Rock Whiplash by Christine Sixx – 15 Albums That Changed My Life
On Facebook, I get bombarded with various lists that I must fill out about myself from 25 things most people don’t know about me to listing memories from high school. There are many other lists that I tend to ignore, but this one I couldn’t get out of my mind: 15 albums that changed your life. The challenge presented before me was much more difficult than I had anticipated.
Naming 15 artists that changed my life would have been a lot easier, but narrowing it down to specific albums was nearly impossible. Actually, it was impossible because I only came up with 10. Perhaps it should have been named 15 albums that influenced your life, then I would have been able to complete the challenge. So here is my list of 10 albums that changed my life.
1. Motley Crue – Theater of Pain: It was my first introduction to Motley Crue and it changed my life forever. There are very few bands that influence almost every part of your being, and Motley Crue is that band for me. When “Smokin’ In the Boys Room” hit my little ears for the first time, I was hooked. I remember staring at my brother’s Theater of Pain album in awe of them and slowly but surely becoming obsessed. I would run home from school every day to see the video for “Home Sweet Home” on the Dial MTV countdown. I cried for an hour on the way to the venue when my older brother and his friend got to see Motley Crue in concert and I couldn’t (because I was too young).
2. Guns N Roses – Appetite for Destruction: I really don’t think I even need to explain myself on this one. This album changed not just my life, but the life of rock & roll as a whole.
3. Skid Row – Skid Row: I was sitting in my kitchen watching MTV when the video for “Youth Gone Wild” came on. I sat there watching with my jaw open and hitting the floor. Afterwards, I ran to my room, grabbed my English folder and wrote down the lyrics to the chorus on the front of it. It was my anthem. Sebastian Bach’s voice was like that of a rock angel and was like nothing I’d ever heard before.
4. Social Distortion – Social Distortion: I was introduced to Social Distortion later in my life by a good friend of mine. In college, I’d been getting my feet wet in punk rock, and Social Distortion won me over immediately. Mike Ness’ rough and tough voice was a drastic change to the melodic rock singers I had been listening to throughout middle school and high school.
5. Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power: The first time I saw Pantera was when they opened up for SKid Row while promoting Cowboys from Hell. But Vulgar Display of Power changed rock and metal forever. It was HEAVY, rude and in your face. It’s not like metal didn’t have any bands that represented heavy, rude and in your face, but Dimebag’s guitar shredding was a force to be reckoned with. That album is simply amazing.
6. White Zombie – La Sexorcisto – Devil Music Vol.1: While watching my local cable access metal show one Friday night, the video for “Thunderkiss ’65” was thrown in my face. There was a crazy dready guy growling lyrics I could barely understand and a hot chick bass player. It was like a bad B horror movie and I instantly fell in love with it. I also fell in love with Rob Zombie. Yeah, I think he’s smokin’ hot. Call me weird.
7. Chris Isaak – Heartshaped world: All I have to say is “Wicked Game.” That video is HOT. Chris Isaak’s voice just oozes sex and romance. I’m a sucker for romance, and this album introduced me to the king.
8. Ryan Adams/Whiskeytown: Take your pic. I can’t choose Ryan Adams or Whiskeytown (or a specific album for that matter); they’re a package deal for me. In case you aren’t familiar, Whiskeytown was an alternative country band, and Ryan Adams was the singer/songwriter. Ryan left to go solo and his solo music is just as incredible. He’s a musical genius.
9. Blackberry Smoke – Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime: My fiance’s band was opening for some band I’d never heard of a couple years ago. After his set was done, we went outside to hang out for a minute while the headlining band set up. Once they started playing, we all ran back inside because we just couldn’t believe how amazing the band was. That band was Blackberry Smoke from Atlanta, GA. They’re southern rock at its finest. It’s very rare that unknown bands impress me, and these boys blew me away. Their album, Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime is full of great tracks, but it seriously doesn’t do them justice.
10. Get Up Kids – Four Minute Mile: Yeah, their kina indi, emo-ish…and I love them. Among all the rock and metal that I was filling up on, this album was a nice little break. It rocks but in a totally different way. Wish I could explain it to you…but I can’t. It’s fierce in its own trendy hair, tight shirt and tight jeans kinda way.
What are the 15…or 10 albums that changed your life?
Also, check out my blog for a review of the Motley Crue show in Grand Rapids, MI.
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Kiss – Dressed to Kill ( my first taste of hard rock)
Judas Priest – Hell Bent For Leather – my sister used to come home from school blasting The Green Manalishi. I was hooked.
Cinderella – Night Songs (I used to rush home from school to watch their videos on MTV when they used to have those hard rock videos on every day)
AC/DC – Back in Black (Played to death here on the local radio, you couldn’t help but to love it, and I still do.)
Tesla – Mechanical Resonance ( I still remember how excited I was after listening to this cassette tape the first time. I have been a fan ever since, and catch them live every opportunity that I get.)
Motley Crue – Shout At the Devil (Great Album, Great Videos, and best live concerts I have ever seen)
Dokken – Under Lock & Key (This album got me interested in playing the guitar. Frustration and life made me decided that I would live the six string acrobatics to George Lynch.)
That is only 7, but those albums help cement my love for hard rock.
Hey rockandrollcoastie…GREAT choices ! I love Lennon, D.A.D & used to jam London Quireboys back in the day.
1. Rhinestone Cowboy – Glen Campbell, Photographs & Memories – Jim Croce, Sugar Sugar: Greatest Hits – the Archies. These 3 albums were my first memories of hearing music and my introduction to music.
2. Destroyer – Kiss; There is, was, and never will be a greater way to be introduced to hard rock than to hear the opening lines of “Detroit Rock City” and go all the way to the end with “Do You Love Me” as I am hanging out with my older cousin and his friends at my first real party. I was like 8 or 9 at the time. Man what a great babysitter Danny was!!
3. Double Fantasy – John Lennon; Not counting the songs sung by Yoko Ono this album is one of the very few I would call perfection. The songs Lennon sung were/are absolutely incredible. It lead me to discover the Beatles this album changed my life in more ways than one and still inspires me every time I hear it.
4. In Through The Out Door – Led Zeppelin; O.K. I may have been somewhat of a late bloomer as far as music is concerned but when you grow up in rural Arkansas and only have one rock station that you can pick up on only the most perfect conditions doesn’t really help a lot so you make with what you have. The first time I heard this album at my friend’s house I was absolutely floored.
5. Back In Black – AC/DC; Much like Kiss and Led Zeppelin at the time I had never heard anything like this before, it just floored me the first time I heard it playing.
6. Beauty & the Beat – the Go-Go’s; One reason and one reason only I was 11 yrs old and I thought Jane Wieldin was the sexiest woman alive.
7. No Protection – Starship; As sad as it may seem I actually have a good reason for this one being on my list. My girlfriend at the time loved the song “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” and I ended up losing my virginity to the album and that song. Awww memories
8. Look What The Cat Dragged In – Poison; Walked into a Camelot Record store heard this playing asked them who it was and bought it right on the spot. I had never seen anything like the band before in my life I didn’t have a clue if they were girls or guys or what but loved the music I heard. My introduction to glam and the Sunset Strip music scene.
9. Sonic Temple – the Cult; Another example of album perfection everything about this album kicks ass and just oozes coolness
10. Somewhere Between Heaven & Hell – Social Distortion; As hard rock was getting pushed out the door in the early 90’s Social D was one of the first bands I found that wasn’t from Seattle or wearing flannel that still played balls out rock n’ roll.
11. Operation Mindcrime – Queensryche; I was already a Queensryche fan when this was released but I had never heard a concept album as great as this one. I still hope someone will come along with the balls to make this into a movie it could be absolutely awesome.
12. Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses; I do not have enough fingers or toes to count the ways this album changed not only hard rock but music as a whole. Sex, Drugs, Rock N’ Roll, and Rebellion all tied up into one of the greatest albums ever.
13. A Bit of What You Fancy – the Quireboys – This album made me go back and rediscover the Rolling Stones, the Faces, & old Rod Stewart and actually listen to what they had to say and finally appreciate their music the way it deserves to be appreciated.
14. No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims – D.A.D.; To this day one of my favorite bands and one of the most underappreciated bands of all time.
15. Three Dollar Bill Ya’ll – Limp Bizkit; This album and band made me give up MTV forever and because everyone was calling this crap metal it made me ashamed to be a metal head. Because of this album I hated almost any band that was called “Rap Metal” or “Nu Metal”. On the other hand it made me go out and look for new hard rock and metal bands instead of depending on the chain stores to get my music.
Camelot…lol…I forgot all about those. I used to go in those stores all of the time.
Before mentioning the albums that changed MY life,..I’d like to comment on some of your choices Ms.Sixx.
I agree w/Appetite…it changed rock all together!! My fave Crue album was ” Shout at the Devil “. And Skid Row’s debut ? Come on,..I remember all the chicks goin’ crazy over Sebastian, I seen ’em open for Aerosmith in ’90. But didn’t find the tunes ” life changing “….but an opinion is an opinion.
I love Pantera,..Cowboys From Hell jams !! U seen ’em open for Skid Row ?? Crazy !
Ok…here are some of my ALL TIME METAL/ROCK ALBUMS:
AC/DC-Back In Black & Highway To Hell
Metallica-Kill Em All & Master Of Puppets
Cinderella-Night Songs
Judas Priest-Screaming For Vengance
Black Sabbath-Greatest Hits
Guns N’ Roses-Appetite For Destruction
Motley Crue-Shout At the Devil
Megadeth-Rust In Peace