Three albums that leave a mark
We all have those albums that are touchstones of our life. The music that captures our attention, or our hearts, and leaves an indelible mark on who we are, how we enjoy music and more.
The greatest hope for Record Roulette is that we’ll find this music among a massive list of the “greatest albums of all time.” It’s part of the reason we choose albums at random — we want to find new, exciting stuff. Our favourites are great, but what if we try something new?
As part of our summer mini-episodes, we asked the three hosts to identify which of our first 25 albums made the most lasting impression. The results? Three albums they’d never heard before.
Blonde — Frank Ocean
One of the earliest albums we tackled in the first season, it was also one of the newest. Noted for its lush arrangements and layered vocal harmonies, Ocean’s lyrics deal with everything from masculinity and emotion to sexual experiences, heartbreak, loss and trauma.
“I just love the album from top to bottom,” says Nathan Smith. “If not for this podcast, there is not a chance that I listen to this album.”
It shouldn’t come in too far under the radar, though. This album is #79 on the Rolling Stone list of the greatest albums of all time and it hit #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, but if modern pop, hip hop or R&B aren’t your jam, it’s easy to miss.
“Even if not for the fame, the riches and everything else that would follow as a result of this podcast, if the only thing that came out of it was discovering the Frank Ocean album, it would be more than worth the investment of time.”
Listen to our episode about Blonde:
Things Fall Apart — The Roots
There are a lot of things that make The Roots unique — their jazz-infused hip hop style, the fact that they’re the house band on the Tonight Show, etc. But, for Sonya, it was their socially conscious lyrics that caught her attention.
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“The Roots rendered me utterly speechless in [my] attempt to talk about their lyrics,” says Sonya Walton.
Lucky for Sonya, our guest for the week was astrophysicist, author and all-around good guy Ethan Siegel, who eloquently explained what makes The Roots — and especially Things Fall Apart — so special.
Things Fall Apart just barely makes the Rolling Stone list at #416, but it’s well worth the listen, with stand-out musical performances, excellent lyrics and a knock-them-dead performance by Erykah Badu on the break-out hit, “You Got Me”.
Listen to our episode about Things Fall Apart:
Transformer — Lou Reed
Considering the fact that he’s a music icon, it was a little embarrassing that Eamon O’Flynn didn’t really know who Lou Reed was, what any of his songs were, or that he was involved with one of the most important bands of the 1960s — The Velvet Underground.
“If you gave me our list of albums at the start of the year and you said ‘hey, which one of these will have the most lasting impression on you?’ I can guarantee I would not have picked Lou Reed’s because I didn’t know who he was,” says Eamon.
But, starting from zero meant that Eamon came to Reed’s second solo album with fresh eyes and no baggage. What he found was a collection of music that told stories that aren’t often told, music that’s helped along by Mick Ronson and David Bowie, and a voice that — while not the most dynamic — really grows on you.
Transformer comes in at #109 on the Rolling Stone list and features two of the Reed songs you’re most likely to have heard — “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Perfect Day”.
Listen to our episode about Transformer:
Join Record Roulette on its quest to experience new-to-us music — subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you find your favourite podcasts, and follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
Written by Eamon O’Flynn, the creator of Record Roulette. You can find him on Twitter at @EamonOFlynn.
