What are your top 10 most influential albums?

[Bubba po]

Pink Floyd - DSOTM
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Pixies - Doolittle
Radiohead - Ok Computer
Portishead - Dummy
Siouxsie and the Banshees -Juju
Magazine - Real Life (all their albums, really)
The Clash - The Clash
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Bjork - Debut

 

[JDOD]

My influences won't be anywhere near as obscure as some on this list - in no particular order:

Nirvana - In Utero
Bad Religion - Against The Grain
The Clash - Give 'em Enough Rope
Soundgarden - SuperUnknown
Metallica - not sure which album; but I listened to a lot of it when I was about 18. Master of Puppets.
Manic Street Preachers - The Holy Bible
Radiohead - OK Computer
PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
Pink Floyd - Animals
Chamberlain - Fate's Got A Driver

There's certainly 2 or 3 more that I've liked more than the albums on the list but I wouldn't say they've influenced my playing.

 

[robgreen]

Yeah, I can see some distinction between favourite albums and most influential. I can think of a few albums I’d probably include in my top 10 records, but don’t consider particularly influential – and vice versa. Can see plenty I know and love from Nola and Tad’s lists in particular, but probably a few differences in terms of influences.

Pavement Terror Twilight, Sonic Youth Washing Machine, Mogwai Come on Die Young
Not sure the first two would top many respective fans favourite lists (like Nola, Crooked Rain x2 is probably my listening favourite), but for me these three albums are perfection in terms of guitar tone. Big warm tubey tones often with plenty of reverb and some with twin leads playing cool countermelodies.

Four Tet Rounds
In terms of taking organic sounds, doing interesting things with them and taking them somewhere completely different, layering sounds and letting ideas slowly develop.

Bob Dylan Freewheelin and Devendra Banhart Rejoicing In The Hands
Not necessarily my favourite Dylan album overall, but the sound of the acoustic guitars and vocals on these two stripped back albums is great. Lots of warm colour I’m guessing from ribbon mics? I’m sure it’s just the application of good knowledge and decent equipment rather than any fancy trickery, but if I could get anywhere near either of these I’d be happy.

Doves Lost Souls, Boards of Canada Geogaddi, Godspeed You Black Emperor Raise Yr Skinny Fists… & Sparklehorse It’s a Wonderful Life
All these create their own atmospheres - the production makes them sound otherworldly and takes you somewhere else.

The National Boxer and Calexico Feast of Wire in terms of lyrics, vocals and general production. Two personal favourites that probably creep in subconsciously to most stuff.

Not that I actually achieve the standards set by any of these mind...

 

[fat_fleet]

Pavement Terror Twilight

The only Pavement album I have never heard.. Are the songs really good?
I remember being so disillusioned by Brighten the Corners I stopped buying their stuff.

 

[easlern]

Not at all easlern. There's some stuff on your list that I know and enjoy. What's Going On's obviously a classic, I like War on Drugs and Spoon, Caribou are a firm favourite in our house and The Loon is an all round excellent record. For some reason I never bought anything by Tapes n' Tapes after that album by them, but everything about that album's great - production, playing, songwriting, energy all perfect.

Cool Rob! Sounds like we have some similar interests. I do see some familiar ones on here now, so I'm not totally clueless I guess.

 

[fat_fleet]

My influences won't be anywhere near as obscure as some on this list

What inspires me now:
PFR - Great Lengths
Building 429 - Listen To The Sound
7eventh Time Down - Alive In You
Mercy Me - Undone (couldn't stand Welcome to the New)
Pocket Full of Rocks - More Than Noise
33Miles - Today
Abandon - Searchlights
Doug Wiley - Now I Know Him
Casting Crowns - Thrive
Matthew West - The Story of Your Life

Seriously, B_H, where do you find this shit? I literally did not recognize a single one of these artists and, not to be smug, but I probably could have written everyone else's lists for them and come pretty close.

 

[Bubba po]

I probably could have written everyone else's lists for them and come pretty close.

Very easy with me. I definitely wear my influences on my sleeve, not just with my cover versions, but my originals too.

 

[fat_fleet]

Very easy with me. I definitely wear my influences on my sleeve, not just with my cover versions, but my originals too.

Yeah, I expect my own list didn't have too many surprises for anyone that suffers through my posts on the regular.

 

[JDOD]

Very easy with me. I definitely wear my influences on my sleeve, not just with my cover versions, but my originals too.

Speaking of originals... anything upcoming? I need something to listen to.

 

[Bubba po]

Speaking of originals... anything upcoming? I need something to listen to.

Yeah, "Anthropocene" is nearly finished. My brother-in-law visited from Cardiff last week and he contributed some pretty awesome sax work. My other collaborator, Adam, provided me with some strings for it on Saturday. It's a big mix!

Just got to get the missus to do her vocals. She's proving to be a bit difficult to motivate.

 

[JDOD]

Yeah, "Anthropocene" is nearly finished. My brother-in-law visited from Cardiff last week and he contributed some pretty awesome sax work. My other collaborator, Adam, provided me with some strings for it on Saturday. It's a big mix!

Just got to get the missus to do her vocals. She's proving to be a bit difficult to motivate.

There's always booze and jewellery.

 

[robgreen]

Cool Rob! Sounds like we have some similar interests. I do see some familiar ones on here now, so I'm not totally clueless I guess.

Yeah, I think so! there are a few on your list that I'm familiar with the names of, but have never actually heard - like the New Pornographers for example - I'll check some of them out this week.

There's just so much music out there now, that it's easy to be completely unfamiliar with what some might consider 'obvious'.

 

[robgreen]

The only Pavement album I have never heard.. Are the songs really good?
I remember being so disillusioned by Brighten the Corners I stopped buying their stuff.

Hmm, if you didn't like Brighten the Corners, then maybe not. The Sound on Terror Twilight is a little more polished again than BTC, probably in part due to Nigel Godrich producing not long after OK Computer. It's a hard record for me to view objectively because it came out when I was about 16, was my first exposure to Pavement and me and friends were all pretty obsessed with it.

I still like it, as I like all the Pavement albums and a lot of the post band solo stuff, but I know a lot of fans don't so much as they were pretty far removed from Slanted & Enchanted by this point. Like I said above, for me the guitar tone and blend of tones on it is what make it really stand out for me personally.

I reckon I could have written the majority of your list too

 

[JimmyS1969]

In no particular order here but these are the records since I first started listening to/playing music that I remember being a part in moving me to where I am now. Wherever that is...

Kiss - Alive
Queensryche - Rage For Order
Alice Cooper - Welcome to my Nightmare
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
Crimson Glory - Transcendence

 

[fat_fleet]

Hmm, if you didn't like Brighten the Corners, then maybe not. The Sound on Terror Twilight is a little more polished again than BTC, probably in part due to Nigel Godrich producing not long after OK Computer. It's a hard record for me to view objectively because it came out when I was about 16, was my first exposure to Pavement and me and friends were all pretty obsessed with it.

You know, I didn't even dislike BTC that much, and if any other band had made it I probably would've given it more of a fair shake. My problem was I lovvved Wowee Zowee. Such sprawling majesty. It was the soundtrack to my summer that year and I'm sure I listened to it about 500 times. If this list was 30 or 40 albums longer, WZ would be on it. Then BTC was so grounded.. guess my expectations were just let down.

I reckon I could have written the majority of your list too

That would actually be a fun thread.. to make another user's list for them.

 

[Armistice]

Seriously, B_H, where do you find this shit? I literally did not recognize a single one of these artists and, not to be smug, but I probably could have written everyone else's lists for them and come pretty close.

I'd say there's a common theme running through them all...

 

[Robus]

Not necessarily influential on my recording or writing, but important to me. Coming to mind, in no order:

1. Elvis Costello, My Aim is True and Imperial Bedroom
2. Boomtown Rats, The Fine Art of Surfacing
3. Pink Floyd, The Wall
4. Pretenders, Learning to Crawl and Last of the Independents
5. Steely Dan, Aja and Katy Lied
6. Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach
8. Van Halen 1
9. Led Zeppelin II
10. Eagles, Hotel California and Their Greatest Hits (1971-75)
11. Magazine, Play

 

[Armistice]

Not necessarily influential on my recording or writing, but important to me. Coming to mind, in no order:

1. Elvis Costello, My Aim is True and Imperial Bedroom
2. Boomtown Rats, The Fine Art of Surfacing
3. Pink Floyd, The Wall
4. Pretenders, Learning to Crawl and Last of the Independents
5. Steely Dan, Aja and Katy Lied
6. Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach
8. Van Halen 1
9. Led Zeppelin II
10. Eagles, Hotel California and Their Greatest Hits (1971-75)
11. Magazine, Play

If you give me a dollar for each of the albums in your top ten list Robus, I'll give you $11 back. Just because I like you.

 

[BroKen_H]

Seriously, B_H, where do you find this shit? I literally did not recognize a single one of these artists and, not to be smug, but I probably could have written everyone else's lists for them and come pretty close.

SOK, I don't recognize but a few of the bands everyone else listed, and I've probably only actually listened to two of the albums from ALL the lists. Welcome to my world. For the most part, I only listen to Christian artists. My list is a bit eclectic. Doug Wiley is kind of country kind of southern gospel, 7eventh Time Down is on the metal side of pop, PFR was just this great rock trio with amazing vocals. Pocket Full Of Rocks is Rock/Praise & Worship, etc. etc.

 

[fat_fleet]

If you give me a dollar for each of the albums in your top ten list Robus, I'll give you $11 back. Just because I like you.

You haven't done one yet, can I try to write yours?