Top 5 Albums for Travel

Music has inspired me to travel, and travel has inspired me to play music.  An iPod or CD player and guitar have been my companions for my globetrotting adventures.  I am a bit of an old-timer in that I still refuse to buy "singles" online, instead I purchase and listen to albums from beginning to end. Often before each trip, I become completely absorbed with one album that becomes my "soundtrack" for the trip. 

  
5. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
The breakthrough album for Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run is about a young man who is coming into his own and trying to make a name for himself.  Much of the album was inspired by pressure that Springsteen felt to finally "hit it big" in the music business.  Tracks such as "Thunder Road" and "Born to Run" make me quit my job and hit the road! To quote "Thunder Road," "These two lanes will take us anywhere, we got one last chance to make it real."



4. Cake, Fashion Nugget
The ultimate album for road trip music.  This fun album showcases the unique style of Cake; spoken-word verses, catchy choruses, and trumpet solos.  It seems that many of these songs were written for car travel, such as "The Distance," "Race Car Ya-Yas," and "Stickshifts and Safetybelts,"  Fashion Nugget will have you singing all the way to your next destination!

3. Paul Simon, Graceland
Much of Graceland was recorded in South Africa with local musicians, mixing African beats and harmonies with Paul Simon's American folk sound.  At the time, South Africa was still under the rule of apartheid.  I think the best tracks (such as "Homeless") include backing vocals by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, an internationally acclaimed group in their own right. Graceland will give you a small piece of Africa to inspire your travels, whether it be in Africa or beyond. 

2. Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks is a very dark album written by Bob Dylan as his first marriage fell apart.  Many critics also consider it to be his masterpiece.  What does it have to do with travel?  The opening track, "Tangled Up in Blue," follows the cross-country life of a man that can't escape his past.  "If You See Her, Say Hello," tracks the journey of singer's lost love.  The album is a soundtrack for those who travel to "find themselves" or escape a life gone bad.      

1. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Legend 
A collection of the best songs by Bob Marley and Wailers, Legend is reggae at it's best. Listening to Bob Marley brings me back to my travels to Hawaii and the Caribbean, where his songs continue to be a mainstay on the radio.  Warning: listening to Legend could result in booking an unplanned island paradise vacation.  


Also considered: U2 Joshua Tree, Neil Young Harvest, Sheryl Crow Tuesday Music Club, Wings, Band on the Run.