Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Rock of Life....
I was thinking today on my way home about how much music has meant to me in my life. From when I was a young boy singing in St. Pattys Day plays to the time we all did a studio rendition of AC/DCs Big Balls...lol... Its something thats always been there. Good times and bad. Think of a time in my life and Ill associate a song with it. I do have my favorite bands (KISS - bought my first ever cassette Love Gun when I was 8, too many 80s metal bands to name, Robert Palmer (RIP), Journey, John Waite, Rick Springfield, Genesis, Yes, the list goes on and on... There isnt much out there I dont listen to.. Ive bought jazz cds, new age, even some old school 80s rap and even a select few country. Im a fan of music. I can remember listening to a song by Michael Jackson called "Shes out of my life" after my first broken heart. I remember blasting Guns and Roses cruising Broad St. I remember listening to Suzanne by Journey while driving to school. I got my favorite job ever just out of high school at a store called Listening Booth. They sold records (yeah the big LPS) and cassettes. I was in heaven. Didnt matter what I did there, counts, shrink wrapping albums, hanging posters, I didnt care.. I was working with music. Unfortunately, I was also giving them back all of my paycheck with the awesome discount I got. $4 for a brand new release cassette.. Needless to say my collection grew to over 2000 cassettes. (which i still have). More memories and more music.. It was the friend who was always there. There was a time I couldnt fall asleep without my Walkman on my ears. Music is an incredible gift. Those who can play it are truly gifted and talented. Ive seen people recording at a friends studio and I was just amazed. Ive seen live shows, many of which will stay with me forever. (The Police reunion comes to mind) Just hearing those cassettes being performed live is amazing. Im probably going to talk ALOT about music here. Its that big a part of my life... So, anyone out there have a song that is so much a part of your life that when you hear it you just cant help but stop what your doing and listen?? If so, please comment. Id love to hear em. Your also helping me to bring that inner DJ out as Ill be spinning the selections for you in my mind! Hope to hear from ya! Talk to you tommorrow!!
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Slide by the Goo Goo Dolls. It reminds me of a time when I was very stupid and in love. When I hear the song present day, I look back at that time and the song makes me happy that I am the person and have the life I do today and that key part of the past was a true character builder. --KG--
ReplyDeleteI cant agree more...Its funny what a great song can bring back or how it can make you feel...
ReplyDeleteNothing up your alley, I'm sure. But I used to play at a piano bar up at Penn State. It was pretty standard Billy Joel, Elton John, Barry Manilow (yes, Manilow - the standard in piano bar stuff back then).
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, any time I hear any of that (which with XM 70's on 7 is pretty frequent) it always takes me back to that time.
I recently started going back through all of my old Billy Joel stuff (Turnstiles, Streetlife Serenade, etc) and am re-remembering a lot of those old songs on piano. I've got Miami 2017, New York State of Mind, I've Loved These Days and several others that I haven't played in years back in my repertoire now.
And that's your Cahill revelation moment. There aren't many people who look at me and say "Hey, that guy looks like a piano player". But now you know...
Lol...the fact that you can play the piano is awesome... i have the utmost respect for anyone who can play music... and Billy Joel rocks... Id love to see him in concert sometime.. in fact Im looking into seeing a tribute band at Penns Peak coming up soon... and as far as Manilow goes...I was probably one of the only men in the crowd when he played at the Kirby Center lol... My wife wanted to go but I must say the man put on a good show!...
ReplyDeleteYour affinity with music left a wide wake and which I've been caught up in ever since; something for which I thank you and sometimes my wife curses you. =)
ReplyDeleteMost recently I've been dabbling with audiophilia. I'll never make enough money to afford even modestly priced audiophile grade equipment, but I'm gaining a much better appreciation for critical listening and hearing the "sound" of music. There's a whole other world out there in consuming properly/well mixed albums/tracks. Some recordings are so stellar and some music is so finely produced they can evoke deep emotion. It's hard to articulate. It's like hearing the music again for the first time, every time. For instance, one of our favorite albums, rock n' soul. Put that CD (no iPOD!) in and turn it up, loud. Listen closely and you'll hear the tape hiss from the analog transfer on Sara Smile. Go through each track and focus on each instrument and you'll hear it all again, for the first time. Not only that, but I find myself transported back to your living room. Green carpet, darkened room, carefree.
I think part of what made MTV Unplugged so awesome wasn't only due to the re-mixed versions of the tracks, but to your point, the live recording and having the band out of the seperately miced studio compartments. Put any band in room, let the instruments mix naturally, and let the band react to one another and something incredible happens. It doesn't take any special training to know it when it's good. You just know.
Cant agree with you more Jim... I actually miss the sound that albums made on the turntable.. or the skipping of the track when an 8 track changed channels.. music was raw then... Ahh memories... thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteThunderstruck by AC/DC will always be my favorite. I still have it on cassette which I listen to in the Mystery Machine. It always gets the blood pumping. Music just isn't the same anymore.
ReplyDeleteThats a great tune also... definitely gets you fired up!!!
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