Once again, the Influential Album Challenge is circulating on Social Media platforms -- mainly Facebook. Typically, a friend who is participating nominates you.
Their Facebook post likely reads...
"I've been nominated by *NAME* to post ten albums that influenced me. One album per day for ten days. No explanations. No reviews. Just the covers. Then, the challenger nominates three people, including you."
Although I love being nominated, I don't like nominating people -- I feel like I am imposing.
I've participated in this challenge before. Consequently, this post is an update. No explanations or reviews are expected but, if you know me, you know I love to talk about me...and music. I will:
- Post chronologically (trying to capture different phases of my life).
- Include a brief story about the record and my relationship with it.
- Not nominate anyone else, but anyone is welcome to join. As I put it on Facebook, it is a Schrödinger's invitation. You have, simultaneously, been selected and not selected.
Day 1: I needed to pick something from my first decade and settled on the Soundtrack to Oliver. This was the first record I "liberated" from of my parent's collection -- which I remember being comprised of records by Nana Mouskouri, Mario Lanza and, for some reason, an Hawaiian Luau disc.
Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself and I'd Do Anything became the first lyrics I memorized. It was also when I learned to lift a needle and select a track of my choice by placing it in the appropriate groove. This was about 1973 (age 8) in St. Catharines, Ontario. My portable record player was awful and I am sure I did irreparable damage to many discs. However, it was the most wonderful technology available in my world.
This was also the album that awakened my love for genre-crossing music. Oliver has grand orchestral numbers, cheeky, boppy comedic tracks, and tender, heartfelt ballads.
Honorable mentions must go to the records that almost made the cut - also from my parents' collection.
- The Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack
- Life in a Tin Can by The Bee Gees.
- Golden Greats by Elvis Presley
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