The Other 5 of My Top 10 Albums

In spite of not being challenged to rise up to the 10 Albums Challenge, I've challenged myself. This is the second half of that...so here they are...five albums, in no particular order, that have impacted me.

BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL

This album contains the highest concentration of awesomeness S&G ever produced. I love singing along with every song; from the quiet introspection of "Only Living Boy in New York" to the put-the-top-down, crank-it-up fun of "Baby Driver".

WELCOME TO PARADISE

RANDY STONEHILL

This is one of the first "Jesus Music" albums I ever purchased. I've got his signature on my copy and his phone number in my contact list. Doesn't make me better than you, but it makes me feel that way. Personal History:  EngineerBob and I once convinced an audience that we were making up "Lung Cancer" on the spot...and the crowd went wild.

NEVER PICTURE PERFECT

RICH MULLINS

I suppose most Mullins fans would name a liturgy, a legacy, and a ragamuffin band as the album they would put on a list like this, and I almost did, but this one wins out for me because of "Bound to Come Some Trouble" and a song that amazes me because it is very personal for Rich, but also tells the story of my own family, "First Family".

DON McLEAN

DON McLEAN

Say what you want about "American Pie" and "Vincent" (neither of which are on this album), this project has the strongest line-up of any of McLean's albums. And when you find someone else who loves "Bronco Bill's Lament", or can sing along with you when you break into "On the Amazon", you've found a friend for life. Personal Gripe: The compilation CD, Legendary Songs of Don McLean, has a bunch of covers McLean recorded and misses out featuring songs from this album actually written by this musical poet.

TEASER AND THE FIRECAT

CAT STEVENS

I probably bought this album because of "Morning Has Broken" and "Peace Train", but I practically wore out the grooves on it. There isn't a "filler song" in the bunch. Explanation for the Young Ones in the Crowd: Vinyl records actually have grooves in them (Of course, now that I think about it, each record only has ONE groove per side.) that, when a special needle is placed in them and the record spins around, jiggle the needle  -  creating electrical impulses that recreate the sounds of musical instruments and the human voice that were played and sung into microphones in a recording studio thousands of miles and tens of years away. In other words, it's magic.

And yes, I realize that ever since the advent of the scritch-scratching DJ, vinyl records have been making a comeback and the Young Ones probably don't need the above explanation. Harumph. Be quiet and get off my lawn!