Music is a big thing in my life. So I thought for Freedom Friday I’d give you a peek into my iPod to show you what I have.
Most of the songs and albums I possess have a story attached to them. You know the ones—my first love (Nadia’s Theme by Roger Williams), my first kiss (Sometimes When We Touch by Dan Hill)—those kinds of stories. Although I don’t remember why on earth I have I Touch Myself by Divinyls, I’m quite proud to show off my AC/DC collection including my prized Girls Got Rhythm. How’s that for going from sappy to randy in two sentences?
Growing up, the big song I had playing on my record player was Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti. Everyone I knew was into the jogging thing, and there wasn’t a time I didn’t see someone running in the streets looking like Rocky. Pretty weird, if you ask me. Really though, I think I’ve heard the Rocky album well over five hundred times. I had purchased it in vinyl, which I still have, tape, CD and now it rests safely in my iPod as part of a mix of kick-in-the-pants power songs. I told my wife, if I ever fall off a cliff, she could bury me with my Rocky album. I’m sure where I’m going they’ll have record players.
I drifted for a while out of high school and listened to such hits as Juke Box Hero by Foreigner, Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen, and Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey. Those songs played on the radio during those cold, frosty nights in January when I’d grab a snack at Tim Horton’s. They reflected my life going from one job to another supporting a dream of one day becoming a rock star. Well we all know how that turned out. I have yet to receive a call to judge American Idol.
After a long absence from school, I enrolled in college. By this time, I was a bit older, a bit wiser and hadn’t lost myself in deviant behavior to warrant counseling by a Catholic priest. I had also purchased a Sony Walkman to keep me entertained between classes during study hall. I had tapes of Led Zeppelin to keep me out of trouble. Songs such as Good Times Bad Times, Whole Lotta Love, Gallows Pole, Over the Hills and Far Away, Kashmir, and Stairway to Heaven went well with my studies on the intricacies of system analysis and design.
Once I got married, I’d mellowed out some. My wife and I enjoyed old movies on a Saturday night, so I went for crooners like Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, devouring everything they had made. I have Dean Martin’s Best of album I used to play in the car on my way to work. I must have raised a few eyebrows at traffic lights. While teenagers had the Spice Girls blaring in their cars, I was singing at the top of my lungs to the chorus of That’s Amore.
I was so weird.
As time went on, my love for the oldies afforded me to purchase musicals such as South Pacific, which led to my current love of movie scores. The second of which (I already had Rocky) had to be Raiders of the Lost Ark. Had to be, because it was one of the first movies I saw in glorious THX where the sound of punches were like bombs. Who can deny me the Raiders March? Tada rump dum, tada rump…
I now have a list of favorite composers who I listen to during the day. I call these composers power composers because their music has that quality to excite a person to achieve great things. Here they are: Marco Beltrami, Steve Jablonsky, Hans Zimmer, of course, Klaus Badelt, John Powell and John Williams. I tell ya, whenever I hear their music, it makes me feel like a superhero crashing through a brick wall.
What’s on your iPod? Do you remember where you were when a certain song played on the radio in a coffee shop?
Looking to God 
My iPod is brimming with an eclectic mix, which often leads to serendipitous shuffle sessions. There seems to be a connection between me and the machine, and she matches music to my thoughts and environment quite well!!
I’m with you on motion picture scores! I love them! Plus, you highlighted a pretty good list of composers.
your music tastes are ecclectic. much like mine. in high school i was really into classical and INXS. Then it was Jazz and U2. Then motown and speed metal. about the only thing i can’t stand is death metal. never hit me in the emotional bone.
I’m laughing right now. I was in high school when “I Touch Myself” by Divinyls came out. I remember exactly where I was. My BFF and I were taking trip with her parents to Washington, D.C. We were riding in the car when the song came on. Her parents were like WTF. Hahahah. They didn’t turn the station. I guess they were intrigued too. What happened to that group. But yes, I do have an Ipod. I LOVE it. The album I just recently downloaded was Bruno Mars Unorthodox Jukebox. He is such a great singer and artist. He has a little bit of that Michael Jackson vibe in him. Now don’t judge me but he album I downloaded before that was Justin Bieber’s Believe. LOL. Seriously, its not a bad album at all. I have such eclectic taste. You can find Coldplay, Mariah Carey, Usher, Kings of Leon (I saw them in concert once. AWESOME), Live, Maroon 5 and so many others. Music is so part of my life. I can listen to a particular song and remember exactly where I was. Anyway, thanks Jack for the great read. I truly enjoy reading your blogs. The blogs are always fresh and personal.
Lakeshia, thanks for all your kind words for my blog. I truly appreciate it.
No problem. 🙂
Nice post. My collection (no Ipod) is also rather eclectic. I grew up in the 90s, not a very good decade in terms of music and I was quite fond of the Backstreet Boys at the time. Luckily my parents raised me on a diet of Jimi Hendrix, the Doors and David Bowie so my taste became slightly less trashy as I got older. I went through a brief metal-phase as an adolescent and even though I’m not that fond of Slayer anymore Marilyn Manson is still a guilty pleasure. Over the years I;ve learned to appreciate many different genres, from soul to classical music, 80s hip-hop to Roxy Music. My mood decides what kind of music I listen to; today it’s T-rex but tomorrow it might be Public Enemy. Or Chopin. But it’s fun to realize how songs can be connected to memories; Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit still reminds me of awkward school parties.
Oh my gosh! I was SO ADDICTED to Rocky and the Rocky soundtrack. I would listen to “Take You Back” a million times. Just broke it out a few months back, and reminisced on the days when Rocky was in the theater. So cool. My iPod is a collection of so many things, from the Rolling Stones to show tunes to hip-hop to Michael Buble and Sinatra. I have eclectic taste, and really, the only form of music I don’t care to listen to is country, though an occasional song does grab me. Gonna Fly Now…
I have four different versions of Take You Back. I love that song as well! I think one of my favorite versions is from Rocky V, it has a rap feel to it. Well…it is a rap version after all! It’s great though. Really, any music from Rocky is incredible. I only miss the score music from Rocky Balboa. Bill Conti did a great job with it. Unfortunately it isn’t available for purchase anywhere. Love all the Rocky music!
Great post. I don’t have an Ipod, but my music collection is similarly eclectic to yours. Though I did have a tendency to get two types of music for a long time – the first type was whatever my favourite band was at the time – Queen, Led Zepplin, U2 etc…the other type was anything I could sing along to. But as I got older my tastes varied and my wish to sing along lessened (something the neigbours probably appreciate)! 🙂
My Ipod is filled with whatever I happen to need at the time: rap, country, jazz, classical, soundtracks, pop, rock, trance, techno, instrumental, parodies, etc. Music is a key way for me to tap into character mindsets and emotions, as well as a way of managing my own. Plus, I’m sound-color synesthetic, so that adds an extra dimension–a lot of stuff I stock because I like the way it looks as much or more than the way it sounds.
That being said, I remember the first time I heard “Thank You” by Natalie Merchant in a video game store. I was ten, and I wasn’t aware I had a taste in music yet–but I knew I liked that song, just me, not my parents trying to safeguard me into their personal faves. And thus began a lifelong tendency to enjoy singer/songwriter & folk.
Hate to be a stickler on my first comment here, but I Touch Myself is by the Divinyls. It’s all good though
Thanks, Deaderpool! Corrected!
I don’t have an iPod but I do have a playlist. I need the Raiders of the Lost Ark theme, I think. I remember the Rocky theme being everywhere and my high school years were punctuated by Def Leppard, Weird Al’s early stuff, and Pat Benatar. I sang to disco on the radio in junior high (frightening, I know) and with the Pet Shop Boys in college.
My favorite playlist is my 80’s nostalgia music. I write best, though, to old OMD and Weird Al’s classics (go figure – he’s good at keeping my brain busy).