She was the coolest girl I knew in high school – EVERYBODY loved her, gravitated toward her: Rachel Earle & she NEVER fit a mold. She was her own person & earned the adoration of everyone just by being herself. She ROCKED !!! She was two years above me, but her senior year we shared the same math class with Miss Day.
Ahh, Miss Day. Straight out of every kid’s high school horror story, only she wasn’t so terrifying. She was one of my all time favorite teachers, but she talked with her jaw locked tightly shut & it became the stuff of legends… Once upon a time, when she was younger, she yelled at a student but didn’t keep her jaws clamped down & her dentures went flying… etc., my older brother’s best friend’s cousin saw it happen… for reals man !!! (She didn’t have dentures… it was just an affectation).
But back to Rachel – we became fast friends. You see, I had an in… Once Upon a Mattress, a summer play at the local playhouse. Then, as I said above, we ended up in math class together & also in the school musical: The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She was a little bit of everything. I guess that’s why I so loved her… emulated her. She wore wingtip Docs, with crazy tights with all sorts of fabulous patterns that never matched the rest of her ensemble. Dark red lipstick – but that was all she ever wore. Her hair cut in a blunt bob, she just kicked ass. I loved her.
Rachel had the BEST taste in music, & any chance we got, we’d talk about the bands we loved & why, what I needed to hear & she’d make me tapes so I would learn all the lessons she could throw at me. Rachel had good teeth, so unlike our math class with Miss Day, these lessons weren't through her clenched jaw. The tapes started coming during the summer of Once Upon… and kept coming through the musical at school.
One day she brings in a tape for me – with Jellyfish Bellybutton on one side & the Pixies Doolittle on the other. I instantly fell for Jellyfish Bellybutton: happy & poppy & had a Beatlesesque vibe of my generation that I really connected with… the other side is what caused me problems. I mean I loved the Pixies Wave of Mutilation UK Surf version that I had from my "Pump Up the Volume" OST, but the version on Doolittle was faster… and then there was this discordant aspect to the music that I couldn’t quite grasp. When I told her this, she gave me a look & said, "oh grasshopper – you are so young… it will come to you, this I know". She instructed me to get back to my doodle practice (I still do ya know – but only the way Rachel does).
I kept that tape – it got a lot of play – including the first year at college… still it was mainly the one side.
Then I got to a suite party at Skippy’s (it was THE SuperGrover in Space Party with Purple Passion Juice). One of his suitemates, Rob, was playing something vaguely familiar & it’s FOCKIN GENIUS !!! This man’s strangely perfect voice, all beat up but hard, and the guitars… oh the sweeping grandeur of the guitars… but the songs are… How do I know them, but not know them ?!? I go to Rob (the suitemate of Skippy’s) & shyly ask him – who’re you playin’ ? He smiles, puts his arm around me & says, "ah listen well young grasshopper, as I tell you the tale of a band who will change your life… one you will carry with you forever, one that sadly disbanded, so you will never see them live, but one you can always listen to & worship as we all do… Let me tell you about the Pixies..."
Again – I got schooled. But I tell you something kiddies – there is no knowledge better than that of music knowledge, not to a music junkie like me. It’s one I spread whenever & wherever I can. It’s one I truly feel blessed to have.
So to Rachel, my undying adoration & respect, love you girl !!! Hope one day to fill those cool Docs of yours… maybe one day :)
& to Rob, thanks to you my friend, I truly became a Pixies teacher, not just a willing student. Oh… & I DID SEE THEM when they FINALLY got back together & toured… Next viewing of Full Metal Jacket is at my house man !!! You’re always welcome.
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I'm more of a teacher than a student. Generally I am the one steering people into the right direction of music.
Also...I was in "Once Upon A Mattress" in High School as well...I believe I was Sir Studly. (Insert cheeky comment here)
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I was a chorus girl - but I was totally enamoured of the Sir Studly in our cast... Wayne Grimsley... Those were the days... Sir Studly ;)
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Yep. This I like too. I didn't "discover" The Pixies until I was in College, and I'll have to post my memory on of these days. Thanks again!
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PS... I agree - you're a hella good teacher SS... you may never live down the new nick name ;) Rockin out to the Liverpool discs at my desk... well I will be when I head back there - thanks AGAIN !!!
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@deadreddevil... I am technically in the same boad my dead friend !!! Granted, I got the first intro in high school - but it was college where the love percolated & I became a fantatical fan of all things Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago & David Lovering. Can't wait to read it !!! ANYTIME !!!
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Oh man I was totally in Once Upon a Matteras too! I'll never forget the next year when I got Doolittle in 8th grade because I heard "Here Comes Your Man." I popped in the album and was blown away because none of the tracks sounded like it.
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That's too funny Roxy !!! I wish Doolittle had hit me when I got it from Rachel - I might have seen them live before the long standing split - but I DID see them - so that is something !!! My best friend took me and told me I had a permagrin the whole night - up dancing & singing along to every note of every song. She had more fun watching me than watching the Pixies - but they weren't really her thing.
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Lucky! I wish I had caught them on their reuinion tour a few years back :(
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you were cooler than I was in high school, obviously.
1. I was never in Once Upon a Mattress (although, ironically, I dated a fellow named Matt..and, well...never mind) but I was in Auntie Mame, for what it's worth.
2. I was a headbanger. AC/DC, Judas Priest, Scorps...I wore knockoff Converse and Good Will finds. I had this puke green men's overcoat that made my hair look puke green too. I loved that coat.
nope...not nearly as cool as you. Then or now.
xoxo
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bull pucky sis - You'd be my most prized friend & sister even then !!! I just plain love you !!! Love you silly !!!
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I was out of college when I kept reading stuff in music rags about Pixies(notice no 'the' in front, hehe), in fact I was married at the time. I went to my indie record store & asked to hear Doolittle & they played it over the store speaker system while I continued browsing. I was NOT impressed at the time since it was so raw & they sounded like nothing I'd heard before.
It wasn't until "Bossanova" was released two yrs. later & I heard "Velouria" on my local alternative station that it finally clicked. Couldn't get that song out of my head so I ran right out & bought the cd, realizing how brilliant they really were. I soon had all their cds & saw them live in Portland, OR in '91 or '92 with Pere Ubu opening for them. An feckin' incredible show!
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@Aug... Velouria is still one of my all time favorites - but surfer rosa & doolittle did it all for me - then I went back to Come on Pilgrim & onward to Trompe Le Monde.... not a bad in the bunch for me !!!
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I have the cd version that has Come On Pilgrim/Surfer Rosa combined(now they sell them seperately) & I think it's the one I go back to the most often though I do love them all like my own children.
Have you seen the DVD "Pixies"('04)? There's a live UK concert from '88 that kicks ASS & two great documentaries as well as their vids. Highly recommend it if you've not seen it. You can check it out here. I also have "Pixies - Club Date: Live at the Paradise in Boston (2006) > which has an early 1986 recording of them live on one of their first gigs. It's pretty crappy footage but worth seeing & the band still shines on it. The main concert is pretty damn great & they have alot of fun. I'm sure you're familiar w/the intimate venue(you were probably at this performance, no?). There's two more dvds, a doc "Loud Quiet Loud" & "Pixies Sell Out" neither of which I've seen yet. Am I an addict? YUP!
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not a one bro - hook a sister up !!!
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I did, there's a link to the Amazon.com page for the first dvd & you can go from there! Wow, kinda surprised you haven't seen any of them. Guess I'm just a junkie . . . .
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a great story as always Lizzie! i can almost picture you in high school, or getting schooled as a young grasshopper.
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No link - but I'll figure it out thanks bro !
@mollifire... thanks darlin :) I am having a blast with all these music memories !!!
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"You can check it out here." The bold 'here' is a link to Amazon as it was above . . . .
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;P