15 Albums That Made Me Who I Am. Formative.

Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then when you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!

(Difficult to get it down to a bare essential 15. Many of these albums I don't even own anymore, but they are burned on my soul, baby. These are the formative ones....I think another list will have to take care of the true all time faves. In as close to order of discovery as I can manage....)

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^1980 Autoamerican - Blondie
This was the first album I owned. It was a requested birthday present and it was mine all mine. I regaled my teammates in line for drills at soccer practice with my Deborah Harry imitation..I knew all the words to Rapture. But this whole albums kills, crossing all the genres and smelling like a rose in every one. Intro to disco, punk, new wave, reggae, rap, and torch, to name only a few, though I think it was all about rock. I saw her with some configuration of the old band a few months ago at the Xtra bar here in Zurich. I am a dork but I do believe we shared a moment.

^1983 Synchronicity - The Police
^1983 War - U2
^1984 Unforgettable Fire- U2
These albums are forever entwined in my memory as my very favorites of an endless stream of all the albums by both of these artists. Although they may have been a couple of years old when I first heard them, these were still what all the cool cute boys were listening to when I was first allowed to ride around with them in their cars in Lubbock, Texas. Later, Unforgettable Fire and Bad were all my longing and discovery when I moved from Lubbock to Del Rio.

^1985 The Head on The Door - The Cure
Thank you KTXT, college radio. Thank you God that my parent's room was on the other side of the house, though Head On The Door the single was so poppy and vague lyrically, who could have known we were heading into artsy darksy emo.

^1985 Big Lizard In My Backyard- The Dead Milkmen
Intro to Absurd. Hilarious, with no rules or reverence. From then on I thought all punk was meant to be funny.

^1985 Hounds of Love-Kate Bush
Again, bless KTXT for playing Running Up That Road. This album told really engaging stories. I was henceforth hooked and have loved everything she has ever done, with special mention to The Red Shoes and Aerial. I have played all three until Daniel my husband would .. er..like me to stop. :)

^1977 Love Songs - The Beatles
What? It is not an album? So what.

^1988 Life's Too Good- The Sugar Cubes
Bizarre and sublime. Lyrics so raw and funny and unselfconscious. Not like me at all but oh so admired.

^1995 Original Soundtracks 1-Passengers (who are actually U2)
When I heard Luciano Pavarotti's solo on Miss Sarajevo it went to a place inside my brain I didn't previously know existed and sparked an endorphin fire I would relentlessly bore my friends trying to describe. I sought and bought this album and excitedly played it for anyone new (my roommates rolling their eyes) to try to spark their brains too. Had I just been born? I love this whole diverse record. I can loan it to you. Can you give it back now please. :)

^1981 Discipline-King Crimson
^1986 Deep End Live! -Pete Townshend
These two were late discoveries, about 1997ish, and belong together for me. Discipline is surprisingly danceable. I love both Adrian Belew's vocals and guitar style. He is currently touring with Julie and Eric Slick and when I saw them a few months back he did some of this album and it was still amazing. As technically skilled as he is, you can nevertheless see and hear he is just having a blast when he plays. It comes through.
Pete Townshend is a poet and I love his voice and lyrics and everything about this album.

^1968 Astral Weeks- Van Morrison
^1975 Still Crazy After All These Years- Paul Simon
These two go together. I didn't really find them until about 1998? Played them over and over. These are morning-before-work-coffee-and-smokes-with-chats-with -friends-who-stopped-in. These are kitchen table counseling for the lovelorn. These are that hottest summer in Austin. These are the albums I stripped and refinished my wood floors to.

^1988 Sharpeville- The Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra
This album has touched me profoundly first, in that I loved it, and second, because it is mysteriously non-existent. I pulled it from the discount bin in at the mall music shop in Del Rio I think, and almost wore it out. The title song is a haunting bittersweet violin instrumental, it was my favorite. I didn't worry too much about leaving this worn out tape in a box in some closet or God forbid attic at my Mom's house because I knew I needed to replace it with a CD anyway. Well I am here to tell you it is un-findable. Google doesn't know it. Amazon and Wikipedia have never heard of it. My research in trying to find it has lead me to read about the Sharpeville massacre in 1960 in South Africa where a peaceful protest turned violent, which some shed light on the content of this beautiful, soulful album. But all record of its existence seems to have otherwise vanished. ?? anyone??



If you read it and you like it consider yourself tagged. Go forth and tag.

PS. My dear friend has located Sharpeville for me and I will soon be ordering it anew from here! :)