Rubber Soul by The Beatles 1965

It might not be there best album but its impact and influence on me would be the greatest. It would be my real entry point into the Beatles. It came out a few months after I arrived in Australia in 1965. I didn't get the album until 1968. It's the one where I really thought of them producing an album that I could listen to again and again on this old record player someone had given us. It was the first Beatles album I ever owned and I still get goosebumps looking at the cover. This is what a band should look like. Not those corny suits with no collars.
And what songs. Drive My Car was a regular play at Rubber Soul the club I DJed at named after the album. Incidentally, we followed that up with Revolver in 91. Run For Your Life which always reminds me of my brother John because he would always ask me to put that song on again. The magical In My Life... often applauded as the best Beatles song ever.
The only dud for me is Ringo's What Goes On which is country by numbers. Everything else is brilliant. And look at the two songs they left off to release a single. Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out.
I put the album on this morning. The guitars sparkle. The harmonies and melodies dazzle. And it rocks.

Through The Past Darkly by The Rolling Stones 1969

I had to think long and hard about this one because of course, it's a compilation. So is it worth devalued? Not to me,
I first heard this record when my brother would play it on Sunday mornings as we lay in bed. He had the record player in between our two beds. Of all the stuff he played this was my favourite. I loved the cover. The strange polygon shape. The world's coolest band mugging to the camera. And then just a heap of brilliant songs and album tracks that laid the groundwork for all my Stones purchases. Jumping Jack Flash, Mother's Little helper, She's a Rainbow, 2000 Light years...and more.
In 1972 my brother got married and sold off all his records. So I bought this record and a few more classics. I still remember going through these great records knowing that they would soon be mine. I think they cost me 50 cents each.
When I started DJing at Rubber Soul this stayed in the box for 6 years then moved to the Lizard Lounge box until CD eventually replaced the vinyl.
I was contemplating writing about Exile and while checking out that album I came across Through The Past Darkly. Front cover now sadly gone. A little scratchy. But putting the needle on the record and I realise how much it used to mean to me. And still does.
And don't underestimate the power of compilations.

All Mod Cons by The Jam 1978

I was just finishing up my punk era playing in a band called the Fiction. I had already got them to wear suits and ties on stage and introduced a number of sixties cover songs. I guess it was all leading to this. In 1978 when this came out it gave a lot of us a direction and style. The words were bandied about a lot. But with this album, The Jam gave us songs of style and content up there with the Kinks. After the disappointing second album where even their clothes were starting to look old hat, they came out with a blinding burst of post-punk modernism. Suddenly there were more scooters. More parties with sharp suits and mini skirts. The world moved towards a new technicolour age.
And there was "Tube Station". One of their greatest songs and a cover Little Murders played in 1982 and still played 30 years later.. It's mod poetry! A few years back I saw Paul Weller play at the Forum. He's good but when he plays Jam songs he's a god!