I was thinking the other day about which (music) albums have been the most influential on me. Not which ones are most profound, but which ones have stood the test of time so that year after year they continue to established the baseline for my musical taste. Each of the following actually altered my musical taste to some degree. These are the ones that keep being played month after month and year after year. Though I lack musical performance ability, if I had the ability to compose music, I rather think it would sound like a mix of these.

5. The Screen Behind the Mirror (Enigma) — It's a bit “different,” but Enigma creates a sound that is grand in scale. The interweaving of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana into a rich texture of traditional and electronic sounds creates an unforgettable, intriguing and haunting sound on this album. I'm not really sure how to describe Engima if you haven't heard it. But imagine rock, alternative, gregorian chant and classical blended together to the point that the parts are no longer really separate and you have an idea. If you haven't heard them, you are missing out on something.

4. No Angel (Dido) — I remember first hearing Dido perform on TV not long after this, her first CD, came out. I didn't pick up the CD for several years after that, but “Here With Me” immediately stuck in my head. It sets the tone very well for the whole CD. This album, like Engima, creates what I can only think to call an immensely large sound stage. It envelopes the listener into something large, somewhat dark and out of the ordinary.

3. Sixpence None the Richer (Sixpence None the Richer) — the eponymous album was my entry point into the band and remains my favorite album from them (and this comes from a guy that owns every album the group has put out so far, along with most of their singles). Few albums that I've listened to feel so much like a cohesive whole as this one, yet each song stands on its own as well. While some of Sixpence's best work is contained in their earlier albums and “Divine Discontent” is nothing to sneeze at, their self-titled album's constant, catchy and mature sound sets it apart. Capturing the experience of the band as it struggled to survive, it is full of feeling and contains a deep combination of allusions that make it a “thinking” album.

2. The Book of Secrets (Loreena McKennitt) — The gem of this album, in my estimation, is “Dante's Prayer” — an absolutely beautiful interweaving of McKennitt's celtic sound with Dante's story and an Eastern Orthodox choir. I cannot help but here it now when I read the Divine Comedy. While that is the height, the rest of the album similarly is rich in texture and filled with emotive lyrics that invoke the objective correlative.

1. Fallen (Evanescence) — What I like about Evanescence is not far off from what impresses me about Engima: it is a genre bending band that integrates classical elements into something very distinctly modern. Evanescence's heavy use of a backing symphony orchestra and chorale creates perhaps the perfect example of the postmodern juxtaposition. The dark, brooding nature is a rich musical landscape that expresses what I have come to call the “tragedy of the ordinary fate” extremely well. The high point, in my estimation, is single unit of “Tourniquet” and “Imaginary” (though neither is my favorite song in isolation) — the two tracks blend together with a symphonic musical interlude in between which is really quite haunting and I wish had been developed into something longer.

Perhaps I'll do a series on further thoughts on each of these CD's individually over the summer. I've thought a lot about them over the last few years and have been trying to objectively identify what makes them so particularly memorable to me. I'm getting closer to formulating something — there's a theme the adept observer may be able to see in what I've listed above.

In any case, what are your five? (Remember: what is the most influential to you, not what is the most profound or impressive or whatever else.)

Over the years, I've shifted my tastes somewhat to match my convictions. I once carried a transister radio all over the place: Classic Rock, Heavy Metal, Southern Gospel, Country and Western, Contemporary Christian, NPR — very eclectic. I don't consume music as much, but prefer to share in it. I still love the “stadium rock” sound of Petra, Bloodgood, Allies and other bands which have passed from the market. I actually buy Classical at the cheap rack because I don't want lyrics distracting me when I write. But when I really want to do music, I prefer cozier settings and a live performance. I'd rather sing myself than listen to radio. The blessing is that I can actually sing.

I could come at this from so many angles it's not funny. The 5 that got me to play guitar? That got me into jazz? hat I can always listen too? So we'll do a shot gun approach.

Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting. Helped launch me into Jazz to finally stay. Before this album, hadn't matured enough. Featured Branford Marsalis' who brother Wynton is also a beyond talented trumpet player. From there it was easy.

Rust in Peace - Megadeth. Finally found a metal cd that I could listen to before races and such. Politically aware with songs like Holy Wars that had lines like (“Brother will kill brother Spilling blood across the land Killing for religion Something I don't understand.”) and Rust In Peace…Polaris. I didn't know it at the time but Lead man Dave Mustaine was a complete heroin addicted (or around then) and wrote “Poison is the Cure.” If you need your heart rate raised a few beats this is your cd. Pure unadulterated power that holds up but not for the faint of heart.

Surfing with the Alien - Joe Satriani. If Eddie Van Halen ever gave me hope and desire to play guitar Joe took it away with two songs, Satch Boogie & Surfing w/ the Alien. The first time I heard them my jaw dropped. No lyrics, just him on guitar, drums and a bass. After trying many hours to get the first few measures of the songs dead on, I realized that if I ever wanted to play like that, I would need to give up almost everything else and triple my practice time. I put down the guitar and went for a bike and run. The rest is history.

SuperNatural - DC Talk. Finally found a CD that proved what I had been screaming about since I went looking for well put together Christian music. Now don't get me wrong, they are just singers but at least the songs didn't fall into the same ol 3 or 4 chord arrangements. Yes they were “poppy” but it proved that you could mix God's Word with music other then boring acoustic folk. And if someone out there says What about Stryper? I will scream.

This may sound strange but Valse in D-flat major, Minute Waltz, Op. 64, No. 1 Presto AND Scherzo Nr. 2. b-moll, op-31, AND Etude Nr. 12,c-moll op10,12. Revolutions Etude. Allegro con fuoco by F. Chopin could be put on constant repeat and I would never grow tied of them. The feeling, technique and skill make them timeless classics.

Ed: ah yes, being able to sing is good. Then again, I can sing well enough to amuse myself… just not well enough to ever do so in public except in corporate song.

Mark: Quite the selection there! (Though you may be cheating on no. 5 by combining works. I'm with you about the usual realm of Christian music… My general preference when it comes to Christian artists are ones that aren't immediately identifiable as such, but rather go for a subtle approach most of the time. Sixpence has always been my favorite example of that, but Plumb does a good job too.

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