10 albums...

Last week, while I was having blogger's block, I made a list of 10 albums that are really important to me thinking that I could make a post out of that sometime. Well sometime is here. I may not listen to some of these a heck of a lot any more, but they always remind me of a certain time or place. I don't know what to call them. Influential? Favourite? Inspiring? Instrumental? (Ix-nay on that adjective - all of them have lyrics...) Ummm, for lack of a satisfactory term, I'll just call them special.

Anyhow, here is a list of 10 albums that are special to me:

1) The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner - Ben Folds Five

This album was released on the last day of my first year of university. So, it kind of marks a milestone for me: the end of my hardest year of university. More importantly, I listened to it constantly that summer. My Nana was dying of cancer that year, and it brings me back to frequently making the trip to visit her in the hospital in Sarnia with my Dad. The song "Magic" was eerily appropriate for that experience. It's about coming to terms with someone you love dying of illness and being glad that they are finally out of pain. I love that song so much, and it makes me happy and sad to think about my Nana who was one of the most special people to me ever.

2) (Last Night We Were) The Delicious Wolves - Hawksley Workman

I decided to skip an evening stats class to go to the CD release party for this CD. Best reason to skip class ever. The concert was Hawksley, his pianist Mr. Lonely, and a string quartet. It was one of the most amazing shows that I'd ever seen and sort of started the beginning of me going to lots of small concerts in clubs and discovering little known artists.

3) Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette

Ahh, to be a 16 year old girl again. This CD was all the rage when a lot of my friends were getting their driver's licenses. We'd listen to this CD while going on roadtrips and sing along with every song. Bonus fun: acting out the Ironic video and pretending to be the various Alanises in the car. However, I never would hang out the window if I was shotgun. That's just not me.

4) Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans

This CD got me started on my favourite band of all-time. I love this album for so many reasons. I can identify with the Weakerthans' songs because many of them have the theme of having a love/hate relationship with your hometown. I always have to listen to the song "Left & Leaving" when I'm on way to visit Stratford. My city's still breathing, but barely, it's true.

5) Parachutes - Coldplay

Whenever I hear any song from Parachutes, I think about Harry Potter. For Christmas 2000, I got this CD plus the first 4 Harry Potter books. I listened to this CD as I read through them, and Coldplay and Harry Potter are forever linked in my mind.

6) Tranatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie

This CD rocks. I got it for Christmas from my dear friend Becca T the year that I was up north. It's just so sweeping and grand. It was a great album to have while dealing with challenging times. And the title track is to die for.

7) Pretty Together - Sloan

I wasn't much of a Sloan fan until this album came out. For some reason (was it fate?), Becca T and I kept constantly getting free tickets to Sloan concerts and running into Sloan playing at various places while they were promoting this album. After the third performance, we were hooked and went through a summer of Sloan obsession. I'm talking Sloan road-trips and even making Sloan crafts. Don't ask. But if it feels good, do it, right?

8) Pinkerton - Weezer

El Scorcho is one of my favourite songs of all times. My roommate and I knew that we'd get along when we discovered that we both love this song. Pinkerton is another one of those albums that remind me of high school. I remember getting in trouble for singing El Scorcho too loudly in the library and my friend Sandra hating me for singing that song which made me sing it more. The rest of the album's good too.

9) You Were Here - Sarah Harmer

I love this album. I'm surprised that I haven't worn out my copy of it. (Can you wear out a CD?) It makes me mad to see this CD on the cheap rack at many stores. It's worth so much more, dammit!

10) Set Yourself on Fire - Stars

Last night I was reading my blog entries from a year ago and I noticed that I'd bought this album last May. I can't believe I've had it for a year! It still seems so new and exciting to me, which testifies to its excellence. I love it all, but my favourite songs are Your Ex-Lover is Dead and Reunion which are respecitively numbers 1 and 3 of my most-listened to songs on my iPod. Oh, can't Stars come play again soon?

Sooooo, what are some albums that are special to you?

ps I actually spell-checked my entry for once. Can you believe that Blogger's built-in spell-checker does not have the word blog in it? Too funny.