Can I just tell you how much I love 80's music? Especially the stuff you could really dance to. Don't laugh, but Tears for Fears will always be my #1 favorite group. (Roland Orzab
al could sing the phone book and I'd be happy.) They're followed closely by Erasure, Yaz, Howard Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Journey, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD), Depeche Mode, U2, ABC, Alphaville, Yes, Dead or Alive, and all those pop synthesizer bands that you probably like to make fun of and tons of 
awesome one-hit wonders (and lots of other groups that don't come to mind right now because it's late at night). I don't care. It's all happy music to me, evoking memories of walking across the campus at Brigham Young University, earbuds to my Walkman plugged into my head as I jammed my way from class to class, to work and home and the corner grocery store, walking everywhere bec
ause I didn't have a car for the first three years I was there. It's the soundtrack to my fading teenage years and my early adulthood. 23 years later, I'm still bopping to it. And it makes me so happy right now to listen to it that I thought I would share the joy.
There are lots other groups and artists I love from the 80's, and I hate to leave anyone out, but this post isn't a discography lesson and I could go on forever and ever. I love just about anyone but those heavy metal hair bands. (Okay, I'll admit to liking Def Lepard just a little. A little.)
Look at my music collection today, and it's an electic walk through time and texture in the sonic medium. F
rom Tschaikovsky (my favorite classical dude) to jazz (old and new, thanks Michael Buble), to religious (Cherie Call, Jericho Road, and EFY compilations among the many) and new age (Kurt Bestor and George Winston, anyone?), to 
Broadway (Phantom, Les Mis, Wicked..) and what David calls "Jolly Rock," which is anything trendy and non-country. Oh, and kids' music (you HAVE to listen to the "Philadelphia Chickens" CD written and illustrated by the talented Sandra Boynton...over and over again) and my latest greatest unbelievable group...the rockapella wonder Eclipse. Six guys and their microphones, and you won't believe what they can do. Must hear. And okay, I'll admit to learning to love country thanks to my husband (Carrie Underwood, 
Rascal Flatts, and Brad Paisley deserve a shout out). Oh yeah, and I lo
ve movie soundtracks...the orchestral kind, James Horner being my favorite modern composer(Titanic is only one of his many masterpieces)...and while we're at neo-classical, it's Josh Groban and Il Divo for the cultural set. Get the picture?
There are over three hundred CDs sitting in my entertainment center and scattered throughout the house and our assorted vehicles. Probably more. I've never bothered to count. My MP3
playlist mixes Styx and Pat Benatar with All-American Rejects, the Fray, Celine Dion, Taylor Hicks, Gladys Knight, and the Backstreet Boys. Among others. 'Cause it has a lot of room for groovy tunes. Of course.
Forget the fact that I have three kids and a husband. Most of the music in this house is mine. And they've all learned to love it or put up with it. (More the former than the latter.) They will request Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (go Donny Osmond!) in the car just because they like it. But on the flip side, I can sing all the words to both High School Musical CDs, standing on one leg with my eyes closed (okay, not while I'm driving.) And I like that, too!
While I'm at it, I should introduce you to one of my favorite sites on the web...yourmusic.com. For $6.99 a month, you get a CD mailed to you. No shipping charges, no monthly minimums, cancel when you're done. $6.99 and that's it. And they have a pretty good selection of music, especially older stuff. So I've filled my CD coffers with some amazing albums I've had for years on tape, or some greatest hits collections of artists gone by. The only drawback is that if you don't have anything in your shipping queue, they will still charge you. But who wouldn't have a long wish list, with all the greatest hits collections they have, on top of the regular albums? They don't have everyone, especially some of the newer artists, but plenty to choose from for the price. And I make no commission...just thought I'd pass on a hot web pick for the day....www.yourmusic.com. Tell them Kristen sent you.
So as I sit here typing, I'm rocking out to the album 90125 by Yes, one of the greatest classic albums of the 80's. Some amazing vocals and synthesizer work..."Leave It" is one of the coolest songs ever written, probably one reason I love rockapella and beatboxing still so much today.
Loud and proud, I'm plugged into my MP3 player (or is it the other way around?) and David has to throw a sock at me from the clean laundry pile to get my attention. Apparently, I have it up so loud I can't hear him yelling my name. Awesome. Rock on!
(Did I mention I love music?)
al could sing the phone book and I'd be happy.) They're followed closely by Erasure, Yaz, Howard Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Journey, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD), Depeche Mode, U2, ABC, Alphaville, Yes, Dead or Alive, and all those pop synthesizer bands that you probably like to make fun of and tons of 
awesome one-hit wonders (and lots of other groups that don't come to mind right now because it's late at night). I don't care. It's all happy music to me, evoking memories of walking across the campus at Brigham Young University, earbuds to my Walkman plugged into my head as I jammed my way from class to class, to work and home and the corner grocery store, walking everywhere bec
ause I didn't have a car for the first three years I was there. It's the soundtrack to my fading teenage years and my early adulthood. 23 years later, I'm still bopping to it. And it makes me so happy right now to listen to it that I thought I would share the joy.There are lots other groups and artists I love from the 80's, and I hate to leave anyone out, but this post isn't a discography lesson and I could go on forever and ever. I love just about anyone but those heavy metal hair bands. (Okay, I'll admit to liking Def Lepard just a little. A little.)
Look at my music collection today, and it's an electic walk through time and texture in the sonic medium. F
rom Tschaikovsky (my favorite classical dude) to jazz (old and new, thanks Michael Buble), to religious (Cherie Call, Jericho Road, and EFY compilations among the many) and new age (Kurt Bestor and George Winston, anyone?), to 
Broadway (Phantom, Les Mis, Wicked..) and what David calls "Jolly Rock," which is anything trendy and non-country. Oh, and kids' music (you HAVE to listen to the "Philadelphia Chickens" CD written and illustrated by the talented Sandra Boynton...over and over again) and my latest greatest unbelievable group...the rockapella wonder Eclipse. Six guys and their microphones, and you won't believe what they can do. Must hear. And okay, I'll admit to learning to love country thanks to my husband (Carrie Underwood, 
Rascal Flatts, and Brad Paisley deserve a shout out). Oh yeah, and I lo
ve movie soundtracks...the orchestral kind, James Horner being my favorite modern composer(Titanic is only one of his many masterpieces)...and while we're at neo-classical, it's Josh Groban and Il Divo for the cultural set. Get the picture?There are over three hundred CDs sitting in my entertainment center and scattered throughout the house and our assorted vehicles. Probably more. I've never bothered to count. My MP3
playlist mixes Styx and Pat Benatar with All-American Rejects, the Fray, Celine Dion, Taylor Hicks, Gladys Knight, and the Backstreet Boys. Among others. 'Cause it has a lot of room for groovy tunes. Of course.Forget the fact that I have three kids and a husband. Most of the music in this house is mine. And they've all learned to love it or put up with it. (More the former than the latter.) They will request Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (go Donny Osmond!) in the car just because they like it. But on the flip side, I can sing all the words to both High School Musical CDs, standing on one leg with my eyes closed (okay, not while I'm driving.) And I like that, too!
While I'm at it, I should introduce you to one of my favorite sites on the web...yourmusic.com. For $6.99 a month, you get a CD mailed to you. No shipping charges, no monthly minimums, cancel when you're done. $6.99 and that's it. And they have a pretty good selection of music, especially older stuff. So I've filled my CD coffers with some amazing albums I've had for years on tape, or some greatest hits collections of artists gone by. The only drawback is that if you don't have anything in your shipping queue, they will still charge you. But who wouldn't have a long wish list, with all the greatest hits collections they have, on top of the regular albums? They don't have everyone, especially some of the newer artists, but plenty to choose from for the price. And I make no commission...just thought I'd pass on a hot web pick for the day....www.yourmusic.com. Tell them Kristen sent you.
So as I sit here typing, I'm rocking out to the album 90125 by Yes, one of the greatest classic albums of the 80's. Some amazing vocals and synthesizer work..."Leave It" is one of the coolest songs ever written, probably one reason I love rockapella and beatboxing still so much today.
Loud and proud, I'm plugged into my MP3 player (or is it the other way around?) and David has to throw a sock at me from the clean laundry pile to get my attention. Apparently, I have it up so loud I can't hear him yelling my name. Awesome. Rock on!
(Did I mention I love music?)
3 comments:
That Erasure "Innocents" CD was one of my favorite albums in the late 80's! I also owned every single Depeche Mode album on cassette tape and transitioned to CD on one of those Columbia deals I did in college. Great music! I've been listening to a few new classical collections lately and am really loving Debussy and Liszt, in addition to Tchaikovksy and Chopin. Great post!
I am right with you on the music! I didn't know what OMD meant...I learned something. You should get a playlist started for your blog to play all of your fav's! {www.playlist.com--that is what I have playing on mine}
Both you and Kasey have great playlists on your blog, and I've discovered some very cool music that way! Does it cost? I need to check this out, baby!
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