What was the THE album that truly changed your life to make you want to play guitar?

equalsql

I think that many musicians were inspired by a single performance or album that polarized them into wanting to play their instrument. If you were one of these and there was an album/LP/CD that totally turned your world on it's head what was it and why did it have such an effect on you?

For me the single most important album was 'Performance: Rockin The Fillmore' by Humble Pie recorded back in 1970.

I had started taken an interest in playing guitar so when I saw the gatefold cover full of brilliant small photos of Frampton and Marriot et al in action I was immediately drawn to it and bought it 'blind' just on the cover's strength. Greg Riddley looked like a feckin God..he was so damn cool.

Of course the proof is in the pudding and when I played the first track '4 Day Creep' it just pinned me to the wall. I had never heard anything so powerful. Frampton's playing was just bloody amazing, thick and jazzy and worked perfectly with Marriot's biting angular tones from his Epiphone Coronet.And then there were the vocals.. just an absolute powerhouse. My world just flipped at that moment and all I wanted to do was play electric guitar and bass from that moment.

Frampton has been a huge influence on  my playing and for me personally his playing on Performance was one of his finest moments:

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you '4 Day Creep' :

viz

Awesome question! Passion and Warfare by Steve Vai.

equalsql

viz said:

Awesome question! Passion and Warfare by Steve Vai.

Any reason in particular?

RocknRollDave

I dread to say it, but it was seeing the video to Where The Streets Have No Name that started the ball rolling, so Joshua Tree would be the one for me.

chillidoggy

"Paranoid" - Black Sabbath.

I was like a rabbit caught in the headlights when I heard it. 

viz

Passion and Warfare showed me how to break away from the blues and I was stricken. Not immediately, but those songs started to haunt me, I found them playing in the background of my mind almost continuously, and I ended up listening to that album for a year. It's now part of my ROM.

kelvinburn

Rage against the machine and the accompanying gig at Newcastle mayfair in 92 with tool as support

viz

Passion and Warfare showed me how to break away from the blues and I was stricken. Not immediately, but those songs started to haunt me, I found them playing in the background of my mind almost continuously, and I ended up listening to that album for a year. It's now part of my ROM.

Axe_meister

Santana's moonflower was the soundtrack to my childhood, my mum always had it on.
Then I saw Queen in 85 and I knew I wanted to learn an instrument, but didn't take the plunge until 87 after hearing Eric Clapton and the beano album

DiscoStu

Master of Puppets by Metallica. 

I was listening to rock /metal and thinking about guitar but then I got a copy of this from a mate in '87/'88 and was blown away by how heavy Hetfield's riffing and tone were. I HAD to get a guitar after that. 

First song I learned was Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - my mate showed me how to play the intro and even just playing the first three notes on open strings had me grinning from ear to ear.

I learned the whole album, then ...And Justice For All came out and I learned that too.

ICBM

A Deep Purple album, probably Made In Japan.

The result didn't occur for several years but that was the first time I realised what an electric guitar sounded like.

[Deleted User]

It wasn't an album for me, it was watching Top of the Pops. For reasons I don't understand, I was just fascinated by guitars whenever I saw someone playing one. There were many 'milestone' albums after I started playing....

spacecadet

Not an album but a performance. I saw Marty McFly play Johnny B Goode and that was that. It's strange that that few minutes of film made me do something that has given me everything I have in life.

Sorry got a bit deep there for a mo.

jaygtr

Still got the blues- Gary Moore . Amazing at the time. I went a bought a les Paul and learnt most of the songs. Don't like it now though.

strumjoughlamps

Dinosaur Jr - Freak Scene

Ride - Chelsea Girl

Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick

all songs that got me into wanting to make music

RobDavies

Probably my Dad's copy of The Very Best Of Cream. The first riff he ever taught me was Sunshine Of Your Love and I didn't really look back after that. Then I discovered AC/DC....

Kebabkid

@Axe_meister - Santana's "Moonflower" was a huge influence but Thin Lizzy's "Live & Dangerous" was "The One" for sure!

not_the_dj

Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA. I was about 10 (which matches up with the year he did the Wembley shows and that album hit it big).

ESBlonde

No particular album started it but a number have inspired over the period

Slade Alive

Fly Like an eagle - Steve Miller

Desperado - The Eagles

Greatest hits 1971 - Fleetwood Mac

Bad Co - Bad Co

Frampton Comes Alive

C'est Chic - Chic

After that I was less influenced by albums and more so by individual songs.

bigjon

Couldn't Stand The Weather by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Heard Scuttle Buttin' on the radio about 3 months after I'd started learning acoustic guitar, and went "THAT'S what I want to be able to play". Bought the album on vinyl and wore out side 1 in particular. 

mike_l

Iron Maiden, Number of the Beast, specifically the songs Hallowed be thy name, and Children of the Damned