Top 5: Albums Which Redefined My World

No, I’m not talking about the greatest albums of all time, nor am I talking about albums that are particularly “good” by consumer standards. The albums I’m talking about are the ones that make you scratch your head and wonder how far the limits of musical craftsmanship and experimentation can actually go.

These albums range from the bizarre to those that may have caused a stir in the music world for the way in which they encapsulated spirit and engendered emotion with the slightest of sounds. Some of these albums are just explosions in the music world for their nuance. Most, if not all, of these albums are not exactly the artists’ most popular or commercially successful; however, they are the sounds that actually changed my life in some way.

Though this is clearly a biased list, I’ll try my best to create an order that is fitting the impact the album had on the world. Now, before we get started, understand that there are obviously going to be some variations of this list as my life goes on; there’s only room for five albums on this list. (Count ‘em: 1-2-3-4-5) And they’re all albums that I’m aware of so far. So, if you don’t agree with me, fuck you! This is my list!

5. Double Fantasy by John Lennon and Yoko Ono Lennon; 1980: Whether your of the belief (as are most) that she was the cause of the demise of the Beatles or you just don’t get her sound, the fact remains she’s one of, if not the most, influential artists of the 60’s and 70’s, paving the way for most artists who consider themselves “punk”. Seriously, she ushered in the movement before it was even conceivable. I remember listening to some of the tracks thinking to myself, “Holy shit! What the fuck is this brilliant madness!” It’s truly an album to behold and if you think I’m crazy, take a listen to the songs “Kiss Kiss Kiss” and “Beautiful Boy”—two masterpieces of exceptional emotion.

4. Medúlla by Björk; 2004: Okay, this one was actually a toss up between Vespertine (by the way, check that album out as well); however I chose this one because musically, it’s probably the most out of control experimentation I’ve ever heard. With Medúlla, Björk takes full advantage of human frailty and imperfection by exploiting the voice to the fullest extent: most of the entire album is a cappella. And sure, there have been a cappella albums in the past (in fact, a cappella bands are a dime a dozen). The difference between most albums of that flavour and this is that this album has nothing to do with beautiful harmonies or lyricism even. It’s a complete stripping of preparedness and comes out sounding something like crushed silk or a Pollock painting: completely beautiful because of its eccentric shape. Take a listen to songs “Oceania” and “The Pleasure is All Mine”.

3. Grace by Jeff Buckley; 1994: It truly is a shame this man didn’t make more than one album. Lyrically, he was somewhat of a poet, (he took a turn for the esoteric in songs like “Mojo Pin” and “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over”), though not even close to prolific. In terms of his musicality, he was a wizard. His guitar prowess is second only to two of the greatest guitarists that I’ve come across—Jimi Hendrix and Prince—who also makes an appearance on this list. Vocally, he was a revelation. Nothing had ever been heard in a man’s voice before or since. (Though imitators—or emulators, as you like—abound.) If you are to measure humanity simply on the ilk of its artists, Jeff would be the Goodwill Ambassador of music. Though, it’s safe to say that commercially very few people were interested in something of the grandeur of Grace—his predecessors of the time being Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Those who know of this album often cite Hallelujah as the album’s masterpiece (and indeed it is a creation of intense spiritual horror and beauty); however, that only grazes the surface of what is actually a commendable debut and a remarkable accomplishment of American music.

2. Around the World in a Day by Prince and the Revolution; 1985: There’s not much to be said about this album. Released with little to no fanfare (indeed, he released the album silently to record stores right after the release of Purple Rain), it stands as Prince’s most experimental, most courageous work of art. With songs that are wrought with political and spiritual undertones (such as “Pop Life” and “The Ladder”), the music is like the UN on a brilliant day—full of life and a party for all the nations. What makes this his standout is that it is absolutely limitless. There is very little “direction” in the classical sense; however, it is an album that creates a mood like no other and almost made me weep when I listened to it the first time—on Vinyl, the only way to fly!

And finally (place your own out of control drum roll/rim shot here):

1. Music of My Mind by Stevie Wonder; 1972: Now, my actual favourite album of Stevie’s is Songs in the Key of Life; however, this album is of a style and craft that hadn’t been seen in music prior to its release. This is when Boy Wonder started experimenting with synthesizers and multi-track vocal layers in his songs. He weaves lyrics and imagery like no other—even going for a more poetic style of lyric, using such literary devices as metaphor and conceit. This is the first album to mark what would later be dubbed his “Classic Period”. What followed this album were four phenomenal albums that marked much of the 70’s and created a new template that musicians and vocalists alike have tried since to emulate with very little success. Your first venture onto this album should be the epic “Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You?)” for its illustrious vocals and masterful use of storytelling. (And at a whopping eight minutes and seven seconds, it prevails as one of the album’s stand out tracks.)

There you have it. Love it or hate it, these are the albums that changed the scope of sound in my ears forever. There are a few albums that I probably would have added if I could have made this a top seven or top eight list. (Obviously, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band would’ve been one). But I felt that it was time Yoko got the credit she deserved; besides, John did just fine on his own and very well would have done a rope-a-dope on the music world no matter what situation he was in. So, whatever your opinion may be, this is mine and I stand by my decisions. So there!


RELATED: top 5, stevie wonder, prince, jeff buckley, Björk, john lennon, yoko ono

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