"25 Albums" or "My Life Story, In 25 CDs or less"

I read a note on Facebook that said I should write about the most influential albums in my life. I don't know that I was heavily influenced by 25, but I'll write about the 25 (off the top of my head) that made me who I am today.

1. Open Up And Say Aah--Poison
The first tape I ever bought. I was a big fan of Poison from 4th grade up until 8th. I watched C.C. DeVille on Vh1's "The Surreal Life" and I've seen every episode of Bret Michaels' "Rock of Love". One of my college roommates found a mint copy on vinyl at a garage sale. I'm still jealous.

2. Appetite For Destruction--Guns 'N Roses
My friend Chris got this in 5th grade. It took me a while to fully appreciate it, but it sure blew the rest of the bands we listened to out of the water. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time. Solid album from Axl's better days.

3. Rust In Peace--Megadeth
I could write an entire page about how much I loved, and still love this album, but I'll leave it at this. At age 14 gave myself a tattoo representing this album. I still don't regret it.

4. The Wall--Pink Floyd
Nate Rubin and Andre Azzam both swore by how good this album was. I was in 8th grade and the only thing that Nate and Andre had in common was that they both played the drums. I watched the movie at Andre's parents house and didn't get it at all. I still don't, but it's a damn fine album.

5. Danzig III--Danzig
Andre loved Danzig. He was a strange guy, but he knew how to pick music I liked. It was really dark (like, occult dark), it was gritty and it was still metal. In '94 I saw Korn and Marilyn Manson open for Danzig. I remember standing there thinking, "No way can Glenn Danzig top those two performances." Somehow I was wrong.

6. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son--Iron Maiden
I was drawn to the band by the artwork and the legendary status. I found out by listening to them that they're kind of into the occult too. It was important to me to listen to things that seemed anti-religious, but still intelligent and with merit. I naively thought this band was providing that, but it turns out it was stereotypical teen metal fascination. I still think they're musically amazing, but haven't listened to them in years.

7. Nevermind--Nirvana
Yes, it's a bit cliche, but if you're in my age group you probably can't deny it.

8. The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion--The Black Crowes
My brother bought this when it was first released and I was one of few albums that we could both enjoy listening to. Granted, I didn't really become a fan until years later, this contains my favorite song, is my favorite album of all time, and is (in my opinion) the best album by my favorite band.
Standing offer: if you don't own a copy, I'll burn one for you.

9. II--Led Zeppelin
It was my favorite Zeppelin album in high school. Every time I hear "Ramble On" I have memories of driving fast with the windows down and the music cranked.

10. Sgt Pepper's...--The Beatles
I was 15...Things were happening...It was a fun year.

11. Far Beyond Driven--Pantera
I cannot think of a better album to listen to as an angst-ridden teen. At the time, it was one of those albums that you believed that the writer knew exactly how you felt. After seeing the Behind The Music, I know that Phil Anselmo is a total douchebag. If anything, it got the agression out.

12. Greatest Hits--The Doors
It seems like so many people go through a phase where you're supposed to like The Doors and think that Jim Morrison was a great poet. I'm pretty sure that at one time, most of the people in knew owned the greatest hits double disc. I went through the phase where I liked the music, I think the movie's good and now I can't stand to hear the music.

13. American Beauty--The Grateful Dead
I went through a Dead phase. It lasted about 8 years. I really, really love this album still.

14. Pretty Hate Machine--Nine Inch Nails
Trent Reznor was going through some pretty heavy stuff when he wrote that album. I was 15 or 16 when I bought it. It was a perfect match.

15. Definitely Maybe--It was somewhere between this album and Morning Glory where I stopped all the loathing and angst and just lamented. I really is one of the best albums of the 1990s and in my top three for Oasis albums. It's probably my favorite debut album that I own (although GNR's is close too). For the record, Oasis is still my #2 favorite band.

16. Dirt--Alice In Chains
It rocked when I needed it to, it was sad when I needed it to be and it was all around a great album. I guess I was getting old enough to understand the complexities of herion and what it could mean and how it could destroy. The album was so powerful but so obviously and desperately sad. It's a shame Layne Staley couldn't give it up.

17. (Self Titled)--Blind Melon
Speaking of herion... For the budding hippie within, this is what my memories of being 16 sound like. I think this is the only CD I actually wore out and had to replace; the first two tracks still skip like hell. Blind Melon was a great band, another shame...

18. Siamese Dream--Smashing Pumpkins
It's still one of my top 5 albums that I own. The band was never as good before, or after this album and I was lucky enough to be 16 when the band was at it's best. I also got to see them close Lollapalooza with three encores in '94. I don't know if you have to be my age to appreciate this album, but I'm sure it helps.

19. ...And Justice For All--Metallica
Chronologically, this belongs somewhere between number 3 and number 8. I love this album more than any other Metallica album. The album slipped my mind because I was always more of a Megadeth fan anyway, and Metallica has been a bunch of douchbags for years now.

20. The Bends--Radiohead
I was about 6 years behind on this one. I shouldn't have to explain how awesome this album is. I should be forced to explain why I haven't made any effort to see Radiohead live.

21. (any album)--Tool
I was at least 6 years behind on this band too. I'm not a die hard fan, by any means, but I go through waves where I listen to Tool for weeks on end. I can explain why I haven't made an effort to see them. They sell out in minutes and the seats are really expensive.

22. The Dirty South--Drive~By Truckers
I owe my love of this band to the fact that after the summer time they opened for The Black Crowes, my future wife and a former childhood friend discovered me on myspace and both were in love with this band. I can't get enough of them and only regret that I wasn't years behind on this one too. At least I'm here now.

23. Reckoning--The Grateful Dead
It's hard to put Greatful Dead albums in a list like this, since they were such a live band and honestly, some of their albums suck. This one is a live acoustic album from two dates in 1981. It's fantastic.

24. Harvest--Neil Young
How could I forget Neil?!! This one belongs somewhere in the middle. There's something really cool about a guy who buys a toy train company so his handicapped child will always have his favorite toys to play with. There's a lot more that makes Neil Young cool, but I thought people should know about that one.

25. Three Snakes And One Charm--This was my favorite Crowes album for quite a while. It changes every now and then, but this one lasted for years, probably because it's just so different from the first three, but the last one they made that really, really was good. The band is different now and still puts out good albums, but they just haven't been great since this one. I hope to have vanity license plates on our cars some day. Mine will say "3SNAKES" and Jenne's will say "1 CHARM".