Every music fan surely has her own favorite songs or, better yet, albums that she will surely carry with her on a no-return trip to a deserted island. And the reasons behind such choices will naturally vary from person to person, depending on what albums carried for her indelible memories.
For me, I love complex music—that which features ornate instrumentation, intricate arrangement, and layers of sounds–but I still prefer that no matter how complicated it is, that the songs’ sense of melody and overall catchiness are still there.
And this has always been what I usually look for in any album.
Because of this, my choices revolve around such characteristics.
Without further ado, here are the first four of my all-time favorite album from my favorite genres—New Wave, Progressive Rock, Metal, and of course, Filipino music.
The Lotus Eaters – No Sense of Sin (1984) (“German Girl”)
A cassette tape of this was the first-ever album that I bought, in 1985, with my own money saved from school allowance. I never get tired of playing this.
Gentle Giant – Free Hand (1975) (“On Reflection”)
When I was a kid, I used to think that Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was the most ornate of all Progressive Rock songs, until I heard “On Reflection” from this album; the Queen song got relegated to second place. Sometimes, the best music may really be found under the radar of commercial music.
Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986) (“Battery”)
Many Metalheads love Metallica for its relentless, neck-breaking Thrash Metal songs—the faster, the better! Many others prefer the dark Neoclassical drama of ‘Black.’ For me, I always return to the grand sonic architectural masterpiece such as this.
Identity Crisis – Water Came Running (1990) (“Golden Age”)
Fellow Filipino New Wavers usually pick Identity Crisis’s debut album. That’s understandable. After all, …Tale of Two was indeed a New Wave Gothic beauty. What self-respecting Filipino New Wave music enthusiast could forget “Imagining Oktober”? For me, however, I got drawn more deeply into the followup album—this.
Sadly, the New Wave-Progressive Rock-Worldbeat combo such as Water Came Running became the legendary Philippine band’s second and final offering.
Final Note
These are just four on my long list of favorite albums of all times. More to share next time. What about you—what are yours? Why don’t you send me a mail and share your favorite albums, and I will feature them with some insights to each one of them. Email me at elfideas102@yahoo.com..
