These are the albums that influenced my taste in music--the ones that I play over and over and that are foundations for the various playlists on my Spotify account.
The first is Led Zeppelin II. And, in my history of love for music, my biggest regret is not seeing this band live.
Zep II was released on October 22, 1969--the year when my consumption of music moved from AM radio, and top single cuts, to vinyl albums. Zep II wasn't the first album I purchased (that distinction goes to Three Dog Night's first release) but was the first where I had this need to get to the local record outlet right now to check out the vinyl that included "Whole Lotta Love."
The album came on the heels of Led Zeppelin, the debut release, which was released in January of the same year. Rarely has a band had two initial albums with the punch and virtuosity of these two releases. The second album went to #1 on the U.S. charts and knocked The Beatles' Abbey Road off that perch, which in the late '60s was unprecedented given John, Paul, George and Ringo's hold on the album and singles charts.
Six of the nine cuts on II were written by Zeppelin; the other three ("Bring It On Home, "Whole Lotta Love," and "The Lemon Song") were Chicago bluesmen standards or inspired by the same.
For me, II was an opening into the world of hard rock--of Robert Plant's shriek and Jimmy Page's guitar licks. And, of course, there was John "Bonzo" Bonham. For this kid who aspired to be on stage playing drums, Bonham and Keith Moon were my standards--the guys who I wished I could be in order to experience the high of setting the foundation for a band of that magnitude.
Led Zeppelin II--the first album in my set of 10 that impacted my lens into the role of music in my life. Led Zeppelin II is the first album in the soundtrack of my life.
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