Pete Kennedy of The Kennedys: 10 Albums That Changed My Life

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Their collaboration with Griffith was more than a passing chapter; it was a foundational period of their careers, with the duo stepping up to produce Griffith’s final album, Intersections. Throughout their careers, The Kennedys have crafted and released sixteen albums of original music, solidifying their status in the folk radio realm and expanding their influence into the Americana music formats. Their continuous innovation within the folk-rock genre has not merely been about making music but about creating a lasting legacy.

Pete Kennedy reflects on his musical roots with a sense of reverence, noting, “I started playing at around 11 years old during the ‘folk boom’ that directly preceded the Beatles’ Feb. 9, 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. That date was my 12th birthday, so the Fab Four ushered me into my teen years.” He adds, “I would eventually go on to make my entire living as a freelance guitarist, gigging with everyone from Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland to Stevie Wonder and Doctor John.” For Pete, music was not just a career choice but a life’s calling. “From the first time I picked up a guitar, music was my life, so in the early years albums and 45s were indeed life-changing.” His journey reflects a profound commitment to his art, one that has been both enriching and transformative.

In the Wind – Peter Paul and Mary (1963)

Having grown up digging Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard, I thought of rock and roll as 100% fun, an antidote to adulthood, but when I heard this album, my vision was expanded to include a kind of passionate energy played on acoustic guitars that was totally different but equally as cool as the rockabillies.

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

The Beatles struck a perfect balance of the rebellious fun of rockabilly, the funkiness of soul, the joy of pop and the intelligent smarts of folk (they weren’t avant-garde quite yet). They seemed to encompass it all, and I knew that their music would stay with me.

Rubber Soul – The Beatles (1965)

The American version, in mono. I know it’s heretical to prefer the US release, but I do, because I really got a handle on my Sears Silvertone guitar by going through the “Rubber Soul” music book song by song, learning lots of new chords and absorbing what great songwriting was all about. That was my entry into playing in garage bands, and everything else progressed from there.

Highway 61 Revisited – Bob Dylan (1965)

Mind boggling surreal lyrics, blasting songwriting to a new, wide open place, and that fantastic slightly out of tune but great blend of instruments all pounding away. What a sound!

The Byrds – (1966)

They gave American confirmation to the Beatle’s “rock band with intelligent lyrics” approach. And the 12 string guitar, wow, it sounded like church bells ringing.

Are You Experienced – Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)

1967: The summer of love, with an explosion of great music, but for me Jimi Hendrix’s, “Are You Experienced” owned the year. (yep, American version again) He exploded the guitar world the way Dylan had exploded the lyric world. No boundaries anymore!

Song to a Seagull – Joni Mitchell (1968)

It was around this time that Hendrix sat at Joni’s feet so he could record her doing a live show at a club in Canada. She was so mind blowing that she blew Jimi’s mind!. Another visionary experience of how great both lyrics and guitar could possibly be.

The Band – The Band (1969)

The Band 50th Anniversary LP (12" album, 45 rpm)

You can see that the theme here is “albums that broke new horizons.” This one did it by opening a sort of ‘bible” tracing the history of real North American music, the stuff that, as Levon once said, “grew from the soil like crops.”

What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye (1971)

I was in my dorm room at Boston College when this song came on the radio and I was transfixed. I had heard Coltrane and modal jazz but I never conceived that it could be blended in a visionary way with Motown soul and the intelligence (there’s that word again!) of folk. The entire album is a true work of timeless art.

Music of My Mind – Stevie Wonder (1972)

So, how many times can you repeat that visionary mind-expanding musical mind-flop? A lot of times, because this makes ten epiphanies in just under a decade. As we entered the 70s with the advent of disco, the steady stream of mind-boggling new music seemed to slow down. Anyway, there were more great albums and life-changing moments, a lot of them live onstage or in the studio rather than sitting in front of the old record player. Still, I will always treasure the ten albums above, and they influenced and informed my music every time I play.

From the new Kennedys album…..

https://www.kennedysmusic.com/

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