Origin Story (Part 2)

So, when last we met I was about 9 years old and listening to top 40 radio. This was about the time I started asking for albums (never really cared much for singles, still don't) for my birthday and for Christmas. The first ones I can remember calling my own were "She's So Unusual" by Cindy Lauper, "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, Madonna's first album, and a little later "Purple Rain" by Prince. As the 80's rolled on I got into Men at Work, Duran Duran, Phil Collins (hadn't heard of Genesis yet), Lionel Richie, and Huey Lewis and the News, just to name a few. I would listen to the weekly Top 40 every Saturday Morning and root for my favorites to be number 1 again. It was my version of watching competitive sports on television. The last 80's top 40 tune I remember loving was "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera. It was done as the theme to the movie "The Karate Kid Part 2". It was the summer of 1986. Something happened during that summer that changed my life forever. (Yes I'm being dramatic, but at the same time there's not much hyperbole in that statement, just ask my wife.) What was this groundbreaking event that so greatly impacted the life of this young music geek you may ask. I'll tell you, it was the 20th anniversary of the Monkees.
Now, anybody that knows me, knows I can talk on the Monkees for hours on end. I won't do that here. That will be for future blogs. But, long story short the Pre-Fab four was all I listened to for about two years straight. The passion still continues today, but my musical horizons have expanded greatly. I have my brother Scott to thank for that.
In the summer of 1988, I was 14, Scott was 25 and we went on a two week road trip together. It was going to be awesome, my big brother and I out on an adventure, I was so excited. Before we left he handed me some records and asked me to make copies onto cassettes so we had something to listen to in the car. The albums were, "Live Rust" by Neil Young, "Deja Vu" by Crosby Stills Nash, and Young, Bob Dylan's "Greatest Hits", and Jefferson Airplane "Surrealistic Pillow". By the time I was done making those copies I was a fan of Classic rock. This set the tone for my musical tastes to this day.
The classic rock artists got me interested in checking out the blues. The blues artists got me interested in checking out jazz. And today you will find everything in my music collection from Miles Davis to Black Sabbath and everything in between.
Now, I don't live completely in the past. Every once in a while a new artist will make me sit up and pay attention. In the 90's it was Dave Matthews Band, in the early 2000's I fell in love with Norah Jones, and lately I have really gotten into bands like Mumford and Sons and Kings of Leon. But, I always find myself going back to the classics.