Lots of albums in my younger days I liked but none that I can say influenced me at least not in any conscious way.
Now a days I rarely listen to complete albums and mostly just listen to mix tapes I make usually of the stuff we are playing at the time.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
It wasn't albums that influenced me in my early days of listening to music - it was a whole slew of classic rock/pop singles. I was about three when "Apache" by the Shadows was a big hit, a year or so older when "Telstar" by the Sputniks hit the charts - I still remember hearing those records on the old valve radio, along with songs like Runaway, Running Bear, Michael Row The Boat Ashore and Stranger On The Shore. My mother told me years later, I only had to hear a record once and I could sing it note for note....
1963, I was six years old. The Beatles, the Hollies, The Kinks, The Stones....you couldn't go anywhere without hearing She Loves You or Stay or You Really Got Me or I Wanna Be Your Man. Then came Manfred Mann, The Who, The Byrds, Dusty, The Beach Boys - great catchy pop songs that are still in my head almost 50 years on. Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Fourmost, The Easybeats...the hits just kept on coming. Ready Steady Go, Juke Box Jury, Top Of The Pops....
Dylan only came into my life much later....mid teens before I was grown up enough to appreciate Bob.
Late sixties, CCR were about the only band I'd add to that list - then came Progressive rock and Heavy Rock. Led Zep, Nazareth, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Status Quo. Then there was Springsteen - then came glam rock. T Rex, Slade, Bowie, Roxy, Sparks, even Rod Stewart and the Faces....then punk rock, The Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, the Ramones - and all this before I was 21!
Of course there was other good music around - Motown, Stax and Atlantic put out some great music.....but that early exposure to the catchy, melodic instantly memorable pop song had a big influence on me, both as a guitarist - I was 17 when i finally got one in 1974 - and as a songwriter.
My motto's always been, since those early days, "keep it simple and make it catchy" - I've tried to branch out. Hell, there are about 10,000 great songs that use three or four chords (usually variations on E A and B, or G Em C and D) - you learn those chords, you can play 90-95% of the whole of the 1960's top 30.
I've listened to a lot more music since those early days, but those old singles are what really turned me on to music....if you really want to know which albums have influenced me in the last few years or so, when I decided I was going to learn guitar properly, I'd have to say Who's Next(1971) Exile On Main Street (1972) Blood On The Tracks (1972, although I didn't really get into it till a few years ago) Razamanaz (1973) All The Young Dudes(1973) Mott (1974) and The Traveling Wilburys(1988.) all great guitar albums, and all pretty rhythm-friendly. That was always going to be my calling.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
:) Vic was lucky enough to grow up when POP music - chart music - was great! It is now so varied -some of it is still very good, a lot of it is crap to the nth degree (a few years ago there was a song that I can't - and shouldn't - even mention (or try to hint at!) on a family forum like this one). Now Vic if you feel like responding with - but there has always been crap - not to such a putrid and horrendous level. However I loved growing up n the 90s there was some BRILLIANT stuff! Even in the pop music and (though this might be rose tinted glassses) I never heard anything quite as foul as the song I mentioned above. I hate the fact that songs like that come out and 12 year olds (optimistic there) learn all the words! I hate songs like "don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me" it is so beyond what life is about. I don't care if some pop star THINKS they are hotter than whatever girl I like in life, it is irrelevant.
Rant over........ for people who can't be bothered to read;
Pop music of the 00s = often terrible, many times putrid
Alternate and some 90s pop = So wonderful
Oh and final note the 2000s era and the beginning of the 2010 - 2020 decade has brought us some wonderful indie rock bands so that is where my tastes have moved in the mainstream.
together we stand, divided we fall..........
Kiss- Destroyer 8) / Boston /Eagles- Hotel California were the 1st three records i can remember playing over and over and over.......
When I first started it was:
Metallica "...And Justice For All" & Black Album
Megadeth "Rust In Peace"
Ozzy Osbourne "No More Tears"
Nirvana "Nevermind"
Aerosmith "Get A Grip"
Tool "Undertow"
Jimi Hendrix "Are You Experienced"
Led Zeppelin I & II
Scorpions "Crazy World"
AC/DC "Back In Black", "The Razors Edge"
Joe Satriani "Time Machine"
Soundgarden "Superunknown"
Stone Temple Pilots "Core"
Early '90s was a great time for rock/metal, IMO.
"If I had a time machine, I'd go back and tell me to practise that bloody guitar!" -Vic Lewis
Everything is 42..... again.
Two that stand out amongst others are
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced
Pink Floyd - The Wall
:note2:
Early '90s was a great time for rock/metal, IMO.
Then came Napster? Cobain's Death? Too many break-ups? I first saw his statement and disagreed. I thought about it for a while and came to the conclusion that it's certainly an era in Rock that saw many new acts hit the stage with authority. The whole Seattle scene & sound and the LA folks were hard at work. Meanwhile, we had box-sets and colaborations coming out left an right from the "older" acts (ie Wilburys, Notting Hillbillies, etc) and everyone was playing everyne elses' music like that all Country line-up doing The Eagles and the all Rock line-up doing Cash or somebody like that. Not too bad, I guess.
I always just kind of wrote off the 90's until we started listening to the 90's channel on Sirius XM a couple weeks ago. I have to admit that I'm leaning towards thinking it was a good era as well.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Well cant think of a album that influenced me.. I listened to a lot of Zep, Clapton, Rush, ELP, Moody blues... Got me wanting to play... but way beyond my skills... but this song... this got me picking up the guitar to play!!!!
Paul B
The music / vocals that still gets the blood mov'in is HUMBLE PIE LIVE ROCK'IN THE FILLMORE! give it a listen and see what i mean! :D JUST PLAIN AWESOME!!
I had that Humble Pie album I loved it back in the day, very raw. Haven't listened to it in years though.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Haven't thought of that one in donks...good call!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
Found an old CD under a floormat in my rather dirty ute: CSNY Deja Vu. Wondered where that went...yep. It's gotta be a favourite. Good songcraft all over that one...
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
Those albums sat the tune of my life:
And:
I dont know if you consider Dire Straits as ROCK, but in a way it is?!? anyway, its AWESOME! :)
Check out my new guitar blogg! (click below)
http://www.guitarbeyondreason.com/
Its only rock n roll but I like it!
I dont know if you consider Dire Straits as ROCK, but in a way it is?!? anyway, its AWESOME! :)
I think it is very much rock!!! A HUGE fan myself, and a CD is always somewere in one of my cars.
Paul B
