The Mind Expands
1986 - Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
After almost 3 years of nothing but Heavy Metal, This album was introduced to me. I think it's lyrics about partying are what hooked me. This was the height of my hard partying late teen years. The raw energy and power of the album spoke to me too. I thought only Metal could do that?
1989 - The Cult - Sonic Temple - Click Here For Playlist
This was a favorite album for a number of years. Every single track is great. I saw them at the old Boston Garden on this tour, and it was incredible. I even got checked into the hockey sideboards as the ice was just covered with plywood and the boards were left up for the next day's Bruins game.
1991 - Pearl Jam - Ten
Even though this album came out on August 27, 1991, I didn't find it until Seeing the band at Lollapalooza in the summer of 1992. I will always remember Eddie coming out to catch the show from the crowd, and sitting on the Great Woods (Mansfield, Ma) lawn about 20 feet from me. I've always regretted not going over and saying hi.
1991 - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik
It's amazing to me that three of the most influential records of my life came out in less than one month's time in 1991. This was released the same exact day (9/24/1991) as the next Album.
1991 - Nirvana - Nevermind
What more could ever be said about this game-changer of an album? I still remember annoying every person I knew by playing it constantly for a whole year.
1992 - John Lee Hooker - The Healer
This was the album that introduced me to music that wasn't mainstream rock. A girlfriend's father had an awesome vinyl collection and this was the first album he played for me when he realized how little I knew of the musical world. Thank You Don.
1994 - Rollins Band - Weight
This was a super album that really connected to my inner feelings. Henry's acerbic wit and the jazz fusion elements of this heavy album really turned my mind on. Seeing the band a few years later in Amsterdam and sitting directly above them as they played will be with me for a long, long time.