Quite a while ago, a friend looking for some new music asked me what my five favorite albums of all time were. He had no idea the can of worms he was opening. It has proven to be perhaps the hardest question I've ever been asked! These conversations come up from time to time, and I figured I'd finally put my list out. This wasn't easy to come up with - there is so much good music out there, that to narrow this list was very hard (well - the top 3 were incredibly easy... things get a little dicier after that!). Despite the wide variety of music that I listen to, though, there are a lot of things that these records all have in common. They're all very acoustic, very introspective, and (with one exception), they're all either first or last albums. Not sure if that has anything to do with anything or not. But I'm rambling. Without further ado:
5. Watermark - All Things New
I came by this album in an interesting way. Back when CCM Magazine was an actual magazine (and a darn good one, at that!) they used to publish their editor's top 5 lists every year. One year, this record by a band I had never heard of appeared on nearly every list. I had to check it out, so I went out and bought it... and I'm so glad I did! The artistry that Nathan & Christy Nockles bring to this record is wonderful. Parts are quite lighthearted, while other tunes deal with some of the hardest parts of life. An amazing record.
4. Nickel Creek - Why Should The Fire Die?
When Nickel Creek first came on the scene, they were an incredible bluegrass band, and they hooked me immediately. By the time this record (their most recent, but hopefully not final!) arrived, they had created a style truly unique unto themselves. It still uses bluegrass instruments (guitar, mandolin, violin), but blends them together in ways I've never heard before or since. There is a sickening amount of talent in this group, and this record is a masterpiece.
3. Jars of Clay - Jars of Clay
This was the first CD I ever bought, and all these years later, Jars of Clay is still my favorite band. This record completely changed my ideas about what music could sound like, especially Christian music. Two of my favorite songs of all time, "Worlds Apart" and "Love Song For A Savior". There's so much honesty on this record, and it tackles some difficult topics in very creative ways. I don't even know what else I can say - every track on this CD still rocks my world.
2. Jon Foreman - "Seasons" EPs
This list would have been impossible to compile if I hadn't allowed myself to consider these four EPs as one project. These 24 tracks show a musical depth that I've never heard from Jon's band (a little group that you may have heard of called Switchfoot). This music has really challenged me in the way I write and perform my own songs. This is singer-songwriter music at its very very best.
1. Rich Mullins - The Jesus Demos
I'm not sure that any other project could ever top this list for me. A bit of back story for those not familiar: In September of 1997, Rich Mullins went to an abandoned church with a tape recorder and his guitar and recorded rough demos of 9 songs for his new record, which was to be titled "10 Songs About Jesus". 9 days later, he was killed in a tragic car accident. His band went ahead and completed the record with the help of several guest vocalists, including Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and Ashley Cleveland. Those recordings were good, don't get me wrong, but by some stroke of luck, the original 9 demos were able to be cleaned up enough to include on a second disc... and that disc is the single greatest CD I've ever heard. The emotion and honesty that Rich displays on this tape are truly inspiring, and the songs are brilliant. Even though it was never intended for release, this is an amazing record.
I have no doubt that this list will change over the years, but right now - this is it! If you haven't heard these, check them out!
