Musicology III

Memory is an amazing thing.

Some of my memories pop into my head at the most amazing times. I never know what will invoke one. It could be a smell, or a random thought, but music seems to do it the most often. There are certain songs that are forever entwined with my life, and associated with an event, a time in my life, or perhaps just a feeling. Sometimes the memory itself isn't of a specific event, but rather just a general feeling from a period of my life.

Sugarbowl posted something recently about songs that invoked certain memories, and naturally it got me to thinking. I already wrote about the evolution of my musical tastes, (Musicology II) but I'd never really sat down and thought about the specific memories invoked by them. It was an interesting moment of synchronicity.

Yesterday was Karen's birthday, so I was spending a lot of time in my memories anyway. Karen was my first love. The girl of my dreams, the girl I knew I'd love forever, yadda-yadda-yadda.

We dated from the start of my Senior year of HS until she went to college. She broke up with me during her freshman year, and I was devastated. I couldn't eat, I didn't sleep, and I went on a bender of epic proportions, ingesting large quantities of recreational pharmeceuticals and alcohol. That first night when I tried to go to sleep, I turned on the radio to try to get to sleep. When I did, the song that came on was Can't Get It Out of My Head by Electric Light Orchestra.

I can see the humor now, but at the time I disticly remember thinking Are they trying to push me over the edge? That song still brings back the memory of that night.

One of the bands that both of us liked was The Little River Band. Whenever I hear anything from them, I think of Karen, but Remeniscing was sort of 'our' song. It always sends me down memory lane.

There was an album that came out around this time that I taped for her, and we used to listen to it in her basement. The album was Freedom at Point Zero by Jefferson Starship. We went to see them when they came through St Louis, so hearing the songs brings back the concert more than anything. 

The Who is one of my all time favorite bands, and Karen got me a new copy of Quadrophenia for my 18th birthday. I guess this isn't really a memory of a song, because what I remember is getting a hummer in her parent's living room while I held that album. So the picture to the left makes me think of oral sex.

See? Memory is really a weird thing.

I also think of Karen everytime I see a '77 Monte Carlo. That was the car that she drove, and we were forever arguing whether it was a full sized or a medium sized car. Off track, I know, but sometimes the Glory Road is has side streets to explore. So back on track to the songs that form the background of my life.

• Teo Torriate by Queen was an integral part of my wedding. One of the most hauntingly beatiful songs ever written. Interestingly, any song from the album this song is off of will make me remember this song. So Tie Your Mother Down can get me to the same place in my memory.
• The South's Gonna Do It by Charlie Daniels takes me right back to high school, and the parties on the parking lot. Good times.
• Never Say Never by Romeo Void The quintessential party song from my college fraternity days. I remember many nights of sweating and gyrating to this song.
  
• Love Shack by the B-52's This one reminds me of driving around campus in the Texas spring, watching the girls and trying not to run into anything. 
• Celebration by Kool & The Gang The theme song for the Cardinals in 1982 when they won the World Series. That song always takes me back to that moment in the bleachers at Busch stadium when the 3rd out was recorded in the 9th inning and the Cardinals were World Champions. What an amazing moment.
  
• Around & Around performed by the Grateful Dead Both of my daughters just loved this song as infants, and I'd pick them up and dance around the living room when it came on. The way that the Grateful Dead do the song, there are some downbeats that are really emphasized, and perfect for dipping a small child down low, or bouncing her up high as she squeals with delight. 
• Free For All by Ted Nugent Ah yes, the Nuge. How I could have not put this first is beyond me. This song was playing as I lost my virginity (A tale for a future post...). My girlfriend at the the time, Kris, just LOVED thi song, and used to play it whwnever her parents pissed her off. She turned it up loud right when teddy yells out "SUCK IT" just to annoy her parents. 
• The Monkey and the Engineer performed by the Grateful Dead I sang this song to both of my girls from the minute they were born. It always seemed to stp the crying, at least temporarily. 
• Push It by Salt 'n Pepa One of the wildest jobs I had was at a nightclub in Dallas. The downstairs part was a restaurant, and the bar was upstairs, but on the weekends we rocked with a dance crowd. This song was the "Bartender" Song, and sometimes we'd leave the bar and head for the dance floor during this song. It always pissed off the boss, but the customers loved it.
  

~Easy

tags: music  memory  albums  

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