The Records That Changed Our Lives

Plus, remembering Charlie Watts and Tom T. Hall [View this email online]( [NPR Music]( by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna [Kate Bush's 'The Dreaming']( 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 [Migos' Tiny Desk (home) concert]( 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.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [nprmusic@npr.org](mailto:nprmusic@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? 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