Well, here’s my list of 25 albums that shaped my life, more or less. These aren’t my favorites necessarily, although some on this list are.
1. Rubber Soul – The Beatles
Loved the songs as a kid growing up, then loved the album in college and beyond. Still my favorite Beatles album. The Beatles shaped my musical tastes from 1964 on, no question.
2. Last Train to Hicksville – Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks
The first Dan Hicks album I ever discovered and the last one before he broke up that classic band. It was years until Dan Hicks released another new studio album. Not many people know who this guy is, but I like him.
3. Giant Steps – John Coltrane
Was enjoying some smoke in Paul Berzinis’ van with Gary Dinoia in front of my house one night in high school. Dad was supposed to be working late. This album was what we were listening to. Suddenly there came a knock on the rear doors of the van and my father poked his head in and sniffed dramatically, then said to me, “Michael, meet me in my office in five minutes.” My favorite jazz album.
4. 50 Years of Swing – Tito Puente
A fairly recent discovery, Tito was El Rey de Timbale alright. Disc 3 of this collection ends with the superb live versions of Fiesta a la King and Oye Como Va. Introduced me to latin jazz, and now that is one of my favorite genres of music.
5. A Man and His Music – Frank Sinatra
The album that introduced me to Frankie. A great collection on Reprise, got me through a weird period before I met my first wife when I was living with my parents and spending all my time in their basement doing um, stuff.
6. Night Lights – Gerry Mulligan
First jazz album I ever heard. My parents owned it, and my friend Jimmy Miller and I used to listen to late at night when everybody else was sleeping. The title cut is sublime.
7. Chicago 2 = Chicago
This could easily have been Chicago 3 as well. I was a band geek in high school; played the bass drum in the marching band and all my friends were in the band. This is what we used to listen to. Saw ‘em live once in New Haven; they played Got to Get You Into My Life by the Beatles as one of their encores.
8. Something/Anything – Todd Rundgren
I almost put A Wizard A True Star in instead of this, but this was my first Todd experience. Simply brilliant and original from top to bottom.
9. Freak Out – The Mothers of Invention
Another brilliant album. I enjoyed different sections of this album in different periods of my life, and in my opinion its STILL Frank’s best. I remember, da-doo-doo, I remember, do-doo-doo, I remember, da-doo-doo, they had a SWIMMING POOL!
10. The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys – Traffic
Ah, Junior High School. My older brother used to play this all the time, and it reminds me of a pleasant period of my life when I was just learning to be a social animal.
11. Roadwork – Edgar Winter’s White Trash
My brother’s band Rush played my 9th grade dance. Jimmy Miller and I used to attend their practices all the time and they played a bunch of songs from this great live album. The version of Still Alive and Well from this album is still a favorite of mine.
12. Time Out – Dave Brubeck
Once upon a time, I was a piano player and after I discovered jazz, originally through Coltrane, Brubeck and this album was the next jazz recording I discovered.
13. Serie Cristal – Tito Puente
Maybe my single favorite Tito album. One of those oddball collections of stuff from other recordings, but it does have about four or five outstanding live tunes in a row that simply make me want to get up and dance. Still a major favorite.
14. American Graffiti Motion Picture Soundtrack
So shoot me, I like 50s oldies. And this movie. Used to listen to this ALL the time.
15. West Side Story – Original Broadway Cast Album
My mother is to blame for this, which also could have been The Music Man, My Fair Lady, South Pacific, Cabaret or Fiddler on the Roof. She used to love original broadway cast albums, and we heard this stuff all the time growing up. I still like show tunes to this day because of my mother.
16. Pretzel Logic – Steely Dan
Reminds me of my high school days. First Steely Dan album I ever heard, I think the music on this one has a very cool sound.
17. April in Paris – Count Basie and his Orchestra
Just brilliant, brash, swingin’ big band jazz. Let’s do it one more once.
18. Soul Burst – Cal Tjader
Another latin jazz favorite. I have Larry Hoffer to thank for turning me on to Cal. Cal was an unlikely pioneer of latin jazz. A vibes player from the midwest, he became one of the most influential latin jazz artists, discovering other talents such as Vince Guaraldi and Poncho Sanchez.
19. Carlos Santana/Buddy Miles Live
First album I ever bought. Have loved Santana ever since.
20. Disney’s Fantasia Soundtrack – Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra
Awesome classical music from an equally awesome film. Sorta represents my classical music tastes on this list.
21. The Who By Numbers – The Who
Hat’s off to Sam Kramer for turning me on to this one, which remains my favorite Who album. Was never into the Who much before hearing this album.
22. Jet Sounds – Nicola Conte
My introduction to lounge music. Love it, especially Bosse Per Due from the car commercial.
23. Pictures at an Exhibition – Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Related to my piano playing youth, I used to love ELP. In fact, they were my first live rock concert, in Yale Bowl in high school. This was my favorite of theirs from that period.
24. The Doors – The Doors
Sorry but I do love this album and used to listen to it ALL the time back in the day.
25. Houses of the Holy – Led Zeppelin
When I was 17, I went to Florida with my mother and sister and the song Dyer Maker was on the radio station you listened to in your seat on the plane. Not my favorite Zep album, but this is the one that got me to listen to them.