the records that parted the clouds

I was in high school when I first started getting seriously interested in music. In the time since then I have gotten many records and CDs in a variety of styles. There are some that I love, and some that I consider unlistenable.

But there are three records that will always have a place in my heart for (for lack of a better way of putting it) opening my eyes. I vividly remember my first time listening to each of these records. With each, it was like the clouds parted and I was in a new state of being. Yeah, that sounds melodramatic, but that's how it felt. I loved each of these records, and still do. I doubt that will ever change. But they are not necesarily my favorites.

There are other records that I like as much or more, but which weren't eye-opening the same way. There are some records that didn't make the same strong first impression on me, but that grew on me over time. Brinsley Schwarz' third album, Silver Pistol, comes to mind. There are others that I loved at first listen, but that didn't open my ears to something new. Sundown by Rank and File is a good example of that. It's probably my favorite cowpunk album, but by the time I heard it, I was already somewhat familiar with the genre so it didn't open a new frontier the same way Tales of the New West (listed below) by the Beat Farmers did.

One thing that these discs have in common is that they don't have a single weak track; they are strong from start to finish.

DE 7th (Dave Edmunds)

I bought Dave Edmunds' seventh solo album -- when it was a new release -- in the mistaken belief that he had been a member of the band, Ducks Deluxe. The straight-ahead no-nonsense rock and roll took my breath away. To this day Edmunds remains one of my favorites. I am not sure if this is his best album, as Repeat When Necessary and Tracks on Wax 4 each can make a string case. But this was my intro to Edmunds.

Tales of the New West (The Beat Farmers)

I got this record to review, as the music editor of a campus newspaper. It looked a little odd -- kind of country-ish based on the cover But it was put out by Rhino, which was a company I liked, so I took it for myself (instead of passing it on to one of my writers to review). And that was my introduction to cowpunk, which is still one of my favorite subgenres. I followed the Beat Farmers, buying every record, until the untimely death of Country Dick (onstage, during a concert) in 1995. They put out more good records, but none that came close to equaling their debut.

Heroes, Angels & Friends (Janey Street)

This was another review copy I got in college. My contact at Arista records included something in her cover letter about how Janey is from Queens (which, I guess, mattered to me because it was Queens College). I rolled my eyes at that, but when I put the record on the turntable, it convinced me. From the opening riff of "Me and My Friends," this was a tour de force of lust and machismo. In some ways she was like a female Bruce Springsteen, belting out songs of working class heroes trying to get by, or reaching for stardom. It's more melodic than Springsteen, though, with more piano and strings. And you could sing along to it. This is still one of my favorites, and I still listen to it and sing along (when no one is around to hear me).