I really hate ranking things in art—so I won’t ever ask you what you think is best. But what’s a record or song you heard that surprised you, and led to appreciating an entire sound or genre you hadn’t considered before? Could be more than one.
I’ll go first—and here are so many! I wasn’t really exposed to music of the big bands in the 1940s until I saw Woody Allen’s wonderful film, Hannah and Her Sisters, my freshman year of high school. Harry James’ “I’ve Heard That Song Before” was a huge hit in 1943. I could do this all day with the soundtrack to Hannah, which is so brilliant.
*I’m trying to build a community here, and to make sure to keep in touch with everyone. I’ll be happy to follow you back on Twitter if you add your handle to your comment, if that’s not too intrusive. Thanks!
When I was in high school my mom introduced me to Jethro Tull. She used to blast aqualung in her forest green Saab convertible. I’ve started blasting it and dancing to it with my son. Also before my parents for divorced back then, we were at friends and all of our parents were dancing to Simon and Garfunkel’s Late in the Evening and that led me to them too. My Twitter: @jenjen1181
Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny - I grew up with my dad playing all the later stuff and I hated it but never really appreciated jazz until I heard this album. Now I’m a fusion and jazz bass player.
It’s incredible! It’s why I play fretless bass now, it’s why I’m studying with Gary Willis, it’s why I’m no longer futzing around in rock and metal cover bands. It’s ruined me in a good way - if there’s little to no improvisation going on then I lose interest.
Indeed, it’s changed my life. I’m now studying with Gary Willis and he’s helped take my musicianship to a level I’d never thought I’d be able to get to
The songs"Uncle George" and "Biko's Kindred Lament" by Steel Pulse opened my mind to a world of reggae far beyond the hits of Bob Marley that were easily understood by a young man in his 20's in Central California...
OH YEAH. Had an ex who grew up with reggae, and she hipped me to Steel Pulse and a bunch of other folks who I'd missed. Such a sick record. 1978, I've come to realize, was a truly epic year for music outside the US.
High school, a musician friend (he played cello) introduced me to jazz.
The first thing I got into was Errol Garner, which I never listen to anymore. Perhaps he was my gateway drug. Soon after came Thelonious Monk, then Charlie Mingus, then the floodgates opened. I remember hearing Haitian Fight Song and it scared the bejesus out of me. Not sure why now. Later got very into Bill Evans. And even though I love Eddie Gomez's playing, I especially love Evan's earlier work when it was all new.
What stays with me today is mostly late the 50s and early 60s modal gang... especially Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Bill Evans, and Bill Evans. Among the later stuff, I like the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Hey, we maybe had the same flight-path! Errol Garner "Penthouse Serenade" was an early favorite, and then of course Bill Evans. I got into Evans like I'd get into a rock musician-- thinking that every record was a crucial part of the journey. (That's true of Riverside, but not of Fantasy or Verve.)
Take It Easy My Brother Charlie by Jorge Ben Jor. I can't understand a word, but I think that makes the song and genre even better. Looking forward to following this Substack. @ethanmarx1999
Salve Jorge! Yes, I agree it makes you appreciate it a lot more. My first JB was Forca Bruta, and it's still got such a special place. Have you heard the 2CD alt takes and B-sides on the CD box set? That might be the best stuff!
Never heard the 2CD alt takes and B-sides on the CD box set. I have only repeatedly listened to the 10 track version of Forca Bruta, a great album. Oba, La Vem Ela and O Telefone Tocou Novamente are fantastic.
I had a strange intro to dance music, which has turned into a synthwave fascination. When I was in high school we traveled out of town to another city for a soccer game. While we were warming up someone decided to take over the speaker system and blast Russia Privajet with the Bass cranked to max. Now I think the song is pretty bad, but it always brings me back to that day.
I was a prog fanatic in my high school and college days - the hard stuff - King Crimson, early Yes, Gentle Giant, Henry Cow, music I still respect and love. But I was always a quester and was searching religiously for more complex rhythms. It was the drumming of Bill Bruford and his amazing polyrhythmic abilities that opened my ears fully to jazz. The greatest drummer in the history of rock of course went full jazz with his various Earthworks groups. And I was grooving to Andrew Cyrille, Sunny Murray, Barry Altschul, Paul Motian, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, et al. thanks to Bill.
Oh yeah! Glad to hear Cyrille, Altschul and of course my main main Paul Motian mentioned. Total badasses. Barry Altschul, especially, kinda gets overlooked; but I have not heard him play badly ever.
I later ran an avant-garde jazz series that hosted Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Sam Rivers, Cyrille with David Murray and Reggie Workman, Ray Anderson, Oliver Lake, Larry Ochs, Odean Pope and many younger generation guys.
i hadn't heard but will be looking for it. My buddy Tony Malaby (great tenor) played in Motian's late-period Electric Be-Bop Band. He was one of those old guys who never quit growing as a musician.
The older I get, the more I appreciate Johnny Cash. He owns songs written by others, like “Hurt” (Nine-Inch Nails) and “Hung my Head” (Sting). They are worth a listen if you aren’t familiar with them.
My parents loved the song, “You Are my Sunshine,” as do I. My wife has a beautiful voice but my vocal range is, er, limited. We sang Cash’s version to dad over the last few months of his life in 2009 and again for the final months of mom’s life just a year ago. Good, bittersweet memories.
I was 4 when The Beatles hit the United States and they dominated the soundscape. In those years, most radio stations weren't narrowly devoted to one type of music; it was normal for a DJ to play Hard Day's Night then follow it up with Fly Me to the Moon. It sounds strange now, but it worked well.
@Michael52109983 (formerly @UltimateTexan and proud ♠️ Moron)
Wow! Those AM radio days must’ve been wild. So many people’s tastes were developed and encouraged by DJs—many of whom we were blessed to have. WFMU is like that nowadays.
The years were bizarre in retrospect. For a long while AM radio played alternating songs by Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Percy Faith Orchestra, The Beatles, Dylan, and Jobim. It seemed normal then and it seems normal to me now.
In Dallas, at least, we had several stations that played what they called “race music,” which was a mix of R&B and Gospel. I had no idea at the time what it meant, but I was an avid listener.
My pastor, who is black and 5 years older, ribs me about not knowing what “race music” was, but I know the words to all the R&B and Gospel hits of the mid-sixties as well as he does. 😀
At night we could get the zillion-watt stations out of Mexico. Wolfman Jack was a thing but he was by no means the only DJ doing good work. I learned to appreciate a lot of music that wasn't yet playing on US AM radio.
Good lord, what a loaded question! In high school, it was Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report that got me out of late 70's arena rock. In the late 80's, it was Robin Trower and Bridge of Sighs that got me away from the pop radio hair bands. Insert a 20-year gap where I gave up on music for reasons I don't yet understand and have difficulty articulating. Might be MTV, might be Napster and MP3-through-shite-earbud dog vomit. Five years ago, I started buying old school stereo bits and rolled back the clock. Today, I'm all over the place...Buena Vista Social Club, Billy Gibbons, Logic, old Eminem, Thievery Corporation, and yes...Jaco Pastorius.
"Insert a 20-year gap where I gave up on music for reasons I don't yet understand and have difficulty articulating." THAT is really interesting. I've felt this way about different things, but never music. I wonder if you can get closer to a possible answer. Interesting.
In the service, I was stationed in the far East. Back then, that meant access to ridiculously good stereo equipment at ridiculously low prices. It was also a time in my life where it was important to have long, loud critical listening sessions with fun debates what we were listening to. Since I returned to the States via sailboat, the stereo had to go. The Napster and MP3 eras were kind of lost on me. Having music on in the background, especially through cheap headphones, wasn't the same experience as a full-on critical listening session where the music is the focus of the activity. Another thing that kind of drove me away was the advent of playlists. I'm an album guy at heart. Bit by bit, I have reassembled a couple of decent component systems with equipment from the 70s and 80s. Full-size, full-range speakers being driven by quality amps and preamps brings out detail in music that I never got from an iPod. It's really cool to be able to hear Geezer Butler fretting bass notes in Master of Reality, and you can hear little bits of studio noises here and there on Zeppelin II. Probably because it was recorded in some unlikely "studios." You have to have an LP (or a lossless CD rip or Tidal file) to hear that detail. Having good kit again made critical listening worthwhile.
I was a sophomore in high school at a party. Someone snuck in Light My Fire in between what was probably 00s rap and alternative. I had never heard the Doors before and sat there through the whole song in wonder. I hadn’t really heard anything other than music on contemporary radio so hearing that song was truly like nothing I had heard before. I had to find out what other “weird” music was out there. As silly as it sounds, hearing that song really did change my trajectory in life. @tymathews
Dude, that's such a great story. I LOVE those hit-like-a-thunderbolt stories. I do, however, recall the first time I heard Charles Mingus. It was just like that-- rearranged my whole life.
Most recently for me if it's been Cory Wong, opening my eyes and ears to the world of funk. I listen to all kinds of stuff but most of it branches off from metal and rock, so his world has been totally different and so enjoyable for me. All of his music has such a positive and happy vibe. You also get some fantastic musicianship in every song, and the neat thing about Cory is that he's not afraid to take a back seat and let someone else shine.
Great example here with the song Lunchtime. Really fun performance on the bass by Sonny T.
My mother listened to '40s through early '60s when I was growing up so I started with that. Where I lived in CA we only had one "oldies" station, a top 40 station on FM, and then early MTV. After learning about AM stations I found SF thrash and hardcore punk from the early to mid '80s. Combine what my mother brought me up on and what I found myself and I listen to nearly all types of music. Looking at my music library you'd think I'm schizophrenic.
I can remember listening with my friend to his older brother’s Led Zeppelin albums when I was a kid. Probably responsible for my being a metal head. Also I remember being introduced to Dominican Típico and merengue music. Music I still enjoy.
Hearing The Chattanooga Choo Choo on my parents' greatest hits of Swing CD created a lifelong Glenn Miller Fan.
Also the Ulfuls song "Tsugihagi Boogie Woogie" in Beverly Hills Ninja served as a gateway drug into the wild world of Japanese rock, which is its own type of drug.
I always hated jazz, Avishai Cohen and Phronesis were the gateway drug, I went down the rabbit hole and now I listen to tons of jazz, including free jazz. Do you like free jazz Dave? Check out Min Bul - Min Bul (1970), trioVD - Maze (2012), Dyani, Temiz, Feza – Music For Xaba (1973), Harriet Tubman, Mats Gustafsson, Colin Stetson (not all strictly free jazz).
Do I like free jazz? Yeah, it was a total obsession for a good decade. I'll have to tell some of those stories. The Johnny Dyani records I love most are with Dollar Brand, but the one with Don Cherry on SteepleChase is a total classic. Paid too much for it, but what can you do!
I remember being absolutely flabbergasted by the album Deloused in the Comatorium by the Mars Volta. I'd been playing music for years, listening mostly to blues, rock, and funk. I'd simply never heard anything like it. I still haven't found much to match it.
Yeah the phono stage alone is $30k. I used to be in the business so I’ve heard just about everything. Couldn’t afford Boulder but I got the Verity speakers with Aesthetix Calypso/Rhea and a SS BAT amp. Nice!
When I heard Elvis, life changed. When I was 10 I would sneak down at night and listen to his Sun records. I wasn't supposed to touch the record player.
For me it was the song “Lush Life”, an extremely complicated song to sing vocally. I first heard it when I was a teenager on Natalie Cole’s album. Fell in love with it because you could hear the emotion in the lyrics and melody. Years later, I heard Queen Latifah sing it on the soundtrack to “Living Out Loud” (which is a terrific soundtrack all around), and I thought Queen Latifah’s version was even better than Natalie’s.
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. Long story short: I took a class in college called African American Rock History at John Abbott College in Montreal. The teacher, Trevor W. Payne (look him up), walked into class with the LP and said, “Today’s class is a listening session. I will be playing the greatest record ever recorded. Those who aren’t interested can leave.” Most students left immediately. Only 6-7 of us remained. He turned out the lights, put the record on and left the room. My life has never been the same since.
When I was in high school my mom introduced me to Jethro Tull. She used to blast aqualung in her forest green Saab convertible. I’ve started blasting it and dancing to it with my son. Also before my parents for divorced back then, we were at friends and all of our parents were dancing to Simon and Garfunkel’s Late in the Evening and that led me to them too. My Twitter: @jenjen1181
Oh, man. A mom who was into Jethro Tull! That's a riot!
Yes! We used to rock out to locomotive breath 😂
Bright Size Life by Pat Metheny - I grew up with my dad playing all the later stuff and I hated it but never really appreciated jazz until I heard this album. Now I’m a fusion and jazz bass player.
That's amazing. It's my favorite PM record, and still gets so much play on my turntable.
It’s incredible! It’s why I play fretless bass now, it’s why I’m studying with Gary Willis, it’s why I’m no longer futzing around in rock and metal cover bands. It’s ruined me in a good way - if there’s little to no improvisation going on then I lose interest.
His first 3 albums are amazing. But I love the late 80s Brazilian influenced stuff. Letter from Home and Still Life Talking
Awesome record
Indeed, it’s changed my life. I’m now studying with Gary Willis and he’s helped take my musicianship to a level I’d never thought I’d be able to get to
The songs"Uncle George" and "Biko's Kindred Lament" by Steel Pulse opened my mind to a world of reggae far beyond the hits of Bob Marley that were easily understood by a young man in his 20's in Central California...
OH YEAH. Had an ex who grew up with reggae, and she hipped me to Steel Pulse and a bunch of other folks who I'd missed. Such a sick record. 1978, I've come to realize, was a truly epic year for music outside the US.
I'm @reallydad59
High school, a musician friend (he played cello) introduced me to jazz.
The first thing I got into was Errol Garner, which I never listen to anymore. Perhaps he was my gateway drug. Soon after came Thelonious Monk, then Charlie Mingus, then the floodgates opened. I remember hearing Haitian Fight Song and it scared the bejesus out of me. Not sure why now. Later got very into Bill Evans. And even though I love Eddie Gomez's playing, I especially love Evan's earlier work when it was all new.
What stays with me today is mostly late the 50s and early 60s modal gang... especially Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Bill Evans, and Bill Evans. Among the later stuff, I like the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
Hey, we maybe had the same flight-path! Errol Garner "Penthouse Serenade" was an early favorite, and then of course Bill Evans. I got into Evans like I'd get into a rock musician-- thinking that every record was a crucial part of the journey. (That's true of Riverside, but not of Fantasy or Verve.)
Erroll Garner. He is who got me interesting in learning to play the piano. He died before I was able to see him perform in person.
Joe Zawinul & Allan Zavod got me interested in electric keyboards.
For the record, the As Falls Wichita… was my favorite Metheny/Mays LP.
Take It Easy My Brother Charlie by Jorge Ben Jor. I can't understand a word, but I think that makes the song and genre even better. Looking forward to following this Substack. @ethanmarx1999
Salve Jorge! Yes, I agree it makes you appreciate it a lot more. My first JB was Forca Bruta, and it's still got such a special place. Have you heard the 2CD alt takes and B-sides on the CD box set? That might be the best stuff!
Never heard the 2CD alt takes and B-sides on the CD box set. I have only repeatedly listened to the 10 track version of Forca Bruta, a great album. Oba, La Vem Ela and O Telefone Tocou Novamente are fantastic.
I had a strange intro to dance music, which has turned into a synthwave fascination. When I was in high school we traveled out of town to another city for a soccer game. While we were warming up someone decided to take over the speaker system and blast Russia Privajet with the Bass cranked to max. Now I think the song is pretty bad, but it always brings me back to that day.
Looking forward to following along.
@Jasonxsigmon
Interesting! Love those stories about when music hits you so hard, you don't even know what's happening-- you react on a primal level.
I was a prog fanatic in my high school and college days - the hard stuff - King Crimson, early Yes, Gentle Giant, Henry Cow, music I still respect and love. But I was always a quester and was searching religiously for more complex rhythms. It was the drumming of Bill Bruford and his amazing polyrhythmic abilities that opened my ears fully to jazz. The greatest drummer in the history of rock of course went full jazz with his various Earthworks groups. And I was grooving to Andrew Cyrille, Sunny Murray, Barry Altschul, Paul Motian, Roy Haynes, Tony Williams, et al. thanks to Bill.
@SteveHahn1
Oh yeah! Glad to hear Cyrille, Altschul and of course my main main Paul Motian mentioned. Total badasses. Barry Altschul, especially, kinda gets overlooked; but I have not heard him play badly ever.
I later ran an avant-garde jazz series that hosted Steve Lacy, Roswell Rudd, Sam Rivers, Cyrille with David Murray and Reggie Workman, Ray Anderson, Oliver Lake, Larry Ochs, Odean Pope and many younger generation guys.
Oh man! Amazing. One of the things I’m looking forward to writing on is the new documentary about Paul Motian. It’s SO good.
i hadn't heard but will be looking for it. My buddy Tony Malaby (great tenor) played in Motian's late-period Electric Be-Bop Band. He was one of those old guys who never quit growing as a musician.
No kidding! I saw him play so many times. Went to a rehearsal at his place once, too.
Supertramp: Crime of the Century. Ken Scott engineering was eyeopening and addicting. Made long sessions in studios fascinating and enjoyable.
Johnny Cash - American Recordings Didn't realize how brilliant he was. Just subscribed @NYGUY13
I've got a love-hate thing with Johnny Cash, but his voice and charisma on the American Recordings is amazing.
The older I get, the more I appreciate Johnny Cash. He owns songs written by others, like “Hurt” (Nine-Inch Nails) and “Hung my Head” (Sting). They are worth a listen if you aren’t familiar with them.
My parents loved the song, “You Are my Sunshine,” as do I. My wife has a beautiful voice but my vocal range is, er, limited. We sang Cash’s version to dad over the last few months of his life in 2009 and again for the final months of mom’s life just a year ago. Good, bittersweet memories.
The Yes Album
Oh yeah. Total monster record. What were you into before?
I was an all out Zeppelin kid. Yes opened my eyes to prog which led to jazz.
Almost forgot. I'm @Rickscryptocafe
I was 4 when The Beatles hit the United States and they dominated the soundscape. In those years, most radio stations weren't narrowly devoted to one type of music; it was normal for a DJ to play Hard Day's Night then follow it up with Fly Me to the Moon. It sounds strange now, but it worked well.
@Michael52109983 (formerly @UltimateTexan and proud ♠️ Moron)
Wow! Those AM radio days must’ve been wild. So many people’s tastes were developed and encouraged by DJs—many of whom we were blessed to have. WFMU is like that nowadays.
The years were bizarre in retrospect. For a long while AM radio played alternating songs by Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Percy Faith Orchestra, The Beatles, Dylan, and Jobim. It seemed normal then and it seems normal to me now.
In Dallas, at least, we had several stations that played what they called “race music,” which was a mix of R&B and Gospel. I had no idea at the time what it meant, but I was an avid listener.
My pastor, who is black and 5 years older, ribs me about not knowing what “race music” was, but I know the words to all the R&B and Gospel hits of the mid-sixties as well as he does. 😀
At night we could get the zillion-watt stations out of Mexico. Wolfman Jack was a thing but he was by no means the only DJ doing good work. I learned to appreciate a lot of music that wasn't yet playing on US AM radio.
Good lord, what a loaded question! In high school, it was Jaco Pastorius and Weather Report that got me out of late 70's arena rock. In the late 80's, it was Robin Trower and Bridge of Sighs that got me away from the pop radio hair bands. Insert a 20-year gap where I gave up on music for reasons I don't yet understand and have difficulty articulating. Might be MTV, might be Napster and MP3-through-shite-earbud dog vomit. Five years ago, I started buying old school stereo bits and rolled back the clock. Today, I'm all over the place...Buena Vista Social Club, Billy Gibbons, Logic, old Eminem, Thievery Corporation, and yes...Jaco Pastorius.
"Insert a 20-year gap where I gave up on music for reasons I don't yet understand and have difficulty articulating." THAT is really interesting. I've felt this way about different things, but never music. I wonder if you can get closer to a possible answer. Interesting.
In the service, I was stationed in the far East. Back then, that meant access to ridiculously good stereo equipment at ridiculously low prices. It was also a time in my life where it was important to have long, loud critical listening sessions with fun debates what we were listening to. Since I returned to the States via sailboat, the stereo had to go. The Napster and MP3 eras were kind of lost on me. Having music on in the background, especially through cheap headphones, wasn't the same experience as a full-on critical listening session where the music is the focus of the activity. Another thing that kind of drove me away was the advent of playlists. I'm an album guy at heart. Bit by bit, I have reassembled a couple of decent component systems with equipment from the 70s and 80s. Full-size, full-range speakers being driven by quality amps and preamps brings out detail in music that I never got from an iPod. It's really cool to be able to hear Geezer Butler fretting bass notes in Master of Reality, and you can hear little bits of studio noises here and there on Zeppelin II. Probably because it was recorded in some unlikely "studios." You have to have an LP (or a lossless CD rip or Tidal file) to hear that detail. Having good kit again made critical listening worthwhile.
I was a sophomore in high school at a party. Someone snuck in Light My Fire in between what was probably 00s rap and alternative. I had never heard the Doors before and sat there through the whole song in wonder. I hadn’t really heard anything other than music on contemporary radio so hearing that song was truly like nothing I had heard before. I had to find out what other “weird” music was out there. As silly as it sounds, hearing that song really did change my trajectory in life. @tymathews
Dude, that's such a great story. I LOVE those hit-like-a-thunderbolt stories. I do, however, recall the first time I heard Charles Mingus. It was just like that-- rearranged my whole life.
Most recently for me if it's been Cory Wong, opening my eyes and ears to the world of funk. I listen to all kinds of stuff but most of it branches off from metal and rock, so his world has been totally different and so enjoyable for me. All of his music has such a positive and happy vibe. You also get some fantastic musicianship in every song, and the neat thing about Cory is that he's not afraid to take a back seat and let someone else shine.
Great example here with the song Lunchtime. Really fun performance on the bass by Sonny T.
https://youtu.be/EQm2aSyI-F8
Thanks for offering to follow back! @_FordR
That's so much fun! Awesome. Thanks for the tip.
My mother listened to '40s through early '60s when I was growing up so I started with that. Where I lived in CA we only had one "oldies" station, a top 40 station on FM, and then early MTV. After learning about AM stations I found SF thrash and hardcore punk from the early to mid '80s. Combine what my mother brought me up on and what I found myself and I listen to nearly all types of music. Looking at my music library you'd think I'm schizophrenic.
Hah, I had the opposite experience, but wound up with the same kind of music library.
I can remember listening with my friend to his older brother’s Led Zeppelin albums when I was a kid. Probably responsible for my being a metal head. Also I remember being introduced to Dominican Típico and merengue music. Music I still enjoy.
You mean like this? So much fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTw9A6HFwk4
Hearing The Chattanooga Choo Choo on my parents' greatest hits of Swing CD created a lifelong Glenn Miller Fan.
Also the Ulfuls song "Tsugihagi Boogie Woogie" in Beverly Hills Ninja served as a gateway drug into the wild world of Japanese rock, which is its own type of drug.
Europe 72 @MikeyFly10
Great record!
I always hated jazz, Avishai Cohen and Phronesis were the gateway drug, I went down the rabbit hole and now I listen to tons of jazz, including free jazz. Do you like free jazz Dave? Check out Min Bul - Min Bul (1970), trioVD - Maze (2012), Dyani, Temiz, Feza – Music For Xaba (1973), Harriet Tubman, Mats Gustafsson, Colin Stetson (not all strictly free jazz).
Do I like free jazz? Yeah, it was a total obsession for a good decade. I'll have to tell some of those stories. The Johnny Dyani records I love most are with Dollar Brand, but the one with Don Cherry on SteepleChase is a total classic. Paid too much for it, but what can you do!
I remember being absolutely flabbergasted by the album Deloused in the Comatorium by the Mars Volta. I'd been playing music for years, listening mostly to blues, rock, and funk. I'd simply never heard anything like it. I still haven't found much to match it.
Really interesting! I'd heard of them, but never played one of their records until now. Cool!
Software: Aqualung by Jethro Tull.
Hardware: Boulder amp/preamp/phono stage driving Verity Audio Parsifal Encore speakers.
Damn, that's serious gear!
Yeah the phono stage alone is $30k. I used to be in the business so I’ve heard just about everything. Couldn’t afford Boulder but I got the Verity speakers with Aesthetix Calypso/Rhea and a SS BAT amp. Nice!
Nemo by Nightwish. I heard it for the first time about 5 years ago and I fell in love with Symphonic Metal.
Gonna have to check it out. Thanks!
Prodigy's The Fat Of The Land opened me up to all sorts of electronic music, which previously I never considered seriously.
(forgot @kantortech)
When I heard Elvis, life changed. When I was 10 I would sneak down at night and listen to his Sun records. I wasn't supposed to touch the record player.
For me it was the song “Lush Life”, an extremely complicated song to sing vocally. I first heard it when I was a teenager on Natalie Cole’s album. Fell in love with it because you could hear the emotion in the lyrics and melody. Years later, I heard Queen Latifah sing it on the soundtrack to “Living Out Loud” (which is a terrific soundtrack all around), and I thought Queen Latifah’s version was even better than Natalie’s.
"Morning at the Carnival" and "Prelude in E Minor" in Gerry Mulligan's album "Night Lights" was the start of my genuine interest in jazz.
Astral Weeks by Van Morrison. Long story short: I took a class in college called African American Rock History at John Abbott College in Montreal. The teacher, Trevor W. Payne (look him up), walked into class with the LP and said, “Today’s class is a listening session. I will be playing the greatest record ever recorded. Those who aren’t interested can leave.” Most students left immediately. Only 6-7 of us remained. He turned out the lights, put the record on and left the room. My life has never been the same since.
That’s a perfect story. I love when it happens in movies.