Music I Really Have on Vinyl, the Winter Edition

LYRIC O’ THE DAY:
Once I had a love and it was divine
Soon I found out I was losing my mind
--Heart of Glass, Blondie

I feel the need to apologize.  I fell off the face of the earth a couple weeks ago; holed myself up into a sweet vacuum of internet silence.  I have missed out on so many wonderful things you all have had to say and I will never catch up.

I could claim it was a planned break.  I had to cook turkey for 85 guests.  I was wrapping presents for homeless Weimaraners.  I briefly joined the Holiday Rockettes as a roadie.  There was an unfortunate kale incident, but the incision is healing nicely.  When the Solstice came, I went home for a while to my own galaxy. 


Alas, the truth is I have no good excuse other than feeling a bit overwhelmed and underinspired.  I just haven't felt right.  Or write, as the pun may be.

I'm anxious, which is typical for year's end.  The process of reflection tends to poke me where it hurts, and sometimes the idea of a new year is more daunting than refreshing.  So I felt a need to disconnect from bright and shiny things for a while.  I guess for Christmas I gave myself a little present . . . taking the time to be really present.

A while back I discussed my love of vinyl.  Records that is.  Although I have a fantastic pair of pleather pants that make me look just like a Nebraska mom version of Dominatrix Barbie.
 *shudders*
Anyway, when I feel low or unfocused, I have always found music brings me through.  It soothes the savage gypsy, so to speak.

So here’s another look into my album collection.  In no particular order of obsession, mind you.

Brian Setzer remains one of my faves.

Peter Steele was at times crude and definitely not PC, but the raw emotion in his songs has always hit a nerve with me.  He died just when it seemed he had championed over his demons. 

Electropop before we knew what it was.  Alison Moyet has a great angsty voice.

You likely don't know this guy, but he is Swedish guitar goodness.  The name might have held him back from commercial success.  Americans do better with Justins.

This is the only Christmas song that I truly love.  My mother would play this over and over for me when I was a kid.

Just watched this with the kids the other night.  Still better than most of the scifi movies out there now.  Same guy scored Close Encounters of the Third Kind, too.

Love this musical.  And according to some, 2012 is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The album's title reflects revolution--and a handgun.  Interesting to wonder if it was meant that way.

Had the hugest crush on Joe Elliot, and the hugest amount of respect for Rick Allen, the band's drummer who returned to the scene despite losing his left arm in a motor vehicle accident.

Their remake of Sweet Jane is pretty amazing.

I desperately wanted Deborah Harry's hair.  And her cool.

This was the hair I got instead of Blondie's, courtesy of Aqua Net.

Only the Dead can mesh the birth of Venus and a skeleton into a cohesive album cover.

One of the first metal albums I listened to.  Probably inspired my love of platforms.

In the garden of Eden,  baby.  Lexiconfusion at its best.

Great Society was Grace's band before Jefferson Airplane, and she sings White Rabbit on this.  We will not speak of Starship.  Remember what the Dormouse said.

Pre-dread locked Axl.  I think all that torque on his scalp did something to his brain.  Should have stayed with the ratted hair, could have saved the band.

A recent purchase given my burgeoning Blues fetish.

This movie/book disturbs me.  Especially the giant padded codpieces.

Listening to this is the only thing I remember from kindergarten music.  And I just shared it with my son, who thought it was pretty cool, too.

I hope you all had a beautiful holiday and have great things planned for the new year.  I leave you with a neat little thing a friend sent me on the origins of dance music. 

http://www.thomson.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/infographic/interactive-music-map/index.html

Retro Summer Blogfest

LYRIC O’ THE DAY:

I’ve got too much energy to switch off my mind

But not enough to get myself organized

--Infected, The The

I’m very excited to be participating in a blogfest that is right up my alley.  Amy over at The Ramblings of Amy created the Retro Summer Blogfest, dedicated to examining a forgotten mix tape.

I think John Cusack truly captured the meaning of the mix tape with this quote from High Fidelity:

  “Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all you're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing.”

I hear you, Mr. Cusack.  I have always been drawn to the allure of the mix tape; my friends and I exchanged them all the time in high school, and I still make them for myself.  I have to listen to music when I write, and generally each of my characters has their own special song that defines them.  By the time I finish a novel, the playlist is as much a part of the book as the characters are.  Go figure that most of my mixes are a bit bizarre and tangential.

Creating the name for a mix tape is almost as much of an art as picking the songs.  Some of my favorites have been:

Music for the Socially Repressed (the very first mix tape I ever had, made by my friend Jill)

Encephalopathy (filled with sad songs to hide in the closet and cry to--not that I really ever did that.  At least not often.  Okay, weekly, but I was an emotional teen.  And an emotional twentysomething.  And thirtysomething.)

The Non-pharmacologic Treatment for Depression (entirely made up of Beatles‘ songs)

William Shatner Will Steal Your Soul (songs with a good beat that were easy to dance to)

  

Picking just one was difficult, but the mix tape that I listen to the most has to be Morning Coffee with a Ritalin Chaser  (I like to run to this one).  Here's the list:

Lucretia My Reflection by Sisters of Mercy--hard driving bass that sets my pace when I run, and was my first real introduction into industrial music

Blue Monday by New Order--I danced like a heathen to this song in the day

Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before by The Smiths--love me some angsty Morrissey.  He had really good 80s hair, too.  And then there's this blog.

Dead Set on Destruction by Husker Du--Best. Band. Ever.

I’ve Been Tired by The Pixies--just a funny song, all of their music is like hearing a Dali painting

Judy is a Punk by The Ramones--I discovered the Ramones in high school and they led me into everything Punk and Goth.

Hey Julie by Fountains of Wayne--obviously, a song with my name!  There are others--(I’m Not Lisa, My Name is Julie by Jessie Coulter and Julie Do Ya Love Me by Bobby Sherman, but this one is just so lovely)

Roam by The B-52s--makes me want to pick up and drive

No Rain by Blind Melon--who couldn’t identify with the Bee Girl?

Everywhere I Go by The Call--gives me a little spiritual lift

What’s My Scene? by The Hoodoo Gurus--total high school song

Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole and The Commotions--I love the movie On the Waterfront, and this song references it

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac--straight piano version is best, always wanted to name a baby girl Rhiannon, but alas, I had boys

I Love Your Lovin’ Ways by Nina Simone--first blues CD I bought.  She’s amazing.

Misguided Angel by The Cowboy Junkies--my soul mate’s song

Jasmine and Rose by Clan of Xymox--reminds me of summer lust

Blush by Razed in Black--goth techno, what more could you want? Must dance and wear black lipstick, now

Supernova by Liz Phair--the original song about pretty sparkly boys

Why? by Bronski Beat--reminds me of my best friend in high school, his amazing blue eyes and his incredible strength of character

Space Age Love Song by Flock of Seagulls--I’m a huge John Hughes fan, and this is the quintessential Pretty in Pink/Some Kind of Wonderful/Breakfast Club song

Verdi Cries by 10000 Maniacs--Natalie Merchant has the voice of an angel.  That’s all.

The sad thing is that most of the songs on my mix tapes are the same darn things I’ve listened to since high school and college.  Here’s hoping that through this blogfest I find some new bands to obsess over for the next twenty years.