15 Albums That Changed My Life

This was in response to a Facebook meme.

THE BEACH BOYS, "PET SOUNDS" - This one took me a while. Brian Wilson's wall of sound (prettier than Phil Spector's, but also less powerful) seems to veer into near chaos at times, and the sudden shifts in tempo and mood can be jarring. But just listen to little Brian's voice reach into the falsetto on "I'm Waiting for the Day," and you'll know why the music nerds drool.

RANDY NEWMAN, "SAIL AWAY" - Though I now regard "Good Old Boys" to be the superior record, this is the one that drew me into Randy's twisted world. On this, his third LP, he laughs at the prospect of nuclear holocaust, mocks the faithful, and gets downright horny. It's as disturbing and hilarious as it sounds.

TOM PETTY, "WILDFLOWERS" - Even better than his rock opus "Damn the Torpedoes," "Wildflowers" shows Tom Petty in full bloom. Petty's never been called an original, mostly because he's not, but he does deserve more credit for his versatility. Here he recalls the British Invasion at its catchiest, Dylan at his most romantic, and Neil Young and his most lovably dopey. Rick Rubin could get into heaven on this alone.

THE BEST OF RAY CHARLES: THE ATLANTIC YEARS - This essential one-discer charts Ray's progression from Nat Cole wannabe to the Genius that everyone else wanted to be. Only "Hard Times" is missing, but that's literally the only thing not to like.DWIGHT YOAKAM, "IF THERE WAS A WAY" - My parents had this one on cassette. Dwight is country's most soulful singer (besides Charlie Rich, who was never strictly country) and its most liberal purist. He pays respect to Buck and Merle without being slavish and he's funny without being a novelty. And he scared the hell out of me in "Panic Room."

ELLIOTT SMITH, "XO" - Smith wrote melodies like McCartney and suffered like Nick Drake, resulting in some of the loveliest mope rock ever. This meant a lot to me my freshman year of college. It's lost some of its power now (have I grown, or has it shrunk?) but once upon a time I felt every note deeply.

THE BEATLES, "ANTHOLOGY 2" - The best of the three volumes, and also the most diverse, this one kept me company the winter I broke my leg. While the first Anthology showed us a cheeky boy band on the make, and the third detailed the group's painful dismantling, "Anthology 2" is the story of how the world's greatest band became its most influential. The highlight: a three-track suite exhaustively detailing the birth of "Strawberry Fields Forever." And that's not even one of their best songs.

BOB DYLAN, "BLOOD ON THE TRACKS" - Long after Dylan stopped being anyone's idea of a spokesman, or even a dependable record-maker, he delivered his mostly acoustic masterpiece. His best songs, his best singing, hell, just his best.

JACKSON BROWNE, "LATE FOR THE SKY" - If Dylan's writing can be obscure, Browne's can be almost painfully direct. Make no mistake: he's trying to break your heart. "The Late Show" and "For a Dancer" might just do the trick, but if they don't, give yourself over to "Fountain of Sorrow". Elsewhere, JB predicts the end of the world and when he finally glimpses happiness, on "Walking Slow," he's in disbelief. In the summer of 2004, I was in utter disbelief at how affecting it all was.

THE VERY BEST OF ELVIS COSTELLO - I've since neglected this in favor of about a dozen studio albums, but for me, the obsession started here. Some artists, even gifted ones, suffer from a paucity of ideas. Costello is not one of them. His only problem is finding a place to put them all. Costello throws so much at you, it would be utterly baffling if the melodies weren't so elegant in their own spiky way. This 2-disc set spans a quarter-century and runs from country and western to chamber music to new wave to jazz. Astonishingly, this is only scratching the surface.

ELTON JOHN, "MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER" - In retrospect, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is splashier, "Tumbleweed Connection" richer, and "Captain Fantastic" more personal, but this is the one that hooked me. We all know "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon," but the good news doesn't stop there. The haunting finale does more emotional damage in less than two minutes than most songwriters can muster in a career.

STEELY DAN, "COUNTDOWN TO ECSTASY" - The band's second LP, it was their last as a real band, as future records (mostly excellent) became populated with studio musicians and guest stars. Musically, they were never more expansive, whether jamming with tasty precision ("Bodhisattva") or crafting a sweet country ballad ("Pearl of the Quarter"). It doesn't get any better than "My Old School," and by "it," I mean anything.

PAUL SIMON, "HEARTS AND BONES" - Paul Simon has said this album represents his full maturation as a lyricist, and I see what he means. Middle age, unkind to many boomers, forces Simon into a philosophical corner, where he emerges with his most intriguing set of songs. The lyrics address marriage, divorce, parenthood, the loss of our heroes, mathematics, seasonal ailments, and lyric writing itself. Not bad for the guy who once talked to lampposts.

BILLY BRAGG & WILCO, "MERMAID AVENUE" VOL. 1 & 2 - I am grouping these together because that's how I bought them. America's best post-grunge band and England's best post-punk folkie teamed up to animate the last scribblings of the great Woody Guthrie. I learned that Guthrie's talents extended far beyond hobo lullabies and socialist anthems. He could also be poetic, whimsical, even erotic. These albums represent the full and final unveiling of one of America's greatest writers.

THE BEATLES, "ABBEY ROAD" - Not satisfied with changing the face of Western music, the lads, sensing a breakup was imminent, decided to pool their considerable collective genius and give us their flawless swan song. Emphasis on "flawless." Cleanly produced, sharply played, gorgeously sung, and creatively written, it's their finest by a mile. The real test: even Ringo's song is a classic. What popular music can be, should be, and sadly, may never be again.

What I Would Have Asked Paul McCartney

This is a piece I wrote last summer.

Last night, David Letterman was given an opportunity I would figuratively kill for: he interviewed Sir Paul McCartney. The segment was decent enough, but Dave's questions were musty, forcing Paul to tell the same stories he's been telling for over 45 years now.So I decided to come up with a list of 10 questions I think might have made for a more original segment. Let me know if there's anything I missed.

1a. Your recent work has been met with much praise, whereas before, your solo work was often dismissed by critics. Have you noticed a change in the quality of your own work, or do you think critics are just susceptible to trends?
1b. Recently, do you feel reconnected with your music, or has your level of investment always been consistent?

2a. What do you do when you sit down to write a song and nothing comes? Or do you never treat it like work, and rather, wait for inspiration?
2b. Has it become harder over the years to connect with your muse?

3. You and John Lennon had a very rare creative chemistry. Did it have to be practiced or was it immediately apparent?

4. Did George Harrison ever reach out to you and John for songwriting advice? Why were there almost no collaborations between you and John and George?

5. How might the Beatles' career been different if George Martin had not been involved? Or if the group had decided to work with several different producers?

6. You have no musical training. How do you think this has shaped your approach to composition? Would training have given you direction, or would it have limited you and robbed you of discovery?

7a. You have also had songwriting partnerships with Elvis Costello and Michael Jackson. Was the process still similar to the way you and John used to write, or did it chance with each collaborator?
7b. Any collaborations you still wish to happen?

8. When you make an album today, do you have a specific goal, i.e., to do something you've never done before, or to top yourself?

9. You're a multi-instrumentalist. Which instrument is your favorite for composing?

9b. Can you remember any songs that came as the result of trying a new instrument?

10. You're known for your melodies, yet you typically play the bass, which is rhythmic. Is there a reason you prefer playing bass in live concerts?

Slight Return

Since I haven't posted in a while, I thought I'd throw up a couple of little pieces I've written lately. It's a break from my usual week-by-week format. But as I haven't posted anything since 2008, format concerns are the least of my worries. The new entries will be up in the next couple of days.