25 Random Things, MOG Edition
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I apologize for those that tire of this little thing, but I thought I'd push myself and bring it over here to MOG, my primary site for blogging.
Since this is, after all, a music site, these 25 things will all have something to do with music, however tenuous the link might be. And there are some rules about what you do when you get "tagged", but rules are for suckers. Consider everyone that reads this "tagged".
1. My earliest musical memory is sitting in the kitchen of the tiny cabin where I grew up, with my mom cooking lunch and "Lay Down Sally" by Eric Clapton playing on the AM Radio.
2. My MOG homepage lies. The first album was Journey's album Escape, which was a Christmas present when I was about eleven.
3. I am very fortunate that my friends had good taste. At age 12, I borrowed and played over and over Gary Numan's The Pleasure Principle. That opened a lot of musical avenues.
4. I never had, and will never have, enough fashion sense to be a full-on goth, so I'll just have to enjoy the music incognito.
5. My first concert was my 12th birthday present from my mom, to go see the Surfaris play a show at a theatre in San Clemente, CA. I wish I could remember the opening band, because they were pretty good, if I recall correctly.
6. I missed out on seeing Howard Jones, even though I had purchased a ticket, because my mom wouldn't take me and I couldn't get a ride. Seeing all my friends (or shall I say SO-CALLED friends) show up the next day in concert T-shirts sucked royally.
7. I'm still no better at making arrangements than I was back then.
8. For at least a month straight, my best friend in high school and I would run over to his house after school and watch U2's concert from Red Rocks and marvel.
9. I now know someone who was at that concert in person. She is my concert hero. ::waves at Erin::
10. I thought "The Perfect Kiss" by New Order was the most "out there" song EVER the first time I heard it. I was so disappointed when I got Lowfile and the album version wasn't nearly as long.
11. My entire junior year of high school, people would ask me which Cure album was in my Walkman, not which band I had therein.
12. I lost, or had stolen from me, way too many albums from high school because I was way too trusting. I'm still that trusting in many ways.
13. After my first year of college, I gave all of my music to a girl that I really liked, so she would keep them safe and I would have a reason to send her mail while I was on my mission.
14. In the five months after school and before leaving to serve my mission, I had collected another 30 cassettes or so. Whoops. For most of my mission, we were allowed to listen to "secular" music on Mondays, so I managed to collect another 40 or so cassettes.
15. Within two weeks of getting home, I had purchased five more cassettes and my first CD. That first CD was Joy Division's album Substance. The first few times I listened to it, I was disappointed because the rest of the songs sounded nothing like "Love Will Tear Us Apart".
16. I actually delayed dating Melissa because she wasn't yet 21 and I couldn't take her to the clubs and shows I wanted to see. I got over that pretty quick.
17. I picked the playlist for my wedding reception. Then again, I suppose that's not unique here, huh?
18. I wish I could have back all of the albums I sold when we were poor and unable to make ends meet.
19. If a song hits me so hard emotionally that it makes me cry, I will be a fan of that band for life. It's really that simple. I think I'll put together a playlist of Stay-Puff Marshmallow tracks this week so you can all laugh at me. This fact above explains my Mew obsession of 2006-07 AND my current obsession with White Lies. Yes, My Bloody Valentine as well.
20. I consider Cocteau Twins perfectly appropriate Sunday listening music, especially their album Victorialand. (Thanks again Erin!) Click the red button and behold!
21. I cannot exercise without music, but I ran my first 10K last year without music and it went OK. I chalk that up to my competetive juices carrying me along.
22. I cannot decide whether to shake Morgan out of his screamo phase, or let it go and remind myself what my mom thought of my hardcore phase. Along those lines, are there albums that are considered "seminal" for the screamo genre, or am I trying to give them too much credit?
23. No one cannot scream along to the "counting" bit of the song "Kiss Off" by Violent Femmes when they get to number eight unless clinically dead. If there are, I don't think I want to know them. Admit it, you're screaming "I FORGOT WHAT 8 WAS FOR!!!" in your head at least. :)
24. I used to wake up every morning by blasting Loveless in the shower. Melissa was still trying to sleep. She still hates Loveless.
25. It's totally unfair that my musical twin lives so far away. Granted, Leeds is a bit closer than Greece, but still ...
Comments (38)
Loved the post Dale! More please!
Ahhhh cassettes... those were the days...
Great way to follow up the 'About me' wave from last month Dale! I'll do my part: Are we posting our 25 random as separate posts or here?
Frankly, milkshake, I'm tapped out. I'm right at the edge of overshare here.
Daniel, if you wish to do this, put it in your own post.
great idea here, Dale. Think I'll have to follow suit.
And by the way, I must be clinically dead according to #23 (but I really don't like the Violent Femmes, so that explains that).
Really? Not even "Kiss Off"?
It's Gordon Gano's vocals, isn't it?
I don't know what to chalk it up to, really. I already didn't like them, but then I started dating a girl who LOVED them, and would play them constantly. and then we broke up. I think that's what sealed the deal.
I feel fortunate that the only girl who came close to breaking my heart ruined REO Sppedwagon for me. I can live with that.
Maybe I'm not tapped out after all.
#23 - So true.
I am so with you on #22....
great post, Dale! Is this identical to what you put on facebook? ;-)
OK, I was worried for a sec on 23 but Tyler's on board so I feel better. Whew.
Heh, that's right, you can relate Bill.
Chris, it's not at all identical. FB's being weird or I'd post it.
although it seems all of my facebook friends have been doing this, i've held out so far. but now that its on mog, we may have a different story...
it was fun to read this, although i don't know well a lot of the music you talk about.
Oh I love this! You know I have to make one, too!
"If a song hits me so hard emotionally that it makes me cry, I will be a fan of that band for life" EXACTLY. That's the story behind me and Glasvegas.
Awwww.....I'm happy that we actually got to meet. Off all the blogs in all of the internet, you just had to walk into mine...and I can't believe my luck! One day, one day :*
That's funny ardy, I've always thought my musical tastes a bit mainstream, in this crowd at least. Apparently, I've not done my job right then. ;)
Oh good, please do Anna!
I'm trying to decide now if "Geraldine" or "Daddy's Gone" makes the Stay-Puff playlist, so you know I'm with you on Glasvegas. Oh, and "Twenty Years" will most likely be there as well.
Wow, a Casablanca ref, I'm really touched. One day ...
Great post. Definitely agree with #20, although I'd prefer 'Treasure' over 'Victorialand' (although the latter does have 'How To Bring A Blush To The Snow').
Oh, Treasure ranks with Garlands as my favorite Cocteau Twins album, but the more pastoral tones of Victorialand suit me better on Sundays.
Concert hero! I am humbly proud. :)
This post gets a 10 10 10 10 for everything everything everything everything!
i was also disappointed the first time i heard the Lowlife version of The Perfect Kiss and at the rest of Substance in comparison to Love Will Tear Us Apart.
would Morgan be interested in old-school emo/screamo? Circle Takes the Square, Antioch Arrow, Sunny Day Real Estate? Fugazi?
"I gave all of my music to a girl that I really liked, so she would keep them safe and I would have a reason to send her mail while I was on my mission." oh, hello, where on earth are guys like you hiding? (8
Awww, thanks E! Now I've got Underworld on the brain though ...
Ilay, as of yet he's had no interest in Fugazi or SDRE. And would you believe that the girl moved a few months before I got back? I had to get my cassettes from my bishop, hehehehe.
Love this post! I think I might have to borrow it! :)
Borrow away! :)
great musical memory!
After reading all of this, I'm feeling so random, I can't do a thing.
Hold on. I forgot to say how awesome the post was. Okay. Now, I'm done.
Fabulous post. Loveless was one of those songs for me too. MBV is just so great.
Hang on, I'm going to crank "Only Shallow" and see if it still gives Melissa that twitch.
Bah, she's too busy Facebook-ing. Maybe I'll try at 5AM. Then again, maybe not.
I've never seen the whole post-punk scene from this angle before. Reminds me of why this is the devil's music - in a good way.
Dale, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm getting the distinct impression that you like making lists.
I made a manful attempt at no. 17. ("I picked the playlist for my wedding reception") I gave our DJ 10 mix tapes. He played about five songs from that lot. Jill must have got to him...
You noticed, Colin? I thought I was being so discreet. :P
Not sure which angle you mean Jonh, unless you mean "the American latecomer". Because I think I have that angle nailed. ;)
Meant to say number 6 sounded quite gutting! Shall have to see if I can think of 25 random things of my own - that'll be one way to pass the time in work tomorrow!
I meant: kid at just the right age hears a big wave of great music as the sounds that define his life. 12 years old and it's a 1-2-3-4 from Gary Newman, New Order, the Cure, Joy Division, U2....that can warp a guy for life in the best possible way. In fact, turn him into an EMCD.
Ah, that makes sense too. :D
At the time, #6 was awful, but now it's just grist for a post, nothing more. I mean, how could it? It was Howard Jones! ;)
You may notice I left him out of that list. :-)
Though I did hear him at some music biz do backing up Rod Stewart on solo piano. He's got really good keyboard technique.
Terrific post Dale! 18 is the saddest statement of the bunch. I suppose if it came down to selling my firstborn for scientific experiments, or my record collection, I'd have to go for the latter.
Isn't it strange how songs come into our lives, and take over. We become obsessed with them, never getting enough. I'll have to give this a go....
Oh God... Facebook is taking over MOG too... but I love that you took this idea and made it all about music! Brilliant
Well, when you've got little else on the brain ... ;)
Nice post, you really are splashing your soul all over Mog, arn't you?
I was going to say "Wait till you see the next post" but you already have. :)