Influential Album Challenge Day 10 – Caroline’s Spine Monsoon

February 14, 1998. First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN. The day my Caroline’s Spine adventure began.

It was the day I first saw the only band that I would consider sharing the number one spot with Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger on my, oh so important influential album challenge. Caroline’s Spine is not only a big influence music-wise, but it also a personal connection that, really I wouldn’t care to separate from the music. As I mentioned, it was a nearly 10 year epic journey “following” a band, meeting and making some life-long friends and an all around good time.

On that February day, my friends Cathy, Russ and I had decided to go and see a Sebastian Bach concert at the famous First Avenue in Minneapolis. Caroline’s Spine was the opening band. Generally speaking I am rarely moved by opening act, but this band was different right out of the gate. From the first song, which I would find out later was called Jumpship, I was completely blown away. My friend Cathy and I looked at each other halfway through their set in amazement. After the show we went over to the merch table intent on buying their CD. Unfortunately, they were sold out.

I drove down to Mankato the next day in search of their CD Monsoon. Once purchased it was on permeant rotation in my CD player. I was not alone in my new found obsession, as my friend Cathy had it just as bad. I told her that once summer came around and if they had a show anywhere within 8 hours driving distance, we’d go. Our next show was in Lincoln, NE (or was it Sioux Falls, SD? It’s all such a blur!) followed by the New London Music Fest somewhere deep into Wisconsin. Not too long after this we started seeing familiar faces at the shows and making new friends. I met one of my greatest and dearest friends, Seven, at a show in Cedar Rapids, IA. She and I had some of the best road trips ever. Every show it seemed that our little family added a new face or two. Through the years many of us have stayed close, even if we do not get together like we used too. Every time I hear Rainbow Connection I think them.

When I first saw Spine they were touring in support of their CD Monsoon. Basically, Monsoon is comprised of the “best songs” from the bands four previous indie releases (Caroline’s Spine, …So Good Afternoon, Ignore the Ants and Huge). They were remastered or re-recorded. These songs were the backbone of any Spine show, but to really get Spine, I almost think you had to see them live.

But back to the album. There is a strong lyrical storytelling aspect to Monsoon, especially on the band’s most recognizable song, Sullivan. It is a retelling of five brothers from Waterloo, IA stationed on the same ship in the South Pacific during WWII. The music is somewhere between alternative and hard rock, a post-grunge sound if you like (which is a thing). Upbeat and in-your-face with some of the catchiest guitar riffs around.

I’ve always thought it a shame that Spine didn’t get the recognition they so rightly deserved. Do yourself a favor. Go over to YouTube and search for Sullivan. Or any of their live shows. You won’t be disappointed.

Influential Album Challenge Day 8 – Chris Cornell I Am The Highway

Alright, so this is a compilation CD and maybe it’s cheating. But you know what? It’s my list, so there!. At this point, it’s no mystery that the music of Chris Cornell in whatever project he was working on has had a major influence throughout my life. Understandingly, it would just bee to hard for me to pick one or two of his projects and call it good. I figure with this selection of I Am The Highway I can cover everything from Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and all the great solo works he did.

I became aware of Soundgarden way back in high school. Thanks to the necessary evil MTV and Headbanger’s Ball, this girl from rural Minnesota got to see the videos for Hands All Over and Loud Love. One of the things that impressed me was the voice. How Chris’ voice and Kim’s guitar melded into one other in the opening of Loud Love still impresses me these 30 years later. I purchased Louder Than Love on cassette. When I went away to college and seemed to spend an eternity in the painting studio, this cassette along with Ultramega OK, Flower, Screaming Life/Fopp (which I purchased at a record store/head shop) became my playlist to paint too. (Sidenote: Danzig and German Death Metal that I couldn’t understand a word also were heavily mixed in with Soundgarden). Badmotorfinger was out by this time, but for some reason unknown it didn’t make the cut. Many of my early paintings were created to this odd ball soundtrack I created.

Soundgarden kept me company through the rest of my college career. Badmotorfinger was the soundtrack to my last years at Winona and was the era where I did see Soundgarden live. Superunknown came out during my second stint at college and during one of the best times of my life. My favorite tracks off that CD would have to be My Wave, Fell on Black Days and Just like Suicide. It’s one of those rare CDs that I can listen to from start to end without having the urge to skip songs. I think Chris Cornell was at his best lyrically (for Soundgarden, at least) on this album, though Badmotorfinger is damn close. Down the Upside was also a great album, one I listened to on many roadtrips. I don’t know King Animal very well as I had a young child at the time and time was lacking.

Temple of the Dog was released not too long after Badmotorfinger and that was one cassette I wore out. It was a very different from what I was used to hearing from Soundgarden, but no less impressive. Famously the album was written by Chris Cornell for his friend and roommate, Andy Wood, who had tragically passed away from an overdose. He and members of Pearl Jam recored the album. The lyrics are really personal and in all honesty, as a 21 year old who had never felt loss that deeply, I really didn’t connect with the lyrics until later when I lost some who where close to me. Sadly, I Am The Highway only has 3 songs from Temple of the Dog. There isn’t a song I dislike from this album.

I Am The Highway also has the great Audioslave songs. For me Audioslave was what I listened to when I roadtripped to various shows. It seems fitting to me for some reason.

I think the highlight to I Am The Highway is Chris’ solo career. He could write and play how he wanted without trying to make a Soundgarden or Audioslave sounding song. Chris’ solo career was varied. He dabbled in Pop music (with Timberland), did some sublime covers (Billy Jean, anyone?), soundtrack work for movies like James Bond along with four solid solo albums. Included in this compilation are many songs recorded live as well as 11 previously unreleased songs, the highlight for me being When Bad Does Good. This was released posthumously, and the accompanying video is haunting and so sad. It features Chris’ own son, playing his father as a child. In the video he is delivering newspapers to sights around Seattle that Chris had frequented in his life there. Meanwhile, Chris’ most memorable lyrics are superimposed across the landscape. Heartbreaking.

Other musicians and idols that I have looked up to have passed away, yet not one has affected me quite as much as his passing has. I didn’t know him and yet I miss him.

Influential Album Challenge Day 7 – Mad Verb Sincerely Your Obedient Servant

This is one of those albums that is really hard to separate the music from my life, but I’ll try. Maybe. Probably shouldn’t should I?

Mad Verb came into my life at the annual Taste of Madison in 2001, which was kind of tradition for my friends and I to go make a weekend out of it. It seemed like everyone knew all about them and I was the last to know. It was their first time playing up in these parts and I hadn’t been down to Tulsa like the rest of the gang. So there was a lot of hype and my expectations were set high. I was not disappointed. They were an amazing live band! Sincerely Your Obedient Servant was their first CD.

Mad Verb seemed to be only around for a short while before going on and pursuing different projects. They only released two CDs during that time and very little about them can be found on the internet. Just one little radio clip with their song Cream Puff. This was the song that usually closed their set, a high energy, good-time song that makes for a great mosh pit.

Their song Take Me Places is perhaps one of songs that mean the most to me. It is a slower tempo song about a new relationship. Yes, a cliche subject, but there are certain lines in the song that I repeat to myself when I’m dealing with difficult things.

The past gives us courage. The future lets us know, that today we hold the balance

There’s not much more to life than living blissfully.

And really, that right there is my truth. Don’t worry so much about the past or the future, as none of its really completely within my control. Do what makes me happy, my bliss, and really, that’s what’s going to get me through each day. Perhaps that wasn’t what they meant when they wrote the song, but it what I got out of it.

Mad Verb and this CD hold a lot of wonderful memories for me. I listen to this CD frequently still, all these years later. I listen, and I smile.

Influential Album Challenge Day 4 – Night Ranger Midnight Madness

This was the album that started it all for me.

Before Night Ranger’s Midnight Madness you could say I was a casual consumer of music. I listened to the radio, mostly Pop/Top 40. I bought 45s of songs I liked and a few albums from popular artists like Micheal Jackson, Quiet Riot and Cyndi Lauper. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I really was unaware of all that was out there.

I do remember hearing Sister Christian on the radio often though I can’t say I was a fan of the song and honestly I can not say I am now. Because of that Night Ranger was not on my radar. If my friend from Junior High had not invited me over to her house they might never have registered. As usual Shelia put on some records to listen to while we played board games. Midnight Madness was one that she put on. The first track (You Can Still) Rock in America was a solid rock tune but it was the second track Rumors in the Air that caught my ear and would not let go. I had Shelia play that song over and over again until she was good and sick of it. The rest of the album was pretty solid with great storytelling in the lyrics from Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy and two lead guitarists with vastly different styles that surprisingly gel from Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson.

At that point on I became one of the biggest Night Ranger fans on the planet and proceeded to develop a massive schoolgirl crush on the lead singer/bassist Jack Blades.From Night Ranger I started exploring hard rock/heavy metal groups; Ratt, Dokken, any music that was not given airplay on my Mom’s car radio. My family gotten Mtv not too long after my experience at Shiela’s and that really opened up another avenue for me to explore music (Headbanger’s Ball, and 120 Minutes).

As young as I was when I discovered Night Ranger (13/14) I did not get a chance to see them live during their prime but i did get to see and meet them during some reunion tours. Generally I’m pretty chill when I meet musicians that I admire because they are just people too. I will admit that I totally lost my shit each time I met Jack Blades…at least internally. I trust that I didn’t act like a complete moron. I’ll chalk it up to the gigantic schoolgirl crush thing.

I may not listen to Night Ranger as much as I did as when I was a youngster but they always will reserve a top spot in my favorite bands because without them I might not have discovered my deep love of music.

Influential Album Challenge Day 1 – Johnny Flynn Been Listening

A few months ago I was challenged to posting my top 10 favorite/most influential albums of all time. A truly daunting task if you ask me. I posted each day without giving any substantial thought to it. Jump forward, and its still going around and other friends are participating and I got tagged again. I thought why not go full-throttle into this thing. I’ll post my pick each day and add my reasons behind my picks here on this here bloggity-blog-blog.

Today I tried to whittle down my list to 10 albums only. Couldn’t do it. So expect some honorable mentions at the end of these 10 days. Also, these albums are in no particular order, really. It was hard enough selecting only 10. To put them in some sort of meaningful order would be akin to shoving ice picks under my toenails — or something like that.

Here’s a little secret about me; I like folk music. I didn’t broadcast that back in my 20s because it just wasn’t cook to admit that you liked the twang on a banjo just as much as the scream of a guitar. With that being said, first on the list is Johnny Flynn’s Been Listening. Johnny Flynn might possibly have it all. Not only is he a very talented singer and musician (he plays guitar, violin, trumpet, mandolin, piano, banjo and God knows what else) he also is a trained Shakespearian actor who has starred in London’s West End as well as various movies and tv productions. I bet he probably paints and draws too. Yep, he’s got it all, and you almost want to hate him for it. But not quite, because he’s as humble as they come, as evident in his interviews and clips on posted on YouTube of his shows.

I stumbled upon Johnny Flynn on a movie (Song One) I put on one night I couldn’t sleep. The songs weren’t his, but the performance was. The next day I was checking his music out online and I was pretty much hooked immediately. Here’s a little secret about me. I’ve always liked folksy, old-timey, music and that’s what Johnny Flynn plays, but with a modern twist. His lyrics are downright spiritual, deep and very personal. Currently, his lyrics speak to me at the place I am right now in my life. I could have chosen his Country Mile album just as well as Been Listening but there is just something about this album in particular. There are traces of the Blues on Howl that mix perfectly with his modern folk sound. There is also a duet with Laura Marling (Holy Cats she is amazing) on The Water. Beautiful harmony and some thoughtful lyrics. Barnacled Warship is currently my favorite song.

While Johnny Flynn is a fairly new discovery to me, he’s been around for quite some time. I know that I will be listening to his music for years to come. I’ll leave you with a link to a video of he and his band playing in Germany. I dig the energy in this song.https://youtu.be/o7LjABo2CcE