Stand By Me Soundtrack
This was the first record I owned myself with my brand new record player so I could listen to what I wanted in my room.
U2 Joshua Tree
The first album I bought with my own money and one I listened to from about 12 years old right up to the present day. Still great.
Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits
It’s a little embarrassing to put a “greatest hits” album on here but this was my intro to Dylan in high school which makes it a very big deal.
Red Hot + Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter to Benefit AIDS Research
This album is both awesome, and served as my introduction to The Neville Brothers, David Byrne, Tom Waits, and to a lesser extent Iggy Pop. Tom Waits in particular would go on to be one of my top lifetime favorites.
Tom Waits: Big Time
My first Tom Waits purchase after hearing him on Red Hot + Blue. I went on to buy basically everything he ever made. And again I’ve been a fan from high school up to today. It never gets old. He may be the best musician on earth imho :)
John Prine Anthology: Great Days
Another greatest hits of sorts. I stole this two disc set from my dad when I was 16 and John Prine has been a major source of enjoyment for me ever since. I love everything about his music.
Emmy Lou Harris: Wrecking Ball
This is a near perfect album of Emmy Lou Harris’ hauntingly beautiful music. And the one that made me realize I’m a huge fan of anything Daniel Lanois produces. It also has the best version of Dylan’s Every Grain of Sand.
Guns N’ Roses: Use Your Illusion
I liked this in high school and then put it away. Only on the last few years have I resurfaced it. It is fantastic.
Kris Kristofferson: The Silver Tongued Devil and I
I fell in love with this album on a family road trip while we drove through Sedona when I was 13 and I think it heavily influenced my musical tastes. Also, it is a crazy good album. The song The Pilgrim makes me feel like crying every time.
Les Miserables: Original Broadway Cast Recording
I’m a sucker for musicals and I love the novel so I got hooked on this sound track about 15 years ago. From my contentious claim that Eponine’s voice is beautiful to my schoolboy friend Braden Danner as Gavroche to my little daughters always asking me to sing A Little Fall of Rain at bedtime, this album will always be special to me.
Archived Post
This post is archived from my account on li.st, a social media app that shut down in 2017. Some posts have been edited slightly to fix typographical errors and correctly represent the gender of some individuals. You can view the full archive here.