mindsayI've decided that, since I'm getting burned out writing so much (and, consequentially, writing less about some of the later albums on the list), I will continue the list by posting one album at a time.
So here goes: Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Ones that dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then, when you finish, tag 15 others. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill.
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Ok, I know a lot of you are just gonna post your favorite albums of all time or the albums you think are the best of the best and then rank them but I took this pretty seriously. I've ranked the 60 albums, out of my personal collection, that most affected me after listening. They range from 1963 to 2009. Some of these albums I don't really listen to much anymore (but the funny thing is that now I'm re-listening to a lot of these and finding that they're just brilliant [Blink-182 - Enema Of The State, for example]) but they helped shape me, musically and personally, into who I am now. This isn't merely a "this album is better than the previous" list. I did factor that in with some of these (mostly the newer albums that really hooked me in but haven't had a profound effect on my life, yet) but most all of these are ranked above others because of their substantial impact on my personality. This took me a pretty long time to put together so, without further ado, here they are:
Wilson began writing in 1966 and hired on a man named Van Dyke Parks to help in writing the lyrics. I'm not sure what made Brian Wilson choose Parks but he chose well. A number of my favorite lyrics of all time are on this album. If you check back a few pages you can read an entire transcript of the lyrics of SMiLE that I decided to do. But SMiLE was almost completely opposed by the other members of The Beach Boys. The strongest opposition came from Brian's cousin and bandmate Mike Love. Love just wanted to stick with the hit-making stuff. He wanted to stick to singing about cars and girls and sunshine. In other words (and in my opinion), he wanted the money and fame. Brian just wouldn't have it though. He pretty much wrote Pet Sounds by himself and then just brought in the rest of the band to sing the other parts. When Brian brought on Van Dyke Parks, Mike Love absolutely hated the lyrics he wrote. He went so far as to call them "Acid alliteration." He did have a point though. Brian Wilson was constantly exploring the world of LSD. And I have to say I'm thankful he did. I'm not sure how much of this record was completely influenced by the drug but I do know of the "techniques" Brian toyed with while recording. Things like making a "rec-room" in a tent (which had to be brought down because of all the pot smoke) and building a giant sandbox and putting a grand piano in it for writing songs in. It was obvious that Brian was completely immersed in this record and had blocked out the rest of the band.
Over the next year, Brian's mental health dwindled, Capitol demanded more hits and battled the band at every turn, Mike Love and the rest of the band were against any idea of this SMiLE project being a Beach Boys album, and Van Dyke Parks ended his partnership with Brian suddenly after a fairly heated argument with Mike Love over his lyrics. Things just fell apart and SMiLE was subequently shelved.
Thirty years later, Brian Wilson is working on solo material, Dennis had died in an accidental drowning, Carl was losing his battle with lung cancer, and Mike and Al Jardine were touring together. The SMiLE tapes were collecting dust and many had been trashed or lost. Brian continued to put out solo material while the legends of this unreleased album grew and grew. Eventually, his touring band, The Wondermints, convinced Brian to revisit Pet Sounds live. During the touring of this album, Brian started playing old tracks from the SMiLE sessions. Soon, his backing band convinced him to do the previously thought impossible. Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and 3 members of The Wondermints teamed up to complete unfinished ideas on SMiLE and they began practicing performance of the album. In February of 2004, 37 years later, Brian Wilson performed the album in its entirety. The performance got so much praise that Brian was convinced to begin recording a studio recreation of what should have been released in 1967. In September of 2004, after battling bad memories and bad days, Brian Wilson finally released SMiLE.
The album is follows a main central theme: America. It's basically a journey from Plymouth Rock to Hawai'i. It's then cut up into 3 main parts: Eastern America and the conflicts between settlers and Indians, Childhood/Fatherhood and the lessons taught and learned between child and father, and an elemental theme incorporating earth ("I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop," "Vega-Tables"), wind ("Wind Chimes"), fire ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"), and water ("In Blue Hawaii," "On a Holiday"). The album ends with "Good Vibrations," which is a cross between old Beach Boys and new Beach Boys. It's an incredible journey that can only be experienced by listening to the album front to back. It is literally impossible for me to listen to just one song off of this album. I have to listen to all or none. That says a LOT about this album. It's an epic masterpiece and the most complete and theme-driven album I've ever heard. It blows me away that one man wrote most all of this album. It's so incredibly fleshed out and there's not a single misused second on the entire record. I am so thankful that I was able to purchase and listen to SMiLE so late in my life and music-listening-journey so that I can actually remember and cherish it. That it wasn't an album I had to discover and seek out. I'm so thankful that it was finally rereleased. Brian Wilson was finally able to outdo The Beatles.
---------------------
(I told you to stick around, jakerad!)
So here goes: Think of 25 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Ones that dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the wazoo, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Then, when you finish, tag 15 others. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill.
----------------------------------------------------
Ok, I know a lot of you are just gonna post your favorite albums of all time or the albums you think are the best of the best and then rank them but I took this pretty seriously. I've ranked the 60 albums, out of my personal collection, that most affected me after listening. They range from 1963 to 2009. Some of these albums I don't really listen to much anymore (but the funny thing is that now I'm re-listening to a lot of these and finding that they're just brilliant [Blink-182 - Enema Of The State, for example]) but they helped shape me, musically and personally, into who I am now. This isn't merely a "this album is better than the previous" list. I did factor that in with some of these (mostly the newer albums that really hooked me in but haven't had a profound effect on my life, yet) but most all of these are ranked above others because of their substantial impact on my personality. This took me a pretty long time to put together so, without further ado, here they are:
3/ Brian Wilson - SMiLE - 1967/2004
When The Beatles recorded and released Revolver, The Beach Boys (mainly Brian Wilson) responded with Pet Sounds. The Beatles heard Pet Sounds and fired back with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. So what was the most logical direction for Brian Wilson? Make an even better album.Wilson began writing in 1966 and hired on a man named Van Dyke Parks to help in writing the lyrics. I'm not sure what made Brian Wilson choose Parks but he chose well. A number of my favorite lyrics of all time are on this album. If you check back a few pages you can read an entire transcript of the lyrics of SMiLE that I decided to do. But SMiLE was almost completely opposed by the other members of The Beach Boys. The strongest opposition came from Brian's cousin and bandmate Mike Love. Love just wanted to stick with the hit-making stuff. He wanted to stick to singing about cars and girls and sunshine. In other words (and in my opinion), he wanted the money and fame. Brian just wouldn't have it though. He pretty much wrote Pet Sounds by himself and then just brought in the rest of the band to sing the other parts. When Brian brought on Van Dyke Parks, Mike Love absolutely hated the lyrics he wrote. He went so far as to call them "Acid alliteration." He did have a point though. Brian Wilson was constantly exploring the world of LSD. And I have to say I'm thankful he did. I'm not sure how much of this record was completely influenced by the drug but I do know of the "techniques" Brian toyed with while recording. Things like making a "rec-room" in a tent (which had to be brought down because of all the pot smoke) and building a giant sandbox and putting a grand piano in it for writing songs in. It was obvious that Brian was completely immersed in this record and had blocked out the rest of the band.
Over the next year, Brian's mental health dwindled, Capitol demanded more hits and battled the band at every turn, Mike Love and the rest of the band were against any idea of this SMiLE project being a Beach Boys album, and Van Dyke Parks ended his partnership with Brian suddenly after a fairly heated argument with Mike Love over his lyrics. Things just fell apart and SMiLE was subequently shelved.
Thirty years later, Brian Wilson is working on solo material, Dennis had died in an accidental drowning, Carl was losing his battle with lung cancer, and Mike and Al Jardine were touring together. The SMiLE tapes were collecting dust and many had been trashed or lost. Brian continued to put out solo material while the legends of this unreleased album grew and grew. Eventually, his touring band, The Wondermints, convinced Brian to revisit Pet Sounds live. During the touring of this album, Brian started playing old tracks from the SMiLE sessions. Soon, his backing band convinced him to do the previously thought impossible. Brian Wilson, Van Dyke Parks, and 3 members of The Wondermints teamed up to complete unfinished ideas on SMiLE and they began practicing performance of the album. In February of 2004, 37 years later, Brian Wilson performed the album in its entirety. The performance got so much praise that Brian was convinced to begin recording a studio recreation of what should have been released in 1967. In September of 2004, after battling bad memories and bad days, Brian Wilson finally released SMiLE.
The album is follows a main central theme: America. It's basically a journey from Plymouth Rock to Hawai'i. It's then cut up into 3 main parts: Eastern America and the conflicts between settlers and Indians, Childhood/Fatherhood and the lessons taught and learned between child and father, and an elemental theme incorporating earth ("I'm in Great Shape/I Wanna Be Around/Workshop," "Vega-Tables"), wind ("Wind Chimes"), fire ("Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"), and water ("In Blue Hawaii," "On a Holiday"). The album ends with "Good Vibrations," which is a cross between old Beach Boys and new Beach Boys. It's an incredible journey that can only be experienced by listening to the album front to back. It is literally impossible for me to listen to just one song off of this album. I have to listen to all or none. That says a LOT about this album. It's an epic masterpiece and the most complete and theme-driven album I've ever heard. It blows me away that one man wrote most all of this album. It's so incredibly fleshed out and there's not a single misused second on the entire record. I am so thankful that I was able to purchase and listen to SMiLE so late in my life and music-listening-journey so that I can actually remember and cherish it. That it wasn't an album I had to discover and seek out. I'm so thankful that it was finally rereleased. Brian Wilson was finally able to outdo The Beatles.
---------------------
(I told you to stick around, jakerad!)
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Re: I Left - you're right...there's more in the next blog.
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