For The Record...
/Get Into The Groove!
If you follow my blog with any degree of regularity, you won’t dispute that I am fervent in my praise and passion for everything books have bestowed upon me in my life. However, it may surprise you to discover that I hold a more profound appreciation for the art of songwriting. To have the artistic discipline to compose words that evoke emotion and tell a masterful story in four minutes or less is nothing short of genius.
With the songs I love, the opening notes recall the lyrics and the beat. I can sing along, often loud and proud, and get all the words right. And although the first sentence of a book can remind me of the story and how it ends, it won’t call to mind the literal wording. That is a aptitude only ingrained in one’s music memory.
With the albums I love, the best ones offer a journey that connect a thread from start to finish, that play as a musical storybook. They have staying power, where you press replay instead of fast forward. Those are the albums I have compiled in this feature, along with some other fun tidbits.
So, drop the needle, turn on your blacklight, grab your drink of choice, sit back, close your eyes and pump up the volume!
Album: Rumors
Artist: Fleetwood Mac
Standout Song: The Chain
Year: 1977
While I wouldn’t necessarily say this is my number one of all time, it is definitely the most played. During my years as a bookstore manager this was spinning multiple times every day. These pop rock riffs have stayed with me through numerous iterations of who I wanted to be when I grew up! It’s rumored that the sessions for this masterwork were epic in their drama. Thankfully the group allowed us to be voyeurs.
More Popular Albums of 1977: Bat Out of Hell (Meatloaf), In Hammersmith Palais (The Clash), Foot Loose & Fancy Free (Rod Stewart)
Popular Books of 1977: Roots (Alex Haley), The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough), The Shining (SK), The Women’s Room (Marilyn French), Earthly Possessions (Anne Tyler)
Album: Untitled
Artist: Led Zeppelin
Standout Song: When the Levee Breaks
Year: 1971
Inarguably my favourite band and I love all of their albums, but if I was only to pick one this would be it. Notoriously fueled by the band’s resentment of stifling music critics and initially believed to be professional suicide with no title or cover art, the band certainly showed them! This is, after all, the record that brought us Stairway to Heaven. The most played rock song of all time!
More Popular Albums of 1971: Sticky Fingers (Rolling Stones), Pearl (Janis Joplin), Who’s Next (The Who)
Popular Books of 1971: The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty), The Lorax (Dr. Seuss), Hell House (Richard Matheson), The Day of The Jackal (Frederick Forsyth)
Album: Back In Black
Artist: AC/DC
Standout Song: Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution
Year: 1980
A savage, rasping, pounding, howling album, epic in its glory! This is anthemic rock at its best and stands among any as one of the greatest albums of all time. This was the record playing through my first night of drunken debauchery. Ah, the good old days.
More Popular Albums of 1980: Greatest Hits (Aerosmith), Moving Pictures (Rush), Closer (Joy Division)
Popular Books of 1980: A Confederacy of Dunces (John Kennedy Toole), The Name of The Rose (Umberto Eco), Firestarter (SK), Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
Album: The Colour Of Spring
Artist: Talk Talk
Standout Song: Life’s What You Make It
Year: 1986
Emotive and haunting, this was a titular contribution to the generation and is considered the groups most pivotal work. Heavily spun in my Music World days!
More Popular Albums of 1986: Licensed to Ill (Beastie Boys), The Seer (Big Country), Slippery When Wet (Bon Jovi)
Popular Books of 1986: It (SK), A Perfect Spy (John Le Carre), Love You Forever (Robert Munsch), Presumed Innocent (Scott Turow)
Album: Love
Artist: The Cult
Standout Song: She Sells Sanctuary
Year: 1985
At the start of my shift at Music World inevitably I had to pull Whitney Houston off the turntable and put this album on. I wasn’t doing it just to drive my pop loving coworkers crazy, I did it for love. A punk rock psychedelia full of influences from the greats, this album holds its own and then some.
More Popular Albums of 1985: No Jacket Required (Phil Collins), Hunting High and Low (a-ha), Power Windows (Rush)
Popular Books of 1985: The Handmaids Tale (Margaret Atwood), Less Than Zero (Bret Easton Ellis), Skelton Crew (SK), The Cider House Rules (John Irving)
Album: Love You Live
Artist: Rolling Stones
Standout Song: Sympathy for The Devil
Year: 1976
My choice of this out of the repertoire of Rolling Stones albums is due to its connection to my home town of Toronto. The songs recorded at the El Mocambo are without question the heart and soul of this album. It’s nice to know that Toronto holds a special place in the bands hearts!
More Popular Albums of 1976: Dreamboat Annie (Heart), Songs in The Key of Life (Stevie Wonder), Comes Alive! (Peter Frampton)
Popular Books of 1976: Interview with The Vampire (Anne Rice), The Deep (Peter Benchley), Salem’s Lots (SK), Blubber (Judy Blume
Album: Funhouse
Artist: Pink
Standout Song: I Don’t Believe You
Year: 2008
I pretty much like everything Pink does! She is talented, edgy, articulate, ballsy and brave. And is a high-ranking member of the short haired ladies club! I chose this album because of So What, the anti-love song she penned during a break in her marriage. Implying her “ex” was a gold digger and straight out calling him a tool! They got through it and he didn’t hold a grudge, that’s true love.
More Popular Albums of 2008: Vampire Weekend (Vampire Weekend), Attack & Release (Black Keys), Only by The Night (Kings of Leon)
Popular Books of 2008: Duma Key (SK), The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), American Wife (Curtis Sittenfeld), Snuff (Chuck Palahniuk)
Album: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Artist: Elton John
Standout Song: Saturday Nights Alright
Year: 1973
I won’t deny that there are plenty of tracks here that flounder, but the brilliance interspersed throughout earn it a spot on my list. As does the artist, obviously! Unabashed and awash in nonsensical fantasy, you definitely feel you’re in Oz at least some of the time.
More Popular Albums of 1973: Dark Side of The Moon (Pink Floyd), Let’s Get It On (Marvin Gaye), For Your Pleasure (Roxy Music)
Popular Books of 1973: Breakfast of Champions (Kurt Vonnegut), Sybil (Fiora Rheta Schreiber), Fear of Flying (Erica Jong), Princess Bride (William Goldman)
Album: Rainbow
Artist: Kesha
Standout Song: Hunt You Down
Year: 2017
Full disclosure, the only reason I gave this album a listen front to back was my chair dancing enjoyment of the battle cry Woman. A song of unapologetic, irreverent and unabashed empowerment. And the album is a joy. Lots of styles and a well-rounded mix of offerings.
More Popular Albums of 2017: More Life (Drake), Villains (Queens of The Stone Age), From A Room (Chris Stapleton)
Popular Books of 2017: Little Fires Everywhere (Celeste Ng), Sleeping Beauties (SK), Since We Fell (Dennis Lehane), The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas)
Album: From the Fires
Artist: Greta Van Fleet
Standout Song: Black Smoke Rising
Year: 2016
These guys love to deflect any and all comparisons to Zeppelin, but come on! They sound a lot like them and if you tasked me with it, I could find a sister Zeppelin song for any on this album. I love this collection because it made me feel I was getting something new from the old greats!
More Popular Albums of 2016: Blackstar (David Bowie), A Moon Shaped Pool (Radiohead), Lemonade (Beyoncé)
Popular Books of 2016: End of Watch (SK), The Girls (Emma Cline), Swing Time (Zadie Smith), Love Warrior (Glennon Doyle Melton)
Album: Body Talk
Artist: Robyn
Standout Song: Get Myself Together
Year: 2010
Melding dancehall and bubblegum pop, wisdom and weirdness depending on where your needle hits the vinyl, this is a great album. She remained mostly on the fringes of the pop charts but always on her own terms.
More Popular Albums of 2010: Recovery (Eminem), Brothers (The Black Keys), Danger Days (My Chemical Romance)
Popular Books of 2010: Full Dark, No Stars (SK), Room (Emma Donoghue), The Passage (Justin Cronin), The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot)
Album: Appetite for Destruction
Artist: Guns & Roses
Standout Song: Welcome to The Jungle
Year: 1987
Feral and street smart, one might say the world wasn’t ready for this album! They were fantastic at the spectacle and solid at the music, which gave us all some high entertainment. And come on, that cover art! You have to love that they have a sense of humor about themselves.
More Popular Albums of 1987: Faith (George Michael), Kick (INXS), Bad (Michael Jackson)
Popular Books of 1987: Misery (SK), The Bonfire of The Vanities (Tom Wolfe), Beloved (Toni Morrison), Postcards from The Edge (Carrie Fisher)
Album: Uh-Huh
Artist: John Cougar Mellencamp
Standout Song: Authority Song
Year: 1983
As always, his lyrics are shot through with big questions and ponderings and the melodies are rollicking with energy. Full throttle rock and roll with throaty vocals.
More Popular Albums of 1983: Let’s Dance (David Bowie), War (U2), Pyromania (Def Leppard)
Popular Books of 1983: Pet Sematary (SK), Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley), The Witches (Roald Dahl), Hollywood Wives (Jackie Collins)
Album: Immaculate Collection
Artist: Madonna
Standout Song: Like A Prayer
Year: 1990
I made every attempt to avoid the cheat of a greatest hit’s compilation on my list, but most of Madonna’s stuff can’t hold its own power front to back, so here we are. More entertainer than artist, she was good, sometimes very good. Almost in spite of herself.
More Popular Albums of 1990: Listen Without Prejudice (George Michael), Definitely Maybe (Oasis), Violator (Depeche Mode)
Popular Books of 1990: Good Omens (Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman), Oh, The Places You’ll Go (Dr. Seuss), Four Past Midnight (SK), L.A. Confidential (James Ellroy)
Album: Mezzanine
Artist: Massive Attack
Standout Song: Teardrop
Year: 1998
This is a hard album, there is no safety from harm to be found in the listening of it and you will feel it like a blow. It’s a scab to pick at and a harsh shot of whiskey, the latter being recommended to have in hand when you spin this one.
More Popular Albums of 1998: Ray of Light (Madonna), The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Lauryn Hill), You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby (Fatboy Slim)
Popular Books of 1998: Bag of Bones (SK), The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver), About A Boy (Nick Hornby), The Hours (Michael Cunningham)
Album: Hot Fuss
Artist: The Killers
Standout Song: All These Things That I’ve Done
Year: 2004
Unquestionably more style over substance, still solid music to have running in the background while you go about your day. At times this offering falls victim to popular music vapidity, but occasionally rises above it. Those are the moments to hold on to.
More Popular Albums of 2004: Funeral (Arcade Fire), American Idiot (Green Idiot), Confessions (Usher)
Popular Books of 2004: The Plot Against America (Philip Roth), Dark Tower Four (SK), Skinny Dip (Carl Hiaasen), Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell)
Album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Standout Song: Give It Away
Year: 1991
One has to wonder if being released on the same day as Nevermind by Nirvana hurt this album or helped it. This band is likely one that people either love or hate, often due to the clash of styles. Prepare for lots of songs about sex…in case you didn’t pick that up from the title.
More Popular Albums of 1991: Nevermind (Nirvana), Out of Time (R.E.M.), The Low End Theory (A Tribe Called Quest)
Popular Books of 1991: Needful Things (SK), Outlander (Diana Gabaldon), The Firm (John Grisham), The Kitchen God’s Wife (Amy Tan)
Album: Back to Black
Artist: Amy Winehouse
Standout Song: Rehab
Year: 2006
A larger than life personality, this artist gifted us with a collection that was anything but run of the mill. Its soul with an edge, rock with a bit more bass, catchy with a gritty hook. Dirty, vulgar and rowdy in equal measure.
More Popular Albums of 2006: FutureSex/LoveSounds (Justin Timberlake), Sam’s Town (The Killers), First Impressions of Earth (The Strokes)
Popular Books of 2006: The Cell (SK), Hannibal Rising (Thomas Harris), The Road (Cormac McCarthy), An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore)
Side Note: as I was putting this together, some correlations between the albums and books that were popular in that time were unexpected. More kismet than coincidence. Did you spot them?
Apropos Of Nothing…random music musings!
Musing One – Book Lovers & Music Lovers Are A Perfect Match
Songs are rich with homages to literature. Everyone from Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, Sonic Youth, Metallica and The Ramones. The later having an apparent devotion to the works of Stephen King that might rival mine!
Ramble On – Led Zeppelin – Lord of The Rings
2+2=5 – Radiohead – 1984
Sympathy for The Devil – Rolling Stones – The Master and Margarita
Soma – The Strokes – Brave New World
Paranoid Android – Radiohead – Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy
Red Right Hand – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Paradise Lost
White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Sign of The Cross – Iron Maiden – In the Name of The Rose
Who Wrote Holden Caufield – Green Day – Catcher in The Rye
Musing Two – It’s All in The Name
Like the title of a good book, a distinctive album or band name can really stick in a person’s head, painting a picture with just a few words. Here are some that I found really fun!
Band Names:
War on Drugs
Rage Against the Machine
The Smashing Pumpkins
Barenaked Ladies
The Tragically Hip
Definitely Maybe
Broken Social Scene
The Flaming Lips
Beastie Boys
The Albums:
Dark Side of The Moon
Physical Graffiti
Are You Experienced?
American Idiot
A Momentary Lapse of Reason
Dig Your Own Hole
Vulgar Display of Power
Nevermind
Keep It Like A Secret
