What Album Changed Your Life

I am a life-long lover of rock, pop and soul music, and admittedly, I perhaps have too much time on my hands these days.
 
This has, however, allowed me to keep ex­ploring new musical paths—like my recent “baby step” forays into the world of Jazz! In perusing my music collection recently, I asked myself some questions. From the drop of the needle to begin side 1 to the final notes of the last song of side 2, which albums moved me in some way? Opened doors to new ideas? Helped me to evolve? Altered my perspec­tive or previously held perceptions about something or someone? Like a good book, transported me to another place? Made me the most happy--or perhaps even altered the course of my life?
 
While these questions seemed simple, I had unexpectantly given myself a huge and rather unwieldy task. I love so many different art­ists, songs and recordings. How could I pos­sibly narrow it down to just one or two AL­BUMS in my effort to answer these questions? This column is my awkward effort to provide some answers. I am sure of only two things at this point. The recordings that I have consid­ered in my quest are all truly “albums” in ev­ery sense of the word as originally intended by the artist(s). That is, they are not compi­lations or greatest hits packages. Secondly, I can assure you that this list of albums (a ridiculously small number of just 3) will for­ever be changing for me as time goes on. So in no particular order, here we go:
 
Led Zeppelin “Physical Graffiti”(1975)
Like a lot of kids in high school in the 70’s, I came to worship this powerful British quar­tet! This double album was loaded with Zep classics from end to end. It ultimately be­came my gateway to the world of album rock, and before long I purchased all of Zeppelin’s other albums at the gaudy price of let’s say $7.99 each. Prior to this, I was mostly listen­ing to Top 40 on AM radio. “PG,” as we called it, opened up a whole new world. I would much later find out that music on “PG” was heavily influenced by Middle Eastern, swing, blues and 50’s era rock n roll. At the time, I just knew it sounded heavy and loud as well as tender and mesmerizing all at once. Jimmy Page’s guitarwork on “Kashmir” will never be duplicated.
 
Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young “Déjà Vu” (1970)
After arriving at college in ’77 armed with a stereo system that played all the contempo­rary bands (Aerosmith, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, etc.) perhaps a little too loudly, I was intro­duced to this album by an older hippie-ish guy in the dorm. In short, it changed my world. First, this music was by this time all of SEVEN years old. Nothing that “old” could be any good, or so I naively thought. Secondly, the lyrics, harmonies, storytelling and the MESSAGE that CSNY delivered became impor­tant and very relevant to me then and moving forward, and it was done with tenderness and passion. Listening to this album invited me to explore music from the previous generation (50’s, 60’s & early 70’s) and to realize that song writing was an art form. I think I be­came a collector of music because of the door that was opened here. “Suite Judy Blue Eyes” and “Teach Your Children” remain two of my favorite songs ever.
 
“American Beauty” Grateful Dead (1970)
Talk about literally altering the course of one’s life...In the spring of ’79, I recall being invited to a gathering at an off-campus house notorious for its’ rathe bohemian atmosphere and partying ways. As the lights got low at some point in the middle of the night, a guy put on an album by a group I had never heard of. I ask, “Who is this?” The response is “It’s Jerry, man.  You know, the Dead, man.” Actually no, I don’t know. But as the album concludes 41 minutes later and after guitarists Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir have led me on a musical journey that includes touches of folk, country and psychedelic rock, I do, in fact, “know.” Four days later, I attended my first Grateful Dead show in Boston—indeed the first of many over decades. And the rest shall they say is his­tory. Perhaps there’s fodder for another column here LOL.
 
Honorable Mentions
A Very Incomplete List of Albums That Changed My Consciousness
“Abbey Road” The Beatles
“The Stranger” Billy Joel
“The Doors” (debut album)
“Who’s Next” The Who
“Imagine” John Lennon
“Infidels” Bob Dylan
“Tapestry” Carole King
“Alone Together” Dave Mason
“John Barleycorn” Traffic
“Innervisions” Stevie Wonder
“Life for Rent” Dido
“Exile on Main Street” The Rolling Stones
“Fragile” Yes
“War” U2
“Dark Side of the Moon” Pink Floyd
“Scarecrow” John Mellencamp
“Are You Experienced?” The Jimi Hendrix Experience
“After the Gold Rush” Neil Young
“Revolver” The Beatles
“Tracy Chapman” (debut album)

Originally published in 406 Woman magazine - Off Key Notes (January/February 2024)

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