Musical firsts

Flipping stations in the car got me to thinking about music, again.

I remember saving my allowance and purchasing my two first record albums when I was in the fifth grade. I bought the self-titled Boston album and the Muppet Movie soundtrack. Quite the combination, I must say. I think Michael Jackson's Off the Wall album was next followed by numerous K-tel compilations. I loved those things.

Then, a year or two later I got a jambox with a dual cassette player - oooohhh, ahhhhhh - that was before I got the vertical turntable stereo with dual cassette player. Man, I was sooo ultramodern and cool.

My first cassette purchase was Working Class Dog by Rick Springfield. I really liked him, too. I had Rick Springfield posters, teen magazine pull-outs, you name it - everywhere. I saw him in concert three or four times. I lived for Rick Springfield. One of my best guy friends in junior high used to piss me off by calling him Prick Springfield. I chased that boy around at break numerous times for that one.

My first car was a sweet 1972 Monte Carlo with an 8-track player in it. I had some Beatles, Elvis and Paul McCartney 8-tracks. Of course, I wrecked that car after only a week of having a driver's license. It could haul some serious ass.

My first CD wasn't until I was in college. Uzz and I bought a $300 CD player. Nothing to it. Just a single CD player, but we were cutting-edge. Poor college students, but we got it. Our first CD purchase - a greatest hits compilation of The Rolling Stones. Unfortunately, that CD went to Uzz along with numerous other CDs.

Music has always been a big part of my life. I remember many things by what music I was listening to at the time. A friend of mine in high school was involved in a car accident that killed another student I went to school with. My friend, TO, told me that Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins from Top Gun was playing on the radio after the crash. He remembered listening to it while waiting for the firefighters to get him out of the car. That has always stuck with me. I lost my virgininty while the Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill cassette was playing. I gave birth to my first born while an Elton John song from The Lion King was playing on the radio. It was Can You Feel the Love Tonight. I can't listen to that song or watch that movie without crying because I remember that baby's birth so vividly.

If I ever hear a particular Van Morrison song, it makes me cry for my failed marriage. We talked about playing that song at the wedding, but opted against it. Ave Maria does the same thing. It is such a beautiful song, but it reminds me of one of my failings, but it also reminds me that God forgives us for our mistakes.

John Denver songs remind me of my mom. She always loved him. Certain Christmas songs bring back very strong memories, too. Some old country songs make me think of my dad. Songs like Okie from Muskogee, Spiders and Snakes and anything Statler Brothers or Oakridge Boys are songs my dad always liked. He was a Marty Robbins fan, too. But, the strongest of those is the music of Herb Albert (or Alpert? not sure) and the Tijuana Brass. I actually bought a cassette of that I found at a thrift store and listened to it several times before giving it to my dad. When I was a little girl, my dad coached my softball team and he would take his old pick up and roll down the windows, open the doors and crank up the Tijuana Brass in his 8-track player while we practiced. Cracks me up. I can hum every tune off that old tape even today - 30 years later!

Godsmack and Nickelback both remind me of Army of Dad. Ironically enough, so does Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw. There is one Tim McGraw song that makes me cry every time I hear it because it has some special thoughts about AoD. And, of course, when I hear Nine Inch Nails' I want to F you like an animal; well it provides me with naughty memories of AoD.

Nelly's song, Hot in Herre, makes me think of being pregnant with Stinkerbelle. Honestly, whenever that song came on the radio, her little fetal-being would dance a jig. She loved it. She also liked a No Doubt song, but I can't remember the name of it. In utero, Hot Rod liked it when I read to Pickle. He especially liked The Cat in the Hat. That always got him going. But, he is a big music fan, too. He likes classical and Tejano music the best. So strange.

We have very ecletic music tastes in our family. I can go from Eminem to Kenny Chesney with no problem. Elvis to Chevelle. If I like it, I like it. Lately, I'm on the oldies kick preferring Rupert Holmes and David Bowie to Three Doors Down and Linkin Park these days. But, I will still flip around on the radio stations and listen to all of it. I love music.