15 albums in 15 minutes

I thought I would elaborate on a meme that I was tagged for on Facebook. The idea was to list fifteen albums in fifteen minutes that will always stick with me. This isn’t a favorite album list although some are favorites. Just what came to mind during a few minutes of my day.

1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac- When the album was released back in 1977, I wasn’t a fan of it in any way. The radio stations pretty much played it to death. That summer I went to my aunt’s wedding where it was also played repeatedly. At the time I didn’t care if I ever heard it again. Years later, I went to see Fleetwood Mac with the Scientist and I became a big fan of the band, at least in that incarnation. These days I am not quite the big fan I once was but I still like the band and this album is one of my favorites.
2. Abbey Road by the Beatles- I knew a Beatles album had to be included and it was really difficult to decide which one. This is probably my favorite Beatles album although I might change my mind on another day. My instinct was really to include Beatles Love Songs because that was the first album I bought by the band and in a way it has always stuck with me and pretty much propelled me into Beatles fandom. I still like the album although I’ve not listened to it in decades. I just like that collection of songs…but that seems a bit like a sacrilege with all the great albums produced by the band.
3. Straight Lines by Silverchair – I never cared for Silverchair’s earlier albums. Their music just didn’t appeal to me. This album was totally different.  When it was released, all the songs on it were played over the course of a week on a radio program I listened to at the time. And I liked just about everything I heard. The title song was played constantly and I never tired of it. Even a few years later, I am always up to hear that song. And the rest of the album is wonderful. I just love hearing it from start to finish.
4. Strange Bird by Augie March-Back when Moo You Bloody Cow was released, I heard an interview with Augie March/Glenn Richard on Triple J radio. The first song I they played was a cover of a Beach Boys song (the title escapes me now) and I really liked it. I bought MYBC soon afterwards which started me into Augie March fandom. While I think that album will always stick with me, Strange Bird is an earlier one that probably fits this list far better. It’s a collection of well-crafted and beautiful music, even when the subject matter is not at all beautiful. It’s the  the Augie March album of choice when I think of them.
5. Together Alone by Crowded House-I pretty much love just about all music by Crowded House but this album is my favorite. My favorite CH song is Private Universe, which evokes such a sense of escape for me. “Pineapple Head” and “Fingers of Love“ are also high on my list. Hearing “Fingers of Love” at the show I saw in March was just heavenly. I guess I’d say most of the album has something of an otherworldly feel and never fails to please.
6. Stunt by Barenaked Ladies- This isn’t my favorite BNL album and doesn’t even contain my favorite songs by the band but it does stick with me, possibly because this was my introduction to this very talented band with a very good sense of humor.
7. All That You Can’t Leave Behind by U2-I’ve liked u2 since I was in high school so this was kind of a hard choice. I nearly chose Unforgettable Fire, partially because it was my first U2 purchase and also because it has Pride (in the name of love), which is a favorite of mine. But the whole album hasn’t stuck with me so much as a few songs…I only have it on vinyl so haven’t listened in quite a while. Maybe I will change my mind if I hear it again though. ATYCLB, though, really does stick with me. This was a purchase made while in Canada as it was released while we were there. After the disappointment of their Pop album, this was such a pleasure to listen to.  I absolutely adore “Beautiful Day” because it just makes me feel good every time I heard it. And the song, “Elevation” always makes me feel nostalgic because it was the first song Lego Lover ever liked. He always called it the “Beep” song when he heard it. :)
8. Ghost in the Machine by the Police-I’m not quite sure why I put this one on the list because it’s another album I had on vinyl and haven’t heard in a long while. This was my first album by the band, so that probably is why it came to mind. I used to listen to this constantly when it came out and later went on to buy other albums by the band. Synchronicity probably fits this list a bit better in hindsight. It came out right about the time I graduated high school and was extremely popular by the time I started college a couple months later. And the songs do still say with me all these years later, far better than GitM…
9. I’ll Be Lightning by Liam Finn- This was only released a couple of years ago so I might be wrong to include it. It’s a great debut album that is basic and raw and very appealing. I haven’t heard it for a while but I still feel connected with most of the songs.
10. Belladonna by Stevie Nicks-Once I became a fan of Fleetwood Mac, I was bound to become a fan of Stevie Nicks. Back then her voice was still quite good and she really rocked out on this album.
11. Glass Houses by Billy Joel- I was given this album as a very belated birthday present by my aunt while visiting one summer. She took me and my cousin to the Jamesway department store to choose a something and this was what I found. I listened to this one endlessly that year and knew all the songs by heart. This is another instance where I had this on vinyl but unlike other cases, the music is still fresh in my mind even after all this time. I might very well have chosen The Stranger except I’ve never listened to the album. I may very well know all the songs but as an album I don’t have any connection with it. I keep thinking I will buy a copy one of these days but it hasn’t happened yet.
12. Everyone is Here by the Finn Brothers-I think this is one of my favorite Finn works from the last decade. It probably helps that I’d already been a fan of all things Finn for a number of years. I really liked Tim and Neil’s first collaboration, Finn, when it came out. It was a great raw and somewhat experimental album. This EIH is a finely polished work of art that I’ve enjoyed since it was released. I also associate this album with seeing my first Finn concert the year after this was released.
13. Rio by Duran Duran- I used to be a big Duran Duran fan back in my early days at college and bought just about anything they released. I recently discovered several old Duran Duran records in a box while I was in the US recently. They might be worth a bit of money these days. I don’t know. I’m not quite so keen on them these days but I haven’t completely lost interest. I was given a recent concert dvd a couple years ago as a birthday present and discovered I still like a lot of their music. And I really love this album.
14. Long Distance Voyager by the Moody Blues- This reminds me of my teenage years although not so much with high school itself. My strongest attachment may well be for the cover art which used to fascinate me. But my reason for buying it was nothing to do with the art work and all to do with the music. It’s not in the same class as earlier Moody Blues music but I still quite like it today.
15. Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono- Maybe this isn’t a great choice for this list but I do have a very emotional attachment to the album. I will admit I’m not a Yoko Ono fan, but I didn’t mind her songs too much on this record. And John Lennon’s songs were mostly quite good. I still hear a few of the singles today and think of how good some of them were.