Because of all those things, I thought it would be as good a time as any to compile my list of the 27 albums that most shaped these first 27 years of my life. Starting Friday January 31, I will be posting one album from the list every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until we reach #1 just before my birthday.
Let me make one thing abundantly clear: I am not saying that these are the 27 greatest albums of all time. I am not so arrogant to believe that my personal opinion is the definitive voice on music. I like what I like. Hopefully you will be able to unearth some gems from my list. If not, that is alright. These songs and albums are important to me regardless of anyone’s opinions of them.
#1: The Graduate – Only Every Time
Release Date: August 31, 2010
When I first heard the album: September 2010
Why I loved it then: As soon as I conceived the idea for this series, I knew that no other album could possibly top the list. If you’ve gotten to know me at all over the past 3 and a half years, you know how much The Graduate has meant to me. While Anhedonia was an excellent album and already made this list, THIS is the album that most defines me and who I have become.
To best understand the relationship between this album and me, it is necessary to rewind to September 2010. I was in the midst of the aforementioned “Summer of Sorrow”. I hated where I was in my life. My friends started to move out and move on. The woman who I loved more than anything else chose someone else over me. Even family was out of the picture. My sister had moved out of state and my cousin was in Japan. Despite doing everything in college and student teaching to the best of my ability (and experiencing success along the way), I had absolutely nothing to show for it. I was pretty much miserable.
It was during this time that I came across a band named The Graduate. I was amazed at all the similarities that existed between the band and me. We were all around the same age and had roots in Illinois. Like me, The Graduate worked very hard and was met with a great deal of initial success. Many within the music industry prognosticated that these guys were THE next big thing for the entire industry. They were making their way around the world with some pretty big names.
I hit a wall and had my reality check in early 2009. These guys had theirs a little before that. Their record label fell apart. They were in a bad situation that was no fault of their own, and that bad situation sapped them of a significant amount of momentum. But they didn’t give up. They plugged away and persevered, and by the end of August 2010, they finally released the follow-up to Anhedonia.
I heard the album for the first time at the very moment my life felt as if it hit rock bottom. I was extremely depressed about the fact that I still had not procured a full time teaching job, but that paled in comparison to the fact that I had to immediately drive to North Carolina to deal with a family emergency. I decided to put in Only Every Time. It served as the soundtrack to the entire trip (and was the only album I listened do during that entire drive from Chicago to North Carolina). That trip and the album changed my life. I had read a little bit about the guys up to that point. I knew how they hadn’t gotten what they deserved. But they sucked it up and kept going, and the end result was the greatest album that I had ever heard. If these guys could keep going and turn their challenges into greatness, so could I. Every song hit me. Here are these guys who I had never met (to that point, at least), and they get what’s going on in my life. Even though my friends were pretty absent and my family was burdened with a lot, I no longer felt alone. There were five other guys out there who understood how difficult life could be but realized the importance of persistence. It pays to ride it out.
I’ve written nearly 600 words and I haven’t even gotten to the album itself. There is not a weak track on the album. It is the only album I have ever owned that I have never been tempted to skip any tracks while listening. The Graduate may have consisted of five guys, but they shared a unity in mind and vision. I have listened to this album hundreds of times over the past three and a half years, and they absolutely nail it when it comes to the big three: lyrics, vocals, and musicianship. If you just listen to the album for the lyrics, you will walk away feeling empowered and inspired. If you listen to the album for the vocals, Corey Warning will blow you away. The lyrics and vocals are so good that it can almost distract you from how skilled these guys really are at their craft. From Tim’s drums to Max’s guitar to Jared’s bass to Matt’s otherworldly talents, these guys deserved a whole lot better than what they got.
Why I still love it now: Without any measure of hyperbole, I fully believe that this is the greatest album that has ever been made. For years I have tried to pick my favorite track from this album, and I have never been able to narrow down the possibilities to less than seven tracks. There is no weak link in this album.
Before the band entered their indefinite hiatus, I had the privilege of seeing them live three times, including their farewell performance in Chicago. They never took any shortcuts live, and the memories I have of those concerts are among the finest memories I have made during my adult years. I’ve gotten a chance to meet the guys, and I even keep in touch with them via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While they never got the credit they deserved, I will always be grateful to them for the impact they made on my life (and keep my fingers crossed that the hiatus doesn’t last eternally!)
I am fairly certain that there will never be another album that I will love as much as Only Every Time. Without a doubt, this album did more than any other album to shape me into the man I am today. It let me know that yes, life is hard. Yes, it’s not going to be fair, but that is not and will not ever be an excuse to give up. The lessons I learned from Only Every Time inspired and empowered me towards my greatest successes. Without it, I would have never been able to lose the weight I had regained during my period of sorrow. Without it, I would have never run two marathons. Without it, I would not have stayed the course and finally obtained a full time teaching position. Without it, I would not be able to look in the mirror and know that despite everything that frustrates me, I am going to be okay.
Lingering Lyric: “Cause hope has never been enough/ To be sure is asking for too much/ Everything I try seems so impossible/ Everything I have would be enough for someone else but I want more”
Top Tracks: Don’t Die Digging, Siren, Stuck (Inside My Head), Pull Me In, Halfway There, Permanent Tourists, All at Once, End of the World Delight, For the Missing
Previous Entries
27. Avalon - In a Different Light
26. The Dangerous Summer - Golden Record
25. Just Surrender - If These Streets Could Talk
24. The Lumineers - The Lumineers
23. Relient K - Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do
22. Better Luck Next Time - Third Time's a Charm
21. Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
20. ZOEgirl - Life
19. My Chemical Romance - Welcome to the Black Parade
18. Anberlin - Blueprints for the Black Market
17. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
16. Rise Against - The Sufferer & the Witness
15. We the Kings - We the Kings
14. Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
13. New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay
12. The Graduate - Anhedonia
11. Hawk Nelson - Letter to the President
10. Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
9. A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy
8. Anberlin - New Surrender
7. New Found Glory - Coming Home
6. FM Static - What Are You Waiting For?
5. Yellowcard - Paper Walls
4. Relient K - Mmhmm
3. Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
2. Day at the Fair - The Rocking Chair Years
No comments:
Post a Comment