15 Albums That Shaped Me

Reprinted from a note on facebook:

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.

No particular order, other than what comes to mind first, which probably says something:

1. Beach Boys - Endless Summer:  My folks owned this on vinyl and I spent countless hours listening to, singing to and absorbing Brian Love's  chords and harmonies.
2. Ryan Adams - Gold:  I remember seeing the video for Answering Ball on VH1 while back.  Bought the album and it's been on loop ever since.  An amazing songwriter that both inspires me to write more lyrics and completely disheartens that effort because I know I'll never be that good and he's pretty much covered the material I'd write about.  Also gave me Sylvia Plath.
3. Guster - Lost and Gone Forever:  My friends tried to get me into this band and album, but it didn't sit with me... Until I saw them in concert.  Hooked ever since.  Even inspired the name of my blog.
4. Barenaked Ladies - Stunt:  While Rock Spectackle was really the first album by BNL that I got into, it was Stunt that sealed the deal.
5. Liz Phair - Exile In Guyville:  While she sings about sex and relationships, my love affair with Liz Phair is much, much deeper.  Possibly the happiest I've ever been was following her tour for 3 days straight.
6. Dog's Eye View - Happy Nowhere:  This was practically the soundtrack to my life around late college and a few years post college.  A few songs still are my soundtrack.
7. De La Soul - 3 Ft High and Rising:  Kind of like Hippie Rap.  Showed you didn't need to curse to make a lyrical impact in hiphop.  Nor be  a thug.
8. Godspell - Soundtrack:  Since childhood, I'd play the vinyl at sing along.  This (and to a lesser extend JCS) probably helped shape a lot of my thoughts on God, Jesus and religion (Before I knew it).
9. Hair - Soundtrack:  I didn't realize it when I was young, but I do now.  I'm pretty much a hippie and this album is greatly responsible for that.  "I  Got Life" is an anthem.
10. Ani DiFranco - Not  a Pretty Girl:  I really don't know why the person I am just loves Ani Difranco.  But, I do.  Probably has a lot to do with her being an independant female songwriter/guitar player.
11. Jellyfish - Split Milk:  Queen meets the Beatles (specifically Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) at a circus is how I describe this album.  There's like 2 songs that I can listen to independently of the whole album.  It was meant to be heard all the way through.
12. Blind Melon - Self Titled Album:  Yeah, you know their hit "No Rain" because of the Bee Girl.  But this album had so much to do with the laidback dude I am today.  "No Rain," while catchy, probably is one of the worst songs on the album.
13. Prince - Purple Rain:  When you're 10 and listen to it, it's very different album from when you're 20 or so and understand what the hell the songs are about.
14. John Denver's Greatest Hits:  Another one I'd listen to on vinyl.  But, I really didn't appreciate John Denver until he passed away.
15. Michael Jackson - Thriller:  The last one was a tough choice between MJ, The Rollins Band, Weezer, Poison, and Journey.  But the King of Pop wins out because when I was 8 or 9 visiting my grandmother in Oklahoma, my dad had to come outside and tell me to be quiet as I was singing along with the tape way too loud.  Not embarrased by that and never will be.