Some of my best musical memories involve cassette players and even 8-tracks. The only stereo in our home back in the mid-’70s was in my parents’ bedroom. On hot summer nights, all my siblings and I would pile onto the bed around Mom (Dad worked swing shifts) and listen to music (Johnny Mathis, Sam Cooke, Elvis) and talk and laugh.
]]>I’d never heard of that Yearwood song. Thanks for the link!
]]>AMERICAN PIE – The winter of my sophomore year in high school, riding to school on dark mornings with John T, who lived down the street from me. John and I went to school together from grade 4 to graduation. He was killed in a hit-and-run about ten years ago, but when I hear this song, I see us in that car, trying to figure out the lyrics.
HEY NINETEEN (Steely Dan) I knew I was getting older when I heard this song. But I loved it anyway. I played it over and over on a cassette player while I worked in the basement, filing bills of lading, at a big pharma company. Someone stole that cassette player. I’m still pissed about that.
THE RIVER (Garth Brooks) That song seemed to be everywhere during the last two weeks of my father’s life. I can hardly bear to hear it even now.
]]>If I hear Jim Croce, James Taylor, Carole King and the like, I picture my parents’ big reel to reel tape player.
Songza is new to both of us. We’ll have to check it out!
]]>CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY (Elton John)- As each of my siblings grew up and moved out on their own, less of us had to share a room. When it got down to just 5 of us boys living in the house, it was decided the eldest should no longer have to share a room. The day this honor was bestowed upon my brother, Jon (6 years older than me), he called me into his newly set up man cave for a private consultation. He handed me a twenty and told me to rush down to the drugstore (I GOT TO RIDE HIS BIKE THERE) to buy this album. AND I could keep the change if I got back within the hour! It was the first album I ever bought and I didn’t care that it wasn’t for me. Say what you want about Elton John and any of his other songs, I still know all the words to every song on that record. It still speaks to me about the very first time an older brother trusted me.
AJA (Steely Dan) – My brother Jon again. He had moved out and was married by the time I first heard this album. Jon and his wife lived in a 5 bedroom house, smoked some great stuff and allowed me to babysit their 2 kids from time to time. I couldn’t drive, but I did lure many a girl who could into coming to visit me while the kids were asleep. Jon had this really cool turntable suspended from the ceiling on bungee cords to keep the needle from every skipping. (don’t laugh, it worked) I lost my virginity to that album. It takes me back to that night every time I hear one of the songs from it.
ON BROADWAY (George Benson – live acoustic version) – Fresh out of college, living in NYC and barely scratching out a living. I had just dropped off my best friend from college at Port Authority. We had blown whatever money we had on yet another pot fueled, outrageously fun weekend in the city. It was a late Sunday afternoon and I didn’t even have the change for a subway ride home. There wasn’t any food left in my place and I was not looking forward to the very tough 5 days til my next paycheck. I was feeling really alone and scared and wondering why the hell I ever thought my small town self could live and succeed in the big bad city while I strolled the 20 blocks up Broadway to my apartment. All those little shops along the ‘way were in sell! Sell, SELL! mode. They are all in competition, but they share an allegiance to the same radio station and they all turn up to 11. ON BROADWAY came on and that mutually shared agreement allowed me to listen to the whole song while I traversed 5 of those blocks. It gave me the inspiration to face the coming week. Still think of that moment whenever I’m feeling down.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY (Hurricane Smith) – Another oldie from my very young days. Don’t know why, but I was singing it in the shower (yeah, like you don’t?) one day. My then girlfriend at the time came home, rushed into the bathroom to pull back the shower door. “How do you know that song?!?” I told her and she told me of learning it when her dad brought home an old record player he bought at a yard sale. The seller had thrown in a few 45s and this song had been one of them. We had a nice moment while soap dripped into my eyes. I used it years later when I proposed to her.
I could go on and on and on, but I think you get the point and now I’m all introspective and it’s getting weird. I’ll check out Songza.
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