Isn't it crazy that music in its simplest form is just a grouping of vibrations that is perceived by our complex and often less than effective ears? Yet the meaning it has when lyrics are paired with melodies and harmonies and percussion tracks can bring tears to your eyes or knot up your stomach like an Auntie Anne's pretzel. It can make your blood boil like a pot of pasta - your anger pouring over the edge like water splashing and sizzling on the hot stove. It can make you remember events and people you have long since forgotten and never wanted to think about ever again.
Like anything by Hoobastank.
It can also make you think of the most amazing person in the world. Like when I hear Sugarland on the radio and think of my wife.
The problem with music is people. They don't want to make music - they want to make money. And here is what's crazy - society eats it up like Chinese food. And then we are hungry thirty minutes later.
We keep asking the entertainment industry to pass the milk when meat is the only truly satisfying meal. The concept of making an album is practically obsolete. Forget creating album booklets and thank you's. No one (besides me) has been interested in those since 1999. Making a cohesive musical statement has fallen off the proverbial map and it seems like nobody has even noticed.
So I feel like it is necessary to honor some wonderful albums in hopes that anyone who might ever read this blog would be inspired to get back to the good stuff. First, let's talk about what makes a good album.
I feel like a good album has the following characteristics:
- Every song that should be on the album is on the album.
- Every song fits. There is no need to define how it fits, because to do that implies that perhaps a song could be made in the same style and would also fit (see 1st characteristic). There is no reason for a song fitting other than it was meant to.
- When you are listening to the album no one notices that it has started over until midway through the second play.
- Conversations can be had while the albums plays, but the music is never turned off for them. Only down.
- The album is still amazing when you listen to it 5 years after it was made. It doesn't matter if style has dated the album because the picture it painted then is just as beautiful now.
These are 15 of the best albums I have ever heard. You should listen to all of them, but make sure that if it is not normally your favorite type of music that you wait until you can bring an open mind to it. I promise they are worth it. Here is how I decided on the order: if these were the only fifteen albums I had and was forced to get rid of them one by one this is the order in which I would do so. Here we go...
1. The Fray - The Fray
2. The Master and Commander Soundtrack
3. The Coast is Clear - Tracy Lawrence
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas - Vince Guaraldi Trio5. Casting Crowns - Casting Crowns
6. The Ever Passing Moment - MXPX
7. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
8. Letting Go - Anthony Evans9. The Everglow - Mae
10. Identity Crisis - Tedashii11. Chroma - Cartel
12. Unbelievable - Diamond Rio
13. Let it Snow, Baby Let it Reindeer - Relient K
14. More Like You - The Bridge (Band) 15. Rehab - Lecrae
Check 'em out!! I mean really...what else are you doin' right now?
