Smackie the Frog

Matt tagged me in this thing, so I guess I better try it, eh?

1) Rubber Soul – The Beatles
Not only is this maybe my favorite album of all times, but I think that it was the first one that I really appreciated as an album. I have vivid memories of listening to this when I was 9 or 10, and being impressed by it, even then. Even if I just liked the music. It was later that I discovered that it is a hell of an album. To this day, when I hear a song from Rubber Soul, I automatically expect the next song on the album.

Also, I could put almost all of the Beatles albums on here, but I’m going to try to not cheat by doing that.

2) Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette
The first CD that I bought myself. I don’t know what else I can say about this. It is sort of embarrassing.

3) Pet Sounds – The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys’ response to Rubber Soul is almost as good as Rubber Soul. In fact, “I’m Waiting for the Day” is one of my favorite songs of all time. The whole album is a classic, though, and really shows some of the musical genius of Brian Wilson.

4) The Strokes – Is This It
This type of music has become a little cliche, but when I got this album in 2001 I absolutely loved it. It is one of the few albums that I could listen to all the way through and not get bored or tired of. One of the few albums from the last decade that I can stand.

5) Cat Stevens – Greatest Hits
I hate to put a Greatest Hits album on here, but this is the one that got me hooked on Cat Stevens who is still one of my all time favorite artists. Sometimes I even think that I like him more than the Beatles. Some of his music definitely touches me in ways that nothing else can.

6) Murphy’s Law – Murphy Lee
Shut up. I went and got this album signed in person. Not that it is great or anything, but I have very strong memories associated with it.

7) The Beach Boys – Endless Summer
Phil and I used to listen to this whenever we were hanging out with Charley when we were little. Snow Cones, Go Karts, and Endless Summer describes many a summer evening from when I was younger. Plus, the Beach Boys are amazing. (Wow. Two Beach Boys albums and only one Beatles album. Let’s fix that.)

8) The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper
You know how sometimes things are cliche? Like Sgt. Pepper being the best album of all time, so it would be cliche to put it on my list. Well yeah, it is cliche because it is true, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that this album influenced me a whole hell of a lot. Like Rubber Soul I remember listening to this when I was little. And with this one, I was definitely confused and mystified by it. It was so… otherworldly in some respects. Even today, when I listen to it, I’m amazed by it.

9) Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
I’m sort of really embarrassed about this one. Because the lyrical content on this album is worse than offensive at times. But we’re talking about albums that changed me, and this was really the album that got me listening to rap. I don’t listen to rap much any more, but there was a time in my life when it was about all that I listened to, and this album is the reason why.

10) Yes – Tormato
I am not the world’s biggest Yes fan. But I am also not the least biggest Yes fan. I am, however, a huge Tormato fan. Tormato is the album that Yes fans look down on because it has lots of cute little pop-like songs, as opposed to album length musical feasts.

11) Ben Harper – Born to Shine
I’ve been working on this entry for a month and a half. Do I really have to keep coming up with things? This is a great album, and you should all go listen to it.

12) Brad Roberts – Crash Test Dude
The lead singer of Crash Test Dummies doing a bunch of cover songs. Beyond amazing.

13) Full Monty Soundtrack
I used to listen to this all the time. It has a bunch of really good songs on it, including some British songs that we never hear here, but are really good.

14) She & Him – Volume 1
Let’s put my current obsession on here. This is the only recent album that I really like. I listen to pretty much the whole thing.

15 Kelly’s First CD For Me
A CD that Kelly made for me a long time ago.