20

On January 13, 1997, the lights flickered on at a little music review website called The Daily Vault, with Christopher Thelen as editor, webmaster and principal writer all rolled into one. At the beginning it was just Chris and his dream, with an encouraging nudge from his cousin Bill Ziemer, an early site contributor along with long-distance correspondent JB, from Korea. Twenty years, 87 contributors, and 9200-plus reviews later, we pause to celebrate the pocket universe that Chris gave life to exactly two decades ago today.

Five current and former writers offer a few thoughts on the occasion of the Vault's 20th birthday:

• "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" by Daily Vault Founder Christopher Thelen
• "It's About Love" by Editor Jason Warburg
  
• "Still Necessary" by Staff Writer (and former assistant editor) Benjamin Ray
• "Reflections On Writing For The Daily Vault" by Former Staff Writer Michael Broyles
• "Here's To Another 20!" by Former Staff Writer Mark Kadzielawa

Which albums shaped the musical worlds of the Daily Vault writers whose work you enjoy every week? Join us for this very special feature as eight Daily Vault writers past and present share their thoughts on 20 key albums that influenced them:

• David Bowling
• Pete Crigler
• Vish Iyer
• Melanie Love
• Darren Paltrowitz
• Benjamin Ray
• Jason Warburg
• Ludwik Wodka
  
  

In honor of the site's 20th anniversary, ever-prolific Daily Vault Founder Christopher Thelen returns with 20 brand-new reviews of classic albums, one a day starting on the site's 20th birthday, January 13. Join Chris as we get things rolling with his take on Tori Amos' Under The Pink

In honor of the Vault’s 20th anniversary, here are the first 20 reviews we ever published, back in January-February 1997. Note that all but two were penned by ever-prolific DV Founder Christopher Thelen, and what an eclectic bunch they are, from classic rock to jam-rock to punk to pop to metal to Zappa. So it was; so it shall ever be.

  1. Steve Jones – Fire And Gasoline (1/13/97)
  2. Jimmy Johnson – Bar Room Preacher
  3. Bob Seger System – Ramblin' Gamblin' Man
  4. Live – Mental Jewelry
  5. Frank Zappa – Hot Rats
  6. Extreme – III Sides To Every Story
  7. The Replacements – Don't Tell A Soul
  8. Phish – Junta
  9. White Zombie – Astro-creep: 2000
10. Todd Rundgren – The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect
11. Primus – Suck On This
12. Mountain – Flowers Of Evil
13. Queen – News Of The World
14. Heart – Little Queen
15. Mariah Carey – Underneath The Stars (JB)
16. Aerosmith – Toys In The Attic (Bill Ziemer)
17. The Cars – Candy-O
18. Black Sabbath – Paranoid
19. Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
20. Jimmy Page – Outrider (2/1/97)