This is one of those viral list activities that get spread around on Facebook or Myspace. In realizing the amount of time this would take, I decided to post it here on my blog as well.
The Rules:
Think of 20 albums that changed your life or helped make you who you are today. These albums may not be your current favorites, but they were a huge part of your life at one time or another and may still hold some relevance to you now.
These are in NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!
Jerry Cantrell – Degradation Trip (2002)
I enjoy Alice in Chains, not necessary the full albums but their big hits are fantastic. When Jerry Cantrell released his second solo CD, Degradation Trip, I realized just how much Jerry was a huge part of that AIC classic sound. The moody guitar riffs and those amazing vocal harmonies are some of the best in rock music. This double disc album was a huge inspiration to me. Jerry locked himself in dark apartment and never left until he finished writing the album. He nearly lost his mind in the process. The result was a masterpiece; a self-portrait of the darkest parts of his soul and yet so beautiful at the same time. He gave me the inspiration to move forward with my own writing by giving me the proof that one man can produce such great music if he puts his mind into it.
Key Tracks: Anger Rising, Angel Eyes, Solitude, Castaway, She Was My Girl, Angel Eyes, Chemical Tribe
Metallica – Black Album (1991)
Metallica will forever stand as my biggest inspiration and I am not alone with that thought. Countless bands / musicians around today put Metallica at the tops of their lists. I can’t really put into a short paragraph just how huge they are in my world. The Black Album, their biggest album to date, was a stripped down, dare I say commercial version of their former status as thrash kings. While the music lost some of its zip of the 80s, the songwriting was perfected. With classics, such as, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters, Hetfield proved you can be a man’s man even when you spill your heart out on paper and channel it through your guitar. Out of the 12 tracks, 6 of them were released as singles. You can’t argue with success like that.
Key Tacks: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Sad But True
Metallica – And Justice For All (1988)
While Master of Puppets is arguably the best Metallica album, And Justice For All really blew me away with its musical stamina. This album laid down the foundation for my later appreciation of progressive metal bands. AJFA was Metallica’s first album after the passing of Cliff Burton, the band wanted to prove to everyone that they could still write music and that they did. Each track pushed their previous song structures to the extreme, which was the reason why the Black Album had such truncated songs. The double bass and open E chug in “One” will always be one of the most recognizable statements in metal.
Key Tracks: Blackened, Harvester of Sorrow, One, Dyers Eve
Megadeth – Countdown to Extinction (1992)
“Countdown” was the first Megadeth album I heard. While I favor other Megadeth albums (Rust in Piece) over this one, this was my introduction to the band. It features the classic lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Freidman, Dave Ellefson and Nick Menza. I remember my friend Dan King and I trying to pull off the harmonies at the end of the title track in our bedrooms. Dave Mustaine’s guitar style was a big part of my sound in the early days.
Key Tracks: Symphony of Destruction, Sweating Bullets, Countdown to Extinction, Ashes in Your Mouth
Dream Theater – Awake (1994)
After Metallica, Dream Theater has been the second biggest musical inspiration for me. It’s really hard to pinpoint the best DT album because each album is as unique and impressive as the next. To me, Awake just had a great sound to it. It was the third and last album with keyboardist Kevin Moore on it and his last contribution to the band with the song, “Space-Dye Vest”, was the best you could have asked for. Ironically, this album was recorded in the same studio as the Black Album. Maybe I should go record there.
Key Tracks: 6 o’clock, Caught in a Web, The Mirror, Voices, Lifting Shadows Off a Dream, Space-Dye Vest
Dream Theater – Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory (1999)
If it weren’t for this album, DT would have fallen apart. The late 90s were particularly hard for the band with keyboardist, Derek Sheridian, taking over Kevin Moore’s place. 1995’s A Change of Season EP was fantastic but 1997’s Falling Into Infinity was kind of a step back. FII was still better than most albums around at the time, but their virtuosity, for which they were known for, wasn’t as impressive as earlier albums – something was just different. Metropolis Pt. 2 is a concept album, which plays as a follow up to the song “Metropolis Pt. 1” on the album “Images and Words.” Keyword wizard/prodigy, Jordan Rudess, joined the band and brought them to the next level of songwriting and musicianship.
Key Tracks: Fatal Tragedy, Through Her Eyes, Home, The Dance of Eternity, The Spirit Carries On, Finally Free
Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
“Walk” is the first metal song that really hit me. I had already been playing guitar for a couple years, and I had heard Metallica and Megadeth already but for some reason when my friend Rob let me borrow the single for that song, I was blown away and played it over and over. It’s just a great, solid album from start to finish. Again, this album just has a great sound to it. You can hear why Dimebag Darrell will always be a legendary guitarist. Additionally, Phil Anselmo penned some great lyrics for that album and his voice is still one of the coolest voices in metal.
Key Tracks: A New Level, Walk, Fucking Hostile, This Love, Hollow
Radiohead – OK Computer (1997)
I was skeptical when my friend and old band mate, Rich, introduced me to Radiohead. At that time, I wasn’t really open to the idea of alternative rock but when I heard OK Computer I realized how stupid I was being. To me, OK Computer is easily one of the best albums ever. Not since The Beatles had a band been so unique and creative. My words just wouldn’t give this album justice so I’ll end this here.
Key Tracks: Airbag, Paranoid Android, Exit Music, Karma Police, Lucky
Rage Against the Machine – Self-Titled (1992)
Before I was into big heavy guitars, I was really into Rap music. When “Rage” came out, they merged the Rap and Rock worlds together and created a new genre that spawned a bunch of lesser talented spin-offs over the next few years. What made Rage Against the Machine so great was their tight, funky rhythm section, the rebellious lyrics and voice of Zach de la Rocha, topped off by a brilliant new guitar genius, Tom Morello. Morello made the guitar sound like nothing I heard before and still to this day it is hard to find that originality.
Key Tracks: Bombtrack, Killing in the Name, Take the Power Back, Bullet in Your Head, Know Your Enemy
Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)
Is there anyone out there who does not realize the impact that this album had? Nevermind killed Heavy Metal and made Seattle the center of the rock world for much of the 90s. Nirvana’s second album not only changed my life but also changed the world of music. Later we realized that Kurt Cobain and Co. didn’t need screaming vocals and distorted guitars to make them special – “Unplugged in New York” is probably my favorite Nirvana release.
Key Tracks: Smells Like Teen Spirit, In Bloom, Come as You Are, Lithium, Drain You
