To celebrate the upcoming publication of my short story, “The Record Collector,” I’m finally doing the “post an influential album each day for 10 days” thing that several friends challenged me to do.

Honorable Mention – G.I. Blues, Elvis Presley

G.I. Blues was the only rock and roll record my parents owned. They had Mantovani, The Limelighters, Sing Along with Mitch.  The same folk-and-easy-listening library most whitebread adults in the early 1960s owned (if my adventures in garage-sale record shopping are evidence) and quit listening to after they had kids.

Regardless, hearing Elvis sing “Blue Suede Shoes” is one of my earliest memories, and I played it over and over as a kindergartner. Years later, I purchased The Replacements’ Pleased to Meet Me completely unaware that its cover was an homage to the Presley record I’d grown up with a decade earlier. I’m sure there was some subconscious recognition.