Monday, July 23, 2012

Today is the day

I reveal why I am the way I am - musicially speaking, at least. Though if I'm being completely honest here, my musical tastes are many and varied. I truly do love some of everything. But since my heart obviously belongs to the heavier, more aggressive stuff and that's what I've been focusing on in my music posts here lately, read on as I try to figure out why.

Other than being inexplicably drawn to the sound (there will be a music & lyrics post in my future) just like I was inexplicably drawn to classic horror movies at an early age, the best I can figure is that it all started with this man here:

Wolfman Jack (singing "My Girl")



For those of you who don't know, Wolfman Jack was a popular radio DJ in the 60s and 70s, but I knew him as the host of the The Midnight Special, which my Dad would wake me up to watch after Mom went to bed :) If you look at all the musical guests at the wiki page, you'll see that he had a very wide variety of musical genres showcased. But the only one I remember is this one - my introduction to:

Alice Cooper (not even listed on the list of musicians on the wiki page) This is the first of several videos someone obviously youtubed probably from digital recordings of old vhs recordings. But you still get a sense of the theatrics.



I've already established that the babysitter's kid introduced me to Kiss (who also appeared on the Midnight Special), and I liked the rock music my parents turned me on to (The Doors, Journey, Joan Jett, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Rush, Creedence Clearwater Revival, etc.), but this? Like Kiss before him, Alice Cooper grabbed my attention in a visceral way. And this was not even someone I ever had a crush on (like, say, Joey Ramone, Nikki Sixx, and countless others). I just knew this was different. He scared me, and I knew he scared others. I loved it. And that is pretty much that.

It didn't help that, besides The Eagles, who I liked, the stuff my Mom would play in the car on trips included this:

Leo Sayer (is this not Richard Simmons?? Seriously? Have you ever seen them both at the same time? No? It is probably because they are one and the same!)



I remember once Mom and I went to Memphis (about a 1.5 hour drive) and Mom played whatever 8 track tape this was on -up there AND back. I was scarred for life, and probably then made the completely subconscious decision to stay away from easy listening for the rest of my life. (disclaimer: I now own two Amos Lee albums. "Easy listening" back then was what "adult alternative" is now. Make of that what you will.)

....and I can't resist throwing in some Dr. Hook. I heard "When You're In Love With a Beautiful Woman" so many times I don't think I will ever un-burn it from my brain. But I *do* like "Cover of the Rolling Stone" so here it is....



(I found the songs I liked best from these artists. Points for trying, right?)

For what it's worth, Mom did have great taste in music. It's just that when she picked something I hated (like Leo Sayer), it seemed like I heard it all. the. time.

And then I became a teenager. And liked a bit of everything, as usual....till they turned our local rock station into yet another pop station. The pop stations did play some hair metal, but you no longer heard stuff like Dio, Maiden, Zeppelin, etc. I couldn't turn the radio on without having my ears assailed constantly by the worst music to come out of the 80s (except for Prince, Falco, Simple Minds, and OMD, who I did really like). The internet and satellite radio did not exist, so I couldn't just pick an out-of-town station to listen to. It was a dark time in my life, and I filled it by buying hair band and metal albums and subscribing to Hit Parader and Circus magazines. And plastering my bedroom walls with posters of long haired men in makeup. It got me through my teenage years.

My love of strange, scary people and loud, aggressive and/or scary music just never died; I think it only got stronger as I got older.

Photobucket


Head over to XMas Dolly's to play along with Monday's Music Moves Me, and have a look around!

14 comments:

  1. Cool music! Loved the Wolfman Jack tribute. He was such a great DJ.

    Danielle @ Royalegacy

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    1. That was a pretty good tribute, huh? I loved that man!

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  2. OMG I remember Wolfman Jack & I never heard this!? WOW! Totally cool! LOL Loved Alice Cooper with the Muppets! hehehe Leo Sayer and Richard Simmons???? LMAO ROFL I DON'T THINK SO LOL No. 1 Richard Simmons was fat until he woke up and lost it all probably around this age. Have you seen him lately? HA I THINK HE'S GAY! He was in some sort of black one piece bathing suit with fishnet nylons and a feathered boa. LOL I love this song by Sayer though great pick! Hubby loves on the cover of a rolling stone.. totally cool. You're really rockin' today girl. Hey did you enter our give-aways - only 1 more week!

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    1. Good rebuttal on the Richard Simmons thing; you are absolutely right about him being fat around this time :)

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  3. I can tell you just love Freebie days huh :)

    It was fun to see into who you are and more of what you like.

    Enjoy the rest of your week!

    Aloha :)

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    1. Freebies are awesome! I love the themes, too, but can really let loose on the anything-goes days.

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  4. Awesome post - I too love strange, scary people and intense music.

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    1. I figured you probably did, Cake....or did at one time :)

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  5. some goodies shared here loved them all I am a new follower of yours come see me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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  6. You cracked me up with the Leo Sayer and Richard Simmons look-alike comparison. I get this, but in all fairness Richard Simmons is a bit funkier looking. I think it's the hair that mostly makes you think they are one in the same.

    Oh yeah, I remember Wolfman Jack. His voice is so distinguished, you'd never mix him up for anyone else.

    I'm sorry for the late arrival to dance with you this week, but better late than never, right? Great picks for freebie week! Thanks for linking up with Monday's Music Moves Me again, my friend. See you next week!

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    1. Haha, I already got called out on my Leo/Richard comparison. You are right, though, Richard is funkier looking. And it's definitely the hair. And eyes. But whatever. It seems like Richard has gotten more flamboyant as time passes; at the time I really noticed a resemblance, they really did look a lot more alike!

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