Five Records That Changed My Life, Part 1: John Corabi
American singer and guitarist John Corabi is best known as the former frontman of Mötley Crüe. He has also been a member of Ratt, The Dead Daisies, The Scream, Union, Eric Singer Project, Brides of Destruction and many more bands and projects. Currently, John is performing as a solo artist. Roppongi Rocks’ Stefan Nilsson checked in with John to find out what five records have had the biggest influence on him as an artist and person.
The Beatles “Abbey Road” (1969)
“I don’t know what it was exactly, but my interest in music blossomed after hearing THAT record…All the songs were great, but that medley on side two is pure genius!!!! And McCartney’s vocals on ‘Oh! Darling’ and ‘Golden Slumbers’ were perfect!”
Led Zeppelin “Led Zeppelin IV” (1971)
“Led Zeppelin 4…. A perfect masterpiece! Four musicians working in perfect synchronicity! Not one filler song on this record! And ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ still makes me wanna rip the dashboard out of my car!”
Aerosmith “Rocks” (1976)
“Again, a perfectly written, performed and recorded record! Aerosmith firing on all cylinders! Nine songs, 37 minutes of ass kicking!”
David Bowie “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” (1972)
“This may seem a bit far-fetched for me, but I loved this record! David and the band really came together for this gem! Again, no filler songs! ‘Moonage Daydream’, ‘Lady Stardust’, ‘Five Years’… Perfection!”
Queen “A Night at the Opera” (1975)
“This was my real introduction to Queen. Although I had heard ‘Killer Queen’ but didn’t put it all together yet. This record is PURE FUCKING GENIUS! Rock, classical, jazz, blues, vocals. I remember hearing it and just saying ‘What the fuck is this???’ In a good way. I highly recommend watching the ‘making of’ DVD of this album. Absolute genius of all four members!”
Honourable mentions: Grand Funk Railroad “Caught in the Act” (1975), Humble Pie “Smokin’” (1972), Deep Purple “Machine Head” (1972), The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Are You Experienced” (1967).
