six compact discs that will change your life.
click on any album cover to buy the record from amazon.com.
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one
Mass: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Dancers, and Players
Leonard Bernsteinfew pieces of music have effected me as much as this bernstein opus written for the opening of the kennedy center in 1971. i am not a religious person, but the music and the story conveyed throughout the nearly two-hour piece are incredible. this is bernstein's most reflective, imaginative, and contraversial work. it shows the man's fascination with the catholic ritual, and all of the doubt if a fictional, yet somehow real, congregation. in the final scenes, the celebrant [played wonderfully by alan titus] finally erupts with anger and rage at the impure thoughts of the people, and smashes the sacraments on the ground. the thirteen minutes that follow are unforgettable, bonechilling, saddening, and yet somehow celebratory. a man comes to terms with the true nature of his life, and the state of the world. the last song, almighty father, is simply heartbreaking. everyone should experience this piece.
two
Adventures in Time
Stan Kentonpeople who know me know that i am not a huge fan of the jazz idiom, but i adore this record. this was recorded in the midst of kenton's experimental period- he created new instruments, new sounds, and most importantly proved that jazz could be legitimate music at the same time. the orchestra is sloppy, as usual, but they are playing with the reckless abandon required of all kenton's musicians. the mellophonium [thats right, mellophonium] section is very talented, but they have some intonation problems. this record proved to me that jazz is worth listening to, and for that it earns a spot on my list.
three
Evil Empire
Rage Against the Machinethis record opened my eyes to a side of popular music i didn't know existed when it came out. social commentary is abound in the lyrics, and liner notes, and while that was always a very important part of rage against the machine's music, one must not forget that the members were musicians as well. tom morello is simply the master of guitar effects. his work in bulls on parade is incredible- i freaked out when i finally got to SEE what he was doing to his guitar when the band played on saturday night live in support of this record. zack de la rocha's raspy, and sometimes crass, vocals are apperent once again, as he leads the quartet through revolver, people of the sun, and the overplayed bulls on parade. this one makes the list simply because of this line from revolver:
don't mothers make great fathers?
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four
Binaural
Pearl Jami can't stand people who say things like 'pearl jam used to be awesome.' or 'jeremy was their best song.' pearl jam have chosen simply to stay away from the kind of commercialism that brought them to international superstardom in late 1991. the songwriting has improved, the band members have become better players, and they have moved on from the jeremy era. they are the last band of their genre- nirvana, soundgarden, smashing pumpkins, alice in chains���� all gone.
with binaural, pearl jam has single handedly saved rock music. [or at least my sanity] the thunderous guitars are back, vedder's distinct baritone is better than ever, and the new drummer is the best they've had. from the opening notes of breakerfall to the last click of writer's block, this one is an epic. these fellas have proven that it is possible to make a serious rock record in a dumbed down era dominated by the crappy, transparent bands of the world [matchbox 20, bbmak, limp bizkit, CREED- don't even get me started] and the teeny bopper scene [britney, christina, backstreet, eminem, nsync, anybody else who looks decent and can sing in a studio]. this is one for the ages. mark my words- after all this crappy music starts to subside, pearl jam will once again be cool to the masses.
five
the Civil WarS: a tree is best measured when it is down
Philip Glass and Robert Wilsonstunning. brilliant. haunting. minimalist.
this is the fifth act of an opera that documents all the great civil wars of history. the story is not linear, so we get abraham lincoln as president talking to himself as a young boy; robert e lee talking to francisco garabaldi in a space ship; and mary lincoln going insane after her husband's funeral. all this makes sense [really, i promise] once you realize what you are listening to. glass' music is dark and cold- it reflects the tone of the libretto by robert wilson perfectly. my favorite part comes when a random united states citizen tells us of how robert e lee rode by his house on horseback on his way to surrender to the union. the man repeats his story again and again. upon every repitition, something minute changes, and by the last telling, the story has changed into something else. intriguing. in the end [this is really random] hercules and a snow owl are left to ponder life and nature while animal sounds play in the background. go buy this cd now. you will hate it for a while, but then it will make sense, and it will stay with you always.
six
Kid A
Radioheadthis is the best record i own. i like radiohead's earlier stuff, so i was a bit skeptical when i picked this one up at target, but now i can't stop listening to it. nigel goodrich's textures and colors are simply divine. thom yorke's voice stays with you at night when you are lying in bed. this is the music i hear in my head all day long. simply amazing. i can't explain it. go buy it. put it on repeat. live it. know it. learn what it is to be musical through it.