Guitarist Mark Papagno’s music straddles the lines between fusion and progressive rock. Working in both the acoustic and electric realms, his albums X and The Man Whom the Trees Loved fit into those two categories, while his debut album The Mark Papagno Trio is more jazz-inclined, featuring acoustic bass.
We asked Mark Papagno to share the albums that shaped his career:
YES – TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS (1973): I had heard bits of Fragile, “Roundabout,” and others. A friend had played Close to the Edge for me. When I went to the record store, they had the live Yessongs and Tales. So, I bought both of them. I listened to the live versions of “Siberian Khatru” and “And You and I,” and was blown away. Then I listened to Tales and everything changed. All the different sections and melodies coming beautifully together to form one song opened my mind to completely new ideas and directions. The musicians were amazing, and Steve Howe’s guitar in particular changed the way I thought about rock and progressive music. I never looked back. It was what I wanted to play!
ALLAN HOLDSWORTH – IOU (1982): Another complete game changer! I had never been a fan of straight-ahead jazz, and then I heard UK and Bill Bruford’s solo projects. Before that I wasn’t really that interested, but when I heard those albums I was totally drawn in. Holdsworth’s guitar just sang to me. When IOU came out, I ran down to the music store and bought it. When I got home and put the album on – well, from the first opening chords in “The Things You See,” I felt as if I had been hit in the head with a baseball bat! The tone, chords, and solos made absolutely no sense. But it nevertheless was a life-changing moment for me. I knew that was the new direction I was going in. Painful but beautiful, it took me years of studying and listening to Holdsworth and immersing myself in his music just to get a slight handle and feel on where his head was. Meeting him several times, and years of seeing him play live helped a lot also. He completely opened my mind to what was possible for the guitar.
DAVID SYLVIAN – GONE TO EARTH (1986): I had been a fan of Japan, David Sylvian’s pop group. When this solo album came out, it again was an entirely new experience. His incredible voice and the muted, exploratory sounds were, for me, transitional. Chords and instruments seemed suggested rather that stated plainly. Sounds were ambiguous yet individual. It again served to change the way I thought about musical expressions and mood. A seminal album for me. David Sylvian and his complete body of brilliant work is for me the pinnacle.
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