The Wonder Years

Still tossing around in the major formative years, but aside from the aforementioned Kiss "Alive" (OK, and every subsequent Kiss album), I'm not sure there is anything that qualifies as life changing.

Looking back however, there sure were lots of classics during this time. All over the map, even. I once did a 70s radio show and was astonished to find out all the variety that existed in the mid 70s. All the art/punk stuff I wouldn't discover for years, so I'll leave that one alone for now.

I will take a brief detour and talk about..

"Destroyer"

From the unique beginning of "Detroit Rock City" this pre-teen was floored. The imagery was perfect for a boy, even if perhaps I didn't get most of it. But, the music was just fantastic.

"Detroit Rock City" just rolls, big and bold. Yes, another song the critics hated, but it rocks.

"King of the Nighttime World" continues the big boldness. Bombastic for the time, I'd say. Loud production.

"God of Thunder" As a Gene fan, this is one of my favorites. "God of thunder, and rock and roll" Deep, full of bass and just full of awesome

"Great Expectations" - yeah, that one I let pass by. Just kind of whimpy.

"Flaming Youth" was a single, and I'm sure I loved it at the time, but it hasn't held up for me like the harder songs

"Sweet Pain" I also will still pass on this one. I mean, I won't skip it when listening start to finish, but if it came up on random I might.

"Shout it out Loud" yeah, the big hard rock hit off the album. The party anthem. Naturally I loved it, now it makes me warm inside.

"Beth" What do I need to say really? Blech. I prefer my rock with less sap.

"Do You Love Me" I don't really recall what I thought of this song, tho I think I kind of liked it. Funny thing is, a cover of the song by the band "Girl" that I heard in college made me like the song again, and now I like it a lot!

Other classic releases that hold me value in one way or another for me...

It was at the same time that Lynyrd Skynyrd released the live album "One More From the Road". This means but one thing....."What song is it you want to hear? FREEBIRD!!!!!" Yep, the song that launched a gazillion High School favorite song lists. And also a song that pretty much every band has had requested of them. It is a good song, but much like the epic "Stairway to Heaven" if I never heard it again, I'd be ok with that.

There is so much more that came out then, "Hotel California", "Blinded by the Light", the first Foreigner album (I really thought that was later", "Fly Like an Eagle", "Carry On my Wayward Son", "Barracuda", the list goes on.

While not an album I bought at the time, Queen put out the biggest thing ever, "Bohemian Rhapsody". The song is so good and so fun to this day. This is a song that was truly outside of the box. I'm sure both of you reading this have sung the song many a time.

So now I'm solidly in the rock camp. Album rock anyway. Sure there were diversions..."Disco Duck" anyone? I need to get off my butt and do a little research now as I believe we're about to hit something besides a Kiss record that moved me.

The Tween Years

I don't think they called it that back then, but..

This seems to be about the time I got a more serious musical awareness. I remember listening to the WLEE Top 5 at 10, and actually logging the results. I think I even taped it sometimes.

I decided to cheat and go check on some chronology. Man, what a mix for 1975. Seems that a lot of the music I liked started up around then.

Styx - this is a band that will get a full on treatment later, but, this was when they had a hit with "Lady". As I had been playing keyboards through elementary school, I seemed to latch on to this.

Frank Valli - I remember this with fondness for one reason..a girl. This happens way to often. "My Eyes Adored You" worked for me because of the line "You were fifth grade, I was sixth"...you can guess why.

Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom" Really thought I was older when this came out. Regardless, it was keyboard oriented. Pretty sure I bought "Greatest Hits" around this time and wore it out. Same year we got "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

Sweet - "Ballroom Blitz" what can you say really? Such a fun song. That Desolation Blvd album rocks. I love "Action" and "Fox on the Run" as well. I was much, much older before I discovered and understood the song "AC DC" off that album.

Barry Manilow - As much as it pains me to admit, "Mandy". Ugh. The best thing I can say about this is that this was my only foray into Mr. Manilow. Whew - that sound you heard was any music cred I may have flying out the window.

I think these formative years were also my only venture into the music known as Disco. I was far too young for the social scene to mean anything, so I was left to ponder things like "Rock the Boat", KC and the Sunshine Band (who I think really only had one song that they just kept writing new lyrics to, and even "Jive Talkin". Yes, that last one made a lot of sense to a 6th grade boy living in the suburbs in Virginia.

Another that has to be mentioned is "Killer Queen" by Queen. So far as I remember, this was really their first hit. Still a cool song.

There is actually a lot of diversity here. There is Linda Ronstadt, Leo Sayer "Long Tall Glasses"(you know I can't dance, you know I can't dance!) , Grand Funk, BTO. Lots of interesting stuff. Most of it, however, was one hit wonders for me. In other words, I didn't keep up. It was a time of singles for me.

I shall close this era with one album that came to be especially important for me. Kiss "Alive". Much has been written about this album and how much of it is really live. I don't know enough to tell that sort of thing, but I can tell that the audience drone is pretty much the same throughout the whole record. It doesn't matter. THIS WAS THE ROCK. 1975, 37 years ago, and I still pull this one out and belt the entire record out in my car. I can pretty much spout the in between song patter from memory. "Lemme tell you something, if you're down in the dumps and you need something to pick you up, there's only one thing thats going to do it the way that you want. What is that? "Cold Gin". I can't hear ya. "COLD GIN". hahahaha. Makes me smile just typing it. That record is simply the best. It has everything. Its got the big, long drum solo (that I can still hear in my head), its got the lead guitar solo complete with a smoking guitar. Its sex, drugs and rock and roll all rolled up in some makeup and theatrics. It has what is missing in too much music today, fun. Simply over the top. Yeah, Ziggy was there first, but I was too young to know that. Made me a Kiss fan for years. Only regret is my parents wouldn't let me go see them. They sure as hell weren't going to take me. Either way, I loved Kiss for quite some time. Much later on I learned a bit about their beginnings in the club scenes in New York. Man, that is an era I would love to visit.

So, that's it for now. Finally getting to where I can write a bit more about the music. The Kiss thing is pretty important. Did it set me up for GWAR? Nah.....

"I Think I Love You" or Why I don't hate Justin Bieber

I seemed to have missed the 60's pop acts, for the most part. We had these yearly encyclopedia volumes that covered the previous year, and I distinctly remember reading about Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Thing is, it had to have been several years after the fact. That music wasn't in my house, nor were the Beatles, who I pretty much missed as well.

So, where does that leave me?

With Shirley, Keith, Laurie, Danny, Chris and Tracy Partridge. Yes, The Partridge Family. I still have all their records. I think I have the Archies, too, along with a bunch of Carpenters. In fairness some of the Carpenters were my parents. I do not have my chronology straight here, but add into the mix the fine musical stylings of The Captain and Tennille. Think about that for a minute. Better yet, go to YouTube and find one of the zillion performances of "Muskrat Love". Now, pick your poison; Bieber or Cyrus. I'll take the latter, thank you very much.

Its pop music. Its goal is to get to Number One with a bullet. Its catchy, typically has a decent hook, and you can sing to it. And most often the performer didn't write it. It is what it is and there isn't anything wrong with it. Be a hater if you must.

I think the first concert I saw was David Cassidy at the Richmond Coliseum. The Bee Gees opened, but that was long before Saturday Night Fever. All I remember about that show was that David was wearing a white jump suit. Naturally he did some Partridge Family songs, but I'm sure most of it was centered around "Cherish" and lots of girls screaming.

Also around this time my 45 collection would include The Sweet's single "Little Willy". I think I was in third grade around this time and frankly I don't remember a ton more of the music I listened to then. Really I think it all picked up when I got to sixth grade, so I'll pick up the story then.

I feel like I should write something about Whitney Houston's passing, but I'm not sure what. She had great talent but like so many others was unable to deal with the things fame brought. RIP.

"Setting the Stage"

So what exactly am I trying to do here? Well, I had a desire to do some writing, tell some stories, share some experiences. I've always figured I could write something decent about music and what it has meant to me throughout my life. Kind of a "desert island discs" thing, but bigger. Then I figured there were more than a handful of releases that had a significant impact on me. Records that acted as a turning point in my tastes. Along side that, there are just records I still reach for and think are fantastic, even if they didn't steer me in a new direction.

So I will acknowledge that anyone who reads this is going to hate some of the music, and that's OK. My hope is that maybe you'll find something new to like. Also, if you know me, it might help you figure me out. Who knows. I remember some good high school friends talking to me after I got back from a semester at college wondering what had happened to me. This might help with that!

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There was music when I was little. My Mom mostly, although it could just be that she was the one at home with me. She played the piano some, and I know we sang. There was a stereo, but she mostly liked Broadway music, at least that's what I recall. Oh, and the Herb Alpert "Whipped Cream" album. I also remember The Fifth Dimension record "Age of Aquarius", a bit later on.

I had this little record player with a projection screen built in. There were slides that dropped down a slot with tone cues on the record. I used this for quite some time as my record player. In fact, I don't really remember when I got my first stereo, but probably late elementary school. It was one of those compact things that would fold up so you could take it with you. I think I used it a lot.

Hopefully this sets things up a little bit. Next post I'll reach back into the cobwebs of my brain and retrieve the first pop music I remember.