I've kept a journal since I was about six. No really. Six. I started in a little pink journal with My Melody on the front. Around age 9, I decided I needed a new journal with a lock (to deter snooping brothers), and so for my birthday, I received a purple ice-cream cone adorned locked diary. It never quite had the right feel to me, and I never journaled in it consistently. Instead, I kept a catalogue of lists that I updated with some irregularity over the years - favorite colors and who my friends were and what my favorite songs were.
I came across the journal one of these last times I was at home, and I couldn't help getting a chuckle over the development of my music taste over the years. And so, for your amusement, I give you the following favorites songs and bands of yours truly:
*July 1989, Age 10 - New Kids on the Block, Richard Marx and Paula Abdul
*February 1992, Age 12 - While I am pleased to report that I scrawled "I Hate NKOTB" in the margin, I also listed my favorite song as "That's What Love is For" by Amy Grant
*December 1995, Age 15 - "No Rain" by Blind Melon and "Ice Cream" by Sarah McLachlan. An improvement in musical taste, but my favorite TV show was "Lois & Clark."
*June 1996, Age 16 - "Time and Time Again" by Counting Crows. Here I wrote "Pie in the Hood" in the margin. I have no idea what this means.
*February 1997, Age 17 - "Elsewhere" by Sarah McLachlan and "Lovefool" by The Cardigans
*August 1997, Age 18 - Les Mis. Everything Les Mis. Enter the freakish obsession with musical theatre.
*January 1998, Age 18 - "Brick" by Ben Folds Five
*May 1998, Age 18 - "Wish" by Pearl Jam. I had just bought tickets for Lilith Fair.
*March 1999, Age 19 - "Northern Lad" by Tori Amos and "You've Got the Music in You" by New Radicals. It had one hit wonder written all over it.
*May 2000, Age 20 - "Dancing Virginia" by Jump, Little Children and "Anybody Home" by Our Lady Peace
*June 2001, Age 21 - "Space Between" by Dave Matthews Band and "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. Ironically, this was before grad school, and I have no recollection of why I might have noted that song...musical clairvoyance perhaps?
At least this list shows improvement. But I confess that I thought of it because my brother and I were talking at The Grill about the first tapes we remember getting as kids. His? The Ghostbusters Soundtrack and Tracy Chapman's Fast Car. Mine? Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling. There was nowhere to go from there but up - no pun intended.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Music Evolution
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P.S. To Niki & Andi, I have both of your freshman year school photos tucked in this book also. Andi, you wrote that you couldn't wait to take human anatomy with me. But I don't remember taking human anatomy...
Awesome lists.
I never did actually "hate" NKOTB. I think I finally just gained the sense to move on. But in my heart, they will always be my first big crush. Joey! I lived and breathed them as a sixth grader. Ironically, I was just thinking about this all yesterday and discussing it with J.Lo, as he was trying to trash Jordan Knight while we watched the Surreal Life Fame Game. I advised that he not mock Jordan Knight, as it pains my heart. And then poor Jordan's grandmother died and he had to leave the show! My money's on Vanilla Ice, anyway... but I digress.
Tiny Dancer- Think Almost Famous and a person in your life who was all but obsessed with the song at that time.
just a guess
The first record I recall owning was a Partridge Family album bought for me by my mom. But the first records I specifically remember asking for were Tom Petty, "Long After Dark," John Cougar, "American Fool," and Men at Work, "Business as Usual." I remember writing a list and giving it to my mom and telling her I had to have ALL THREE of these records, as though my life depended on it. I got them all for Christmas that year. I was in 8th grade. I guess it was 1982. I thought I was very very cool.
Ash -- what a great find to stumble across. I associate so many of your list with you still to this day. It was wild to see we were only 15 and yet I still think of you when I think Counting Crows, Sarah or Lois & Clark -- major obsession there! And Les Mes - I remember that phase as well. And Lilith Fair. These are definitely associations I make with you, Jenn and Berry.
"Pie in the Hood?" Girl, I'm dying. That's hilarious, and I wonder what it could possibly mean.
I am laughing so hard, because I don't remember taking human anatomy either?! This was freshman year of high school, not college, right? Dude, that was a long time ago. no idea what I was talking about.
I loved Richard Marx, too! And I'm not sure if it was my first, but I distinctly remember singing and dancing to Paula Abdul's tape a good deal. And I actually went to a NKOTB concert with Niki and Kim F. We have a picture of us just before and I'm wearing my hair in a side ponytail! oh yeah! so cool. And we ran into Hal J. at the concert, too. hilarious.
Ah, thanks. that was fun.
Somebody on the schoolbus gave me a Billy Squire tape, which made me feel cool even though I'd never heard of Billy Squire. But the first tape I asked for (and got in my Easter basket) was Culture Club, Kissing to be Clever.
My first tape was Michael Jackson's Thriller, followed quickly by Madonna's True Blue.
Recently, my parents made me remove all my old junk from their house, including a New Kids on the Block silkscreened pillow. Did you know that Joe McIntyre and I have the same number of teeth? Because OBVIOUSLY that makes us soulmates.
My sister had Madonna's True Blue taped from someone else, and I used to steal in and play it while she was at school - which means I was about 4 or 5. This explains a lot.
And Michael Jackson's Thriller - we used to skate to that in the driveway. I had Rainbow Brite skates! WOO!
I didn't get my first tapes until 1990, when I was 15. I made sure they were good ones, though: MC Hammer's Please Hammer Don't Hurt Em, which of course had "Can't Touch This," one it, and Jon Bon Jovi's soundtrack to the Young Guns movie that had the song Blaze of Glory on it.
Um, I was totally hot in 9th grade, right? Pretty sure I had braces, really long hair, and an ugly shirt on in that picture. If not 9th grade, then 10th.
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