Eight times a week Clyde Alves sings the best of Bernstein, Comden & Green as the sex-crazed sailor Ozzie in the acclaimed Broadway revival of On The Town, but did you know this Canadian hunk is also a singer-songwriter with a catalog of his own? On July 20, Alves takes the stage at Birdland with his guitar (and band) to perform an evening of original music. In anticipation of the exciting concert event, BroadwayBox asked Alves to share with us five albums that completely rocked his world.
Thriller—Michael Jackson
Why: Thriller is an album that took Michael Jackson from a Pop superstar to a history-making living legend. If you were trapped on a desert island you would still hear the music playing from some far off frequency. Year I Discovered It: Although I was about 2 years old when I "discovered" it, it wasn't till I was 4 years of age when I can distinctly remember stealing Michael’s moves in the center of a dance circle at one of my parents’ house parties. That was 1984!
Ultimate Track: The song “Human Nature” continues to feel like I'm hearing it for the first time.
Uprising—Bob Marley and the Wailers
Why: Uprising was the final studio album released during Bob Marley's lifetime. Year I Discovered It: I technically was a baby when I heard this music for the first time because my parents used to put headphones on my head and played it to put me to sleep... I guess it worked. And that's probably why my brain freaks out when I hear reggae to this day.
Ultimate Track: “Redemption Song” is a tune Bob does acoustic at the end of the album. I grew up in a very different environment than Bob but this song speaks to me deeply. It's the first song I learned to play on my guitar.
Synchronicity—The Police
Why: This was the final studio album by The Police. My Dad used to play this band a lot in the basement through his "nice speakers" (which me and my brother eventually destroyed during our basement hockey games).Year I Discovered It: I was about 6 years old when I can remember flipping through his record collection and staring at the artwork on the front of this album. The collage of sound coming from these recordings were so eclectic but hip.
Ultimate Track: “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is a great piece of songwriting that makes me feel like I'm sitting in the back seat of my Dad’s car thinking to myself, "There's no way I'll ever be able to live by myself or know how to write a check. How do these adults do it?" Haha.
All That You Can't Leave Behind—U2
Why: Man this is the album that ushered me from the uncomfortable transition of a grown kid to a young man.Year I Discovered It: I was 20 when this baby came out and I was already a huge U2 fan. They had many previous hits from other great albums like The Joshua Tree but these songs spoke to me during a time of discovering the new me. The guy I was becoming away from everything I knew back home.
Ultimate Track: The song "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" played while lying on my apartment floor as I re-calibrated. Haha. Oh boy...
Poses—Rufus Wainwright
Why: Rufus is an amazing unconventional pop singer/ songwriter. Some call his genre popera. Soaring vocals and orchestral recordings. I LOVE the album Poses.Year I Discovered It: I connect this album to falling in love in Brunswick, Maine doing summer theater in 2004. It's the summer I started a romance that has since flourished into a marriage, and now parenthood.
Ultimate Track: "Tower Of Learning" is a sweeping introspective song off this album. "I saw it in your eyes what I'm looking for" Indeed!
See how these albums manifest themselves in the original music of Clyde Alves at Birdland on July 20, and don't miss him in 'On the Town' at the Lyric Theatre.
