Under the Influence: Nick Oliveri

These are the records of my youth that I still think stand up today. I collect vinyl; I’ve had to sell some over the years and I’ve bought them back for way more than I should’ve paid, but at the end of the day you can’t really be a musician without music now, can you?

1. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)

I always turn to Black Sabbath’s self-titled – their first. It’s probably the heaviest record I’ve heard to date – even though there are a lot of heavy records out there – really doomy stuff. But if you think about the time – the year – this came out. The inverted cross on the inlay card – it’s pretty wicked looking. Everything about it – from the first chord you hear, the D flat – it’s just heavy. It can’t really be messed with. Kyuss learned a lot from Sabbath – you can hear it on Blues For the Red Sun. But then Sabbath are obviously a key factor in a lot of bands.

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2. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)

A soundtrack for me at first was AC/DC's Back in Black. I do like Highway to Hell and Bon Scott a lot, but Brian Johnson’s a badass too, no doubt about it. This first record with him was just incredible. I remember smoking weed for the first time and that was on in the background at the party I was at. I don’t know if I actually got laid that night, but I think I did! Anyway, AC/DC were usually playing during every great ‘first’ experience I ever had in my youth. 

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3. Motörhead – No Remorse (1984)

I know it’s a greatest hits record but I think No Remorse – which had the four new songs at the time on it – is one of their most representative. I saw Motörhead for the first time on the Orgasmatron tour in the spring of ‘87 and it was pretty amazing. I remember Cro-Mags opened up, it was just an insane experience for a child – I was 14 years old. Man, it was beyond everything you might imagine a rock show could be at that age; I was so in awe of it. They were larger than life. Having Phil Campbell play on my new record was a thrill – he’s a master.

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4. Black Flag – My War (1984)

When it comes to Black Flag? It’s My War for sure. This record's just so pissed off and to the point. It’s another classic, and it’s still what I listen to if I need to get pumped up for a gig. The title track still sounds so furious and powerful – good on Chuck Dukowski for writing that one, just riffing on bass. I think what made that band work so well is that they were such different players to almost everything else that was known as punk rock at the time in the United States, and even today. I wish I was that calibre of player. They took such a unique approach to – literally – attacking their instruments. 

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5. The Exploited – Troops of Tomorrow (1982)

Alright, not to suck any dick here just because they’re from Edinburgh, but let’s get this out of the way – The Exploited are great  – one of my all time favourites. I love that band and Wattie Buchan’s as charismatic a frontman as they come. To think, I saw them when I was a kid with a band I find myself playing in now – Bl’ast! – back in ‘88. Bl’ast opened up for them in Long Beach at Fender’s Ballroom. It’s all come full circle. Troops of Tomorrow is the record!

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6. The Ramones – Road to Ruin (1978)

It may seem kinda obvious to say it, but The Ramones are also one of my all time favourites – I’ll have to go for Road to Ruin here. I know it’s not the first three, with Tommy on ‘em. Well, he produced it but Marky took over on drums. It’s still badass though. You can sing along with every song on there.

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7. Roky Erickson – The Evil One (1980)

Seek this out – every song on this album is like a horror movie. It’s pretty fantastic. He’s got a great voice and a pretty interesting approach to songwriting. Roky got dealt a bad hand when he was institutionalised and given forced electroshock therapy, I can’t even imagine the impact that must have had – there was a point where he hadn’t put out a record for about 14 years, so it was pretty great to hear him record with Okkervil River a few years ago. He’s playing live shows again too, which is a victory.

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8. Slayer – Reign in Blood (1986)

I think this and the Sabbath record we spoke about are probably the best and heaviest of metal, in my opinion and in my heart. Slayer’s version of what metal could be was so different to what anyone else was thinking at the time; this was revolutionary. It’s innovative in every way, an onslaught of power and intelligent lyrical content. That record, from start to finish, it’s like getting your ass kicked and you’re on the ground saying ‘No more!’ But they’re still kicking you and you’re kind of stoked about it, like, ‘OK guys, cool – keep doing it.’ Brutal. They influenced so many bands. There are no barriers. And Dave Lombardo on drums? Just insane.

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9. Subhumans – From the Cradle to the Grave (1984)

Now, the title track for this is a 17 minute song that takes up the entire B-side. They have shorter tracks that last for a couple of minutes – sometimes less – but by this point they were just jamming. It’s still a pretty flawless record. Musically, they were insane, and I love it. Lyrically, they’re on another plain too.

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10. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1968)

The story I heard about this record – and you can kind of hear it – is that they were just recording their gig setlist live, from start to finish, in the studio. That’s pretty great. I don’t know if there are any guitar overdubs on there, I think Jimmy Page just goes with the lead while JPJ and John Bonham are holding it down on the bass and drums. I think it’s important to have that kind of power in a band, to just go in and nail it live. That doesn’t seem to be the way things are done these days. I guess with computers you don’t have to. That approach influenced a lot of the bands I was fortunate enough to be a part of in my youth, like Kyuss – we would go into the studio playing live and looking each other in the eye and trying to get it down in a full take. For me, Led Zeppelin captures the way a rock record should be made. Man, I wish I could make a record like that but I don’t have the skills or the gear Jimmy has. Pretty fantastic.

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