Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister: 10 Albums That Changed My Life

Feature Photo courtesy of Jay Jay French

These days, Jay Jay French keeps busy writing for various online music publications, has his podcast, The Jay Jay French Connection, is the author of a book, Twisted Business: Lessons from My Life in Rock ‘n Roll, and occasionally, still grabs his six-string and saddles up to rock.

Of course, many know French for his over 50-year career as guitarist with iconic Long Island-bred rock band Twisted Sister. But in case you (somehow) missed that, classic cuts such as “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wann Rock” should ring a bell. And who could forget the band’s classic Christmas record, Twisted Christmas (2006), which features what rock fans would probably wager is the definitive version of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful.”

Glam band badassery aside, French is an across-the-board survivor who hasn’t let the perils of rock ‘n’ roll, or cancer bring him down. Through it all, his blend of guitar chops, showmanship, songwriting, and business savvy have served him well, but his passion for music—specifically the albums that stoked the flame in the first place—has guided him.

When asked to put together a definitive list of the ten albums that changed his life, French tells ClassicRockHistory.com, “Making a top ten list of my most influential albums is really an impossible task. Through the prism of my memory, my list attempts to draw an effective timeline of my personal introduction to my musical taste.”

He continues, “But if you were to attach a stopwatch to the most played albums in my enormous record collection, I’m sure many others spent more hours in actual rotation. We haven’t even gotten to artists like The Byrds, Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Band, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, AC/DC, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Lou Reed, Mott the Hoople, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, The Move, Procol Harum, Traffic, Elton John, Jeff Beck, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and so many more.”

With the knowledge that this list is just the tip of the iceberg for Jay Jay French, a man who has not only influenced thousands of guitar players to pick up the instrument but thousands more to stoke the fire for their love of rock music, let’s get started. Jay Jay’s first pick is…

Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister: 10 Albums That Changed My Life

Feature Photo courtesy of Jay Jay French

Meet The Beatles!  – The Beatles (1964)

Upon the unleashing of Beatlemania in America in January 1964, a neighbor rang my doorbell and showed me the album he just bought, Meet the Beatles! I was in sixth grade, and it changed everything. And in April of ’64, I bought my first album with my own money called…

The Beatles’ Second Album – The Beatles (1964)

Every day after school, a crew of us went to a classmate, Peggy Chance’s, apartment to listen to this album over and over and over again.

A Hard Day’s Night – The Beatles (1964)

In July of 1964, I purchased the second album I bought with my own money, The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. It had incredible songs, and the movie—which this was the soundtrack for—was incredible, too. This was my “big bang” creation, foundational moment for the dream of becoming a “rock star.”

The Rolling Stones, Now! – The Rolling Stones (1965)

I was 13 years old, had gone to my first party, and this was the album playing most. All the kids at the party were two years older than me, smoking cigarettes and weed, and told me, “The Rolling Stones were way cooler than The Beatles.” This record sounded dangerous to me like I had entered an alternate universe, and it still brings back memories of rock being “a dangerous game.” This album has a song called “Down the Road Apiece,” and the guitar intro for that song was taught to me by a neighbor. It was the first guitar solo I learned, and the structure of that riff is the foundation for almost every solo I’ve played.

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1966)

Upon hearing lead guitarist Mike Bloomfield on this record—especially on the song “Blues with a Feeling,” I became obsessed with becoming a guitar player. After that, I went down to 48th Street about a year later and bought a Fender Telecaster, just like the one Mike Bloomfield played.

Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton, aka The Beano Album by John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (1965)

Ask any guitarist my age, and they will tell you that this album, released in 1966, is why they play guitar in a rock band. It was a matter of a Gibson Les Paul meeting a 1962 Bluesbreaker Marshall amp cranked to “11!” And the guitar player Eric Clapton being known as a rock “God” began on this record. It’s quite simply among Clapton’s finest work, which is crazy to think, as he was just 21!

Sgt. Pepper’s Loney Hearts Club Band – The Beatles (1967)

Who doesn’t remember where they were when this album came out in June of 1967? It’s single-handedly responsible for making the long-playing album a true art form.

Born Under a Bad Sign – Albert King (1967)

If you haven’t figured this out, Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, and Albert King are my guitar heroes. As for this album, listen to the song “Crosscut Saw,” and you’ll hear that the solo is a note-for-note copy of Cream’s song “Strange Brew,” which was done as an homage to the wonderous playing by Albert King. To this day, no one knows how Albert played upside down and left-handed, nor have they unlocked the key to his tone and secret tuning. Albert King was a true one-of-a-kind master.

Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

What a year 1967 was. You had Sgt. Pepper in June, Born Under a Bad Sign in August, and Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced in September! This album and Clapton’s Bluesbreaker album altered how we looked at the electric guitar. Jimi’s never-heard-before merging of a Fender Stratocaster and a Marshall Super Lead 100 amp created a new language that, 56 years later, remains the standard against which rock players are judged. This album is genuinely terrifying in its unabashed release of sonic lyrism and sheer volume.

Disraeli Gears by Cream (1967)

Cream released this in December of 1967, and what a way to end the year it was. Cream’s definitive second album features Clapton’s exemplary guitar tone, incredible vocals by Jack Bruce, and songs that are just unforgettable.

Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister: 10 Albums That Changed My Life article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024