Music when we were young

[once_upon]

Some of my favorite voices from the past:

Raspy, bluesy: Janis Joplin, Bonnie Rait, Stevie Nicks, Jim Morrison, Jefferson Starship
Smooth, gentle: Peter Paul and Mary, Paul Simon
Gritty: Bruce Springsteen
Mournful: James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, some Mama and Papas, some reflective early Beach Boys - In My Room
Bubble Gum Pop: Leslie Gore, Barry Manilow, Monkees, Neil Diamond (some stuff), Carole King (not surprising given her beginnings), Paul Anka, Som Mamas and Papas, Beach Boys, Some BeeGees
Girl Power: Cyndi Lauper (Who is bluesy, mournful and bubble gum at various times), Donna Summer and Gloria Gaynor

I don't know where I would put Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lindsay Buckingham (Lindsay goes across so many, with his long, long career)

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Thanks quartz! This thread had me thinking last month about how much I missed so many of those old tunes we used to listen to on the radio. ("Turn it up - that's MY SONG!!!"} So I bought a portable Sony AM/FM radio (rechargeable batteries!) & have been listening to it when I'm working on the porch, doing the yardwork & gardening & during picnics in the park. I found stations playing classic rock, classic pop, & classic country & have been enjoying so many songs I haven't heard in years. What a pleasure.

 

[quartz]

I have been humming Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" ever since this morning.

 

[PeterG]

You know that song's not about you, right??

 

[quartz]

Yeah. I don't even know Carly Simon.

 

[Susan1]

Thanks quartz! This thread had me thinking last month about how much I missed so many of those old tunes we used to listen to on the radio. ("Turn it up - that's MY SONG!!!"}

Yeah, and it's summer. "Roll" the car windows down and turn up the radio. Oldies/classic rock only!

 

[misskarne]

Compiling a playlist for a long drive tomorrow and my journey through my Elton John collection basically goes "add...add...add...add..."

 

[PeterG]

I was listening to one of the Galaxie music channels and Keep On Dancin' by Gary's Gang came on. Nice groove!!

 

[misskarne]

Now on a Dire Straits binge.

 

[flyingsit]

I'm reading a Billy Joel bio right now...guess what I'll be listening to at the gym tonight?

 

[Reuven]

Knofler is sooo smooth!

 

[misskarne]

Hmm. It appears I did not seize the opportunity to rip my father's Dire Straits CDs to my laptop while I was living at home.

Oh well. At least there won't be any risk of getting carried away to Walk of Life tonight on the drive.

 

[Reuven]

"Sultans of Swing" is my favourite.

 

[quartz]

My boss at the bookstore was off today and I was in charge, so I brought my iPod for a change to the generic middle of the road stuff we are supposed to play.
I had the boys with me, one is 19, the other 22. They played my Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe album three times! They also played Jethro Tull, Yes, Alan Parsons, The Who, Floyd and Queen.
The 19 year old actually gave me shit for not having enough Genesis on my iPod. (Hanging head in shame, as he is right).
I think "the kids are alright"!

 

[Susan1]

My boss at the bookstore was off today and I was in charge, so I brought my iPod for a change to the generic middle of the road stuff we are supposed to play.
I had the boys with me, one is 19, the other 22. They played my Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe album three times! They also played Jethro Tull, Yes, Alan Parsons, The Who, Floyd and Queen.
The 19 year old actually gave me shit for not having enough Genesis on my iPod. (Hanging head in shame, as he is right).
I think "the kids are alright"!

One of the places I used to work had "muzak" piped in. One Monday morning we walked in and there was classic rock playing over the speakers. We were all (like 50 people) just working away and humming and singing softly. People who had iPods (or whatever) with earphones didn't even put them on. About 10 a.m., someone came in and unlocked the maintenance closet and changed it back. Apparently, there were some maintenance men working in our building over the weekend and they changed it and forgot to change it back. Rats. I don't know who "tattled".

 

[Kasey]

Wait, there's a Billy Joel bio?? Ok, will need to load that one onto the kindle next! (Willie Nelson is ahead of him)

 

[Artistic Skaters]

I have to bump this thread because there is a new interview out with Bruce Springsteen about the 40th anniversary of Born to Run. And I sure do love Thunder Road, yes I do.

Bruce Springsteen on the making of 'Born to Run' :

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/entertainment/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-40-feat/

There is something about the melody of "Thunder Road" that just suggests "new day," it suggests morning, it suggests something opening up. That's why that song ended up first on the record, instead of "Born to Run" — which would've made sense, to put "Born to Run" first on the album.

The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays ...

 

[Artistic Skaters]

Don Henley has been making the rounds on all the news shows & Stephen Colbert. I had no idea The Eagles Greatest Hits is the number 1 selling album of all time. I was always a Glenn Frey/Timothy B. Schmidt/Joe Walsh girl myself, but I must say Don Henley has certainly seemed to mellow with age since the '70s & the interviews have been very interesting. Maybe the time has come to watch that 2 DVD Eagles documentary - History of the Eagles. Welcome to the Hotel California!

 

[Cachoo]

We were posting on another site about how well Carole King's "Tapestry" has held up all of these years. There are some beautiful songs on that album.

 

[J-Ro]

I have eclectic early-life music experiences. I was born in 1966 to a mother who had (and still has) every original Beatles album. Some of my earliest musical memories were of the Beatles and other '60s music such as Simon and Garfunkel, Peter, Paul & Mary, and the Mama and the Papas. Meanwhile, my father loves classical music, so all kinds of classical music, especially Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, were also a part of my early soundtrack. To this day, '60s rock and the classical music that my father listened to bring me to that "happy place." Fast forward to my own musical tastes: I was part of the original MTV generation; I was a junior in high school when it first came was on. I watched it from the very first week when not only were there not stupid reality shows, there were NO COMMERCIALS! But I digress. But I grew up in the Boston area which has a rich musical history (only in Boston is it hip to see Aerosmith AND the Boston Pops), so the great Boston bands of the '70s and '80s (Aerosmith, the Cars) were a part of my life; my first concert was the J. Geils Band at the Boston Garden during the Freeze Frame tour (1981). I have been a fan of U2 since they were first played in the US. My favorite bands/artists since high school have been Queen, the Who, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springsteen (What I would have given to have seen him on the Born in the USA tour! I could not get tickets!). I had a boyfriend who could get tickets to pretty much every arena show at the Worcester Centrum when it was THE place to see arena shows. I saw Rainbow, Journey, Boston, the reincarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, Bryan Adams, Billy Squier, Aldo Nova, Marshall Crenshaw, Def Leppard, and a bunch more that I can't even recall right now. These days, I still search for good music. I don't want to be stuck in the past. In the '90s, I discovered now-defunct Oasis, whose album "What's the Story Morning Glory" is one of my all-time favorites. I suppose early influences stay with us because I still lean towards rock and classical, but I am always listening to new bands. In the '90s, I also began listening to local Boston rock, a habit I still have today. Most of the music I listen to these days is local or REALLY indie. My husband plays guitar in a band so it seems that all our friends are in bands. (And if you're not familiar with the Boston music scene, it's one of the most vibrant anywhere, even more so than Austin. They have nothing on us!)

 

[J-Ro]

Don Henley has been making the rounds on all the news shows & Stephen Colbert. I had no idea The Eagles Greatest Hits is the number 1 selling album of all time. I was always a Glenn Frey/Timothy B. Schmidt/Joe Walsh girl myself, but I must say Don Henley has certainly seemed to mellow with age since the '70s & the interviews have been very interesting. Maybe the time has come to watch that 2 DVD Eagles documentary - History of the Eagles. Welcome to the Hotel California!

I think Don Henley is a brilliant lyricist. "The Last Resort" is number one on my list for best lyrics ever. He was an English major in college; it really comes out in that song. (But you have to know your American history and be familiar with current events, too, in order to fully grasp its meaning.) The song remains one of my favorites ever.

 

[J-Ro]

My parents only ever listened to an "oldies" station, and we weren't allowed to change it. So I grew up listening to some of the great music of the 70s and 80s - Queen, Dire Straits (my father was a huge Dire Straits fan, so we had the love of that instilled in us early). If it came out in that era, I listened to it and probably loved it - and I still find it superior to a lot of the music my age-mates grew up with, though I do love some of the nineties stuff.

That's not oldies!!!!

 

[J-Ro]

I don't care for the early Beatles I Wanna Hold Your Hand puppy love stuff. They were much more interesting once they started doing drugs.

I went to a Catholic school through 8th grade. We had a lay teacher who thought David Cassidy's hair was too long. And she was only 24!!!!

But then we had a nun who played popular records to teach religion class. I can't remember - a Mamas and Papas song that had a message? Peter Paul and Mary? Godspell. A Simon and Garfunkel song? Rats - usually my long term memory is so good.

Came back on because I JUST remembered - she played us John Lennon's Imagine. And explained how he didn't mean there should not be ANY religion, like everybody was so upset about back then, but that it didn't matter what you believed and it shouldn't divide us. A timeless idea, huh???

Except he really DID mean no religion. He was a self-described atheist.

 

[Aussie Willy]

The Bay City Rollers announce a reunion

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34323112

We had a couple of girls at school who were big fans. So much so that the teacher at school banned tartan on jeans because of the fandom.

 

[taf2002]

I have eclectic early-life music experiences. I was born in 1966 to a mother who had (and still has) every original Beatles album. Some of my earliest musical memories were of the Beatles and other '60s music such as Simon and Garfunkel, Peter, Paul & Mary, and the Mama and the Papas. Meanwhile, my father loves classical music, so all kinds of classical music, especially Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, were also a part of my early soundtrack. To this day, '60s rock and the classical music that my father listened to bring me to that "happy place." Fast forward to my own musical tastes: I was part of the original MTV generation; I was a junior in high school when it first came was on. I watched it from the very first week when not only were there not stupid reality shows, there were NO COMMERCIALS! But I digress. But I grew up in the Boston area which has a rich musical history (only in Boston is it hip to see Aerosmith AND the Boston Pops), so the great Boston bands of the '70s and '80s (Aerosmith, the Cars) were a part of my life; my first concert was the J. Geils Band at the Boston Garden during the Freeze Frame tour (1981). I have been a fan of U2 since they were first played in the US. My favorite bands/artists since high school have been Queen, the Who, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springsteen (What I would have given to have seen him on the Born in the USA tour! I could not get tickets!). I had a boyfriend who could get tickets to pretty much every arena show at the Worcester Centrum when it was THE place to see arena shows. I saw Rainbow, Journey, Boston, the reincarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, Bryan Adams, Billy Squier, Aldo Nova, Marshall Crenshaw, Def Leppard, and a bunch more that I can't even recall right now. These days, I still search for good music. I don't want to be stuck in the past. In the '90s, I discovered now-defunct Oasis, whose album "What's the Story Morning Glory" is one of my all-time favorites. I suppose early influences stay with us because I still lean towards rock and classical, but I am always listening to new bands. In the '90s, I also began listening to local Boston rock, a habit I still have today. Most of the music I listen to these days is local or REALLY indie. My husband plays guitar in a band so it seems that all our friends are in bands. (And if you're not familiar with the Boston music scene, it's one of the most vibrant anywhere, even more so than Austin. They have nothing on us!)

You had me up until that claim about Boston vs Austin. I've never heard of Boston being described as The Live Music Capital of the World.

 

[J-Ro]

You had me up until that claim about Boston vs Austin. I've never heard of Boston being described as The Live Music Capital of the World.

Any city can give itself a slogan. Music is ALL Austin has whereas in Boston, it's an underrated part of the culture which has much, much richer cultural and historical landscape that overshadows the music. I've been to Austin many times. I am a bit disappointed in their music scene because I thought it would be bigger than it is, given the hype. They have what amounts to one overrated city block plus some outlying clubs. They've got the SXSW festival--which is a good but once-a-year thing, and they have a lot of blues cover bands and country whereas Boston is more of a rock 'n roll, jazz, and classical city, although you can find plenty of live music in all genres, including blues and country as well as that of all kinds of different ethnicities, throughout the area. A big factor in Boston's vibrant rock scene is the fact that there are 53 colleges/universities in or within a 10-mile radius of Boston.

Disclaimer: I'm a music writer and editor in Boston; I know what we've got. And I know what Austin does not. Not that Austin is bad, mind you (I've enjoyed the city every time I've been there. I've even skated at THE ice rink--and who knew the University of Texas had a hockey team??-- and I particularly enjoy swimming at Barton Springs) but keep in mind that geographically Austin is a city in the middle of nowhere and has pretty much have nothing else going for it so they have to capitalize on SOMETHING. (My apologies to those in Austin. I really do enjoy your city. Don't get me wrong; Sixth Street IS fun, but there's something a little too contrived about it. I much prefer the Little Longhorn Saloon somewhere on Burnet Road.)

 

[Simone411]

I watched Kaptain Kangaroo every morning when I was very young. I tried to find the original singer/writer of a song that was played quite often on Kaptain Kangaroo. I thought it was a woman that sang the version on the show. I couldn't find the song by her, however, on YouTube.

I did find the original song by Dick Two Ton Baker:

I'm a Lonely Little Petunia (in an onion patch)

 

[quartz]

Kaptain Kangaroo!!

 

[Xela M]

The first CDs I borrowed/stole from my dad to put in my CD player were Queen Greatest Hits 1 and 2 and I still recall the shock I felt the first time I listened to Bohemian Rhapsody (the first track on CD1) and I have been a massive Freddie fan ever since.

To anyone Russian out here, my dad used to listen to Vladimir Vysotsky in his car and I still absolutely adore his songs and actually have them on my iphone.

 

[TheGirlCanSkate]

I grew up with Carly Simon's music, Crystal Gayle, and Styx. As a teen I loved The Dead Milkmen, Jane's Addiction, the All and Depeche Mode as well as many surf punk bands that had few if any cassettes.

I have always loved soundtracks from musicals - starting with Lady and the Tramp, Annie, Grease and old stuff like Judy Garland and Shirley temple to Mamma Mia! Rock of Ages, Phantom etc.

I have passed on the Carly Simon to my daughter as well as musicals. It's something fun we share. I liked oldies like Jim Morrison when i was in HS as well. Kind of funny, but since I didn't listen to music of my age peers, the new oldies radio stations play all the stuff I missed.