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.....