The Records That Changed Our Lives

Plus, remembering Charlie Watts and Tom T. Hall

View this email online by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Renee Klahr/NPR; Getty Images; Courtesy of EMI Records For the past few years, our Turning the Tables series has set its sights on challenging conventional conversations about musical greatness. Which albums get remembered as the greatest of all time? Who are the most important artists of the 21st century? Who should be credited with creating American popular music? And why are women and non-binary artists so often left out of the picture? In past projects, we focused on overturning big-picture canons and stories about music history. But this time, it's personal. In our 2021 series, we’ve been examining our own relationships with records we love and considering what it means to make a truly personal canon. To do it, we presented a challenge to some of our favorite women and non-binary writers: Tell us about one album by a woman artist that changed your life. The resulting essays have spanned from a celebration of Black identity via Lauryn Hill, to life lessons about forging your own path from Beyoncé and PJ Harvey, to a reflection on what we can learn from our younger selves via Fiona Apple. Our latest installment comes from our colleague — and Turning the Tables founder — Ann Powers. Her powerful essay explores the way being a young woman can make you feel like a monster — and how Kate Bush's The Dreaming challenged her to channel that monstrousness into creative freedom. “Come in with the golden light,” Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music John Coltrane rarely performed music from A Love Supreme after its release at the end of 1964. And until now, even the most ardent Coltrane-ologists had been unaware of the existence of recordings from a 1965 Seattle performance, now slated for release in October.  The latest All Songs mix from Bob Boilen begins with a George Harrison track from 1970’s All Things Must Pass newly mixed by the guitarist’s son, ​​Dhani. Also, hear separate collaborations by members of Dirty Projectors and Lucius, and Wire and Stereolab. Stephen Thompson is back in the host seat for this week’s New Music Friday from All Songs Considered with an exceptional crop of new releases, including the return of the Scottish band CHVRCHES, a bold and bracing collection from Madi Diaz and reflections on mental health and social justice from Tré Burt.  This week, we featured new tracks from Kacey Musgraves, Esperanza Spalding and Helado Negro, plus a Kendrick Lamar feature, on #NowPlaying. Want to hear all the essential music covered on the blog in one place? We’ve got a new #NowPlaying playlist for you. Featuring This week, the world lost a rock and roll legend: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. As NPR critic Eric Deggans — a drummer himself — notes, Watts’ style was deceptively simple, but crucial to the band’s sound. He was “the epitome of a drummer who played for the band and for the song,” Deggans says, “never drawing attention to himself or his chops.” Country singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton literally wrote the roséwave anthem, “Rosé,” which she released on her EP last summer. So how could we not invite her to create a playlist for our summertime series?  On Aug. 20 — just a few days ahead of the 20th anniversary of Aaliyah’s death in a plane crash — the singer’s second studio album, One In A Million, became available on streaming services. Pop Culture Happy Hour’s Aisha Harris reflected on how Aaliyah stood out for her cool and "mature" demeanor — but that at the heart of that persona was a youth lost too soon. From WRTI 90.1: Watch pianist, composer and producer Greg Spero perform “For” with his group Spirit Fingers in a Tiny Room Session. Last week, Country Music Hall of Famer Tom T. Hall died at the age of 85. In a remembrance, WNXP editorial director Jewly Hight explains the way Hall developed the singer-songwriter as a trustworthy observer, a persona who could supply all the detail we needed to get the sense of the situation in three minutes flat. Tiny Desk NPR For their long-awaited Tiny Desk (home) concert, Atlanta’s Migos took to the trendy streetwear spot Gallery Dept. for a thrill ride of a set. Your newsletter editors try to avoid hyperbole whenever possible, but when Quavo declares, “You rockin’ with the greatest group of all time,” it’s tempting to agree.  Also this week: We shared a new Tiny Desk playlist from David Duchovny. The actor and musician – who just released a new album of his own, called Gestureland – shared sets from Tame Impala and Tom Jones. One More Thing Coming next week: As we do each month, we’ll be sharing our favorite songs and albums on a special Best of the Month edition of All Songs Considered.  One More Thing Oh well, whatever, never mind. Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy