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Breaking Down That Top Ten Albums Meme Part 2

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Back in May, my friend Jennie tagged me in a Facebook meme. It went like this:

“I was nominated by So & So:
Day whatever of 10. In no particular order- your 10 all time favorite albums which really made an impact and are still in your rotation, even if only now and then. Post the cover, no need to explain, and nominate a person each day to do the same. Today I nominate So & So.”

Check out Part 1 if you feel like it; not needed, but go for it.

So yikes, the next album I’m picking is a doozy: Revolver by The Beatles.

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Oy, how do you write about the freaking BEATLES? It’s all been written, photographed, opined, screamed at, etc. etc. etc. *holds nose and dives in*

Released August 5th, 1966. Right after Rubber Soul, right before Sgt. Pepper. The guys had enough of touring, and discovered the studio was a playground for creativity (of course George Martin and some acid helped, right?). The greatest band in the world was evolving into…. Ummm…. the SUPER GREATEST BEST GENIUS ROCK AND ROLL BAND IN THE WORLD.? Seriously, it’s very difficult to put into words how much I love them. ANYWAY.  Why did I pick Revolver? It only features one of my favorite songs of theirs (Tomorrow Never Knows, although Rain was recorded during these sessions). I guess for two reasons: 1. It’s a lovely collection of songs that reflect each member in an individual way, songwriting wise; a pretty decent premonition of things to come. 2. I have been fortunate to experience four of the 14 songs live!

It’s weird to say this, but I’ve seen Paul McCartney twice. Once as a 16 year old in Washington, D.C., and again a few years ago in Charlottesville, VA. At both concerts, he performed Got To Get You Into My Life and Eleanor Rigby (GOOSE BUMPS), and bonus Good Day Sunshine in 1990.

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Last year I was fortunate enough to see Richard Starkey himself, in Norfolk, VA. His All Starr Band was so fun; members of Toto, Mr. Mister, Todd Rundgren, among other awesome dudes. Naturally, Ringo performed Yellow Submarine, which was quite incredible. He may have pointed me out in the crowd and said something like “hello lady in red” that night too, but hey, no big deal. 23435196_155749355170327_9045370847788195341_n

Above, me, my dude, and my cute mom (who saw The Beatles in Boston Garden, in 1964) prior to Ringo shouting me out.

I consider myself EXTREMELY LUCKY to have seen two of the Beatles. Paul & Ringo are in their 70s, for shit’s sake, and they are still able to express the beauty and happiness their songs have given the world for the past (I’m not saying how many) years. I miss John and George desperately. Part of me is grateful they’re not around to witness the awful things happening in the world today, but a selfish part of me wishes they were here, since they’d obviously be making great music and helping us all cope.

 

What are your favorite Beatles albums/songs/members/movies/eras/solo stuff/WHATEVER? Comment away! I’d love to find out your Beatle faves!

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Breaking Down That Top Ten Albums Meme Part 1

Posted in blog by

A few weeks ago, my friend Jennie tagged me in a Facebook meme. It went like this:

“I was nominated by So & So:
Day whatever of 10. In no particular order- your 10 all time favorite albums which really made an impact and are still in your rotation, even if only now and then. Post the cover, no need to explain, and nominate a person each day to do the same. Today I nominate So & So.”

I did it enthusiastically, because come on, Facebook is a piece of shit nowadays. It’s good for nothing but sharing things like this with your like minded friends. Between the politics, the data stealing, and the pyramid schemes your friends try to rope you into (hey, I actually love my LulaRoe leggings. Whatever.), it’s a garbage fire. I’m only still there because part of me still cares about some of the people I don’t see in person anymore, and the Events thingie is helpful.

ANYWAY, I wanted to elaborate on the 10 albums I chose, so here we are. I’m gonna do that! Today’s pick is the last one I chose, Viva La Vida by Coldplay.

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Coldplay always struck me as U2, Jr. And I mean that as a very high compliment. Four earnest boys who met in school, with an especially charismatic frontman bound for an evolution of even more great frontman-ness and songwriting prowess. Their live shows gave me the same vibe, and I was very interested to see/hear how their career would progress.

When Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends was released, I felt an electric charge. Listening to it gave me such happiness because it was taking their pretty Britpop brand and giving it a proper Pokemon evolution, thanks to their experience and Brian Eno’s production prowess.  Brian Eno? The guy who worked on The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree? Hmmm. Is there a glitch in The Matrix or what? I felt this same feeling about an album in 1987, when U2 became my favorite band. Hearing this kind of stuff in 2008 was exhilarating. Remember 2008? The year of “Yes We Can?” The year we felt like everything was amazing and only bound to get better? Whew, this kind of music was a great accompaniment.

In May of 2009, I got to see the band perform in Virginia Beach. It was the second time I’d seen them (at the same venue), but this show was magical. I was with my dude, my mom, and some of my most precious friends. We all got cheap lawn seats, thinking we’d end up spending time with each other, and the music would be lovely background matter.  How wrong we were, once we saw the lady in the Live Nation gear walking towards us. Upgrade to pretty close seats? OK THANK YOU VERY MUCH. Enjoy some before and after photos, won’t you?

Look how close we ended up!

Some days are pure mystical destiny, and that experience sure was. A perfect culmination in my head, of the beauty of Coldplay’s record, the nostalgia and happiness it brought me, the year of hope, and the sharing of it with the people I love. Thanks Coldplay.