For as much as I enjoy music, I never seriously learned to play any instrument. The clarinet interests me, and I actually own one. I bought it with intention of learning, but that is on the back burner since my schedule is complicated. One day I may still learn to play the thing. In the meantime, I continue to expand the collection of songs I have on my Ipod to get my daily fix of music. If that thing is not one of the greatest inventions for the music lover in the technology age, I don't know what is.
I remember one of the first record albums I ever got was The Bee Gees Greatest Hits. Keith, I think you bought it for me for Christmas one year, didn't you. I LOVE that album, which has since been replaced with a CD and subsequently been added to my Ipod tunes. (As an aside, I even love the "music" made by the trains that go through town here not far from my apartment. I've written a couple of poems about it.) I remember the first album I ever bought on my own was Styx "Paradise Theatre" which, along with my other albums, I played incessantly.
Nowaways, my musical tastes have expanded greatly, and except for what I would consider hard rock or heavy metal, I enjoy a great variety of music. Music in French from Teri Moise (she has such a sultry voice), Music in Spanish from Luis Miguel and the Gipsy Kings and others. Some flamenco, some salsa, lots and lots of romantic ballads. My taste for classical and jazz have expanded as well. I have a friend that used to be a dj who has introduced me to an endless variety of music as well as piquing my nostalgia for lots of old tunes I loved but had forgotten over the years.
Now, it is your turn to tell me what music has touched your lives. What was the first album/record you bought? Do you have particular songs that you've associated with certain memories in your past? What sort of music do you prefer to listen to? And any other bit of musical information you'd care to contribute is welcome too.
5 comments:
"The Best of Bread" and Pat Benatar's "In the Heat of the Night.
I bought them at a record store somewhere in Quebec (perhaps Quebec City) while on an "over-the weekend" field trip with my 12th grade French class. It was the biggest record store I'd ever been in, and I was amazed by the selection.
Most of the rest of my collection came from a Columbia House membership I had during college. (I think Les turned me on to their "10 Albums for 1 cent" promotion...or something like that.)
I still have some of the 45s we grew up with, Mic, including the "1432 Franklin Pike Circle Hero." I have such great memories of hours spent in the house we grew up in in Plattsburgh, listening to 45s on the blue & white portable record player in the white plastic clamshell case. What fun!
Oh wow! I had a bunch of 45s that Jon threw away when moving our stuff from Canandaigua back to Plattsburgh. (He said our cat, Bilbo, at the time had marked his territory on the case they were in and he thought he should get rid of them.) I remember that song! I don't remember that portable record player. I got several of my albums from Columbia House too. All of them are gone now. I only have CDs and my Ipod.
I can't tell you how many 45s and Albums I gave away...unfortunately, I've not been able to replace many of them. I do remember Dad working for St Johnsbury where he distributed records and I was so proud to by my first 45 from him...Those Were the Days by Mary Hopkins...remember? Also, when we lived in Ravena I have very vivid memories of our hi-fi...we even had some 78s...before 45s. One set of 78s was marching songs and it came with a red stick baton...of course, I was in charge of leading the marches with the baton. I remember 1432 too...going to add to my iPod soon. I love my iPod too...take it on flights; use when I'm doing yardwork; plug it into my docking station when I'm at home; and even bring it to work when I go in on the weekends. It's a great invention. Mine's a mixture of music too but mostly light rock, oldies or show tunes...like words I can sing too...I'm thinking one of my first albums might have been Carole King...I really don't have a clue any more.
On another note, Madame Butterfly was a wonderful performance! We took the train into London, then a short jaunt to the place...my first real life opera experience...who'd ever thing a school girl from upstate NY would end up going to the opera in London. WoW!
Hope you are all well...
There is one song that I've been trying for years to figure out the name of it...it was a late 60s or early 70s song and I know some of the words but no matter how I search for it I can't seem to lock in on it...I think it was a one-hit wonder but I can't remember the artist. I wish I'd kept the little notebooks I had that I wrote down the words of songs/artis of songs I liked...that was in there; but then, I grew up! I'd love to find it. Any suggestions?
Deb, that upstate NY girl has come a LONG way!! :) I am so glad you enjoyed the opera. How fortunate to get a wonderful opportunity like that.
I think I acquired my taste for Carole King from you. I seem to remember you playing it in your room you shared with Karen (You guys had bunk beds. And I remember Karen had a stuffed frog and stuffed, purple and green turtle too in that room. Funny the stuff you remember.) But I could have sworn you guys had a record player in there and that's when/where I heard it the first time.
You guys remember "One Tin Soldier". I have that on the Ipod. Hey, Deb, I just thought of something. We might be able to sink some of the music we have on our Ipods (don't know how to do that just yet, or if it is possible, but maybe we could) I know at least we can share the files. You are allowed to share songs up to 5 times, I believe. (A co-worker went to a seminar on intellectual property laws and piracy laws, so I can get the scoop from her on it. I know she has an Ipod and loves music, so I am certain she will know the proper way to do that.)
Also, you probably thought of this but when searching for lyrics include the word "lyrics" in the search terms that you use it helps to narrow stuff down. I too have had some trouble locating lyrics on old songs and several songs in Spanish and French that I wanted to know the words to. Just keep doing a search every once in awhile. Stuff gets added all the time. And as more and more of us "older" people are become more technology savvy, lots of the older stuff gets added to the net.
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