“Think of 25 albums, CDs, LPs (if you’re over 40) that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life. Dug into your soul. Music that brought you to life when you heard it. Royally affected you, kicked you in the ass, literally socked you in the gut, is what I mean. Optional: when you finish, tag a bunch of others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you’re it!”

Yes, the list is numbered, but only to keep track and provide easy reference. This is truly in no particular order.

1. Twisted Sister: “Stay Hungry” – the first album (LP) that I ever had. Was a Christmas present from my little sister.
2. Anthrax: “I’m The Man” – high school buddy of mine played it for me and it started my journey into heavier metal.
3. Nirvana: “Nevermind” – I remember when this album came into the college radio station. We put on the first single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and all thought it was pretty jammin’. We had no idea at the time how revolutionary it would be, but I guess we did our part by playing the hell out of it.
4. Gary Moore: “Still Got The Blues” – One of the most amazing blues guitar players ever. Period. The first time I heard the song, “Still Got The Blues” I was floored at how Gary could truly make a guitar sound like it was crying. Amazing.
5. Saigon Kick: “S/T” – One of the few albums I think is strong end-to-end.
6. Corrosion of Conformity: “In The Arms of God” — A masterpiece. Gives me chills when I listen to it.
7. Corrosion of Conformity: “Deliverance” — Second only to “In The Arms of God”. It was no big loss, fly on albatross.
8. ZZ Top: “Eliminator” — Listened to this tape in my Walkman every morning while delivering papers on my paper route.
9. Dark Angel: “Leaves Scars” — One of the fastest and most complex albums I’ve ever heard. From song arrangements to the lyrics. Heck, you need a dictionary to understand the lyrics.
10. Johnny Cash: “American V: A Hundred Highways” — It just resonates with me. It’s moved me to tears.
11. Led Zeppelin: “S/T” — One amazing blues album. Powerful, both Page’s guitar and Plant’s vocals.
12. Monster Magnet: “Superjudge” — One of the best from the mind of Dave Wyndorf. I’m suckin’ up more karma than I need, so have a supernova on me!
13. AC/DC: “Highway to Hell” — Everyone goes on about “Back in Black”, which is a good album, but I think Highway is stronger, more raw.
14. Slayer: “God Hates Us All” — While “Reign in Blood” is a seminal work, “God Hates Us All” is just angry and errily prophetic.
15. Ted Nugent: “Out of Control” — Yes, a “best of” double-album, but such a great profiling of the Motor City Madman’s career. This is pure attitude, soul, and rock-and-roll swagger.
16. Ozzy Osbourne: “Blizzard of Ozz” — For some it was Eddie Van Halen. For others, myself included, it was Randy Rhodes. He made me want to play guitar.
17. Suicidal Tendencies: “Lights, Camera, Revolution” — No, you can’t bring me down. When this album came out, how it coincided with what was going on in my life….
18. Sepultura: “Arise” — I worked in college radio at the time and was fortunate to gain a lot of exposure to Sepultura then. I wore a leather biker jacket at the time, and liked the band so much that I got a guy to airbrush the “tribal S” on the shoulder/sleeve of the jacket. At the time, that was the closest I’d get to a tattoo.
19. Pantera: “Vulgar Display of Power” — The groove, the power. Walk on home, boy.
20. Motörhead: “Iron Fist” — It’s Motörhead. ’nuff said.
21. Little Caesar: “Influence” — Down and dirty (cliché alert!) rock and roll. “So Damn Tired” isn’t on this album, but man… what a great song. Ron Young has such an amazing voice.
22. Lenny Kravitz: “5” — Incredible talent. This album has songs that remind me of 3 important women in my life: my daughter, my wife, and my mother.
23. Judas Priest: “Painkiller” — From the opening drum riff through to the end of the album, this is what metal is all about.
24. Harry Connick, Jr.: “Blue Light Red Light” — I love singing the songs on this album. “We Are In Love” is great for that too.
25. The soundtrack from the movie “Grease” — I think this is what introduced me, as a kid, to do-wap and other 50’s era music. I still love singing “Those Magic Changes” and “Tears On My Pillow”.
26. dead horse: “Peaceful Death and Pretty Flowers” — There’s no one like dead horse. When I was listening to them in Virginia, I didn’t know they were from Texas. When I moved to Texas (dead horse was from Houston) and wear their t-shirt out in public, it moves other people like no other band I’ve experienced. Not everyone knows about them, but all who do, well… we’re after the same thing.
27. The Coup de Grace: “S/T” — I flew to NYC on my birthday just to see these guys. Again, college radio daze and I promoted these guys all I could. Partied with the band after the show. Nicest bunch of guys. Daylight is dawning for me.