6-14-2023 4:22am

LOCAL STAGES MUSICIAN

Charles Simon’s Top 10 Most Influential Albums

General Manager
Guitar & Bass Instructor

STAGES MUSIC ARTS

10 Stenersen Lane
Hunt Valley, MD 21030

From a young age, Charles Simon has been immersed in life of musical pursuit. As a teen, he studied with several prominent Baltimore instructors including Carl Filipiak and Dave Jacobson. Charles’ passion eventually took him to Berklee College of Music, where he continued his studies under distinguished instructors.

After returning home in 2006, Charles began playing and teaching professionally. With over a decade of teaching experience, Charles has taught hundreds of students and thousands of lessons and has had many students go on to pursue their own musical careers. Charles also has extensive performance experience, having played all over the East Coast as a guitarist and bassist in several different bands covering many different styles of music. Currently, Charles is performing with a variety of bands and artists such as the Amanda Lynne Band and Mitch Treger’s Accomplices. In 2012, Charles started his own successful music lesson company that later become a part of Stage Music Arts in 2016.

CHARLES SIMON'S TOP 10 MOST INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS

Music, being an integral part of the human experience, has obviously shaped countless lives and continues to shape the way we think and feel about our world. In an effort to share a little of what has helped propel the course of my life, I tasked myself with the truly impossible feat of picking my “Top 10 Favorite Albums”.

But, those of you who know me well know that I hate the very notion of having a favorite anything. How can you choose just one?! So I tried to give 10. But choosing 10 albums from an ocean of incredible music seems to be a laughably absurd and futile concept.

Below is really just a cross section of some of the albums that, at one point or another in my life, I couldn’t stop listening to: whether it was experiencing something new, or marking a certain period of my life.

So here are my (mutable) Top-10 Most Influential Albums, in an approximate order of when I discovered them:

(I’ve added a Spotify playlist of a couple choice-selections from each album at the bottom of this page.)

1. Europe ’72 – The Grateful Dead

I grew up on this music. My dad went to 60+ shows, and my first concert ever was June 24th, 1995 at RFK stadium, seeing “The Dead” with Jerry Garcia. I was not quite 9 years old. Europe ‘72 is a classic recording from their catalogue. I love Jerry’s guitar tones (Fender Strat) throughout this album. The harmonies, solo section, and most of all, the stories that these songs tell really encapsulate the band’s sound in my opinion.

2. In Utero – Nirvana

I was in 3rd grade when this album came out and I had a copy on cassette. I would listen to it over and over. In fact, I played it so frequently that I knew exactly how long to hold down the “rewind” button to replay my favorite songs. I would read the lyrics from the liner notes and try (and fail) to understand what any of it meant. I didn’t care though, I was just drawn to the rawness and energy of the tracks.

3. The Ultimate Experience – Jimi Hendrix

The only compilation album on the list. I remember having this on CD. My brother and I would play it in the background while playing video games with the TV on mute. I would play air guitar to all the solos and riffs and hum them. I still know every word to every song. At that time I never actually imagined that I could play guitar. It seemed like this magical thing that only a magical person like Jimi Hendrix could do.

4. I – Led Zeppelin

After getting my first electric guitar the day before my 12th birthday, I became obsessed with guitar music. It felt like a rite of passage to do a deep dive into the English classic rock bands and the one album that stood out to me was Zeppelin I. I used to play along with this album cover to cover. I knew every song on guitar and learning the solos really helped me understand how to play blues and take a basic solo.

5. A Live One – Phish

OK – I’ll admit it: growing up as a dead-head “purist” I didn’t give Phish a chance. But when a friend lent me this album on CD and insisted I listen to it I literally did not believe my ears. The combination of the instrumental virtuosity, the organized chaos of the jams, silly musical and lyrical concepts, and guitar tones and techniques literally seemed unreal. Getting into Phish unlocked the next phase of my musical development and what I could imagine was possible with music, paving the way for some of the selections to follow.

6. You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2 – Frank Zappa

My high school guitar teacher Carl Filipiak gave me my first Zappa album. And I hated it. Frank’s music is definitely an acquired taste, but a taste I certainly acquired after realizing there is some really serious music happening here behind all the crude lyrics and gimmicks. It’s safe to say that Frank Zappa has probably influe FINISH READING HERE