The albums that have shaped your life

[Icky Mettle]

I realize there is music thread, but I figured this is sort of a diversion from that more general topic so I am posting this in a separate thread. What are the music albums (including proper albums, EPs, soundtracks, compilations, and greatest hits collections) that have shaped your life?

I will hit the half-century mark this coming weekend. Approaching that milestone has made me reflect on a number of things, and one of those things is my musical journey through life.

Music has always been a big part of my life and there is a pretty much a soundtrack to my memories. I compiled album covers to 250 albums that have shaped my life thus far. I put them in approximate chronological order based on when in my life I got into each album (to the best of my recollection). It goes all the way back to the first album I remember listening to over and over again: The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack, which I got when I was 4 or 5. And it goes up to two very recently released albums that I currently have on heavy rotation: Alex G’s Headlights and Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band’s New Threats From the Soul.

There are more that could be included in there and it certainly doesn’t cover all the music that has shaped of my life (a great deal of music that has impacted me has not necessarily appeared on albums that I’ve had on heavy rotation). But the following album covers are albums that moved me and that I have had on pretty heavy rotation on whatever music-playing mechanism I was using at the time to listen to music:

 

[uncsig]

That's an impressive collage. Curious how you made it.

 

[TangledUpInBlue06]

Love it. I see a lot of familiar albums there, which means I'm gonna explore some of the others that are new to me.

I'll humbly add Sigur Ros's Takk. Still a regular listen twenty years on and, in my head at least, a soundtrack to many life moments.

 

[Centerpiece]

Will the Circle Be Unbroken

It got me started playing bluegrass guitar.
Joined a bluegrass band in 1974
Started doing gigs in 1977
Continued through college
We got a gig as the “house” bluegrass band at Kings Dominion near Richmond… 2 summers in a row
Parlayed that experience into moving to Europe as a busker
Learned to play jazz while in Europe
Moved home in 1992 started teaching school and coaching (while still playing bluegrass and jazz gigs on the side)
Now retired and still playing gigs.
I doubt any of that happens had it not been for the Dirt Band and that album with Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs and other giants of the genre.

Talk about shaping my life….

 

[breepf]

Rollins Band, The End of Silence.

^^ this album exhausted my older brother’s knowledge of cool music, but it was enough to launch me into Black Flag and Minor Threat, the SST and Dischord catalogs.

Hot Water Music, Fuel for the Hate Game & Forever and Counting

^^^ there was a hardcore/emocore pipeline in the mid to late 90s from Richmond to Gainesville, and these two albums were its pinnacle.

Isis, Oceanic

^^^The earlier Isis records were great but goddamn this 2000 one launched my ongoing obsession with Aaron Turner’s projects.

…About ten lost years listening to too much indie rock…

Andy Stott, Passed Me By/We Stay Together (2011)

^^^ experimental/left field electronic music is now something I apparently like!

Miles Davis, Tribute to Jack Johnson

^^^Holy fucking shit now post-bop and fusion records make sense to me!

Sumac, The Healer (2024)

^^^ My favorite record of the 21st century

 

[BillyL]

Neil Young's Harvest

CSNY . . 4 Way Street

Springsteen's Wild, the Innocent & E Street Shuffle

The Who . . Who's Next

Black Sabbath . . Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

The Who . . Quadrophenia

Led Zep . . #1 & #2

Elton John . . Madman Across the Water

Phil Collins . . No Jacket Required

Moody Blues . . This is the Moody Blues

Marvin Gaye . . What's Going On

Beatles . . Sergeant Pepper

Cat Stevens . . Tea for the Tillerman

 

[Heelsandeers]

 

[OldWHEEL]

You all need more women in your lives.
Carol King Tapestry
Joni Mitchell Blue
Billie Eilish When W Fall Asleep
The Pretenders, Pretenders
Lucinda Williams Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

 

[ChileG]

I realize there is music thread, but I figured this is sort of a diversion from that more general topic so I am posting this in a separate thread. What are the music albums (including proper albums, EPs, soundtracks, compilations, and greatest hits collections) that have shaped your life?

I will hit the half-century mark this coming weekend. Approaching that milestone has made me reflect on a number of things, and one of those things is my musical journey through life.

Music has always been a big part of my life and there is a pretty much a soundtrack to my memories. I compiled album covers to 250 albums that have shaped my life thus far. I put them in approximate chronological order based on when in my life I got into each album (to the best of my recollection). It goes all the way back to the first album I remember listening to over and over again: The Empire Strikes Back soundtrack, which I got when I was 4 or 5. And it goes up to two very recently released albums that I currently have on heavy rotation: Alex G’s Headlights and Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band’s New Threats From the Soul.

There are more that could be included in there and it certainly doesn’t cover all the music that has shaped of my life (a great deal of music that has impacted me has not necessarily appeared on albums that I’ve had on heavy rotation). But the following album covers are albums that moved me and that I have had on pretty heavy rotation on whatever music-playing mechanism I was using at the time to listen to music:

Geezer Lake sighting!