My web host had been down for almost 24 hours now, but i'm back! First time since i've been with them (4 months) - hope it's not a recurring theme. I'm back in action after a great wedding weekend. Everything went off as planned and my sister is currently enjoying her honeymoon up in the Algonquin region. But more about the weekend in Wednesday's post. Today, to the topic at hand, our first reader-requested topic: Top 5 Albums that Define a Period in Your Life. Any time frame is eligible, from a memorable night to perhaps a sweet vacation to even an entire decade. We all have a favourite record that transports us back in time to a specific year and place every time we play it, and now we want to hear about them in all their glory! Chronological order is also suggested, from earliest to most current.
Top 5 Albums that Define a Period in Your Life
- 1985 - INXS - The Swing/Listen Like Thieves
I had these two albums taped on both sides of a blank tape from my friend's vinyl copies. I played them ad nauseum through the end of public school and into high school. I think Burn For You is one of my favourite songs of all time. I still have that cassette around here somewhere. - 1992 - Rage Against the Machine
First year of college and i meet Rich and Geoff. We form a metal band. Our music production teacher Jack Richardson leaks a copy of his son Garth's latest project to the class. That project is the first Rage album and our minds and ears would never be the same. Still one of my regular listens and still some of the phattest tones captured on record. - 1995 - Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus
I enter into my jamband/hippie transformation by helping to form our great
folk-funk-jamband, Kickstand Travolta. Our keys player Ben "Hair Salon" Harrison exposes me to much Dead and Phish. We hit the road to see the Dead. This CD is played about 10 times over the 3-day excursion and burned into my brain as the soundtrack to my best full concert experience ever. I still love jambands to this day. - August 9, 1995 - Grateful Dead - Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. - 05-16-81 (tape)
Set 2 from this show was the first show played the day the music died. Shakedown Street opened the set. Our band had a show that evening and we played a spirited rendition of Shakedown in honour of the man. - 1999 - The Clash - London Calling
Forever burned into memory as the soundtrack to a tour of Germany and Holland that i played on with the band Red/Uisce Beatha (same guys; one band rock, one celtic). I was one of only 2 guys with licenses so i split the driving with Mitsy, our bass player. We had 4 tapes in the van for the whole tour: Oasis - Definitely Maybe and What's the Story..., a Bob Marley mix tape, some crazy misc. mix tape our booking agent made us, and London Calling. Fantastic experience.
I finally posted my list. It's good be be back in the land of computers once more.
Posted by: maddy on October 14, 2002 07:48 PMbetter late then never i suppose:
jimi's picks
#5) JellyFish - Spilt Milk
Definitely a step into the positive music vibrations for me, leaving behind the chug chug, grunt-grunt early 90's grit grunge.
#4) White Zombie - La Sexorcisto Devil Music Vol 2
Big, big fan of the original Rob Zombie. This album helped me to hone my meter. Played along many times with headphones on!
#3) Rage Against the Machine
At a time where music was soo fashionable (plaid, vans, levi's etc) and seattle was the place to be, Rage introduced a new political aggression, stabbing back at the corp. machine, identifying with my tormented youth. Still a fav when the bargain hits the road!
#2) Helmet - Betty / Primus - Suck on this Live.
Could stop listening to either of these! Always in my walkman, always on my mind. Listen and Learn!
#1) Red Hot Chili Peppers - BSSM
Damn................speechless.
Ok, I don't have 5 right now. It is really hard to be at work and to do this so quickly.
1) Always a constant defining album in my life - Weezer Blue.
No matter what I'm doing Weezer is always great to listen to. Always played at least once at every party and usually always played at some point during the night.
2) Summer 2002 - John Mayer, Room for Squares
I found that I can relate to alot of John's music. It really helped to define what I was feeling and how I wanted to feel.
3) Early '90's - Janet Jackson, Rythm Nation.
It was the first CD I ever got. I even tried to dress like Janet back then. The earring with the key and all that fun stuff.
4) January 2002 - Introduced to Incuus, Enjoy.
Sitting in Michelle's basement burning CD's, Benny borught over some Incubus. He played AZWETHINKWEIZ and I fell in LOVE with Incubus!
They just know how to pick me up, all the time.
So there is 4. Not too bad, just off the top of my head.
Later!
Posted by: Paula on October 10, 2002 01:48 PM
i will do this! but it'll have to be later because i'm about to fall over dead tired and my brain is having difficulty with contemplating music, much less music from the past right now.
Posted by: eris on October 10, 2002 12:11 AMcongrats selbs! and except for the aaron tippin i as well rocked all those albums at one time or another. ahh the sweet sweet music. not sure if the full germany tour story will make an appearance here, but the plan is to have a "band history" section of the cowbell site when i get off my ass and do it, so who knows?!
Posted by: scotty on October 9, 2002 08:16 AMOh, and I want to hear the story about the Germany/Holland trip!
Posted by: Douglas on October 8, 2002 11:55 PMOkay, here it goes. This may seem random, but hey, everyone goes through different stages in life.
1. 1986 - Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill.
High school, recorded off of a friends tape. One of the first albums I really got in to. Still one hell of an album!
2. 1989 - Led Zeppelin III.
Hey, every guy went through a Led Zeppelin phase, right? This was Senior year of high school through Freshman Year of college.
3. 1991 - Mother Love Bone. (selected at random from a bunch that I loved during that time)
This was my grunge before grunge was cool phase.
4. 1993 - Aaron Tippin - Read Between the Lines.
How's that for a switch!? Post grunge, I listened to what most of the other college kids listened to in that small town...Country!
5. 1995 - Prodigy - Music for the Jilted Generation.
This was a hard one. Do I go current, or the next in order? Went with next in order. Moved back to the city after college, got first real job, needed faster paced music. Any one guess as to where my music taste is now???
You know, looking through my CD's, I can come up with a million top 5's. Maybe I need to watch High Fidelity again!
First to to the news at hand:
"Hello there everybody. I am pleased to be the bearer of great tidings from the Selbie family.
At 11:11 am on October 7, 2002, Lesley Selbie gave birth to JACOB ALEXANDER SELBIE in Ajax, Ontario. My nephew weighed 6lbs. 12 oz. and was 19 inches long (in case you were wondering). Jacob was about two and a half weeks early, but he is doing perfectly fine!
Uncle John Selbie"
On to the poll:
#5) 1994 - University Year 1. Tie - Radiohead -The Bends and The Cranberries - No Need to Argue. Both albums seemed to be on 24/7 in someone's dorm room. I heard the Bends so much I had to put it on hiatus for 5 years...
#4) 1992 - High School. Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend. Still hands down his best album. Never strayed far from the stereo...
#3) 2001 - Move to Toronto. Ryan Adams. All albums (Whiskeytown too) All the time. The Sweet One loves his Ryan Adams.
#2) 1987 - Al starts listening to good music. U2 - The Joshua Tree. I liked this album so much as a kid I got the friggin' tree tatooed on my leg...
#1) 1992 - High School. U2 - Achtung Baby. Love 'em or hate 'em This album kicks ass and defines the last years of high school perfectly.
Honourable Mentions: PJ - 10, Any Hip Disc anytime...
Al
Posted by: Sweet Al on October 8, 2002 08:43 PM