Everyone Deserves Music

Sweet Music

Published on March 5, 2004 By Muggaz In Blogging

As Michael Franti Sings, Everyone deserves music, Sweet music...

My youngest memory of music would be listening to Dire Straights and me dancing around the house using a tennis racquet as a guitar with my Mark Knopfler head band on. My dad actually used to be in security at Melbourne Park entertainment complex, and when i was about 10 years old i met him, and he gave me a plectrum he had... which i find confusing now, because he was known for not using a plectrum!

I also met Jon Bon Jovi at a concert once through my dad... whoop de do!!!

Other music and groups i remember listeing to were Mike and The Mechanics. Whenever i hear the song 'The living years' it almost brings me to tears... It was one of my dads favorite, and its rediculously relevant to my situation with him... Whenever i want to think about Dad, i put that song on, and it makes me ask the questions of myself just to make sure he would be proud of me...

Of course with Mike and The Mechanincs, its a given that Genesis and Phil Collins in general were highly influential. Billy Joel was huge, also Elton John... Cat Stephens (or Yusef Islam) was a frequently played CD... I remember as kids we changed the lyrics from "I am being followed by a Moonshadow, Moonshadow, Moonshadow" to "I am being followed by a poo jabber, poo jabber, poo jabber" As children, we thought it quite ingeneous. "Cats and the cradle and the silver spoon" was always on... another song that makes me think about my dad imensely... simply for the fact that my Dad was nothing like the one in the song. Ugly Kid Joe fudged that song so royally...

I have my Mum to thank for my knowledge of Neil Diamond and all his songs... i will never quite understand that. We also have a local artist named John Farnham... i met him as well... he was the absolute shiznit here, and if any of you have heard of him, i would be surprised... i remember in Grade 4 we had to do a song performance for music/drama and we choose his song, 'chain reaction' had the whole tennis racquet thing going on.

In grade six i loved a song called the floor, i cant remember who by, and 'Tease Me' by Chaka Demus and the Pliers... the evolution process is amazing!

I never got into playing an instrument, simply because i wan't interested in producing music, just listening to it... i didn't really have the time either... i was always an outside kid.

As i got older and 'cooler' I have my sister Erin to thank for educating me on my music tastes. The Doors were very influential, and i loved them... my sister was a stoner, and i didn't know it at the time, but it all makes sense now. The first CD i personally brought was Dookie by Greenday - and still to this day it remains one of my favorites. Any Album with more that 5 above average songs is good in my eye. From Dookie i started liking Nirvana, but i am way over them now. From them to Offspring, who were way cool, but now produce nothing but cheese.

Pearl Jam quickly became one of my favorite groups, and were actually the first international act i ever saw at a concert. It was a bit stupid of me, because they set rediculous expectations from then on.... they remain one of my favorite groups to this day.. Black is an Awesome song, along with Elderly Woman behind the counter in a small town. Magic. My brother Tim actaully sounds like Eddie Vedder when he sings... he should be in a band.

All through my Academic life, i was involved in the School Musicals. My sister had signed me up in year 7, because i was 'too cool' for musicals. Let me tell you, that was one of the best things she has ever done for me. The years 7 musical was Wizard of Oz... I have never had so much success with chicks in my life as compared to the musicals. Artsy chicks are easy, especially if you are 'Artsy' as well!!!! and the ratios were splendid... for every guy in the musical, there was 5 girls. I like those odds. In a full dress rehersal (i was a munchkin from the lollipop guild) I fell into the orchestra pit and hurt my back real badly... I shouldn't have gone on that night, but my dad was there in his wheelchair, this was about a month before he died, and i wasn't going to deny him the pleasure of seeing his son on stage.

The following year was Guys and Dolls, then Oklahoma, then Oliver, then Fiddler on the Roof and then My Fair Lady. Those musical and the afterparties were definitely the fondest memories of my schooling life.

After school i seriously got into Ghetto Rap and hardcore stylez Snoop, Tupac, West Side Connection, Dre and music that i wouldn't be caught dead listeing to now. I suppose thats a lie. Regulate by Warren G will always be one of my favorite songs, and i suppose their is an element to rap i will always enjoy, but i am over it now.

I remember when i first was with my ex she chucked on some Millencolin... i hated those guys at that stage, however, i delt with it, cause i wanted to get some ass. I grew to like them, and now they are one of my favorites - they played at the big day out last year, and i didn't even know... I was so fukn mad at my brother for not telling me. I got into Incubus hard core as well... S.C.I.E.N.C.E is one of my favorite albums of all time, its a shame they haven't followed up with anything half as good. Tim and I went to see them live last year, as far as concerts go, it was ok - but that was just as the commercial radio stations had started playing them, and there were heaps of groupies at the concert.

I have been getting into local talent a bit more... for all you foreigners, get your hands on a song by Hilltop Hoodz called the nosebleed section, and tell me what you think. Its what we call Aussie Hip Hop. I imagine you would find it offensive and wierd, but i really like it!

Lately my favorites have remained pretty steadfast... TOOL are simply fanfukntastic. Deftones are also the shiznit. Ben Harper and Jack Johnson are also constantly playing, and out of these groups just mentioned, i honestly canot see myself ever getting tired of them, or them letting me down, if anyone did, it woulld probably be Jack Johnson, who i saw in November last year, but he hasn't yet, so i will remain faithful.

It kind of like there are two of me... I haven't even gotten into the Electronic music and artists... but that deserves another whole article

BAM!!!

Comments (Page 1)

Unfairman

on Mar 05, 2004

Is "plectrum" what you weirdos call a pick? That's all I could figure out.

Pearl Jam has been my favorite band for as long as I can remember. They were also the first concert I'd ever been too...no crazy lights, no elaborate stage set up...just the band and the power of their music. I recently saw them again, this summer, and it was the same...the whole night I was in a state of bliss. I even became "That Annoying Guy Who Has His Hands In The Air For The Entire Concert." Eddie Vedder is, I'm convinced, one of the most intense human beings on the planet. I read an interview with one of the other guys (Stone or Mike, I'm can't remember which) and he said (misquote) "Sometimes Ed is really into the music, and that's awesome, because the rest of us feed off it and it makes all better. Other times, he's so f*cking intense that we just have to stay in our own little corner of the stage, afraid of what he'll do next."

I can only hope to see another Pearl Jam concert before I die.

new-age nomad

on Mar 05, 2004

Wait...you don't like Ugly Kid Joe? I LOVE IT!!! "I hate everything about you" and "Jesus Rode a Harley Davidson" are two of the greatest songs ever. Too bad you don't like them...you're missing out.

Greenday---one of the greatest bands of all time.

Yeah, I think I like your Pearl Jam/Offspring days. I'm over those days too, but gosh, those were good days. lol

YOU WERE IN GUYS AND DOLLS!!! THE WIZARD OF OZ!!! Oh my gosh, I'm drooling.

It really does seem like we went through the same stages in music; right now I have a little obsession with Jack Johnson. I'll download your Aussie hip hop. Sounds interesting. Much love, thanks for you replys in my blog.

Trinitie

JEPEL

on Mar 05, 2004

I knew you were a gentleman of quality, someone liking pearl jam mustn't be bad.. It's one of my favorite ever, unfortunatly, I've never been able to see them live. and probably never will as the band is likely to split... you're a lucky bastard!

imajinit

on Mar 05, 2004

Mug - I'm guessing that this is the article you were talking about when you said that my "power of a song" article inspired you to write one... i inspired Trin to write one in the same vein... I can so totally connect with ya'll on this level. I already told Trin how great hers was, and yours is just as entertaining! I'm prob'ly bias to this type of story, since music is such a huge part of my life, and I love hearing about how music has influenced the lives of others...

looks like a passion for music is one more thing that we have in common...

Mackintosh

on Mar 05, 2004

Quite a large spectrum you've got going there. Yeah, Peral Jam is the best! Rock on brother!

Muggaz

on Mar 05, 2004

hehe.. yes unfairman... you assumed correctly!

Since we have so many Pearl Jam connosuers... favorite songs?

BAM!!!

imajinit

on Mar 05, 2004

Black

better man

Garden

JEPEL

on Mar 05, 2004

Black

Alive, for the endless guitar solo

Red Mosquito

Present tense

Sometimes

Breath

Footstep

and almost everything before binaureal, which I didn't really get in...

Vedder is one of my favorite male singer ever, I really like his collaboration with nusrat fateh ali kkan on dead man walking soundtrack.

dharmagrl

on Mar 05, 2004

Loooove Eddie Vedder.....

Fave Pearl Jam's:

Black

Alive

Strangely enough, their cover of 'Last Kiss'.....

..and I'm totally with Jepel about the'Dead Man Walking' soundtrack. That is some of the most haunting music I have ever heard..

Dan Kaschel

on Mar 05, 2004

There's just too many:(

~Dan

JEPEL

on Mar 05, 2004

Looks like there are a lot of fan of pearl jam here,

anybody heard the Doors with Eddie singing ? It is really amazing how he can sounds similar to morisson.

new-age nomad

on Mar 05, 2004

Nah, I haven't heard it with Eddie. Fav Doors song, "People are strange when you're a stranger, faces come out in the dark....."

Trinitie

Dynosoar

on Mar 05, 2004

Uh, what about Jimmy Buffett? ( ducking for cover ) Songs to live by fer sure, Being a southern boy growin' up in the 70's and 80's I have memories recalling Bob Segar, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Who, Molly Hatchett, ARS ( you figure it out ), !st ever Concert, ZZ Top 1975, School picture taken wearing a KISS tee in '76 ( God they are old ) Aerosmith, Dire Straights, Led Zep..... If you listen to any "Classic Rock station, it's the music I grew up with.
I have my chorus teacher to thank for broadening my musical taste tho, Blues, Gospel, ( try a Blues Brothers soundtrack ) as well as classical and even Opera.
I love to tune in the classical station when my teenage son rides with me for no other reason than to see him cringe..........

Superpsych

on Mar 05, 2004

This has made me want to write my own article on my tastes in music, but I'm pretty sure you'll all point and laugh! One of my most recent favourites has got to be Pink Floyd. Had never heard of them until a couple of years agao (I know, I know...), but have really got into some of their earlier stiff, especially The Dark Side of the Moon. The Great Gig in the Sky has amazing vocals, and is great to play along to on the piano! I may indulge myself and write more some time, but it might take a while

new-age nomad

on Mar 05, 2004

superpsych!!! Listen to Dark Side of the Moon while watching the Wizard of Oz on mute. It'll totally trip you out. They made the cd to go along with it. Most people already know this, but seeing as how you only recently discovered this wonderful band....
Just go online and find a site that tells you exactly when to start the movie....you'll love it.

When I lived in Tennessee, there was this huge billboard that had the barber from the Andy Griffith Show, Floyd, and he was painted pink. It took me a LONG time to understand it; it was an advertisement for the local classic rock station. Someone put alot 'a thought into that one.

But, anywho, my parents are hardcore Pink Floyd fans.........it could very well have something to do with all the drugs, but nonetheless, THEY ROCK!

Trinitie

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