Albums That Changed My Life: Brian Dales (The Summer Set)
This week's slice of "Albums That Changed My Life" goodness comes from Brian Dales of The Summer Set!The band are currently out on the 'Everything's Fine Symphony Soldier' tour alongside The Cab and He Is We. If this heavyweight package is coming to your city, make it your top priority today to get a ticket!
Bruce Springsteen - Born To RunI grew up in a house where Bruce Springsteen was God and "Born To Run" was the bible. My dad raised me on The Boss's word. It's my favorite album of all time. From the opening piano invitation of the enchanting "Thunder Road", to the anthemic "Born To Run", to Clarence Clemmon's powerful sax solo to close "Jungleland", this album is his magnum opus from start to finish. He's my biggest influence as a songwriter.
The Format - Dog ProblemsSimply put, "Dog Problems" is one of the main reasons I ever started singing. Nate Ruess' vocals are so strong and compelling that he quickly became a big influence to me as a singer. I love Sam Means musical arrangements, from the ethereal string orchestration to his grandiose piano parts (we later on got to record some demos with him for our first record, "Love Like This", and he's become quite a good friend since.) The album came out when I was 16, my most impressionable age as a teenager, and I think it's still in the CD player in my car. I'll never take it out.
Fleetwood Mac - RumoursI love that this record was inspired by relationship problems and turmoil within the band. I think it made one of the most sincere, well-written albums of all time. The production and harmonies between the three singers are brilliant and I love the guy/girl vocal dynamic. It let's you hear the lyrics from the perspective of each singer. "Second Hand News" is one of my favorite songs of all time.
Taylor Swift - FearlessHear me out first, I'm not only crazy about Taylor because of her beauty and charm. I genuinely love this record. These songs are so honest that Taylor could perform them spoken-word over a solo acoustic guitar and I'd still listen to what she had to say. She makes you believer her, and that's the reputation I want to have as an artist. The way her melodies flow and her lyrical integrity were a huge influence on a lot of our writing during the "Everything's Fine" sessions. "Fearless" absolutely deserved the Grammy album of the year.
