WARNING ~ Long and Rambling Post ~ Proceed with Caution.

There's been a bit of talk about radio and programming of late and it got me thinking about how big a part music has played in my life. I guess it can be traced back to my childhood since I was always listening to my parents records (vinyl & 8-track) along with the radio. My Mom would have music playing during the day as she cleaned the house and what do you know, I do the same. She belonged to the Columbia House Music Club way back then. Her record collection had (and this is from memory not from recent digging in the basement) some David Bowie, Eagles, Elton John, Linda Ronstadt, Cher and Tony Orlando and Dawn among others. As a treat I'd get to pick out my favorite albums and she'd load them into her multi 8-track player. I'd curl up in the big recliner with the headphones on and lose myself in music.
When the boombox-tape deck became ubiquitous in the average household I was always ready with a blank tape to record my favorite songs on the fly. Along with the influences from my parents, I absorbed whatever my older brothers were listening to. Being the little sister, I was always eager to find common ground with my eldest brothers. Robby (the fireman and eldest of us all) taught me a love of the Beatles (duh), The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Doors and a bit of the Monkees as well.
Jimmy gave me an appreciation of Metal. I was listening to Ozzy, Aerosmith and Motley Crue back in their bat biting, drug induced and leather and makeup wearing phases. I remember the first time I heard Motley Crue. Jim, yes the crazy-ass, nearly burnin' the house down brother, played Piece of Your Action from Too Fast for Love (on 45 no less) and I was hooked. My first thought upon hearing Vince Neil's scream was that he sounded like a woman but I enjoyed it none the less. This was pre-cable so there was no MTV to influence us. Imagine that! My brother Billy and my sister Terry were into rap and hip hop so there was lots of Run DMC to be heard. (Billy was also a kick ass break dancer but I won't scandalize him by getting into it here.) Add to that my Dad's love of Irish folk and American Country and you can get an idea of what I was listening to when I was as a child.
My teen years were a study of how long I could go with headphones on. Dinner and class at school were pretty much the only times I was without them. Funny, as I write this I realize I could go on and on about music. I have such clear memories of hearing certain bands for the first time, how I came to be crazy fans of some and more mellow admirers of others. It would take days for you to read so I will try to wrap this up. Even funnier is as I type I have my headphones on, my Sony MDRV-600's I bought back when I was working at Newbury Comics what, eleven years ago?! They were $60 with my discount. Zoinks. Playing right now is Close to Me by The Cure. But back to my point....do I have one? Yes, I think I do but it's not ready yet.
I have always been putting music in order. A driving tape here, a compilation for a friend there and the odd seduction tape to woo my latest conquest. I suppose I am like Jon Cusack in High Fidelity in that I am always thinking of the soundtrack to life. If I am having a party (Halloween, X-Mass, Dinner, Big-Ass Summer BBQ) I put together a playlist with the help of my MP3 Jukebox. It's as important to me as the food, invitations or anything I can even think of. The best example of this is my wedding. I was NOT going to have the precious time of my wedding ceremony or reception wasted for even a moment on crap music. I planned the music (recorded) for our ceremony down to the minute. I screwed it up by being late but that was Jimmy's fault! (slow dressing motherf***er)
Anyway, I had an extensive list for our reception D.J. Drew Erico. He was absolutely incredible. Not only did I give him a play list but I gave him a Do Not Play* list as well. I had tracks I wanted played during the cocktail hour, during dinner, a particular song for the cutting of the cake (When I'm 64 ~ Beatles), I even had a couple songs I wanted him to play after I had changed out of my wedding dress "whenever that would be" and he did it. Lastly I knew what we wanted for the very last song (Semisonic - Closing Time). If you wanted to spend quality time with me at my wedding, you had to meet me on the dance floor.
Allow me to stray from the subject for a moment..although I think I've already strayed quite a bit.. you'd think with how much Jeff and I love music, the first dance at our wedding would be some unbelievably sentimental song. That we would do the prom shuffle as we gazed into each others eyes with love and fear. Oh no my friends, we went a slightly different route. We chose fun over maudlin and sentimental. Wanna hear what it was? Check it out here. Uh, right....my main point for this post was just a love of music. Not sure if it came out but I am listening as I type so it's been fun for me. Now playing - How Was it for You by James. Good stuff.

*Some items on my Do Not Play List
Chicken Dance
Electric Slide
Macarena
YMCA
Celebration
We Are Family
Anything by Brittany Spears, Christian Aquilera, N'Sync or any variation of the above.