Music and passion were always the fashion at the Coooo-paaaa…
My girlfriend Jenn is really into music, I’d safely say our tastes vary greatly and have similarities, on occasion she will post adorable conversations with her daughters regarding music. The one I have linked to is a quick discussion where one of her daughters asks her the music that is playing, Jenn responds that it is ABBA and her daughter then said that she had thought it was Cyndi Lauper. Priceless and SO AWESOME. But reminds me that I spend a lot of time reflecting on the music of my youth and what I cringe at, what I enjoyed then and enjoy now and stuff that I hated as a kid and now love. Music as anyone who knows me is a major part of my being, I may not have listened to overly good music till I got older but I worked in music stores for years as a teenager and young adult before I headed into college. Or shit bloody travel college whatever. In some ways the music my parents listened to was better than mine and in some it was worse, and of course my parents never liked any of mine or much of mine I should say I have turned them sort of on some artists, I try anyway.
I remember being a kid, real young, still in Ontario and jumping on my bed to Sesame Street records, for as long as I can remember I was never without music with the exception of when I was grounded of course. I got my first walkman the year that Madonna’s True Blue was released and remember my parents having some sort of conversation in regards to whether the tape was appropriate they hadn’t realized what Pappa Don’t Preach was about until they bought it but it was dropped, and even though they never liked a lot of my music they never ever tried to sensor what I listened to, so I obviously got very lucky that whatever conversation they had probably ended in something like she is going to hear it anyway so we may as well just let her walk around the house, plugs in her ears, screeching about being a pregnant mess. Man they must have loved that phase.
I’ve mentioned before that when it comes down to it I am a Northern girl. I grew up camping and shitting off the side of cliffs and we lived out of our canoe on our excursions and portaged everywhere, I think I was put in a canoe shortly after I fit in a life jacket. That is one thing my parents still have from my past and man is it tiny. Getting to these remote locations required a lot of driving. I listened to Tiffany and Debbie Gibson in my walkman over and over at this point in time as well as Madonna and Janet Jackson. My parents were always asking me to turn down my walkman, I’m sure we’ve all rolled our heads back at that parental request at one point in time.
I had a good number of tapes but my parents also had a tape player in the car and so sometimes I would not be able to listen to my music with theirs on. Although there was always music on at home, when in the car there was no escaping what they would listen to aka the music I grew up on. I emailed my dad the other day to make sure we were on the same page with the music my parents listened to and that I was therefore brought up on.
In no particular order:
Barry Manilow - I still listen to him and Adam makes MAJOR fun of me.
John Denver - I LOVE JOHN DENVER. Between my parents and I we own everything he has ever done. I cried the day he died. Also saw him live. We also had John Denver and the Muppets, Rocky Mountain Holiday. I miss that tape still today. But do now own the DVD so all is good.
Anne Murray - Canadian so I don’t ‘hate’ her, but do I like her? No.
The Mamas and the Papas - Don’t listen to anymore and don’t really remember them being played. *HUGE CONFESSION* I owned Wilson Phillips CDs.
CCR - Loved then love now. I remember when my Dad and I were driving to the dump one day a few years ago when I was home for a visit and he decided to test out the truck speakers to CCR being that you know he can’t have that sort of fun with my mom that is like daughter and dad stuff. So we blasted CCR as loud as the speakers would let us and acted like sixteen year old kids with brand new ’systems’ in our vehicles, good times I am sure we looked awesome rocking out.
ABBA - Mixed feelings.
Peter, Paul and Mary - Also saw live, don’t listen to them now but remember enjoying their music.
Gordon Lightfoot - HATED as a kid INSTANT walkman placement on ears whenever my parents would play him and I was convinced they would only play him to make me mad. ‘Three chord Gord’ HAHA. Well, I love the Lightfoot now, LOVE him listen to him on a regular basis. Saw him play with John Denver.
The Eagles - Indifferent.
Elton John - I always thought it was cool my parents liked Elton John because he is part of their generation and mine.
Rod Stewart - I’ll let you guys guess on this one.
Bob Seger - Some of the best drinking music around.
The Beach Boys - oh The Beach Boys, LOVE THEM and love that Big Love opens with God only knows. *HUGE CONFESSION # 2* I owned Wilson Phillips CDs.
Jim Croce - He’s cool.
Air Supply - Can’t win them all. And no I do not listen to them anymore but when their songs come on the radio I still know all the words to the songs. BONUS.
The Bee Gees - I still listen to them. My favourite song by them is Nights on Broadway.
The Rolling Stones - I think even just with the above descriptions this one goes with out saying. YAY BABY PAINT IT BLACK! WOO HOOOOOOOOO
The Beatles - Between my Mom and her sister they have Elvis and the Beatles covered in their youth they saw them. Of course I still love the Beatles I’m human.
Olivia Newton-John - Was my father’s biggest ‘celebrity’ crush I ever remember him having but it was cool my mom had it bad for Travolta. I used to dance around to her stuff on a regular basis. I don’t listen to her anymore but still get physical from time to time.
Elvis Presley - Old Elvis I love, fat fucked up Elvis, not so much. Still listen to a good lot of his music.
Linda Ronstadt - Canadian and good, is on many of my play lists. I wish my parents had have listened to Joni Mitchell as well but I found her on my own.
Bonnie Raitt - Adam and I had one of her songs on our wedding cd.
Neil Diamond - HATED as a kid, can’t get enough of those sequins now though. He makes me want to meet a Kentucky woman.
Roy Orbison - I don’t even know what to say here, Roy has just never done it for me in any way. Shit cept for Pretty Woman, I forgot about that one.
So as you can see I wasn’t tortured, there wasn’t a huge amount of depth, but I did think of probably five to ten artists that were left off the list, Tom Jones for one who I mention because I could have seen him when I was in Vegas in 1998 and STILL regret not.
This is something about my childhood I revel in. My memories of music in relation to my parents are all good and always bring back fantastic memories.
August 13th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Wow…first of all, SO stoked I get to be the first to comment on a super cool post.
Second of all, I applaud you for admitting to the likes of Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and others. You are a brave, brave girl.
Thirdly, you have inspired me. I may post something similar tomorrow. Not in the copycat sense, but more in the “see, I can be just as hideous” sense.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
kill me now, but when i was a young girl and heard neil sing with barbra on “you don’t bring me flowers,” i swooned. young and swoon-y. hell yeah.
August 13th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
LOL! My brother likes Wilson Phillips. When my dad bought his first CD player, that was one of the first CDs he bought, and now my brother loves them. I can’t stand them, but I know a lot of the words to their songs.
August 14th, 2007 at 12:04 am
The Stones Gimme Shelter, paint it black YEAH!!!
When you and your old man were driving around ROCKING OUT to CCR you drove past a long haird toll booth worker that lifted the barrier and gave you a thumbs up?
that was me.
xo
August 14th, 2007 at 4:44 am
“true blue baby I love you…!”
always Madonna will rock, in my opinion. In another life, I am her.
i’m with you on John Denver. I never realised he wasn’t considered cool and he’s still cool to me. i was remembering songs as i read through the list… that we played at home along with Queen -my mother is a huge fan and so am i still. Rocking Rod still rocks if you ask me! poor fat, fucked up Elvis! and CCR really HAS to be played really LOUD! thanks for the memories.
August 14th, 2007 at 4:57 am
Wow! That is some cool music. There isn’t an artist/group you named that I didn’t/don’t like. (Even Wilson Phillips… shhh…)
(Neil Diamond is one of my most favorite guilty pleasures… Nothing gets better than belting out some “Sweet Caroline” or “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” while cruising down the interstate.)
August 14th, 2007 at 6:01 am
heya, thanks for the link! our tastes do vary, but my spectrum of musical taste is too broad for words.
fucking love neil, hate elvis. beach boys rule - and “god only knows” is the last song on love, actually, which is one of my favorite movies. yay beatles!
August 14th, 2007 at 9:53 am
[…] I had my morning brew then read my compulsory blogs, finding some kick ass posts from Keira and Corinna. Following in the eclectic and fun style of both, here are a couple tid bits for […]
August 14th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Ah yes, but you were not brave enough to let the world know that you were also a HUGE NKOTB FAN!!!!!!!
August 14th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
dude, that was you not me man but i know we got wasted a lot back then so i forgive you mixing us up
i was so not crazy about new kids, i know my grandma sent me a tape but it when i was already sooooooooo over them like before album 2.5 even.
August 14th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Thanks for the memories
August 14th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Loved it. OXOX
August 14th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
I grew up in a town (the ’shwa) where the *only* music was hard! rock and roll… through the 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s, it’s stayed the same way… for most of these decades though, rock has been more out than in… (I think the movie Foobar was about my town)
I blame the environment, but I really do like guitars and I’m just starting to appreciate a little synth to soften up the edges and set the mood… I’m really old though, so my music opinion is worth shit…
August 14th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
barry manilow reminds me that i used to watch murphy brown and i hate that.
angela lansbury is totally baadddaassss compared to candice bergen.
i would also like to say kiss my ass to bob seger for making chad krogger possible. can i also hand out a kiss my ass to myself for choosing please hammer dont hurt em as my first tape. i am strangely happy with my first concert being paula abdul with color me badd, it was very theatrical. and emilio was there. i hate that guy. but i dont know who would have been better in loaded weapon. maybe tim thomerson.
and although the bee gees are better, ive always felt more like andy.
August 14th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I am still having nightmares of the strong female voices you used to wake me up to when I stayed over! And I love how you added that you weren’t a fan, you know you were. I still listen to them! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
August 15th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Please tell me you hate Rod Stewart. Please tell me you thought he was ok in the 70’s but after that he was a head up the butt freak.
I’ll see your list, and raise you: Roger Whittaker! Right, I’ve blogged on about this too. We are sharing!!
August 15th, 2007 at 10:47 am
angela lansbury…… if i were 8 years older….and blind……i would.
what??
August 15th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Rhonda: HAHAAH i do remember your disdain for one Sarah McLachlan i may have even tortured you with some Tori Amos, SO next time you visit i give you permission to bring all of your New Kids to get back me.
Lyvvie: no i have never been a rod FAN. ewww ewww ewww, but the odd song from the 70’s doesn’t send me into convulsions or anything - send me your post link or attach it in here i’d like to read it… i probably did though no? when did you write it?
August 15th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
i totally hear you, what your folks play really goes to influence your tastes.. either by similarity or absolute opposite..
my dad got me started on Pink Floyd, CCR, Jimi Hendrix & Elvis.. to date i have a lot in common with my dad, not just music..
i ran very far away from my mom’s ABBA & Boney M.. even now i do things that are completely opposite to what my mom wanted me to be, getting into grunge, listening to Tool, etc..
August 15th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
…..small voice……
I love Bob Seger. What can I say? I’m from Michigan.
August 15th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
John Denver and Neil Diamond, me too. (yes, I admitted that)
August 15th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
true blue is good.
and pretty much everything else you mentioned.
August 17th, 2007 at 2:47 am
I blogged it the same day, sweetie!! http://lyvvielimelight.blogspot.com/2007/08/missing-my-dad.html
August 17th, 2007 at 2:48 am
What’s with all the crazy spaces??
August 17th, 2007 at 10:25 pm
The fat fucked up Elvis was the best, I love it when he forgets the lyrics and just starts going blah blah blah blah… its a clasic. You seam to have left DLAK off the list, surely “Epileptic Seista” deserves a mention.
August 19th, 2007 at 10:31 am
NO ONE should diss the Manilow.
Love your taste in music. Love it, love it, love it.
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:17 pm
My parents too, but mine didn’t really ever rock out or listen to the cool stuff. I have recently abandoned any idea of cool, and just accepted that I like what I like. Some of these I own and some I don’t but they all stuck in my subconscious.
Jim Croce (Was always in my dad’s car player. I thought it was what played in every car or something, like there was only one soundtrack for driving around. There never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them.)
Barry Manilow (Saw live with parents. Don’t really listen to him now but his songs really take me back when I hear them.)
John Denver (Saw live with mom and grandparents. My sister still plays muppets xmas album over and over and over in season.)
Peter Paul & Mary
Neil Diamond
Before your time, but there was also “Free to be, you and me.” A Marlo Thomas kids album that got a lot of play when I was really young. It’s surprising but recently I discovered that I still remember a lot of the lyrics. More than 30 years later. Weird.