You may recognise the title of this thread as I am trying to recreate it after it was lost a couple of weeks ago. Despite albummmasters valiant attempts, it couldn't be recovered so I'm going to start again.
The idea is still the same. These are the albums or musical trends that have helped to shape my listening experience over the years.
I was a 12 year old in 1970 living in, as Ozzy and the guys would see it, the wrong side of Birmingham. For those who are not aware, football is a religion in Birmingham and the city is split across the city centre and your either a villain (supporting Aston Villa), or if you come from the south of the city you’re a bluenose (supporting Birmingham City). I’m a proud bluenose and the band all support the villa. Never the Twain shall meet. Until……..
Birmingham is the quintessential blue collar city. Back then, The home of British Leyland and heavy industry. The city of a thousand trades. If you wanted it built, Birmingham could do it with highly skilled tradesmen. That was our identity and it was a rough place to grow up but we didn’t think of it that way as kid. It was just Birmingham.
What we didn’t have as teenagers was our own identity as far as music, not like Liverpool with The Beatles or London with The Stones. Then along came The Sabb.
The first time I heard the self titled album I wasn’t interested in Gezzer’s politics, although this became more important and relevant as I got older, no, it was the first time that I heard anything that sounded like the city that I loved. Industrial, visceral, something that actually had a physical effect on you.
We didn’t know that a whole new genre of music was being created in our city, me and my friends had simply found the music that felt like our city. Didn’t matter which side of the city you lived, there was no divide as far as the band were concerned.
Ozzy famously hated putting music into genre but I do feel proud that, more than 50 years later, and after many sub genre of heavy metal, my city is still the place where it was born.
Ozzy and the band mean a huge amount to me and although my musical palette has expanded hugely since my early teens I still love going back to Black Sabbath for a fix on a regular basis
So, for the next five years or so I was heavily into heavy rock / metal. Loved bands like Black Sabbath (see above), Led Zeppelin, Budgie, Uriah Heep and Atomic Rooster.
Then, in around 1975, I discovered this album. Not sure how I got to meet these folks, probably through an x school friend, I was 17 by now, but I got to know what, at the time I called "The Hippy Lot". They introduced me to loads of great music and this was the first album I heard that this girl in the group owned.
We were sat in her parents living room (they must have been out or away), after having been down the pub. I remember thinking that her parents must be rich because they had such a big house.
Anyway, she put this album on and it blew my mind. I was used to great heavy music but this was something totally different but equally great. Pretty much my world opened up to a whole new strand of music and I never looked back.
Over the next few months I discovered The Allman Brothers, Traffic, Steve Miller Band, Robin Trower and a whole lot more. At 17 I was a sponge, eager to learn as much as I could.
Black Sabbath's debut was a game changer for me too Johnny. I like your write up.
I first heard it at my pal James’s house aged about 16. He had an older Uncle. James borrowed a few of his Uncle's vinyls. This was 1991. He played us Sex Pistols' Never Mind album then he turned the lights off and played Black Sabbath for us. It was James, his brother Russ and me.
I loved the sound of the rain and thunderstorm. I remember we all acted cool but I remember thinking
Bloody hell! What's this?
My young mind was well and truly blown.
I play Sabbath's first two albums every Halloween with the lights off. Especially the first album
I surrendered all when I saw this performance from start to finish. It took place on May 12th this year. On May 18th, John was labeled the American Idol runner up. 😄😄😄
P.S. So far, John has been on the Grand Ole Opry stage five times. 😄😄😄 _________________ Me & my favorite singer James Otto
Check him out here when you can!
Black Sabbath's debut was a game changer for me too Johnny. I like your write up.
I first heard it at my pal James’s house aged about 16. He had an older Uncle. James borrowed a few of his Uncle's vinyls. This was 1991. He played us Sex Pistols' Never Mind album then he turned the lights off and played Black Sabbath for us. It was James, his brother Russ and me.
I loved the sound of the rain and thunderstorm. I remember we all acted cool but I remember thinking
Bloody hell! What's this?
My young mind was well and truly blown.
I play Sabbath's first two albums every Halloween with the lights off. Especially the first album
Great anecdote Charlie. The most influential music is always, for me, are the albums / artists with whom you have an emotional connection and clearly that's what you had. Thanks for sharing and thanks for taking the time to post on the thread. Hopefully you'll enjoy some of the other posts that are coming
I surrendered all when I saw this performance from start to finish. It took place on May 12th this year. On May 18th, John was labeled the American Idol runner up. 😄😄😄
P.S. So far, John has been on the Grand Ole Opry stage five times. 😄😄 :)
Thanks for sharing Jo. Not my sort of country to be honest, I'm more a Steve Earle type country person but it's whatever floats your personal boat. It's the emotional connection that you have to a song / artist (whatever) that creates that bond so thanks for sharing your personal connection
Shortly after the encounter with the "Hippie lot" I wanted to hear a greater selection of music from different genre of music.
Not being part of my group of heavy metal listeners, my mate Steve Hunt was into something rather different. He liked Prog and introduced me to this album. We can argue whether COTC is Prog or not, I don't think that it is but he loved it and I have to admit, I fell in love with it as well from the first listen. Took me into yet another genre of music and bands.
As an aside, I hadn't listened to this album much from about 1982 to the early 2000's. I had just started dating this gorgeous blonde at the time (later became my wife and still is) and we were round at a friends house having a great music session, taking it in turn to pick albums. My wife picked COTC and I fell in love with the album again, and her a little more by the end of the evening.
Last edited by Johnnyo on 10/09/2025 19:29; edited 1 time in total
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