My Favorite Songs I Really Have on Vinyl

LYRIC O' THE DAY:
The world is a vampire sent to drain
Secret destroyers hold you up to the flames
--Bullet with Butterfly Wings, Smashing Pumpkins

So I received this totally wicked blog award from the fabulously avatared Cherie over at Ready. Write. Go.  She is one multi-talented lady--stop by her blog for reviews, writerly wisdom, and make sure you check out her art.  Thanks Cherie!


After I received notice that my blog was on fire (and confirmed that it was not a literal fire) I felt the need to butcher any song with fire in the title.  Kings of Leon was the obvious first victim, so I changed "This Sex is on Fire" to "This Blog is on Fire."  Not a chart topper, but a catchy tune.  And since I couldn't let that go, I started thinking about all the songs with fire in their title and changing them to celebrate blogs.  For all the house music fans there's "My blog, my blog, my blog is on fire."  Old school rock and roll aficionados get "Goodness, gracious, great blogs of fire."  For those who appreciate the attempt at political commentary by Billy Joel in the late 80s, "We didn't start the blog on fire."  And who could forget that Johnny Cash classic?  I've fallen into a burning blog of fire, indeed.


That's when I realized how important music is to me.  I'm always listening to something when I write/run/cook/drive/bathe/kill zombies.  Music can completely alter my mood--it's cheaper than Prozac and doesn't leave me with cotton mouth.  One of my favorite musical activities is playing records in the basement with hubs and the kids.  I'm not sure when my vinyl fascination started--I think I bought a bunch of old records on a garage sale, later realizing that I had no way to play them.  But thanks to nostalgia and the internet, I was able to buy a sleek fancy turntable at Best Buy.  Before that, we relied on my parents' old one which was about the size of a couch and had the acoustic appeal of the tin can telephone.


I love the sound of music on vinyl--it seems different somehow.  The pops and scratches and white noise whisper to me a secret only those with turntables know.  Not to mention that album covers were truly works of art.  Hubby really embraced this hobby; he seems to enjoy going to musty smelling used record shops and communing with hippies over the merits of vintage things.  Explains a lot about his attraction for me.  We have probably about 500 albums now, and it was darn hard to pick just a few.  I sense recurring installment here.  So with no further ado and in no particular order, here we go:

Paradise by the Dashboard Light is my favorite Karaoke song of all time.   This is the first album I think I ever saw--it was in my brother's collection and it scared the holy bejeezus out of me.  Strange that now I like books with burly men riding motorcycles in graveyards.  Subliminal messaging a la Meatloaf.

Whip It is my four year old's favorite song.   I also desperately need one of these hats. 

Judy is A Punk was my intro to the Ramones.  I admit, when I first heard the song, I thought it was Julie is a Punk, so I was a bit disappointed when I got the album and that was not so.  But I can sing it any way I like.

Are you experienced?  I wasn't, but damn after this album I wanted to be.   Jimi Hendrix was a shining guitar god.

Superstition.  Actually, this whole album is amazing.  And Stevie was on Sesame Street, which is the mark of true greatness.

Norwegian Wood.  I have so many Beatles albums and it was hard to decide, but I love the sitar in this song so much.  This cover is a mess, but the album is fine.  And John looks at you, no matter where you move.  Freaky.

Me and Bobby McGee.  Love, love Janis.  Something about her Port Arthur misfit story resonates with me; it's like real-life fiction.  Gone too soon.

Run to the Hills.  I have a heavy metal fixation, and Iron Maiden was one of the first I listened to.  And it has the awesome VH1 cat video to go with it.

Living Loving Maid.  Led Zeppelin was proof I should have lived in another decade.

I Stay Away.  Beautiful.  Haunting.  Was a song for one of my characters, so close to my heart.

We are the champions.  Always made me smile to see all the jocks from my little hometown singing this anthem.  God Bless Freddie Mercury.

Voodoo People.  Prodigy is your place for songs to dance to until you throw up.

Talk Dirty to Me was part of my hair metal fetish.   Not sure what the attraction was, all the dudes were prettier than I was.  Eyeliner on men, sexy or silly?  Discuss.

Gold Dust Woman.  I have an irrational obsession with Stevie Nicks.  I think I may be her illegitimate magical love child.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?  I think this album started my alternative phase.

Red Barchetta.  I didn't know what a Barchetta was before this song; it sounded sort of like a demon of Beowulf proportions,  and you never know with Rush.   Hubby made me add this one.  He has almost all of Rush's albums on vinyl.

Jack and Diane.  My budding adolescence summed up in one song.    And a shout out to all the girls who wore Bobby Brooks.  That caption is talking to me, baby.

Rio.  Probably one of the first videos I saw--yes, I witnessed the birth of MTV, at least when my family got cable.  And Simon Le Bon on that yacht still makes me want to dance on the sand.

Add it up.  One of the first songs I heard that had a naughty word in it.   Thought I was a real badass listening to this one.  Actually, I still do.

Electric Co.  A song about ECT.  Gotta love Bono,  he's politically vocal with a good beat that's easy to dance to.

Jessie's Girl.  I had the hugest crush on Rick Springfield when he was on General Hospital with that lovely feathered hair of his.  Saddens me to see this news.  Go back to your soap roots, Rick!

Space Age Love Song.  These guys had the best hair, which I tried to emulate with many cans of Aqua Net.   I was downright flammable for most of the late eighties/early nineties.

Crazy Train.  The return of the Oz with Randy Rhoads.  Easily one of the greatest guitarists of all times.

Rapper's Delight.  The first "rap" song I think I ever heard.  And the scene in the Wedding Singer makes me happy.  Everybody would be a lot better off if currency was measured out in meatballs.

One.  I saw these guys in Des Moines pre hair cut and Napster.  And they were awesome.

Back in Black.  Although Angus in his plaid uniform left a bit to be desired, I like to think he opened the door for my highlander fixation.

Satisfaction.  I still can't get no.   

Afternoon Delight.  The naughtiest song that sounds so nice.

Dedication.  These guys were my first boy band.   Scottish dudes in jumpsuits.  What more could you want?