Music
Music That Influenced Me #2
I was having a conversation the other day about the bands and musicians that I had seen live and recalled that the first “big” concert I saw in person was The Go-Go’s with A flock of Seagulls as their opening act (there will be another post about the Seagulls). I believe I was a freshman in high school and Mtv had been on the air for about a year and if you are my age or there about, you know how obsessed we all were with these things called music videos. Among the most played artists during those early years were the five ladies from the punk scene of Southern California. Their most popular hits came from the first album “Beauty and the Beat” with songs like “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips are Sealed” but their second album “Vacation” was where I really started to begin following them… and saved up to get that album. My favorite tracks from “Vacation” are the title track, “Get Up and Go”, and “This Old Feeling”. The band went through some typical ups and downs like many bands and the lead singer Belinda Carlisle went on to a successful solo career. But, for me the group and that concert will always have a special place in my memories.
Music That Influenced Me #1
I was listening to some music the other day, just a random playlist in the background, but a song came on and it struck a memory. It’s funny how our senses will do that to our brain, an aroma, a song, a picture, and suddenly you are reliving some memory or event or person that wasn’t even close to the front of your conscience.
This time it was a song, Maybe Monday, by ‘Til Tuesday, from their 1984 album Voices Carry. Most everyone my age (or near my age) probably knows the album and the huge title hit the band had that year, but this was not that song but a different track altogether. “Maybe Monday” is track 8 from the album and about 30 seconds into the song my Brain said “Hey…. Remember mowing the yard growing up and listening to this cassette on your Walkman?” I responded to my Brain by saying “Yes, I remember that vividly like it was yesterday and not literally 40 years ago. Why are you bringing it up now? I have work to do.” Brain said, “No reason, just thought it would be neat to think about that for the next 20 minutes.” ….. I replied, “Brain, you can be pretty weird sometimes…. But I do like the song and the memory.”
What? You don’t have conversations with your Brain like I do? That’s weird. Anyway, the memory triggered another thought about other albums that I have memories of that hold some sort of special place in my brain and that maybe it would be cool if I share a few on this blog every once in while. I may not have a post like this regularly and there will be posts that don’t have a long winded explanation like this post does. But here we go.
Today the Album is Voices Carry, by ‘Til Tuesday.
Still Rocking
Formed in 1976, Def Leppard have released 12 studio albums and the latest one, Diamond Star Halos, is as great as they have ever done. Check out the video for Take What You want.
No More MTV News
Wow. No more MTV news. I mean the M for Music has been gone for years but now they wiped out all of the reporting archives. Kurt Loder was the best.
It’s The Little Things
It’s The Little Things
As of iOS 17, Apple introduced Animated Cover Art for album art in the Apple Music app. So now when viewing the album art while playing a song from the album, the artwork will animate creatively. Artists can design their own animations and submit them to Apple for use in listeners libraries.
I have only now noticed it since for the most part I will begin a playlist and then put the phone away in my pocket or set it down on the desk.
Here is a snippet of the Album animation for Van Halen’s album 1984. Check the cigarette smoke and the angel wings.
Very Clever.