Friday, April 1, 2011

Flashback Soundtrack


While waiting for the ferry to Seattle this morning headed to lunch with a colleague, I found myself with a bit of extra time... I mistakenly referred to the departure schedule for the ferries LEAVING Seattle going TO Bainbridge Island instead of the ferries LEAVING Bainbridge Island going TO Seattle... so after waiting in line for about 15 minutes, I finally realized that it was 10:55 and I wasn’t going to be on the 10:40. For some reason being the third car in line was not indication enough for me to realize my mistake...


After pushing back our lunch plans by an hour, getting my latte and preparing my "to do list" or rather "the list that never gets done" for the upcoming week, I decided to thumb through my iPod playlist on my stereo to find the "right" song for my mood at this particular moment. I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for but the current music just wasn't quite right... While scrolling through I came across a song that took me back, I mean way back. Actually, it sort of surprised me that it was on my iPod in the first place. You know what I mean, when a particular song, after hearing it for just a few seconds, will conjure up a very detailed, specific, memory from your past. I was completely consumed by nostalgia after hearing this song. My emotional state, what I was thinking, who I was with, all of that just came rushing into my brain after just a few lyrics... I will not divulge exactly what song it was, or the memory... if I told you, I'd have to kill you! :) 

After a few minutes, I started thinking about all those songs that take me back to a specific time or place in my life, regardless of the memory, good or bad, it is comforting in a weird sort of way... We all have soundtracks to our lives, those songs by our favorite artists, musicians, or maybe not our favorites but because of a specific event or genre that may be popular at the time it is ingrained in our brains forever... to remember those feelings, that moment, the place, that time, the people we were with, or thinking about every time we hear it... 

Then came "The List." My playlist or rather, the soundtrack to my life or at least the songs I can specifically remember during those key periods in my life...Starting out with my first memories of music, the artists and songs my parents would play for us over and over again. Then, the songs and artists/bands I started to enjoy, developing my own love for music based on what I liked and of course what was considered "music" then... And, of course my first records, yes--records!!! Can you believe it?!! I'm only 34, I'd like to still think that is rather young, even though I'm starting to feel much older than I'd like to think I am, records do date me, as do typewriters, yes-I learned to type on a typewriter in high school in "Typing" class. The songs played at middle school dances, the first song I danced to with A BOY!!! And somewhere in the early to mid-80s I believe, the MTV factor took over. Really, it took over the world if you think about... Wow, that was amazing... MUSIC WITH VIDEOS!!! That was life-transforming for every child, tween, teen, and adult... Those videos that were played over and over and over whether you liked them or not live in your memory and take you back no matter who you are or what kind of music you liked... you remember those first videos and songs on Mtv.

Next for me was high school, what a mix of music during that time in my life. I was truly finding myself then and in the area of music, that was no exception... I liked it all, even county, that particular genre of music takes me back to water skiing with friends my sophomore year or to softball games, bonfires and first dates. But I was also into rock, alternative, etc... Depending on whom I wanted to be or hang with that particular day. Songs also take me back to senior year, that scary time of what's next and lots of fun, memorable events like spring break at Vero Beach, and Graduation/Grad night, Homecoming and Prom. College was my coming out period, if you will, where I finally started to like what I liked and not try to fit in a box. I got into Classic Rock, alternative, acid jazz, and music I could run to. I really got into running then. Songs during that time take me back to beach trips after class, softball tournaments, nights out in Tally on the Strip... That time in my life and the experiences I had, I cherish and I would not be where I am today without them...

There are many songs that take me back to my early days in Seattle. My trip across the country to live in a city I had never even been to before, concerts at the Gorge, nights after work at Hoyt's Bar in Queen Anne, and my first "real" job, and my first apartment. Then, I met Scott and was introduced to The Dave Matthews Band, and my world in music changed forever... I was never a fan but became one pretty fast, it was actually a stipulation when Scott proposed, that I must be a fan, and not just "like" DMB but LOVE DMB, and it didn't take much to convince me. Oh, and living down the street from Dave's house in Wallingford for a bit, and seeing him at Baby Gap in U. Village also helped a little, too... 



So, I'll stop the rambling and just get to it... In no particular order other than the time in my life I remember them... Here's MY "Flashback Soundtrack":



Childhood (Grade school & Middle School):
Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer, Big, In Your Eyes
Fleetwood mac - Every song - except some of the ones by Christine McVie
Micahel Jackson - Thriller, Billie Jean, PYT, Human Nature, The Girl is Mine, etc...
Hall and Oats - Kiss on my list, Private Eyes, Maneater, etc..
Beatles - Can't Buy Me love, I wanna hold your hand, Come Together, etc..
Pink Floyd - Learning to fly, other songs my dad would play....
Bob Seiger - Night Moves

John Fogerty - Put me in coach
Madonna - Like A Virgin, Dress You up, Vogue, Papa Don't Preach, Crazy for you, Express Yourself, Holiday, Into the Groove, LUcky Star, Material Girl, Open Your Heart, Who's that Girl, Rain, La Isla Bonita, Justify Your love
Cindi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, True Colors, Time after Time
Tiffany - I think we're alone now, I think that's the song, right?
Debbie Gibson - Not sure of the songs...I'm actually glad I don't remember!!
Expose - Same as Debbie Gibson
Bruce Springstein - Born in the USA, Glory Days
Guns 'N Roses - Every rose has it's thorn, Paradise City, November Rain & Patience
Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad name, Livin' on a prayer, Wanted Dead or Alive, Never Say Goodbye
Def Leppard - Love Bites, Pour Some Sugar On me
Billie Joel - We didn't Start the Fire, ONly the Good Die Young, You're Only Human
Wham - Wake Me Up, Everything She Wants

George Michael - Father Figure, I want your sex, Everything She Wants, Freedom, Don't let the sun go down on me
Janet Jackson - Nasty, Control, That's the way love goes (I think that was more like HS)

Pat Benatar - Love is a Battlefield, Heartbreaker, Hit me with your best shot
Tears for Fears - Shout, Head Over Heels, Everybody Wants to Rule the world
Aerosmith - Dude Looks like a lady, Crazy

A-ha - Take On Me
Don Henley - Boys of Summer
Fleetwood Mac-Go Your Own Way


Peter Gabriel-Sledgehammer



High School
OMD - Pretty In Pink
Tracy Chapman - Fast Car, Devotion, Give Me One Reason
Nirvana - Smells like Teen Spirit, Come As You Are
Beck - Loser
Counting crows - Mr. Jones, Rain King, Round Here
Cure - Heaven, Pictures of You, Love Song
Depeche Mode - World In My Eyes, StrangeLove
B52s- Love Shack, Roam, Rocklobster
REM-The One I Love, Stand, Losing My Religion

Pearl jam - Jeremy, Black, Alive, Betterman
Garth Brooks - Fiends In Low Place, Shameless, If Tomorrow Never Comes
Simply Red - Can't help falling in love with You, Red Red Wine
U2 - Achtung Baby (the entire album), New Year's Day, With or Without You
Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar, Killing Moon
Prince - When Doves Cry, Purple Rain, Get Off
Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
Tom Petty - All of Tom Petty & the breakers; Free-Fallin'
Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner

Smithereens - A Girl Like You
INXS - Never Tear Us Apart, Devil Inside

Goo Goo Dolls - Iris, Black Balloons
Radiohead - Creep


Smithereens-Girl Like You




U2-One


College
Police - Don't Stand So Close to me, Message in a bottle
Everything but the girl - MIssing
311 - All Mixed Up, Down
Mazzy Starr - Fade Into You, So Tonight I May See
Massive Attack - Safe From Harm, Protection
Candlebox - Far Behind, Cover Me
Live - Lightening Crashes
Sarah Mclaughlin - Angel, Train Wreck, Building A Mystery,
Green Day - Basketcase, Good Riddance Time of Your life, She, Wake Me Up When September Ends, American Idoiot
Nine Inch Nails - Down In It, Head Like A Hole, The Perfect Drug, Hurt
Fleetwood Mac - Again -- all songs!
Alanis Morissette - You Outta Know, Thank You, Uninvited, Hand In My Pocket, Ironic
Sheryl Crow - All I wanna Do, If it makes you Happy, My Favorite Mistake, Leaving Las Vegas

Neil Young - Like A Hurricane, Only Love Can Break Your Hear, Southern Man, Old Man
Prodigy - Breathe
CCR - Proud Mary, Born on the Bayou

Eagles - Hotel California, The Long Run, Witchy Woman
Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly
Blues Traveler - Run Around
The Presidents of the United States of America - Lump

Smashing Pumpkins - 1979, Zero, Disarm, Tonight, Tonight
Oais - Wonderwall
Moby - 
Wallflowers - One Headlight
Beth Orton - Central Reservation
Greenday-Good Riddance


Neil Young-Like A Hurricane


Early Seattle Days
Lenny Kravitz - American Woman, Are You Gonna Go My Way, Let Love Rule
Cold Play - Yellow, Clocks
Bjork - Army of Me
David Bowie - China Girl, Under Pressure
Red Hot Chillipeppers - The Zephyr Song, Throw Away Your Television
Paul Simon - The entire Graceland album
Tom Petty - I love all Tom Petty mostly but American Girl is my song!
The Rollling Stones - Love is Strong, Paint it Black, She's So Cold, Start Me Up, You Can't Always Get What You Want
Tori Amos - Blue Skies, Cornflake Girl, God
David Gray - Babylon

Nelly Furtado - I'm like a Bird
Indigo Girls - Gallileo

Beatles-Come Together
Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill
Modest Mouse - Float On
Bob Dylan - Tangled up in Blue, Like A Rolling Stone, Things Have Changed, Buckets of Rain,  Not Dark Yet, Shooting Star

Sting - Desert Rose
Dixie Chicks - The Long Way Around



Tom Petty-American Girl


Cold Play-Clocks


Modest Mouse-Float On


Later Seattle Days -- Scott & Me
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
Ani Defranco - 21 Flavors, Shameless, In or Out, Out of Habit
DMB- All DMB songs; my favs are: Two Step, So Right, Stay Or Leave, Bartender, American Baby, Dream Girl, You Might Die Trying, Grey Street, The Stone, You and Me, So Damn Lucky, Dodo
Mark knophler & Emmylou Harris -This is Us
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Harry Connick Jr - I could write a book
Jack Johnson - All of Jack Johnson! My favs; all songs on the Curious George soundtrack, Supposed To Be, Bubbly Toes

John Mayer - All of John Mayer; Belief, Split Screen Sadness, Assasin, Gravity, Say What You Need To Say, Wheel, The Heart of Life, Come Back To Bed
Jason Mraz- Curbside prophet
Pearl Jam- All of Pearl Jam's new stuff; Just Breathe is my fav right now!
Back eye peas -  Don't Phunk With My Heart, Pump It, My Humps, Lets Get It Started
Van Morrison - The Celtic Song, The Philosopher's Stone

U2 - Sweetest Thing, Vertigo, All Because of You
Anything on 103.7 The Mountain :)


Peter Bjorn & John-Young Folks




DMB-You Might Die Tryin



Married Life & Motherhood - TBD

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