Album 1:
Name: The Beatles
Title: Rubber Soul
This is an album I used to listen to on repeat on the way to New Hampshire in the backseat of my parents car on my discman. The Beatles were changing. They started to move into folk rock and were influenced by Bob Dylan and marijuana. The chord progressions, the harmonies… the sound… just incredible.
Album 2:
Name: Crosby, Stills and Nash
Title: Crosby, Stills and Nash
A supergroup with a super debut. Another travel album for me. If the wife and I need to travel more than an hour… we know we are gonna spin this record. This is a gorgeous album with one of my favorite songs of all time. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.” Not a bad track on this album for me.
Album 3:
Name: Steely Dan
Title: Aja
The best sounding album I have ever heard. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker were perfectionists. For a long time, this has been my favorite album for its sheer brilliance in songwriting, engineering and quirky lyrics. This album proves the point, “less is more” as far as how long an album should be track wise.
Album 4:
Name: The Smashing Pumpkins
Title: Siamese Dream
An album by a band with everything to prove. Corgan has a way of making a guitar riff so powerful and yet so melodic. His songwriting blows me away, more than any others around that time. Very versatile and strong album. One of my favorites.
Album 5:
Name: Pink Floyd
Title: Dark Side of the Moon
Is this the perfect album? The way the songs flow seamlessly into each other and the crafting of this album absolutely blows me away. I love a band with a bunch of different singers too. Between Waters, Gilmour and Wright…just brilliant.
Album 6:
Name: The Beatles
Title: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
My love for albums starts with Pepper. The first ever “concept album.” Every time I am thinking about making a record, I go back to this album to teach me how to truly make a piece of art flow properly. An album should take you on a journey and this one takes me there.
Album 7:
Name: Grizzly Bear
Title: Veckatimest
I heard the track “Two Weeks” in a car commercial and was so curious as to who the band was. When I discovered the album, my wife and I listened to it all night and fell in love with it. In fact, I love all of their albums, but this one made me a real fan. Special album and great band.
Album 8:
Name: The Doors
Title: The Doors
Maybe the greatest debut album of all time by a rock band. The Doors are still one of the most mysterious bands ever. From tracks like “The Crystal Ship” to “Light My Fire” to “The End.” I am just so impressed with their sound. They don’t sound like anyone else.
Album 9:
Name: Steely Dan
Title: The Royal Scam
This is my “I’m not in the mood for anything” album. I’ll never get sick of it. I love every single song. It’s the most played album while I’m showering. It’s a true masterpiece.
Album 10:
Name: Frank Zappa
Title: Over Nite Sensation
I LOVE Frank Zappa. He’s a genius. This is one of his more commercial sounding albums and I adore it. This album even made my wife’s Top 10…and that makes me very happy.
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