Ten Albums That Changed My Life

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 29, 2021

Last year, in the middle of lockdown, several readers asked me to do the popular “Ten Albums in Ten Days” challenge on social media. I am nowhere near organized enough to do that, but those messages planted a seed. So, in between major reports, I put together this list, with some context, written in the same vein as my article Ten Wines That Changed My Life from a few years ago. Every now and then writing about something other than wine is cathartic. I hope this article might provide something different to read over the holidays. 

I was fortunate to grow up in a house with a lot of music, even though neither of my parents and none of my relatives are musicians, with the exception of my sister. Growing up in Venezuela, I was exposed to a pretty wide range of music, from the Latin American folk performers that were on television, to the more pop Latin American artists my parents liked and the steady diet of Air Supply, Bee Gees and other pop/disco music our housekeeper played on the radio. My dad also had a large collection of recordings of Neapolitan and Sicilian folk songs that he liked to play and also sing for fun. Later, I realized that was probably the bridge to opera. Moving to the US in 1981 was quite a shock. The airways were jam-packed with Southern rock. At school, the jocks were into Led Zeppelin, REO Speedwagon and AC/DC, while the quieter, more introspective kids liked The Cure and Kate Bush. It was all new to me. Later I discovered jazz and fusion, which took me to Berklee where I was exposed to all kinds of music that influenced me greatly.

1. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)

Back in Black is the first record I can remember hearing after moving to the US. One of my friends brought it over to the house. The sound alone was just mesmerizing. There was a clarity that was immediately evident, even at high volume. I loved the sheer power of the music. It was addictive. AC/DC sounded like the lightning bolt in their logo: electric. Angus Young became a huge influence. Not just for his guitar playing but for his raw energy and total commitment. Angus is all in, all the time.

Released in 1980, Back in Black was the first album featuring new vocalist Brian Johnson and the second AC/DC album produced by legendary producer “Mutt” Lange. It was dedicated to Bon Scott, the band’s former vocalist, who has passed a few months earlier in an accident stemming from alcohol poisoning. Back in Black was recorded over just a few weeks in what must have been magical sessions, as the band is in tremendous form. Forty years after its release, Back in Black remains one of the top selling albums of all time. The others in its company include Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon, the Eagles’ Greatest Hits and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, a testament to the album’s brilliance and the way it was able to cross over into a more mainstream audience.

AC/DC sounds simple and repetitive. In a way it is. And yet, the music is nearly impossible to replicate. That’s why cover bands always sound horrible when they try to play these songs. AC/DC is all about the intangibles, things that are very hard to describe, much less notate on paper or teach. It’s all about a feeling, a goove. “Shoot to Thrill” is a great example of Malcolm Young’s percussive rhythm guitar, Cliff Williams’ pounding bass and Phil Rudd’s huge pocket on the drums. Angus is on fire all over this record. “Hells Bells,” “Back in Black” and “You Shook Me All Night Long” are all great examples of his Chuck Berry on steroids vibe.

Many years later, on a Saturday afternoon, I drove into the parking lot in my parents’ food and wine shop. I spotted a flashy Mercedes convertible with the top rolled down and a rock and roll vanity plate, not exactly the sort of thing one sees every day in Sarasota, FL. I walked into the store and saw a man dressed all in black wearing newsboy cap. “D’ya have anythin’ cheap ‘n’ cheerful?” he asked me in a thick working class, northern British accent I could barely understand. I sold him a few bottles of Mas de Gourgonnier. “Thanks. Say hi to your mum for me, will ya?” Brian Johnson said as he walked out the door.

Back in Black still sounds amazing today. One of the measures of success for any band is the ability to create a multi-generational audience. My son, now 15, heard this music in the Iron Man movies and now he wants to learn how to play these songs too!

2. Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

I remember the first time my best friend at school played Rush for me. It was 2112, a futuristic album of highly progressive music, Ayn Rand-inspired lyrics and sounds unlike anything I had never heard before. The band were photographed on the back cover wearing kimonos, which must have been quite a radical look in 1976, to say the least! “Temples of Syrinx” was a blistering song, but I was not ready for Rush. Then, a few years later, Moving Pictures arrived. It is another benchmark recording from the early 1980s, where everything comes together. Each song works, the playing is phenomenal and sonically, the album is glorious.

I loved the complexity of this music and the challenge of trying to learn the songs. Back then, MTV played music, and the videos for this album showed the band in way that so new. From the first notes of “Tom Sawyer” Moving Pictures is absolutely compelling. “Red Barchetta” unfolds like a story, with numerous sections that flow effortlessly while avoiding the standard verse-bridge-chorus structure. “Limelight” is another masterpiece that features changing time signatures and all sorts of different textures throughout.