Five vinyl platters that changed my life

It was a time when the artwork alone was near enough reason to take an LP home.

It’s sad to say that now the vast majority of my music collection is stored on digital devices – which as any serious listener will attest, is a pale option for music preservation when compared to the warmth and range of the vinyl alternative (we’ll leave that convoluted debate to another time).

Even sadder to admit is the fact that all I have at home now is a handful of 78s and even less 45s, due to a poor decision in my early 20s to cross over to the CD realm and replace the black discs with the small shiny plastic ones.

Among the regretful losses were more than 35 vintage Frank Zappa pressings and several Kiss originals with the band pictured on the Casablanca label! Yeah, I’m still spewing!

Anyway, that’s enough of that – still far too raw.

On a positive note, looking back has reminded me of several vital platters that found their way to me over the years; each I’d deem crucial to my makeup.

I am the first to concede, it sounds wanky, and I guess you’ve really got to be a music devotee to understand its power of influence, but it’s always been that way for me … a disciple of the vinyl for as long as I can remember.

I’ll shut up now and get to the point – self indulgence – here’s five turntable slabs that changed my life.

One of my first actual longplayers. Released in the mid-80s by the popular American christian rock band, I actually won the album for being one of the best dancers at a school disco. I will always have a soft spot for this one as it takes me back on so many levels.

Among the choice tracks were Clean, the title track and the righteously titled God Gave Rock N Roll To You, which many years later, one of my lifelong favs, Kiss, would cover on their Revenge album.

Happy days indeed.

This was my first introduction to heavy metal music and that iconic staple of all Iron Maiden covers, their macabre mascot Eddie.

I was on school holidays and playing with a mate who lived across the road – Tommy. He was a couple of years older than me (pretty sure I was still yet to reach double figures) and was definitely in the know.

I don’t know if he thought he’d scare me with the album, but I’ll never forget the roar from the stereo system as the first track Invaders hit the lounge room.

It was like nothing I had ever heard and to this day, still gives me chills.

I ended up buying The Number of the Beast on cassette a matter of weeks later … after conning (convincing) the parents into giving me the $11.99 asking price.

I have since acquired the vinyl edition and I even sport part of the cover art tattooed on my upper arm.

Not long after the Maiden find I was finally rewarded – after several 45s – with my first actual Kiss full-length release, and what a release it was, 20 tracks spanning across two LPs.

I’ll always remember the excitement taking this one home … the cover was relfective chrome and had nothing but the Kiss logo and the name of the release in red.

I played this one to death for many years before I could actually acquire the individual Kiss albums. So many amazing hours imagining myself as one of the masked four belting out Deuce, She, Strutter and all 17 remaining tracks.

This was a real special one for me and I’ve got my uncle to thank.

I used to stay in his old room at my nan’s house on school holidays and will never forget finding this and several other albums (Led Zeppelin III, Deep Purple’s Machine Head and Uriah Heep’s Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble) tucked away in his old closet.

My nan insisted I get his permission before I took them home with me … he was cool about it.

While they were all pretty cool, it was Alice that really jumped out at me. I remember thinking what a freaky collection of songs, but also how damn amazing it all was.

Years later I would have the good fortune of meeting and interviewing Alice. If you’d have told the young me this were going to happen he’d have given you a gob full!

By around 13 I’d developed a pretty serious passion for all things sound and I’d kept hearing this Frank Zappa name in passing references from various bands.

Like many artists I discovered along the way, it was a pure punt and willingness to give it a go, that led me to part with the $8 for my second-hand copy of Hot Rats from Wards Book Exchange in Blacktown.

It was to be one of the most amazing purchases of my life. Never had I heard such an amazing mix of songs … nor had I ever heard, what is primarily an instrumental release.

It is to this day one of my favourite albums and my collection of Mr Zappa extends well beyond the 100 mark.

I will never forget the initial weird cool of hearing Peaches En Regalia followed by the crude cool of hearing Willie The Pimp.

Timeless.