Album Thingy

I’ve been tagged bunches on this, probably because either growing up I ate music, or because I’m a resident facebook note-poster. So…I thought about responding, but I couldn’t compartmentalize or narrow down. I’m a girl who needs a little structure. But alas…

Here are the rules as given:
Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. Go to the tab marked Notes at your Profile, and when you finish, tag 15 others (or more), including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you're it!" (added rule: one-album-per-band limit).

And here’s how I changed them for structure…
I decided to take 13 years of my life beginning from when I first purchased my own music and think of the first album that comes to mind for that year. This may not necessarily get to the most significant of all time, but hell, it’s a just facebook fodder. And don’t mess with me if my years aren’t exact. Memory is subjective. Why 13, not 15? After 1998, I was no longer in school and it’s easier to for me to think in terms of “school years”.

AND... I wasn't going to tag anyone (cuz' I don't tag)....but I think, just for friday fun ,I will tag some of you I know have been to a show with me...even way back when..........at the bar back in the day with me... tagged me...I've mentioned specifically....or have discussed similar musical tastes....or just who I damn well please....and YES, I am sure I forgot to tag some of you...so just leave a comment if you wish. :-)

Since we’re not going to start as early as me begging my Dad for Urban Chipmunk in 1981…..(though Alvin singing “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” is great…) we’ll start from when I went to “Record Bar” in ’86 and bought my own tunes…

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1986 –Dead Milkmen “Big Lizard in My Backyard”: Introduced to this by neighbor; babysitter; surrogate brother that lived with my family for a year. That summer my parents made me go to the beach and leave the neighbor kids and I remember my little angsty self blasting “Beach Song” over the boom box on the beach: Lyrics: “Sand is hurting my tender feet/The air smells like rotting fish and solarcaine/I hate the people on the beach/With their towels and umbrellas, they're so insane/I don't wanna be on the beach! No”

1987 –Angry Samoans “ Back From Samoa” : I can remember turning off all the lights in my room and slamming around to “lights out.” And this guy in my homeroom class, Eric (Delong, for those of you from those days…) and I would sing, “They saved Hitler’s Cock.” And I thought it was amazing that anyone else in 6th grade knew about the Angry Samoans.

1988 –Ramones “Ramones” : The Ramones started an obsession. I think I know more about them than I know about most of my friends, family, and self. There was a time I had every album on record, tape, cd…and three on 8 track. I’ve seen Rock N’ Roll High School more times than is appropriate. “I'm FIRST in line! and if you don't like it, you can put it where the monkey puts the nuts!”

1989 –Smiths “Louder Than Bombs” – I think Morrissey was simultaneously responsible for helping develop my sense of irony and a deep depression. The Smiths will always be a lifetime favorite and fueled my passion for Shelagh Delaney, Gladiolas, James Dean, and Oscar Wilde. Saw Moz last summer in Myrtle Beach and there was a look alike there (though he was smoking and with a girl, both things which Moz would never do) but even seeing the look alike up close turned me into a giggling schoolgirl.

1990 –Replacements “All Shook Down” tied with The Cure “Staring at the Sea” This is the year I drove illegally to Charlotte to see the Cure, and my parents car would not start and I had to call them to come pick me up, two hours away. Damn. And with “All Shook Down”- every song on this album is brilliant. “When it Began” is the stand out favorite, but “Nobody” and “Sadly Beautiful” come close too.

1991 –Too Much Joy “Cereal Killers” Thanks 100% to Paul for introducing me to Too Much Joy. The album opens with the lines: “So she said fuck this town/ nothing's ever going down/ spun herself round and round/drilled herself into the ground. They had me at “fuck”. And I remember Paul and me driving around on Thanksgiving listening to “Thanksgiving in Reno” and it seeming like the best time. HA! Good Times, Good Times.

1992 – Agent Orange “Living In Darkness” tied with Lemonheads “It’s a Shame About Ray” Love Evan Dando. I used to listen to “Alison’s Starting to Happen” and think it sounded like “Alice is starting to Happen” and the lyrics, “I never looked at her this way before, but now she's all I see” ...and obsess over how I would one day start to happen to somebody and this would be true. Ha. Some juvenile feelings are cyclical.

1993 – Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Don’t Know How to Party” This may not be my favorite Bosstones Album, but was the gateway drug into Ska—Pietasters, Toasters, Skankin’ Pickle, Mustard Plug, MU330 and so many more ska bands and ska shows over the next few years. Pietasters are my absolute favorite ska but it’s more about the shows than any one prolific album.

1994 – “Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert” Soundtrack; tied with Aimee Mann “Whatever” “Priscilla” stands out because I saw the movie opening weekend and it was the first time I really felt a sense of gay community. I was out, but most of my friends were straight. But the theatre was packed and everyone laughed and it felt like community and I felt like there was a home for me aside from being a big ol’ punk dyke obsessing over my straight friends. And it got me into Abba and Gloria Gaynor, which was a mind fuck to my musical collection. Aimee Mann became very significant later in my life, (and still I think my favorite concert ever was Aimee Mann and Ben Lee a few years ago. Amazing). I remember getting and loving “Whatever” listening to it for hours and I still listen to “4th of July” on every 4th of July; I’m silly.

1995 – Matthew Sweet “100% Fun” I think “I almost Forgot” is the most underrated song on here. “Superbaby” is the most unnecessary- though the single, “Sick of Myself” was the hook for me.

1996- Dance Mix USA Vol. 4 tied with Melanie McMillan “Here Tomorrow, Gone Today” “Dance Mix USA” was on heavy rotation at our little local gay bar (because they had what, like 5 CDs?) But what strikes me most about this is ’96 was the year I got my Isuzu Trooper and there were many-a-night of people standing in the back with their heads out the sunroof dancing to “Dreamer” or Ruby’s favorite… “Cotton Eye Joe.” Wow. So Gay. And Melanie McMillan: local to Florence, SC also a language instructor at college. Beautiful Voice. Loved her. She was the reason I took French. I actually stepped on my cd a few years ago and can’t find anyone else who still has a copy. I’ve asked around…but if any of my SC buds can find one, help a sista out. Favorite Track: Be Beside You--- though my friend Martin and I had a special and unique idea of the symbolism in “Secret Weapon.”

1997 – Murmurs “Pristine Smut” The first Murmurs was my favorite, But this CD had great timing. Sucker Upper is the stand out song, mostly due to my angry feeling about my relationship issues at the time: “Asexual, far from intellectual/Fashion stealer, free-wheeler/Bats her eyes to cover up her lies/She's a sucker upper, starfucker/And I'm gonna blow her cover”. And…Murmurs side note: it Still wigs me out a little that Leisha Hailey is known first as an actress by most of my friends due to L Word. She’ll always be a Murmur first to me!

1998 – Cry Cry Cry “Cry Cry Cry”: Wow, just Wow. Cry, Cry, Cry is a supergroup of Dar, Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky doing great covers. Thanks to Keith, saw them alone and together at the Newport Folk Festival. Abso-fucking-loutely amazing. Stand out songs for me are, “I know What Kind of Love this Is”, and “Lord, I Have Made You a Place In My Heart.”

WHEW… that’s it. Still, so much feels like it is missing….but I’m sure there will be a note for that later.