The albums of my life

Anni B. Sweet is back on the road with more dates. On February 12 she’ll perform in Ermua and on the 13th in Barcelona, keeping Chasing Illusions (Subterfuge, ‘15) fresh. We took the opportunity to have her reveal her six favorite albums.

Pink Floyd — The Wall (1979)

This album, along with one by Led Zeppelin, changed the way I see music. It became my soundtrack for many years. I still remember the first time I listened to it and felt a tingling in my stomach. It’s such an immersive album that whenever I listen to it, it makes me feel a thousand different ways as the songs go by.

Supertramp — Breakfast in America (1979)

The song that hooked me on this album was “The Logical Song,” which I related to a lot back then… and still do now. When I listened to the rest of the songs and their lyrics, I thought it was excellent — the sarcasm mixed with such fun arrangements, and the tension they held against the lyrics…

Triana — Hijos del agobio (1977)

Triana was played a lot at home from the time I was very small, so they’ve influenced me a great deal in countless ways. Psychedelic rock mixed with Andalusian roots struck me as a perfect and complicated combination. It’s one of those albums where it doesn’t matter how many times you listen to it, it still draws you in just like the first time.

Elliott Smith — Either/Or (1997)

Along with Mazzy Star and Nick Drake, Elliott Smith left a deep mark on me during the period when I wrote my first two albums. I listened to it more closely during a very lonely stage of my life, and it made me feel a lot better. Not only because of the emotional weight it can carry, it’s a perfect ten of an album, with a simplicity of instrumentation that’s spot on.

Fleetwood Mac — Rumours (1977)

I have every Fleetwood Mac album, but this is the one I’ve listened to the most over the last two years. It’s had a big influence on me when writing my latest album. Clean rock with character and well-rounded songs full of perfect melodies. I’m a huge fan of Stevie Nicks.

E.L.O. — Time (1981)

This album has everything I love in it. If I took all the best things from every band that’s marked me, the result would be ELO. It has a hugely inspiring creativity. If there’s one thing I’ve always wanted to master, it’s knowing how to blend very different elements well, and Jeff Lynne pulled that off brilliantly.

Source: MondoSonoro, February 2016.