10 Most Influential Albums
There was a thing going around on social media recently with people saying the 10 albums that influenced them the most. Here are the ten albums that shaped the way I write my songs and a little bit about my story…
1. Sgt. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND The Beatles
I remember, as a kid, staring at the album cover for hours, trying to name all the celebrities on it and listening to the album on vinyl through my parents record player. My parents would invite friends around who would bring an acoustic guitar and sing Beatles songs till late. The jangle of the steel guitar strings totally gripped me from an early age. Family friends Bill and Izzy used to harmonise together and I was amazed by the sound. Bill even looked like John Lennon with his long hair, beard and round glasses. Even at 5 years old the sound of live music fascinated me.
It was the arrangements in The Beatles Sgt. Peppers album that caught my imagination. George Martin’s influence on the Beatles made them even more magical in my opinion.
2. ‘RUMOURS’ Fleetwood Mac
The first riff I ever played was the theme tune to the Grand Prix, The Chain by Fleetwood Mac on bass guitar, that was by chance, and if I hadn’t have played that, I probably wouldn’t have carried on. The magic of playing guitar had me from that moment. Songs like The Chain, You Can Go Your Own Way and Don’t Stop, all were brilliantly written. Also, other songs by them like Big Love and Landslide are great, Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar playing always seemed to have a genial quality and the harmonies really lift their songs. My song In to the Light and Chasing the Horizon, a song I wrote with Rebecca Cullen, are both influenced by Lindsay Buckingham’s guitar playing.
3. SECOND COMING’ The Stone Roses
This was the first CD I bought, I was 14 and I was mesmerised by it, a really underrated album in my opinion. I literally played this on repeat for years, the Madchester and Britpop era struck a chord with me as a teenager wanting to play guitar.
John Squire’s guitar playing is awesome and the vocal melodies and clever lyrics had me hooked. The vocal line to my song All I Need is Your Love is influenced by Stone Roses. Their other songs like Sally Cinnamon and Waterfall made me look at how I could emphasise and phrase lyrics and melody. The way the songs are written is great, they all sound like classics to me. Songs like Tears, Good Times, Love Spreads, Your Star Will Shine, Ten Story Love Song and Tightrope, all instantly resonated with me. Again, like Oasis did later on, They were a band that seemed to make music accessible.
If you like Jimmy Page, check this album out too, some of this album reminds me of Led Zeppelin. John Squire’s solos are absolute class! If you’re thinking of learning lead guitar, after playing for a bit, I recommend buying the TAB book for this album, that’s where I first started learning lead guitar. The solos to my songs Chasing the Horizon and In to the Light and Beauty are all influenced by this album.
4. DEFINITELY MAYBE – Oasis 14
This album conjures up so many good memories for me. As a teenager I’d get the train to Torquay with my mates, and we’d go around all the record shops, walk home and play footie for hours then back to mine to play guitar learning Oasis, Blur and Stone Roses Songs.
Songs like Live Forever, Talk Tonight (a great B side!) and Slide Away drew me in. At 14, I’d practice for hours, pretending I was doing a gig every night, just going over the songs, I played for hours. From then on, guitar was what I wanted to do. As soon as I got a guitar I played Oasis, Nirvana, Wonderstuff and Stone Roses Songs. Later on I got an electric guitar and a family friend, Brian, bought me my first amp, which had two inputs, so I used it as a P.A. System. I shared a bedroom with my brother growing up and he had a drum kit, so there was always a P.A. and a drum kit set up. My Dad made me a microphone and guitar stand, from a disk brake, clutch coupling, a bat and ball set and a pogo stick, geniously welded, adjustable and perfectly spray painted. He was a mechanic and could make, or fix absolutely anything. He passed away in 2015, I have so many good memories of him, I really miss him.
5. ‘THE BENDS’ Radiohead 15
This album blew me away as soon as I heard it, songs like High and Dry, Just and Street Spirit. Really accessible songs to play on guitar and Thom Yorke takes you on a journey through all of their albums, with his characteristic vocal melodies and amazing instrumentation from such a great band. The guitar playing from Jonny Greenwood and Ed O’Brian really changed the way I looked at trying to write a song. Songs could be charged with emotion and not always about love and longing, but sometimes about the darkness of emotion and how life can make us feel when we overcome the difficult moments in life. I’ve been through a lot over the past 20 years and I’ve explored a more emotive, cathartic approach to my songwriting, in my Calm the Storm and My Mind albums. They are both about calming the mind and slowing down in this fast paced, sometimes impossible world. My songs Love is the Answer to Fear, You Will Make it Out, My Mind and Love is Setting Me Free are all influenced by Radiohead. I will be releasing these albums next year.
6. ‘AUTOMATIC FOR THE PEOPLE’ R.E.M
R.E.M seemed to be one of those bands that gelled really well and had hit after hit. It was songs like Everybody Hurts, so powerful, stirring up emotion inside of me. Also Nightswimming, delicate in the arrangement of the piano and a the vocal line, and the catchy hit Man on the Moon had me wanting to write memorable, catchy melodies. My songs Up to the Stars and Long Hot Summers were written to be catchy and get people singing along. Other R.E.M songs like Losing My Religion have influenced me as well.
7. ‘PARACHUTES’ Coldplay
As soon as I got this album I listened to this on repeat for weeks. Songs like Trouble and Yellow blew me away. Straight away I wanted to learn them. The music felt like magic, just like the feeling I had when I heard The Beatles for the first time, it had something, it was pop and chilled and sounded fresh and new. It’s still one of my favourite albums. My song Up to the Stars is influenced by Coldplays later stuff.
8. ‘EVERY KINGDOM’ Ben Howard
It wasn’t until I changed the tuning of my guitar to CGCGGC like Ben Howard does a lot, that I changed the way I wrote songs. My song Silent Hero is about my Dad who had a stroke. We looked after him and I’d always bring my guitar with me and play songs to him and watch the footie on telly with him. Silent Hero was influenced by Ben Howard’s Every Kingdom album. My yet to be released Calm the Storm and My Mind albums are both influenced by Ben Howards first two albums. I love Old Pine, Diamonds, Only Love, Wolves, The Fear and also Move Like You Want, all classics in my opinion. The way he uses unusual chord voicings on the guitar and the picking patterns, reminded me of John Martyn with a modern feel. I love the cello and the acoustic guitar together, which is why I’ve always worked with string players whenever possible.
9.‘DARK EYES’ Half Moon Run
Dark Eyes by Half Moon Run was a huge influence for my Calm the Storm and My Mind albums. I love the way they use finger picking and fast paced, tight vocal harmonies.
10. ‘JAMES TAYLOR GREATEST HITS’ James Taylor
James Taylor’s guitar playing is masterful. All he needs is an acoustic guitar to have thousands of people gripped. Songs like Carolina in My Mind, Fire and Rain, Something in the Way She Moves, You Can Close Your Eyes and his Carol King Cover You’ve Got a Friend are all, all time classics. He’s a modest performer and a self confessed reluctant star. JT’s finger picking and rich, smooth and soulful vocals has everyone who listens full attention.
I learnt a set of James Taylor songs during lockdown, it really got me through. Because the songs are so much fun to play, I decided to perform as a James Taylor tribute act as a side project. My songs Tidal Wave and Be With You are influenced by James Taylor and Carol King.
I never thought I’d be writing as many songs as I have. I’ve spent most of my life with a guitar in my hand, or at a piano, either teaching, writing or playing live. I’ve been lucky enough to travel with my guitar and meet some really amazing people. I feel lucky to have friends who have been very generous with their time in helping me record my music. For that I’m really grateful. I am also extremely grateful to have the support from my family, who have all been great!