In no particular order:
Album 1. (The Band that changed my life) The Smiths ‘The Queen Is Dead’.
The Smiths literally changed my life. If I hadn’t been such a massive fan I wouldn’t have gone to a Smiths convention in Manchester (1989) where I would meet my first love and also heard another band* for the first time coming up later on this list.
Every album they made was a classic but it’s TQID which holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to see them on The Queen Is Dead tour in Wolverhampton. It’s still up there as my favourite gig of all time. When they arrived on stage the world stopped. I looked around me with people screaming and crying, totally losing themselves. I thought to myself “This must of been what was like see The Beatles”. Total Mania.
I don’t tend to listen to them much anymore. Morrissey’s behaviour has got more and more bizarre over the years and he hasn’t made anything worth listening to since ‘Vauxhall and I’ (1994). Thankfully we still have Johnny Marr who’s made some great albums (The Messenger is one of my favourite albums of the last 10 years) and contributed to many of others.
Album 2. Cocteau Twins ‘Treasure’.
Basically my favourite band of all. Impossible to describe without sounding like a knob.
I discovered them one Saturday morning on a tv show presented by Gary Crowley back in 1985. Ever since then I’ve played them on a regular basis and never tired of them. I saw them live many times and actually met Liz and Robin in Sheffield while on tour for ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’. I still have the signed note Liz and Robin.
It’s extremely difficult to pick a favourite (they’ve never made a bad track let alone a bad album) but ‘Treasure’ gets the nod today. I actually physically ache when I listen to it. It takes me to another other-worldly time and place. If you’ve seen the film ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ I get that sort of imaginary and vibe.
Album 3: Talk Talk ‘The Colour of Spring’.
I remember buying the album in Woolworths Cannock back in 1986. I’d bought the single ''Life’s What You Make It" first, which was pretty poppy and mainstream and not a million miles away their earlier synth pop records. The album (The Colour of Spring) was a move away from the mainstream, especially side two which showed early signs of the direction they would later take on their following albums “Spirit of Eden” and “Laughing Stock”. I still play all three albums on a regular basis and are up there as my most played albums, which just shows how great they are. ‘The Colour of Spring’ is also my ‘Test Disc’ for demoing anything ‘Hi-Fi’ related.
Album 4. This Mortal Coil ‘Filigree and Shadow’
Writing a list of my favourite and influential albums, it looks like 1986 was the formative year which had a profound effect on the rest of my life. A lot of the albums I bought around this time I still play on a regular basis, including this one.
Although their first album, “It’ll end in tears” is a great album I believe 'Filigree and Shadow ’ is their Magnum opus.
It’s very difficult to try to describe this album to anyone, much like the Cocteau Twins, this album is otherworldly and without comparison.
Album 5 . Jeff Buckley ‘Grace’
This album was recommend to me by someone back around 1996 (it all gets a little hazy around this time). After a (very) drunken evening I recalled the conversation from the night before (a minor miracle) about the album. Shortly afterwards I bought the album without listening to it (remember the days before YouTube?).
Thankfully it turns out it was a safe bet. The album is a masterpiece. I’ve since recommend it to many friends who’ve all gone on to buy it and love it too.
Album 6 .* The Stone Roses S/T
In your life you will have one moment or one day which changes your life forever…
(As previously mentioned) it was in July 1989. I went to a Smiths convention in Manchester and on my journey up there I met my first love who would change my life forever.
On the same evening I heard The Stone Roses and “I am the Resurrection” for the first time. This was at a ‘Smiths Disco’, which wasn’t as sad as it sounds, honest!
I was on the dance floor (which was a first for me too being a shy ‘box bedroom rebel’) as “I am the Resurrection” started. From the opening snare drum I completely lost myself. To this day I’ve never heard a better song. That breakdown, that bass! Jesus! I bought the album the following week and an amazing period of my life began.
The following year I went to the now legendary Spike Island concert. Ignore knobheads like Noel Gallagher banging on about the sound being sh*t. They sounded amazing down the front! Still one of the best days of my life. You could say the Roses mean A LOT to me.
Album 7 . David Sylvian ‘Secrets of the Beehive’
No great personal story behind this choice, it’s just a stunning album.
Album 8 . Hüsker Dü ‘Candy Apple Grey’
Difficult to choose just one album by them. ‘Candy Apple Grey’ was my introduction to them via the Annie Nightingale radio 1 show on a Sunday evening.
A pivotal band in my life. Thanks to them I got to know a group of life long mates and made a lot of memories along the way. Never saw Hüsker Dü live but managed to see Bob Mould and Grant Hart live. I saw Bob Mould with his band Sugar at ULU in London. An amazing day with the highlight being my first stage dive. The look of fear on the crowds faces is something I’ll never forget. Laffin!
Album 9. David Bowie ‘Hunky Dory’
I’ve never been one for looking back. There are bands which I like from the 60’s and 70’s but they don’t feature heavily in my collection.
I got into Bowie very late and it’s something I regret. As a teenager Bowie was just bright suits and part of that Live Aid clique which was another world away from where I was at the time.
It was around 2010 when I bought Hunky Dory and I finally “got it”. I just could not believe one person could be responsible for so much great music. Since then I’ve played more Bowie than anything else. Choosing one album was virtually impossible. Of the 27 studio albums he released I could’ve chosen anyone one from 10 masterpieces. A Genius! Hunky Dory is probably the most played album of his, so it gets the nod today.
Album 10. Radiohead ‘In Rainbows’
This list hasn’t been in an particular order but I think ‘In Rainbows’ could well be my favourite album of all time. I could have quite easily put ‘A Moon Shaped Pool’ in this Top Ten but wanted to keep the list as varied as possible. Not sure what the list says about me or the state of music today, seen as there’s only one band in my Top Ten still releasing new material?
No great back story with me and Radiohead. I just love ‘em.
Another 10:
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’The Verve ‘A Storm In Heaven’. They never made a bad album.
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Doves ‘Lost Souls’. One of most underrated bands IMHO. Everything they’ve released has been class.
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Pink Floyd ‘DSOTM’. An obvious choice but for me it’s perfection.
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Echo and the Bunnymen ‘Ocean Rain’ (basically their first four albums)
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Pixies ‘Surfer Rosa’ (I kissed Kim Deal you know!)
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Depeche Mode ‘Violator’
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New Order ‘Low Life’
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Big Black ‘Songs about F*cking’
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Prefab Sprout ‘Steve McQueen’
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Grizzly Bear ‘Painted Ruins’
…‘’that’s the story of my life’’
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