Music is important to me. For you, reading a blog called For the Record, I suspect the same. With the thousands of albums that keep piling themselves up on history’s record shelves, it’s natural that only a meagre fraction of them will be constantly remembered and discussed. Still, I’ve found too many albums that have changed my life but receive an unfairly small amount of appreciation elsewhere. Records that have found plenty of listeners through the decades, but hardly a nod of recognition when I mention them today. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re super obscure works that some guy made 500 copies of in 1972 and never spoke of again. But too many artists have made incredible works that just happened to be overshadowed, whether by their obscurity, other artists, or even greater accomplishments in their careers. Now, not every album will fit neatly into this category. Some albums I write about may have sold millions. Others I might not even love. But it will always be music I believe is worth writing about and spreading to new people. If I can spark even one person’s curiosity or memory enough to check out and discuss any of these albums, it’ll all be worth it. This is my ongoing letter of appreciation to the music that has soundtracked so much of my life, and the newer gems that keep my intrigue alive.