Kind of Blue by Miles Davis
Miles Davis’ legacy reaches far more people than just “jazz fans.”
His influence is everywhere, and his talent is unmatched. Brian Fallon, of
punk-rock band The Gaslight Anthem, named a song after him (with the album
title also working as an allusion). He’s been referenced in slacker
comedies fronted by Adam Sandler, and just the other day I recognized his
composition “Freddie Freeloader” over the phone while I was put on
hold for the umpteenth time. Although all of his music deserves a place in
music history, it was his album Kind of Blue that solidified him as a
true music pioneer. He was doing things that no one ever tried before, and
he was doing them well. Kind of Blue is such a universal piece of composition
that it compliments just about anything: doing homework, a late-night drive, or
even a slow-burning jog.
The Stranger by Billy Joel
Billy Joel is a master craftsman. He can go from stadium-ready rock
(“The Stranger”) to sincere ballads (“Vienna”) without losing
his artistic direction. The Stranger is arguably his best album
because it does the best job balancing the two personas. He even does it
masterfully in the course of one song, with the superb “Scenes from an
Italian Restaurant.” In “Scenes,” he tells the story of high
school sweethearts falling out of love over the course of their lengthy courtship.
There’s surprisingly deep pathos for a song centered around wine-guzzling high
school lovers, because Joel treats his characters with respect, and doesn’t
look down on them. Staying together out of routine will only get you so far,
but at least a fantastic song was made of it.
