of the first albums i bought .. was an offer for 2 € and i couldn't resist owning smoke on the water.. from here there was no way back

2. Judas Priest - Defenders of the Faith
my first Judas Priest Album.. and what can i say.. it wasn't the last one .. 8 other ones followed so far and i'm going to add more
it finally opened the metal genre for me

(no ranking from now on)
Molotov - Donde Jugaran las Ninas
a album out of my teenage times.. lots of memories listening to this... really good and fun ones .. party album number one

Gamma Ray - Land of the Free
(a german metal band) whenever i listen to it i never skip ... not a single time ... one of the best (power) metal albums of all time ... bought it in the not so good times and was very helpfull to forget about the bad stuff (together with other albums of course)

Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
another one from my teenage years.. i don't know what to say about it really.. emotions, power, will, music-politic-rollercoaster ride
i still quote them in my signature

hmm perhaps i can think of more...

and of course out of competition: The Beatles.. my older sister owns every single album so i grew up listening to their music.. every single song all day long would describe it better ;) so i'm sure it influenced me

rogerw

Oct 1, 2005, 05:46 PM

Animals - pink floyd

then..... Black and White- The Stranglers

balamw

Oct 1, 2005, 06:06 PM

OK Maybe not changed my life, but I do have most of these in a Playlist called "Desert Island Discs." These are albums that physically move me and as someone else said these are albums I tend to listen to as whole album when the mood is right.

Some have been already been mentioned by others.

Dire Straits - Making Movies
Jack Johnson - On and On
Joe Jackson - Night and Day
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Matt Bianco - Whose Side are you on?
Peter Gabriel - Passion: Music from the last temptation of Christ
Phil Collins - Hello, I must be going!
Propaganda - A Secret Wish
Supertramp - Even in the Quietest Moments
Squeeze - Singles 45 & Under

B

highres

Oct 1, 2005, 06:17 PM

AC/DC - Back In Black
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin
Bob Marley - Catch a Fire
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
G.B.H - City Baby's Revenge
The 4 Skins - The Good, The Bad and The 4 Skins
Last Resort - Skinhead Anthems
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

Many other albums influenced me, really hard to choose ten.

reberto

Oct 1, 2005, 08:18 PM

MattG

Oct 1, 2005, 08:31 PM

I only have a few but here it goes!

4. Ashlee Simpson- Autobiography: One of the few albums that I can listen all the way through. Besides, everyone lipsyncs on SNL, not just her, she just got caught.

3. Ok go- Ok go: Frekin sweet. That is all I have to say.

2.Pink Floyd-The Wall: Need I say more?

1. The Beatles- One: One of the best albums ever made!

No offense, but is #4 a joke or are you serious? Not sure how #4 can go in the same list as #'s 1 and 2...Further more, that's not true, only people who can't actually sing lipsync on SNL. It's pretty easy to tell which ones do and which ones don't.

~Shard~

Oct 1, 2005, 09:04 PM

No offense, but is #4 a joke or are you serious? Not sure how #4 can go in the same list as #'s 1 and 2...Further more, that's not true, only people who can't actually sing lipsync on SNL. It's pretty easy to tell which ones do and which ones don't.

I assume he must be joking. If Ashlee Simpson's album can be regarded as "changing a person's life" there are some serious issues there that need to be dealt with. :cool: I don't think she would even qualify for this question though, since she would have to be a music artist to do so... ;)

What's next, Milli Vanilli on someone's list? :rolleyes: :cool:

reberto

Oct 2, 2005, 12:54 AM

I assume he must be joking. If Ashlee Simpson's album can be regarded as "changing a person's life" there are some serious issues there that need to be dealt with. :cool: I don't think she would even qualify for this question though, since she would have to be a music artist to do so... ;)

What's next, Milli Vanilli on someone's list? :rolleyes: :cool:

No, it did not change my life. But people who have Phil Collins are scary. Listen to his music and the watch the episode of South Park he was portrayed in.

~Shard~

Oct 2, 2005, 01:08 AM

No, it did not change my life.

Well, that was the question being asked, so... :p ;)

But people who have Phil Collins are scary. Listen to his music and the watch the episode of South Park he was portrayed in.

I could comment on how Phil Collins (even though I am not a fan myself) is an actual musician with talent (solid drummer with Genesis) whereas Ashlee is a manufactured pop figure used to appease the mindless masses with her lip-synching tripe, but getting into a whole debate regarding personal music preferences and opinions is futile, since music is so subjective. Plus, getting into a debate regarding Ashlee Simpson's lack of talent is simply not worth anyone's time, so I will not even bother commenting further. :cool:

gwuMACaddict

Oct 2, 2005, 01:33 AM

don't know how i missed this thread before... but have to add two albums before i get to bed... it's late here in dc... will add more later

Aerosmith: Toys in the Attic; rock and blues at it's rough and unrehersed finest.
AC/DC: Back in Black; Tune driven rock that flows

nomad01

Oct 2, 2005, 04:19 AM

Damn. How did I miss this thread for so long!?!

No particular order and I've probably forgotten some but:

Tori Amos - Little Earthquakes
Queen - Queen 2 (Still one of my favourite Queen albums)
Extreme - III Sides To Every Story (an epic)
Original London Cast - Les Miserables (made a big change in my life a the time!)
Tori Amos - Scarlett's Walk
Linda Eder - Vienna
T'Pau - Bridge of Spies
Saigon Kick - Saigon Kick
Eros Ramazzotti - Tutte Storie
Original Broadway Cast - Ragtime

and finally, a specail mention...
Pinky and Perky - title escapes me (blush - well I was only about 5 at the time!)

Stella

Oct 2, 2005, 08:26 AM

Can't think of ten, but can think of two:

1. The Getaway, Chris de Burgh
2. Incantations, Mike Oldfield

Guitarius

Oct 3, 2005, 12:52 AM

In no particular order. They are far too important to me to order.

Bob Dylan - The Time They Are A-Changin'
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Coma-Torium
Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
Rufus Wainwright - Want One
Luca Turilli - King of the Nordic Twilight
Meatloaf - Bat Out of Hell
Rev. Horton Heat - Lucky 7's
Tiger Army - Tiger Army
Misfits - Static Age
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Okay. There it is. Limited to 10. It was hard, but I got it...I think.

rickvanr

Oct 5, 2005, 12:58 AM

Hmm, that is a really tough question... Right now, I can think of a solid top 9, but hey, I'm young.

9. So - Peter Gabriel
8. Cracked Rear View - Hootie and the Blowfish
7. Collective Soul - Collective Soul
6. Unclassified - Robert Randolph and the Family Band
5. Lost and Gone Forever - Guster
4. Rock Spectacle - Barenaked Ladies
3. The Very Best of Christopher Cross - Christopher Cross
2. Australia - Howie Day
1. In Between Now and Then - O.A.R. (Of A Revolution)

The Truth

Oct 5, 2005, 01:06 AM

Tool - Aenima
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
GreenDay - Dooky
Nirvana - Nevermind
Primus - FrizzleFry
Ben Harper - Live from Mars
Jack Johnson Brushfire Fairytales
Goldfinger - Goldfinger
White Stripes - Elephant
The Squirrel Nut Zippers - Hot

wow that was fun... so many memories

groovebuster

Oct 5, 2005, 05:04 AM

The albums that affected me the most I listened to in my childhood and teenager time. But there were also a lot of single songs of different artists that really affected me that don't show up on a list like this...

These albums are not necessarily my favourites today anymore, but put me on the way to become a musician myself...

1. Kelly Family
It was their first LP. I found them pretty cool, was just 7 (1977) or something... I saw them live and I wanted to live like them: travelling around in a bus and making music...

2. Sergei Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf
At the same time I started to love classical music. This opened the door to a whole new wonderful world. I started to play the transverse flute at this time.

3. Abba - A Sampler from the german TV Shov "Musikladen" in 1979(?), owned by my brother
When I was 9 I started to listen to records of my brother (6 years older) in secret. I started to be interested in Rock/Pop music a little bit more.

4. ELO - Out of the Blue
One of the records my brother brought back from his first trip to the US in 1980. I loved it! Made me want to be a musician one day really badly (the wish was there before already though).

5. Supertramp - Breakfast in America
Same as 4.

6. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Same as 4.

7. Styx - Kilroy was Here
This was my first CD in my life! I didn't even have a CD-Player back then (1983). I won it at a kids festival for a spontaneous performance with a saxophon on stage (I started to play the saxophon after that incident). I loved this album, it made me more interested in conceptual rock albums. At that time I also started to play the guitar (classical/electric) and started to write songs by myself. This album really influenced me for a very long time in the way I was writing songs, until I found Jazz and Funk/Soul/R&B more interesting.

8. Herbie Hancock - Mr. Hands
My first Jazz Record! It was soooooo cool! Opened up my mind for funky stuff at the same time.

9. George Benson - Breezin'
My guitar hero when I was young! Heard this album for the first time when I was 14 and fell in love with his jazzy style to play. The bands I played in were more Funk/Rock oriented, so this resulted in a very interesting mixture of styles...

10. Earth, Wind & Fire - Gratitude
Do I need to say more? When I heard this record for the first time it gave my goose-bumps. It was the perfect music perfectly performed at that time. Influenced my creative work until I gave up on music almost 6 years ago.

As I said before, there are way more songs that really affected me in many ways. But the albums(!) that really influenced me the most were these 10.

groovebuster

~Shard~

Oct 5, 2005, 08:49 AM

Tool - Aenima

Aenima, you say? Third eye, perhaps? :cool:

Les Kern

Oct 5, 2005, 09:14 AM

Only One:

Fragile - Yes

livingfortoday

Oct 9, 2005, 08:57 PM

Just two records that could really count as life-changing:

Bad Religion - 80-85
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

And a couple that at least made a dent:

Propagandhi - Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The end.

Plymouthbreezer

Oct 10, 2005, 01:27 AM

A few significant ones, in no real order:

The Wall - Pink Floyd
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason - Pink Floyd
Jesus Christ Superstar - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Before These Crowded Streets - Dave Matthews Band
What's the Story Morning Glory - Oasis
Hot Fuss - The Killers
In A Safe Place - The Album Leaf

jalagl

Oct 14, 2005, 01:59 AM

I'm a musical person, and, in no particular order, these are albums that have basically acompanied me on particular times on my life and have left a big impresion to this day:

1. Appetite for Destruction by Guns n' Roses
This album helped go through the last two years of elementary school.

2. Best... and The Very Best Of The Smiths by The Smiths
These two records introduced me to The Smiths, and have had a significant impact in my life for the past few years.

3. 18 by Moby
Extreme Ways, to this day, is the song I think about when I'm about to do something incredibly stupid, that I know I shouldn't be doing, but I'm going to do anyway.

4. A Lo Cubano by Orishas
This CD by this is a cuban rap/hip-hop band was the only music at the place we were staying at the beach during what has probably been the best vacation in my life, even though most of it is a bit "fuzzy" (see 3 ;)).

5. Psyence Fiction by U.N.K.L.E.
Introduced me to a completely new type of music.

6. Dummy by Portishead
Some songs on this album have actually brought tears to my eyes at least once.

7. El espíritu del vino by Heroes del Silencio
Spanish rock band, I started to write songs and lyrics after becoming one of their fans. The soundtrack to my first couple of years at the university.

8. And Justice For All... by Metallica
Even though I should include every Metallica Album, I was introduced to them by this one, so it's the one that gets a spot on the list. These albums defined my high school years, motivated me to play the guitar, and my mission in life for a time was to be able to play every track from this record, including the guitar solos.

9. Temperamental by Everything But the Girl
I don't know what it is about this album, but it brings out emotions and memories from some years back.

10. OK Computer by Radiohead
Ok, I tried to avoid naming a RH album, but there are songs on this one that I listen to every single day, and they bring back memories and emotions from my years on the university, and the great times I had.