The 10 Album Challenge - Anchor Post

10 Album Challenge - Foreword 

[To be read in a noir style, because that's how I'm hearing it in my head.]

March, 2020. Covid-19 Spring. I'm checking facebook even more often than usual.  On March 27, Shawn tags me on Day 1 of a new social "challenge."

"Day 1 of 10

I was given the task of choosing 10 albums that have strongly influenced my musical taste. One album per day for 10 days. No particular order, or reviewing. Only the album covers. Every day I will ask somebody else to do the same.

I nominate Steve Will to accept this 10 album challenge."

I decide to take him up on it, and so I start thinking about what the challenge means -- at least what it means to me -- and then I start selecting my ten.

As I start posting them -- no, that's not accurate -- as I start selecting them, I realiz I have to say something about my selections when I post them.  Not a "review" per se, but an exposition on why each was chosen.

As I wrote (way back in 2008) my musical taste is eclectic.  As I start the process of choosing 10 albums, it's clear I am going to have to find a way to express that eclectic nature through my selections.  In fact, I realize that this gives me a perfect opportunity to do some self-investigation. I can delve into my memory and into the thoughts and feelings which music conjures in me.  I can attempt to solve the mystery of why I like what I like. 

I am not selecting my 10 favorite albums (and thank goodness for that; I'm not up to the task!). I am selecting 10 which "strongly influenced my musical taste."

So, today, 16 months after my most recent post on this blog (and 58 months after My Last Entry [and by "Last" I had thought I meant "Final"] to this blog was posted), I'm writing again.  

If I survive the journey, this post will be updated as I post my 10 albums.  I intend to do a separate entry about each album I selected, with this post having links to each of them.

Let's see where this leads.  I don't know where it ends.  But I know it begins with "A Night at the Opera."

10 Albums that Strongly Influenced my Musical Taste

1. Queen - A Night at the Opera
2. ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) - Out of the Blue
3. The Music Man - Film Soundtrack
4. Mannheim Steamroller - Christmas
5. Star Wars - Movie Soundtrack
6. Amy Grant - My Father's Eyes
7. Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
8. Michael Jackson - Thiller
9. Pachelbel - Canon in 'D'
10. Monty Python - Matching Tie and Handkerchief

Afterword 

As I wrap up this 10 Album Challenge, I'll thank Shawn for inviting me to play.

I'll also mention that there are some worthy albums which did not make the list, in part because they sort of overlapped with others that did.


Some people who know me would be surprised, for example, that I did not include these two on the list.  I, too, was surprised.

In the end, selecting only ten was difficult, but it was a fun exercise in self-examination and reminiscing.  I'm glad I did it!