There comes a time in everyone's lives where we have to stop listening to Dad's record player and Mom's piano and develop our Very Own Taste in Modern Music. For me, this happened in middle school. Sure, I also worked on maintaining my love of post-1965 Beatles and early 19th-century Beethoven, but around about the 7th grade, I began receiving music from outside sources - friends, boys and other bad influences.
Here's some stuff I started listening to then:
I first learned of Tom Petty via a mixtape. Then, a boy gave me "Wildflowers" on cassette. It's hard to choose a favorite from that album, especially with so much creepy fodder like "Cabin Down Below," "Honey Bee" and "House in the Woods," but here's one (of the many) I dug:
Much later, I would make a foray to a faraway city to see Tom Petty live with a selection of friends given to shenanigans. Naturally, shenanigans ensued.
My nascent love of Tori also began in middle school with a mixtape with two Tori songs on it. First, "Mr. Zebra" which is quirky and therefore suited my pubescent misfit image well:
And second, Caught a Light Sneeze, which is just awesome. I can't find a video or audio clip of the studio version, so you'll just have to imagine it. Tori would also be my first concert, which I went to with my dad, as I was too young to drive, or even have friends who could drive.
What middle school girl's music list would be complete without some Cranberries, huh? I purchased not one but TWO Cranberries tapes with my allowance money at the local emporium after listening to some on, you guessed it, a mixtape. Here's one from "No Need to Argue" (no, it's not "Zombie." Why is that the only song anyone remembers from the Cranberries?):
The Cure's Lovesong, which I also bought on casette:
Much later I discovered Tori's cover of Lovesong and almost died of awesomeness.
Bonus track: My favorite Beethoven song (cliche, sure, but it's popular for a reason):
There was a lot of other really horrible stuff I listened to, but this is the stuff that stuck in my mind, and wasn't too humiliating to post on the internet. What did you listen to when you were a youngin?
I listened to a hella lot of classic rock - Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Pink Floyd, etc. This stuff is totally foreign to me, but I can see the appeal.
ReplyDeleteI recall wearing the crap out of a Bang Tango tape twice. "Dancing on Coals" was my theme song.
ReplyDeleteI live in the south and went to a very urban school so I was rebelling against country, southern rock, and rap so of course I was a metal head. I lived for Poison and Alice Cooper. As I went through middle school and moved on to high school I gravitated slowly to things like Prince and Madonna. I did like some of the 80's classics from the Bratpack movies. I didn't admit to it in public but I like them, lol.
Also, for some reason I have always loved Fur Elise. It has always remained an evocative piece for me along with Hendrix's Watchtower. I don't know what defines something I just like - like say Madonna's "Music" versus something that is wholly evocative for me like Sade's "Kiss of Life." I don't know what I'm hearing in the music that is different and I don't know how to describe the feelings really but there is a difference. Music that is evocative for me grabs me, I almost can't concentrate on anything else if it pays but music that I just like is different, I can have it playing in the background while I do other tasks.
I have played the violin and the piano but I am musically illiterate. I can't read music, I memorized my pieces. I liked the violin more than I care to admit but I just don't feel it the way some people do. It's not a natural talent for me.
I loved Pink Floyd in middle school
ReplyDeleteSteve-o & Deena: Lot o' Pink Floyd fans out there. I never really got way into Pink Floyd, but I do recall trying to listen to Dark Side of the Moon and watch Alice in Wonderland at the same time. I don't think I did it right. Ahem.
ReplyDeleteJenni: Holy metal! I have never even heard of Bang Tango but just went and looked up that song. I like Sade in general, although I don't think I have any of her CDs/albums. Random fact in response to your musical talents; The only thing I can play is Frère Jacques.
i hate to admit it but i was a total boy band girl. Then i grew up and started listening bands no one has heard of ( i still do).
ReplyDeleteplease don't use this sad fact against me.