Rollin' and Tumblin' (Soundtrack of my Life W/O)Jan 15 '04 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line I realized that my choices were heavy in blues artists. Guess I gots dem blues. This is an entry into rader6795's "Soundtrack of my Life" write off. Music has had a profound influence in my life, and I've noticed that certain songs will trigger emotions and senses, bringing me back to particular points in my past. I can tell you what I was doing the first time I heard "Where the Streets Have no Name," or what the weather was like the day I heard "Exile on Main Street" for the first time. My brain is wired to associate life with music, as I suspect most of our brains are. Muddy Waters, “Rolling Stone” – It’s hard to pick a favorite Muddy Waters tune, but this one would have to be near the top of my list. A slow, primal guitar groove in which Muddy wishes he were a catfish, so that all the pretty women could come fishing after him. I can still remember that when I first heard the sludgy guitar riff for the first time, the hair stood up on my arms. The Rolling Stones, “Stop Breaking Down” – The Stones have produced many a grinding blues tune in their day, but I don’t think any of them have been nearly as frantic and manic as this song. Featuring some vicious guitar work by Keith Richards and Mick Taylor, this is one of those songs that should be really famous, but for some mysterious reason, is not. This song will always have a connection in my life because while visiting home in college, my dad and I bonded while drinking beers and listening to Exile on Main Street over and over and over. Good times. Bruce Springsteen, “Rosalita” – I realize that Mr. Springsteen has written many a-song about escaping small town life, but none of them quite capture that sentiment quite like this song. The imagery is brilliant: a small-town loser who is desperately in love with a woman, but her parents don’t approve. The music rises in orgasmic waves as Springsteen screams for his love to join him. I had grown up with the “Born in the USA” era Springsteen, and I didn’t really “get” him. But as soon as I had a chance to hear this song, it all came into focus. I’ve been a loyal Bruce fan ever since. Led Zeppelin, “Over the Hills and Far Away” – In my opinion, this song totally encapsulates what Led Zeppelin is, all in one tune. The song starts out with some light and airy finger-picked acoustic guitar, before laying waste to the landscape with loud guitar bombast. Robert Plant’s hippie imagery about gold and yearning for knowledge doesn’t hurt, either. This tune will always remind me of being in high school, when I first got into the Zep. Many a-night were spent getting drunk, throwing on the Zep, and thinking deep thoughts, right before puking on an unsuspecting girl that I was trying to woo. U2, Anything off of “The Joshua Tree” – It’s just the perfect album, isn’t it? I’m not sure there’s an album that pinpoints a place and time in my childhood as much as “The Joshua Tree.” I can remember being a kid, and not all that interested in popular music, but suddenly I heard “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and my world seemed to tilt on its axis. Music suddenly struck me as being significant in life; it was powerful and important. Bob Dylan, “Standing in the Doorway” – Let’s face it; Dylan’s 1997 effort, “Time out of Mind,” is one of the best albums ever. Period. Choosing any one song off of this album was difficult, but I eventually settled on this one. It’s sad, it’s somber, but it’s heartfelt and honest. How can you NOT feel something when Bob Dylan rasps, “I would be crazy if I took you back, it would go against every rule, you left me standin’ in the doorway cryin’, sufferin’ like a fool.” This song will always inspire fond memories of my college days. I randomly purchased this album on a whim, and then spent the next few months playing it over and over and over in my car CD player. Classic. Van Morrison, “Into the Mystic” – Just the line, “We were born before the wind, also younger than the sun,” gets me every time. Van is definitely The Man, so picking just one song was tough. I picked this one in particular because of its vivid imagery. I have no specific memory attached to the song, other than it reminds me of a nice, peaceful hike through the woods behind my mom and dad’s house, the kind I used to take when I hadn’t a care in the world. Elvis, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” – This one gets in by default because it’s the song my wife and I danced to at our wedding. Obviously it has a special connection in my life because of that. Oh, yeah, and it’s a great tune, too. Robert Johnson, “Terraplane Blues” – I can’t pick one Robert Johnson song over any other, so I just went with his most famous tune. Robert Johnson’s collection of about thirty songs that he left us are a treasure trove of honest American music. Listening to his songs bring me back again to my college days, when I first was introduced to the monumental blues artist. On a whim, I joined one of those Columbia House type scams where they send you 20 free CD’s. “The Complete Recordings of Robert Johnson” was one of the CD’s I ordered, and I was mesmerized. His style and guitar technique were light years ahead of his time, and to this day, people can’t figure out what the hell he’s doing. R.L. Burnside, “Chain of Fools” – Every soundtrack needs the ultra-cool tune that plays in the background while the main character walks down the sidewalk in slow motion, right? Well this would be mine. Burnside’s cover of this classic tune is absolutely killer, and would be perfect theme music for when I enter a room. Check out the other entrants in this write-off, won't you? Arada392 Debbie26 Mimi369 rader6795  |
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