my 15

So, Erin tagged me in a facbook note yesterday about 15 albums that have had a 'profound' effect on me. I wrote the list out, and a bunch of reasons. Here it is; it may appear on facebook, or it may not. I haven't decided. It's really long. Here's the first half. Tomorrow, more.

1. The Fragile – Nine Inch Nails. My all time favorite album, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Every time I put it on, I’m reminded once again how much I love it. I still remember buying the Fragile from this music store in Oberlin. I said to my friend Kelsey at the time that I was pretty cheap about most things, but I was willing to spend just about anything on music and books. That’s still true.

2. Disintegration – The Cure. My number 2 favorite album of all time. A friend once said that some days, she just likes to pull the covers over her head and listen to the Cure. Another friend said that “the souls of the depressed always find their way back to Robert Smith.” Both are incredibly true. This album is one of those perfect albums; from start to finish there is nothing wrong with it and there is no room to critize. I think Stan said it best: “Thanks Robert Smith! Disintegration is the best album EVER!” How true.

3. Pinkerton –Weezer. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a more honest album tahnk Pinkerton. Sure, it’s the trendy choice as everyone’s favorite Weezer album, and it’s even more trendy to say: “Yea, I used to like Weezer, back in the Pinkerton days. But now they suck.” But that doesn’t really change how great this album really is. Great hooks mixed with heart wrenching loneliness; It’s no wonder Rivers Cuomo hasn’t gone back to that place in any album since—it must have hurt.

4. Off the Deep End – Weird Al Yankovic. Weird Al is the first musician I ever really got into. I actually think he’s quite talented, besides being hysterical. This was also the first CD I ever bought; way back in 1992 when I was in Florida with a friend. Its still great.

5. Animals – Pink Floyd. I can’t count the number of times I drove home at around 3am from Cleveland Heights listening to Animals. Marta introduced me to Pink Floyd, and I haven’t looked back. Animals is way better than the Wall; more concise, more clever musically and lyrically, and more purely intense. A great listen; I can’t wait to buy this one on vinyl (when I finally get my turn table).

6. KMFDM – XTORT. There are two reasons this album will forever hold a special place in my heart. First, Dogma. Dogma is the first track from it, and by far the best. Nicole Blackman’s lyrics still resonate true to me today, and I still quote is constantly (see my profile page for “Let’s stop saying don’t quote me, because if no one quotes you, you haven’t said a thing worth saying.” During my senior year in high school, I tried my hardest to quote it in every paper I wrote. Perhaps that’s why Mrs. Kenny was worried about me. Oh well. Second, Mike and the Bloodmobile. Back when we got this disk, Mike got his hands on a bumper sticker for it, which he plopped on the butt-sticking in the sky end of his Buick Park Avenue. That car scared the crap out of everyone; the sticker didn’t help.

7. 69 Love Songs vol. 1 – The Magnetic Fields. I still remember the first time I heard this album. We were closing one night at Borders and some girl put it on. I was kind of half listening, like I normally did, when all of a sudden, I caught the line “Come back from San Francisco, and kiss me I’ve quite smoking. I miss doing the wild thing with you.” Since that day, the Magnetic Fields have been tied for first in my favorite bands list. AND, I got to see them live. It ruled.