5 albums that influenced your musical tastes....

[habernac]

here's an idea I stole from another board. Name the top 5 albums that helped influence your taste in music. They don't necessarily have to be your favourites, just the ones that pointed you in the musical direction you've chosen. Here are mine:

Led Zeppelin - untitled (usually known as Led Zeppelin 4) - dad used to crank this one when we were kids. Black Dog ruled!

AC/DC - Back in Black - one of the first albums I bought with my own money. Despite some obvious overplay, I still count this as one of the best albums ever made.

Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Iron Man got played to death in my grade seven year. This is not their best album, but it opened my eyes to the other great Sabbath stuff, and later Ozzy's solo work.

Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil - forget the silly image, the sound on this album flat-out rocked. So-called glam metal gets laughed at, but I was a big fan of some of it. Ratt's Out of the Cellar was decent from that era as well

Metallica - Ride the Lightning - the first time I heard it, we laughed our asses off at how ridiculously fast the guitars in "Fight Fire with Fire" were. Then I listened to the rest of the album and loved it. Master of Puppets was their best, but this one got me hooked.

[JiriHrdina]

Good question:

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
U2 - Achtung Baby
Neil Diamond - whatever album my mom played all the time
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Top Gun Soundtrack.

[Sharpen 'Em]

Jawbreaker - Bivouac

R.E.M. - Document

Superchunk - Here's where the strings come in

Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Fugazi - Repeater

[J pold]

Steve Earle - Gutiar Town, Exit 0, Transcendental Blues

Ian Tyson - all the Good un's, Lost herd

Jerry Jeff walker - A man must cary

[MJK]

Metallica - Metallica (Black Album)
The 'chunky' guitar and awsome riffs on this album have stuck with me for a long time. Still one of my favorites.

TOOL - Undertow
Best band ever. Each song is very complicated and the lyrics are top notch.

Smashing Pumpkins - "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness"
It's safe to say my musical taste changed when iheard this album. Amazing.

Radiohead - Kid A
I was a metal head until I got into radiohead. When i heard this album and then Amnesiac I was stunned. Flat out awsome.

Maestro Fresh Wes - 'Symphony In Effect'
I am not much of a rap guy but I must admit I LOVED this album and I think it has made me appreciate a good rap beat when i hear one!

[troutman]

I got into College Radio in the mid 1980s:

REM - Reckoning
HUSKER DU - Warehouse: Songs and Stories
LOS LOBOS - How Will The Wolf Survive?
XTC - Skylarking
SONIC YOUTH - Daydream Nation

(Honorable mentions, Kate Bush, Cure, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Jason & The Scorchers, Ramones),

Anyone remember FM Moving Pictures with Mike Bezzeg and James Muretich? I remember them premiering videos from the likes of the Clash and Roxy Music.

From my classic rock days (there's stories in these songs, and records - with two sides):

FRANK ZAPPA - Sheik Yerbouti
RUSH - Moving Pictures
QUEEN - A Night At The Opera
LED ZEPPELIN - Houses of the Holy
WHO - Who's Next

(Honorable mentions, Steely Dan, Springsteen, Boston, Bowie, Eagles, Bob Seger, Fleetwood Mac, Hendrix, Kiss, Prince, Rolling Stones, Yes, ZZ Top)

[Buff]

Motley Crue - Theatre of Pain

Back when I played hockey (age of 8 or 9) we listened to this tape in our locker room before and after everygame. It planted the roots for the type of music that I would later decide was what I liked.

Soundgarden - Superunknown

I was in a state of constant transition as to the style of music I listened to before I heard this album. I haven't bought a pop, rap, r&B or any other non rock/heavy metal/rock alternative cd since.

Metallica - the black album

Tragically Hip - Fully Completely

My friend played this constantly and I realized that there are other types of music besides all the heavy stuff.

Our Lady Peace - Naveed

[StoneCole]

Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard (1998)
Everclear - So Much For the Afterglow (1997)
Blink 182 - Dude Ranch (1997)
Pearl Jam - Ten (1991)
Less Than Jake - Anthem (2003)

[RedMan12]

2Pac - Greatest Hits
NWA - *****z for Life
Wu Tang Clan - Wu Tang Forever
Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent by Design
Method Man and Redman - Black Out!

[Ozy_Flame]

Definetely have to put a shout to my top 5....

1) Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers
2) Metallica - Load (I know, it's not their best, but it really helped influence my taste for heavy guitar riffs)
3) Greenday - Dookie
4) Tragically Hip - Trouble at the Henhouse

and the most surprising one?

5) The Mortal Kombat Soundtrack (1994)
- has anyone ever listened to this fully? It's a remarkable album, with great rock riffs, beat, techno, and high energy sound. Extremely underrated, I reccomend it to anyone interested. The movie was average, but the soundtrack is remarkable.

[kermitology]

Ben Folds - Rocking the Suburbs
Tool - Aenima
Metallica - Master of Puppets (but ...And Justice for All is about the same)
Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard?

and lastly.. the album I got my picking style from

Ten Foot Pole - Insider (the band sucks, but there is a song on the album that got me on a rapid palm muting picking style that I use constantly in my own songs )

[Deelow]

Off the top of my head....
Nirvana- Nevermind
Ryan Adams- Gold
Modest Mouse- The Moon & Antarctica
Coldplay- Parachutes
Notorious BIG- Ready To Die

[oldschoolcalgary]

hmmm...tough question:

The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come
The Clash - London Calling
Radiohead - OK Computer
REM - Document
Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters

edit: so many good albums, but had to add
Pixies: Doolittle (was at the Calgary show, pooking my head out to the lobby as they had a TV there during Cal/Van game 7)
Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variations by Bach...amazing

[StoneCole]

Originally Posted by kermitology

Reel Big Fish - Why Do They Rock So Hard?

Well gentlemen, looks like so far Why Do They Rock So Hard (or "White Trash" as I like to call it - WDTRSH) is the most influencial album of all-time (for this message board.) Sweet.

[HalifaxDrunk]

Pink Floyd - The Wall
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley
Parliament - Tear the Roof Off 1974-1980
Metallica – Ride the Lightning
Anthrax - Among the Living
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe

[stuck_in_chuk]

1. Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks (the 'gateway drug' of punk rock)
2. The Clash - London Calling
3. Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey
4. Replacements - Let It Be
5. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Honourable Mention:
Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom Prison

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Top Gun Soundtrack.

Did you like playing with the boys?

[Resolute 14]

Soul Asylum - Grave Dancers Union
U2 - The Joshua Tree
John Cougar Melloncamp - The Lonesome Jubilee
Pearl Jam - Ten
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever

[metallicat]

1. ...And Justice For All (Still my favorite Metallica album)
2. Cryptic Writings (Megadeth...this album because it was the first entire album I heard of theirs and it turned me on to their world completely)
3. Vulgar Display of Power (Pantera; first concert I went to. RIP Dimebag Darrell)
4. Up To Here (The Tragically Hip, one of the best)
5. Astro Creep:2000 (White Zombie, it's too bad Rob had to venture off on his own)

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

5) The Mortal Kombat Soundtrack (1994)
- has anyone ever listened to this fully? It's a remarkable album, with great rock riffs, beat, techno, and high energy sound. Extremely underrated, I reccomend it to anyone interested. The movie was average, but the soundtrack is remarkable.

I completely agree. Normally I dont like techno stuff but some of the stuff on there is really cool. I even used Control by Traci Lords/Juno Reactor as the background music when I made a 3D rink as my final 3D Studio Max project in college.