What are your "Profound Albums"

[phoenix]

Here's a little Facebook diddy I wrote at the request of one of my guitar buddies and former West Point classmates/bandmates entitled 'Profound Albums'. What are your 'Profound Albums'? Tell us about the music that inspired you!

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac (1975)

Allright-- don’t laugh, but this is the first record I ever owned, so it's going in first. I was 9 years old and had just gotten one of those 'portable' record players. You know-- the ones that looked like a piece of Samsonite luggage. Anyway... some of the older kids I knew were into The Fleetwood Mac, so I picked up the band's latest release. For many, the self titled debut of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks stands in the shadow of the groups next and biggest selling album Rumours. But in my opinion, Fleetwood Mac is the best album this line-up ever produced. Lindsey's unique fingerstyle approach to rock guitar surely must have been the inspiration-- as well as frustration-- for many an aspiring young guitarist. Just listen to World Turning, Rhiannon, I'm So Afraid, and of course Landslide and you'll know what I mean. As fate would have it, after failing to embrace the more polished Rumours, I travelled backwards through the catalog and discovered one helluva blues band!

John Mayall Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966)

Early on it became very clear that I wasn't like the other boys and girls. While other kids were listening to crap like Shawn Cassidy and Da Doo Run Run, I was listening to the blues! I got interested in John Mayall because Peter Green had played with him before teaming up with fellow Bluesbreakers John McVie and Mick Fleetwood to become the founding members of Fleetwood Mac. From there it didn't take me long to discover with Eric Clapton, which actually preceded Greeny's A Hard Road by a year. For me, the 'Beano' album (as it is known by fans) paved the way for blues-inspired rock guitar. If you don't feel the 'sway' while listening to Hideway, Steppin' Out, or Ramblin' On My Mind --- then you should probably check for a pulse!

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin I and Led Zeppelin II (1969)

Okay, if we were to play Name That Tune--- what guitar player couldn't name Heartbreaker in one note? With all due to respect to Mr. Edward Van Halen..... Jimmy Page was experimenting with the 'hammer-on/ pull-off' while Edward was still in grade school!

Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

Do yourself a favor. First-- find someone with one of those Hi Fidelity stereo systems with vacuum-tube powered components. You know... the ones that could heat your house in the winter and have to be licensed with the NRC. Then-- listen to this album AGAIN for the first time. You'll hear stuff on the record you never knew existed. And with enough THC..... it will all finally make sense!

Lynyrd Skynyrd Pronounced (1973) and Street Survivors (1977)

I was born and raised in the South, and lived 10 years in Birmingham--Sweet Home Alabama. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing the anthems of Southern Rock and I was affected. I've got the original Street Survivors LP with the original album cover picturing the band standing tall, engulfed in flames. This version was ultimately recalled soon after the plane crash which prematurely took the lives of Ronnie Van Zandt, Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie Gaines. Tuesday's Gone but not forgotten, so fly high Freebird! Next time you're looking for a guitar workout, try playing I Know A Little... in cut time!

AC/DC If You Want Blood You've Got It (1978)

This wasn't the first AC/DC album I bought. Much to my Mother's disappointment I started out with Highway to Hell. Over the years I've pretty much owned every album up to For Those About To Rock on LP, cassette, 8-track AND CD; however, there is no other AC/DC album that catches the raw intensity of the boys like 1978's ‘live’ If You Want Blood You've Got It. So if you don’t have it…. then get it! And while you're at it, if you still have a VCR find a copy of the concert video Let There Be Rock filmed on location in Paris, France, during the '79 Highway to Hell Tour. Great stuff!

Judas Priest British Steel (1980)

Every once in a while a song comes along which resonates inside you like a standing wave and causes your foot to involuntarily begin keeping time while your head rocks back and forth to the beat. It doesn’t matter where I am—or what I’m doing—but when I hear the intro to Living After Midnight I can’t help but pick up my ‘air’ instruments and join in! There are still days when I just can’t get this song out of my head!

Rush Moving Pictures (1981)

‘Enter Tom Sawyer….’ I don’t think any of us picked up this album or became RUSH fans based on the unique vocal styling’s of Geddy Lee. Rather, show me an 8th grader who wasn’t inspired to pick up the sticks after hearing Neil Peart working out on this album! I was no exception; unfortunately, my musical aspirations went over like a lead balloon with the 'Rents. In the end I finally did pick up the sticks….. and I’m still rockin!

Black Sabbath Heaven and Hell (1980) and Mob Rules (1981)

I won’t deny that 1971’s Paranoid and Master of Reality are landmark albums in the evolution of Heavy Metal, but didn’t anyone besides me find Ozzy just a little… annoying? I‘m a proud member of the relative few who actually prefer the MKII lineup fronted by Ronnie James Dio. These 2 albums just kick ass!

Guns 'N' Roses Appetite For Destruction (1987)

I had just left West Point and was readjusting to civilian life. Unfortunately the mid to late 80's just didn't do it for me musically with 'Hair' bands such as Poison and Bon Jovi dominating the airwaves and MTV. But then one day I heard this song Welcome to the Jungle and I thought, "About F'ing time!!!" From nowhere Guns 'N' Roses injected new life into Rock 'N' Roll! Unfortunately the band's wings were made of wax, and they ended up flying too close to the sun.....

Queensryche Operation Mindcrime (1988)

I have to thank my friend Alec Lee for introducing me to this band while still at USMA. Queensryche are--- different. Melodic vocals spanning four octaves, alternate tunings with innovative tandem harmonic guitar work, heavy-handed off-beat drumming, and lyrics that leave you rethinking-- everything. In short… Mindcrime is the album that still keeps me up at night.

Eric Johnson Ah Via Musicom (1990)

This is the album that inspired me to play the guitar. Period.

Metallica Metallica (1991)

Aka “The Black Album” -- came out during my first year in medical school. Sure I had heard of Metallica, but for one reason or another my exposure always seemed….. tangential. Maybe more like “Wrong place. Wrong time.” During high school I never really identified with the underground thrash metal scene so 1983’s Kill ‘Em All came and went unnoticed. Come 1986 I was so busy trying to survive Plebe Year at West Point that Master of Puppets pretty much went unnoticed as well. Flash-forward back to 1991-- I’m sitting in my med school dorm room studying for a Biochem final and over the radio comes Enter Sandman. WHOA! But wait a minute—I thought, “Wasn’t Metallica supposed to be the quintessential Thrash/Speed Metal band???” Well, what I was now hearing was a slower-paced, heavy-riffed sound that really kicked my ass! And the result? I re-discovered one of the most influential Heavy Metal bands of all time! Not surprisingly, if asked today which Metallica album is my favorite…. it would NOT be the album that introduced me to the band…

Hellcasters Return Of The Hellcasters (1993)

What happens when you get 3 of country music's most talented hired guns together? With a respectful nod to Roy Buchanan....."Telecasting" at its finest!

Michael Hedges Beyond Boundaries (2001)

Mind blowing compilation of one of the most innovative guitarists of our time."

[lostsoulcamero]

Nirvana nevermind

Pearl jam ten

Tool all of them

Nine inch nails pretty hate machine

[Wicky]

Zepplin 1&3, Steppenwolf 12&3 , Sabbath Master of Reality, Bowie Alladin sane.

[Croz71]

Wow phoenix, you and I have the exact same taste in music

I own 99% of the albums you just listed and they are the ones that had the biggest impact on my life.

The only 2 I would add are :

Pink Floyd-The Wall...my favourite of all time

Ozzy Osbourne-Tribute to Randy Rhoads

[Wicky]

And Rushs' 1st. before Peart.

[Wicky]

And Grand Funk Live. But never any Springsteen.

[phoenix]

Nirvana nevermind

Pearl jam ten

Tool all of them

Tool = bone crushing goodness

Nevermind and Ten are landmark albums for sure, but when it came to "Grunge" and the "Seattle Sound", I gravitated toward Soundgarden. Badmotorfinger is one of my Desert Island Discs and is always in the lineup.

[phoenix]

And Grand Funk Live. But never any Springsteen.

Sorry, Ken. LOL

[Wicky]

Badmotorfinger is brilliant!

[Wicky]

First off must have been Revolver. Although I'd heard Beatles before. Maybe, 1st record on VJ. I think I was 8?

[phoenix]

Many amazing albums and artists out there over the decades. I am a huge 80's hair metal and 70's hard rock fan. AC/DC. Def Leppard, Zep, Queen, Alice Cooper, Metallica, The Who, Aerosmith, GnR, Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio, etc...

That being said, the most "profound" album I have ever listened to was the Temptations Masterpiece. It took me to a different dimension and universe....even when I was sober. When I wasn't, I saw the music and tasted the colours. Unbelievable experience.

Love Queen! News of the World and Day at the Races are fav's. My HS band used to cover Tie your Mother Down

Another band I was in used to do a medley of (the Temptations') Shakey Ground into (Stevie Wonder's) Superstitious

[Jason55555]

A little bit of everything on my list, these albums are the crem de la crem in their genre in my books, looking at it now makes me kus I cant think of a single new genre album that can even deserve to be in future "best albums list" ooohhhh well lol "good" music hit its apex.

2pac - All Eyez on Me

Led Zep - Led Zeppelin II

Michael Jackson - Thriller

Bob Marley - Exdous

Carlos Santana - Supernatural

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. - Chicago Live 1962

Dr.Dre - 2001

Boyz II Men - II

Guns N' Roses -Appetite for Destruction

[ramon_cojones]

anything by clay aiken

[Michel1968]

More a classical and jazz guy but I really have deep respect for the following albums:

Frank Zappa - Uncle Meat

It's everything, warts and all.

Eels - Daisies from the Galaxy

One of the last true conceptual albums. Mark Everett keeping it real.

Captain Beefheart - Trout Mask Replica

It's nothing thus everything. Don van Vliet going epic.

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Very well crafted. Vocals still have their right to exist these years.

[dvickery]

stuff i was listening to and perhaps "formative" music in my early to mid to late teens...

santana abraxis...my first purchase

guess who...wheatfield soul

pink floyd...The Piper at the Gates of Dawn...iterstellar overdrive...whew

sgt peppers...perhaps the greatest rock album ever released

lots of john mayall...crusade was the best untill jazz blues fusion came out

lots of dylan...these for some reason blurr together...blonde on blonde and hwy66 revisited stick out a bit tho

10 years after...crickelwood green...whew again

lets not forget the "woodstock" compilation album

grapefruit...deepwater

jim morrison...doors...anything/everything they released

janice and big brother...everything

nilson...nilson schmilson

eric burdon/animals and with war...such a long haired overfared leaping gnome

laptop in going down so i gotta go...back then you could wait 1 to 4 months and then buy music from the discount bin...almost all of my albums were .99cents.

derrek

[papatrips]

B.B King Live in Cook County Jail (1971) My dad was a huge King fan and I remember taking this record and listening to it over and over again. For me it was the first taste of the blues and when I went to a record shop near my highschool, I started to buy John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Eric Clapton. My Dad took me to see King at LuLu's when I was in University and we had a blast.

SRV - Couldn’t Stand the Weather. Absolutely blown away and the reason why I wanted to play guitar!

Led Zeppelin 1-4 - Page!

Jimi Hendrix Woodstock and Kiss the Sky. I loved Villanova Junction off of Woodstock! Hendrix is another reason why I wanted to play the guitar.

Alice in Chains Dirt (1992) and Soundgarden - my last years of high school. I am a huge Cornell fan

ZZ Top Elimanator Got this as a present for my birthday from my cousin. Loved the heavy guitars mixed in with some Texas blues.

Black Keys El Camino and Noel Gallagher and The High Flying Birds

My kids and I have listened to these albums a hundred times. I think they have great musical taste for kids who are 7. We jam and sing these songs together,spend time and appreciate music.

[GotMuscle]

anything by clay aiken

Lmao!! That's great at work and another laugh out loud moment!! God I love these moments. All by my lonesome laughing my a$$ off. I would say mine are micheal

Jackson thriller, any older Metallica, pantera, disturbed. All these bands touched me in someway through out my life. But the number one artist for me is Chris Jones, his soulful jazzie, guitar, blues, lyrics. It's all amazing. I am more into the calmer music now. But I'm always up for some rock just not the first choice anymore. I love amazing accurate sound, great recordings, and flawless ability. Kinda like I like my cigars amazing, flawless, relaxing, astonishment.

[rsanz]

wow cool lists...

For me in roughly the order they impacted on my life;

Blondie Heart of Glass

Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon

Rush Moving Pictures

Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast

Black Sabbath Live Evil

Motorhead Live at the Hammersmith Odeon

Nirvana Nevermind...

[ptrthgr8]

I was a college kid working at a music store in Seattle when the local music scene went big time. A few of the albums that definitely influenced me:

Nirvana - Bleach (much more raw than Nevermind, which is still a great album)

Soundgarden - Louder than Love (Badmotorfinger is right there, too)

Alice in Chains - Facelift

Screaming Trees - Uncle Anesthesia

Pearl Jam - Ten

Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mother Love Bone - Apple

I also became a huge fan of the Tragically Hip back in the late 80s the first time I heard "New Oreans is Sinking" so I'd be remiss if I didn't add a couple Hip albums to the list: Up to Here and Road Apples. I can't decide which of those two I like the best, but I tend to lean towards Road Apples.

Cheers,

~ Greg ~

[Colt45]

I enjoy and listen to all kinds of music, but when asked this kind of question, the album that always comes to mind first is the first

Van Halen album - for better or worse, I feel it was a game changer.

Another big one for me was Aerosmith's Rocks.

[joeypots]

My age will show.

Beatles....too many to name all of them.

Stones,,,,Beggars Banquet, Some girls, Hot Rocks, Tattoo You, Git Yer Ya Yas out

Bob Dylan, way too many to list but Blood on the tracks is right up there.

Eric Clapton. Live At The BOO DA CAN (spelling)

In no particular order:

Elton John,,,,Tumble Weed Connection, Honkey Chateau, Good By YBR, Don't shoot Me...

David Bowie,,,,Live At The Tower, Ziggy Stardust

Elvis Costello,,,, This years Model, The second and third albums.

Led Zeppelin, Every thing except Stairway.

The Who.... Tommy, Quadrophenia, Who's Next

Neil Diamond, Hot August Night. (Don't laugh, one of the great live recordings of all time and the guy is a genius)

[cottierm]

This one! (Although more for this specific song than for the whole album; and yes, you can enjoy the music even if you don't know French!).

Best,

Michel

Another of his best songs (English translation provided at the bottom; and yes, he is a CC smoker!):

The opportunist

I'm for communism

I'm for socialism

And for capitalism

Because I'm an opportunist

(chorus)

There are some who object

Who revendicate and who protest

As for me, I do but one gesture

I turn coat

I turn coat

Always to the right side

I'm not afraid of vultures

Or agitators even

I trust voters

And I take the opportunity to make some dough

(chorus)

I'm with all the parties

I'm with all the homelands

I'm with all the cliques

I'm the king of the converts

(chorus)

I shout, "long live the revolution"

I shout, "long live the institutions"

I shout, "long live the demonstrations"

I shout, "long live the Collaboration*"

No, never do I object

Nor revendicate or protest

I can do but one gesture

That is, turn coat

Turning coat

Always to the right side

I've turned coat so often

That the coat's splitting on all sides

At the next revolution

I'm turning my trousers**

[drjammer]

I love listening to all types of music but I think everyone can tell my preference!

1. Metallica

...And Justice for All- Don't ask me why but I think this is their best album by far!

2. Slayer

Tie between Seasons in the Abyss and South of Heaven- Need I say more

3. Sepultura

Chaos A.D.- One of the most underrated heavy-metal bands of all time

4. Blue Cheer

Vincebus Eruptum- Nothing like 60's Heavy Metal

5. Pantera

Vulgar Display of Power- R.I.P. Dimebag Darrell

[Duane]

such huge generations too choose always loved

Robert Cray Band

Metallica - kill em all

Genesis/Phil Collins

Ozzy

and my fav guitarist is Steve Vai

[canadianbeaver]

joeypots, I have to say I loved your list the best of all.

I would add the following:

Anything by Neil Young, Allman Brothers, Little Feat, Bad Company

First album I ever owned: Carole King, Tapestry.