I just finished one of those challenges on Facebook, this one wanting me on consecutive days to post an image of an album that influenced my musical taste, without comment.
Here, in alphabetical order, is the full list, with a tiny comment for each:
- Hourglass, James Taylor — mature, introspective folk music.
- John Wesley Harding, Bob Dylan — the door into a Dylan of many, many rooms.
- Late Again, Peter, Paul and Mary — college.
- Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse, Aimee Mann — mature, introspective, poetic folk music
- Made in Love, Zazie — a door to French pop.
- Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Sviatoslav Richter — a howling snowstorm outside.
- Ring-a-ding-ding, Frank Sinatra — the best of all his work.
- Saint Dominic’s Preview, Van Morrison — “Redwood Tree.”
- Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles — the masterpiece.
- The Sound in Your Mind, Willie Nelson — mature, introspective country music.
* * * * * *
OK. I’ll tell you, the most important ones are John Wesley Harding, Rachmaninov, Ring-a-ding-ding, Sgt. Pepper’s and The Sound in Your Mind.
* * * * *
Alright, the one I couldn’t live without is Ring-a-ding-ding.
Patrick T. Reardon
5.20.20
Written by : Patrick T. Reardon
For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.
