Remembrance of things past
It's said that smell is the strongest sense tied to memory (and yes, I knew that before the deodorant commercial let everybody know). For me, however, it's my hearing; more specifically, when these ears hear music. Certain albums (or even entire styles and genres) are inextricably tied to certain periods in my life.
I bring this up because I dug out my copy of Message In A Box today and am now reveling in memories of the early eighties. While it's true that I was deeply involved in my love affair with hiphop, my loyalties also lay with Sting and the boys.
I remember hanging out with my friend Jon until late into the night (at least by the standards of a 12 year old), listening to Reggatta De Blanc; balmy summer evenings lying in bed completely transfixed by Zenyatta Mondatta's "Shadows In The Rain", still one of my favorite tunes of all time; getting pumped up for cross country races by listening to "Synchronicity II".
Looking like Duran Duran with more talent.
Suffice to say that for the most part, the days belonged to Run DMC, Whodini, and the Fat Boys, but the nights belonged to the Police, UB40, and Pink Floyd.
No wonder my head is so twisted.
Anyway, this is all before my musical obsession completely exploded, but even then I felt the mystic pull of all kinds of genres.
It still amazes me when I encounter people who don’t really listen to music, fools who only listen to one type of music, or folks who just listen to "whatever's on the radio". The first thing I do when I walk in the door after work is turn off my discman and turn on my home system. I'm always plugged in when I'm walking about. And god bless my job for letting me listen to tunes while I'm at work.
(You'd be surprised how efficient one can become while listening to death metal. Need it done in an hour? Put in some Dimmu Borgir and I'll have it done in 15 minutes.)
So let me hear grand stories of people's faves. What brings back what for you?
(BTW, "Be My Girl-Sally" is still incredibly fucking funny.)
Sting would listen to these if he wasn't so busy writing wanky, adult-oriented soft rock:
The Police - Message In A Box
(everything the Singin' Cops have every done; that's right... everything)
Various - Phosphorescent
(thumping, acid-drenched trance from the concrete jungles of London)
Jimmy Behan - Days Are What We Live In
(have melancholy, will travel)
Armageddon Dildos - Homicidal Maniac
(cute little EP of carbon copy industrial; could be Nitzer Ebb; could be anybody)
Boogie Down Productions - Sex And Violence
(KRS bringin' back the hardcore, though Edutainment is still better...)
I bring this up because I dug out my copy of Message In A Box today and am now reveling in memories of the early eighties. While it's true that I was deeply involved in my love affair with hiphop, my loyalties also lay with Sting and the boys.
I remember hanging out with my friend Jon until late into the night (at least by the standards of a 12 year old), listening to Reggatta De Blanc; balmy summer evenings lying in bed completely transfixed by Zenyatta Mondatta's "Shadows In The Rain", still one of my favorite tunes of all time; getting pumped up for cross country races by listening to "Synchronicity II".
Looking like Duran Duran with more talent.
Suffice to say that for the most part, the days belonged to Run DMC, Whodini, and the Fat Boys, but the nights belonged to the Police, UB40, and Pink Floyd.
No wonder my head is so twisted.
Anyway, this is all before my musical obsession completely exploded, but even then I felt the mystic pull of all kinds of genres.
It still amazes me when I encounter people who don’t really listen to music, fools who only listen to one type of music, or folks who just listen to "whatever's on the radio". The first thing I do when I walk in the door after work is turn off my discman and turn on my home system. I'm always plugged in when I'm walking about. And god bless my job for letting me listen to tunes while I'm at work.
(You'd be surprised how efficient one can become while listening to death metal. Need it done in an hour? Put in some Dimmu Borgir and I'll have it done in 15 minutes.)
So let me hear grand stories of people's faves. What brings back what for you?
(BTW, "Be My Girl-Sally" is still incredibly fucking funny.)
Sting would listen to these if he wasn't so busy writing wanky, adult-oriented soft rock:
The Police - Message In A Box
(everything the Singin' Cops have every done; that's right... everything)
Various - Phosphorescent
(thumping, acid-drenched trance from the concrete jungles of London)
Jimmy Behan - Days Are What We Live In
(have melancholy, will travel)
Armageddon Dildos - Homicidal Maniac
(cute little EP of carbon copy industrial; could be Nitzer Ebb; could be anybody)
Boogie Down Productions - Sex And Violence
(KRS bringin' back the hardcore, though Edutainment is still better...)
posted by Ben at 10:03 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home