Music that shaped me....Part one

My husband and I spend a lot of time laughing about our different tastes in music. To make me mad, he refers to my music choice as "easy listening." It riles me up every single time, because even people that don't really listen to music know that Kenny G, Michael Bolton, and Celine Dion are in this category. You could not PAY me to buy their cds. To make him mad, I tell him that I'll brain wash our kids while he's at work and I'm with them all day. This doesn't make him mad because he's laid back and doesn't get mad.

We share a Pandora Radio account (which I have to say is one of my favorite things about the internet) and our stations are very easily distinguished. We also both have the Pandora aps on our phones and for a while, Matt kept erasing my stations because he couldn't figure out while they were on his phone. Meanwhile, I kept opening up my ap and adding my stations back, wondering if there was a station limit. This problem has been remedied and we both endure one another's stations, now-but not while we're together. He's got Kenny Chesny, Cat Stevens (yes, the King of story songs), Simon and Garfunkle, Creedance Clearwater, and my personal favorite-Savage Garden (it reminds him of college good times-it reminds me that the top 10 on Vh1-when they used to show videos-was always too cluttered with this noise disguised as music). My stations are more along the lines of Over the Rhine and Sara Bareilles. He calls this "blaring female vocals, heavy on the piano and guitar, light on the drums." We share one slightly rockish Christian station: Hillsong United. And he just added James Taylor, which we are both enjoying.

So, a few minutes ago, James Taylor's "Carolina on my Mind" was playing in the background as I was sitting here trying to think of what to write about it. That song brings back a wealth of memories and with it a memory of so so many other songs that shaped me-that moved me-that will always mean something to me.

Here is a list that won't begin to skim the surface, but it's a start. Maybe some of these songs will evoke good memories in you as well, maybe you've never heard of them. But they mean something to me and they always bring a smile to my face.

1. "In Harmony"
I can't remember when I heard this song for the first time because I think I was about 2 or 3. My parents bought the coolest album in the 80's full of their favorite artists (James Taylor, Carly Simon, Doobie Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, etc) singing songs with muppets about sharing, cookies, and pajamas. "In Harmony" wraps up the cd and is sung by Kate Taylor and the Simon and Taylor family. It is sung as a round and in the most exquisite and perfect harmony (it's tight harmony-my grandmother would say). I don't think I fully appreciated it's magic until elementary school when I was determined to figure out every harmony part in my room. I think I want my kids to dance around and sing these silly songs with Cookie Monster, Ernie, and James Taylor. Childhood would be missing something if they didn't.

2. "Uptown Girl" Billy Joel
Many Saturday mornings in elementary school were spent dancing around the living room to Dad's Billy Joel albums. I think I thought Billy Joel was strangely attractive and Christy Brinkley so lucky to have married a guy who wrote songs all about her. My sisters and I were "uptown girls" in our living room too many times. Among other Billy Joel favorites: Piano Man (who doesn't love this song?), She's always a Woman, Longest Time, Lullaby, and We Didn't Start the Fire. The latter of course, didn't come out until 1990 when Billy Joel had long plateaud and Christy was on her 2nd marriage. But I spent hours in my room memorizing this tongue twister to the best of my ability. The line "trouble in the Suez," was belted "trouble in the sewers" by me (I thought, maybe there was some sort of rat problem back in the 60's). To this day, I still think Billy Joel has one of the best voices in modern history. It could bring tears to my eyes with its clarity. Billy Joel, you will always be a favorite.

3. "Leader of the Band"-Dan Folgerberg
I'm not familiar with too many songs by Dan Folgerberg but everytime my Dad has a guitar in his hands he usually ends up playing the first few measures of this song. It's just a beautiful song and makes me happy.

4. Tapestry-Carol King
My mom, who is not a big fan of many singers/bands, loves this album. On many Saturdays we used to put it on my dad's turntable while we cleaned the downstairs. Almost every song is good. Also, if you are having a bad day, I Feel the Earth Move or Natural Woman are both great remedies. Singing or lip syncing are both acceptable. And no, Carol did not borrow these songs from Aretha, Aretha borrowed them from Carol. Carol King is the true genious behind many songs from the 70's and I've always taken up her offence when I feel she isn't given enough credit (stupid I know, but I do anyway).

5. "Carolina On my Mind"-James Taylor
There's nothing like a rainy afternoon with James Taylor. Or any afternoon with him, for that matter. I'm sure he's human and imperfect, but his music makes me think he is the kindest person in the world. (Carly Simon probably doesn't think so, but we'll never know will we? Tell us who's so vain, Carly, just tell us!) I spent 3 family vacations in North Carolina and then one entire summer there in 1998. North Carolina and Appalacia in general has always been a place 0f peace to me. There's something about those mountains, but I swear I can breathe better there-in every sence of the word. So, this song not only reminds me of listening to James Taylor in the blue station wagon with leather seats that burned our legs as kids, it reminds me of summers in North Carolina.

6. "Smells Like Teen Spirit"-Nirvana
Who really knows what Kurt Cobain ever said in this song? I mean, if you do know, it's only because of modern technology and the ability to google any lyric ever written. This song to me, embodies Whitestation Jr. High circa 1991 when little rich skater boys wore their hair long and their pants low, whilst headbanging in the gym during a dance. Squeezed between "Everybody Dance Now" and "Everything I do, I do it for You," this song made dances complete. I'll never forget watching tv with Kim in the basement the night Kurt Cobain killed himself. For days, we tried to wrap our 15 year old heads around the fact that this guy was gone forever, this guy our generation loved and for one song. Wonder if he would have made more. Or, would he have just been a one hit wonder? We'll never know.

7. "In a Sentamental Mood"-John Coltrane/Duke Ellington
There's this scene from the Cosby Show in which Cliff feeds Claire an apple. "In a Sentamental Mood" is playing softly in the background as they recline in one another's arms. Even as a kid, I recognized that this scene was both sexy and hilarious all at the same time. Don't bother with the lyrics, Duke and John are more than enough here. This version can be found on "Coltrane for Lovers," maybe a must be wedding gift for any new couple. If you are lonely or heartbroken, don't listen to this song, it will make you feel more lonely and heartbroken.

8. "The Night is the Right Time"-Ray Charles
While I'm on the Cosby Show, I must mention how wonderful this song is. Bill Cosby, thank you for teaching me, a little white kid, about blues and jazz. I dare say, not one kid from our generation can hear this song without smiling and thinking of Rudy singing "Baby!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSvGdfOfLFw

We're up to Junior High and the sun is setting, this list is officially....

to be continued....