I hate challenges on Facebook.
You know the ones like: post this for however many days and blah blah blah…
Usually if I’m invited or nominated I just ignore them. I think they’re stupid.
But as opinionated as I can be, I can still have an open mind (I know, hard to believe), especially when it comes to music and creativity.
So I caved (kinda) to do a Top 10 Album list. In no particular order.
The deal is, these are albums that had some kind of effect on you in your life but you still occasionally have them in your playlist.
Honestly, there are very few albums that I still listen to now that I listened to in the past, I mean with Kiss being the exception. I revisit the odd one once in a while, but mostly it’s just for nostalgia’s sake.
Growing up I listened to tons of music, yes, other than Kiss, but now, I’m always looking for great new music to listen to.
Funny, coming from a self-proclaimed music snob.
Here are the albums in no particular order.
- Metallica – Reload. I discovered this album quite a while after it was released. It gets slagged. I don’t care. The lyric writing and the riffs and the energy of it isn’t typical Metallica. I still play this on my ipod.
- Bryan Adams – Cuts Like a Knife (It was a toss up between this and Reckless). This album probably changed my life as an artist/performer. The songs are straight pure rock. The riffs and melodies are so memorable and I still use a few of these songs in my vocal rehearsal list. One of my fave songs was co-written with Eric Carr from Kiss. Bryan and Jim Vallance wrote a few songs for/with Kiss…betcha didn’t know that.
- Def Leppard-Vault. I chose this, not only because I am heavily influenced by Def Leppard; music, melody, riffs, dynamics, but because this was a compilation of some of their best songs from their earlier albums.
- Warrant – Dog Eat Dog Warrant to me is one of the most underrated bands of the late 80’s/early 90’s. They started out with all that rock/pop fluff of their ballad Heaven, and the eye rolling (from me) Cherry Pie et al, but the songs evolved and their front man, Jani Lane the sole writer, was incredibly prolific and his melodies were amazing. He passed away a few years ago and if I have one regret in my life it was not writing with him. Yeah, I have big goals…
- Dokken – Tooth and Nail. This album was VERY influential for me. I often forget how their singer Don Dokken influenced me as a young singer. He’s got a big range (or used to have, anyway), and I still love rehearsing to many of their songs. It was SO cool when their bass player Jeff Pilson (also now with Foreigner) played on my second album Hidden Power. One of the nicest and most talented guys in the business. (Now I just have to convince him to clear enough time in his schedule to produce an album for me.)
- Winger – Greatest Hits. Another underrated band. They started out as eye candy in the 80’s, but have evolved into one of my all-time favourite bands. The melodies, the riffs, the vocals, the production…another producer who I’m pestering to produce for me at some point.
- Yngwie Malmsteen – Odyssey (vocals by Joe Lynn Turner). I often forget how much JLT has influenced me as a vocalist, and even better this album has songs about crystal balls and stuff.
- Triumph – Sport of Kings. Ironic how the front cover has tarot cards and I didn’t notice until I rediscovered it a few years ago. Singers Gil Moore and Rik Emmett…enough said. I never got a chance to meet Rik when he played on Two Words and Power It Through from Monsters. He’s amazing.
- Kiss – Alive III. Again, a compilation of old and new. I’ve listened to this a billion times and it’s still one of my absolute fave live albums. When we went to LA to have Stephen Markussen master Blame It On Rock & Roll, I actually got to sit in the same seat as Gene did when Alive III was mastered only a few months before. It was because of the big huge sound of this album that Stephen was my first choice. I’d hoped some of that would rub off on BIOR&R.
- Metallica –S&M. Metallica playing with the Symphony with Maestro Michael Kamen at the helm. Need I say more? I especially love blasting this when I scrub my floors and do spring/fall cleaning in my house.
- Kiss – Creatures of the Night. I got this for Christmas when it came out and I was at my Aunt and Uncle’s. My Uncle, who had a killer stereo, let me listen to this with headphones. OMG. The melodies, the HUGE rock sound, the lyrics…by far one of Kiss’ best albums…I could have cared less about Christmas.
Wow, I have so many other albums that were a huge influence for me…
Most, I rarely listen to. Maybe it’s the dated sound production in some cases, or maybe I’ve just moved on.
In all of these albums, there is a common theme that grips me; the guitar riffs; the tons of guitars and big drum sound, the melodies and vocal harmonies, and the lyrics.
Most of the songs I love on these albums are a combination of all of the above.
To me, there is so much craft in these albums; something I strive for as an artist and a songwriter.
I just know that on first listen, for whatever reason, these albums hit me upside the head and have had the power to still move me after all these years.
That’s the power of music.
