To Be Young

I was waxing nostalgic yesterday and (as music geeks are prone to do) got a list in my head I needed to exorcise. So, here you go, irony-free:

TOP 5 MOST INFLUENTIAL LP'S BEFORE I TURNED 13

KISS - 'Rock and Roll Over'

Purchased at a next door neighbor's garage sale when I was 7, while I wouldn't consider it their definitive release...it shaped a perception of what rock'n'roll should look and sound like that still holds fast today. (Like the band itself) the album sleeve was hypnotic, larger than life and absolutely fascinated me. 'Calling Dr. Love' sounded like something I shouldn't be listening to, which pretty much made it the coolest thing ever. It was at this point where Ace Frehley replaced Spiderman as my favorite superhero.

THE BEATLES - '1962-1966'

Around age 6 or 7, I was downstairs playing w/ legos, when my Dad came home from work and (without explanation) handed me this LP. It was my first double-album and my first Beatles recording. I played the thing to death...literally. The wax became so scratched up it was unplayable, not for a lack of trying. I usually didn't receive albums as a gift, unless it was x-mas or my birthday...so it meant a lot on so many levels and,actually, still does.

QUEEN - 'Flash Gordon Soundtrack'

Obviously, this was not Queen's watershed album...but, after receiving it on christmas, it received regular rotation for months and months after. As they were tracks done exclusively by the band versus a collection of artists, this album altered my perception of what a soundtrack could be and the music altered my perception of what a rock band could sound like. Numerous Queen albums would soon follow it on the way into my record stack. 'FLASH! Ahhhhaaaahhhhh.' Killer.

STYX - 'Kilroy Was Here'

My first Styx LP was actually 'Paradise Theatre', transfixing in and of itself for the rainbow colored lithograph on the album's surface, but this is the one I played over and over again. 'Kilroy' was my first introduction to the concept album and, while it's funnier than hell looking at it today, the storyline about the censorship of all things rock and one man's journey back to revive it was engaging as hell. Besides that, 'Mr. Roboto' was quite the popular jam at the rollerink and still makes me smile when I hear it today.

ABBA - 'Arrival'

I didn't actually own this album, but at a young age I would consistently pick it out of my parent's collection of eight-tracks to listen to. It was pop music unrivaled from anything i'd heard before and the orchestral production made me completely overlook just how goofy the music was lyrically. Pretty much the standard-bearer for perfectly crafted pop, it gave me a respect I still have today for what the genre can accomplish if done right.

Honorable Mention:

KISS - 'Alive'

'You Wanted The Best. You Got The Best. The Hottest Band In The World ... KISS!!!' While we should have been outside playing, you could often find me and my best gradeschool friends in my buddy Gregg's basement...lip-synching and using hockey sticks to play along w/ 'Deuce', 'Strutter' and 'Cold Gin'. Like I said earlier, they were superheroes to us and the embodiment of what a rock concert should be (before we had ever seen one). To note, it may be the only live album i've actually enjoyed.

It should also be noted, that Gregg broke his arm falling off a desk while hanging the posters from the KISS solo albums...earning him our upmost respect and a permanent place is the KISS Army fo' sho.