Brahma Blogs

This team blog is designed to allow a group of friends who have known each other for 20+ years to share their thoughts on culture, politics, religion, relationships, etc.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Musical Memories

Walter's trip down memory lane with Hitchhiker's reminded me of the other thing that always triggers memories of our time in high school together - music.
For instance, whenever I hear Ultravox, I think of Walter.
I'm sure whenever Walter hears Big Country, he thinks of me and how I ruined that song for him (as well as his one of his favorite mix tapes - sorry Walt).
When I hear any song by the following bands today, here's who it makes me think of:

English Beat - Julia
Monsoon - Greg
New Order - Lark (and his purple car)
Heaven 17 - Lark (and his purple car)
Rush, Maynard Ferguson - songs I first heard at Russell's house
Any songs from Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's or St.Elmo's Fire - Walter (not because he owned the soundtracks - we saw the movies together)
Depeche Mode, OMD and whoever sang that "Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" song - Tom
Any hymn at a catholic church - Tom
U2's Joshua Tree Album - Lark and Russell's apartment they shared with Andy Hong (no idea why except that's when the record came out)

I would have listed some bands and songs that reminds me of Michele but there are so many it wouldn't have fit on the page and it wouldn't do her justice.

How about you guys?

posted by cvo @ 10:55 PM  

11 Comments:

  • At 11:51 AM, Blogger Michelle said…

    Curtis-What a great trip down memory lane. I actually dug out my old records (yes about the only thing I have left from those days that has survived 11 moves with Chris). I don't know why I hang on to them as I don't even have a record player anymore, but I think the music brings back memories of the good times with you guys when I see them in the closet. Here is my list:
    Nena - Greg
    David Bowie - I think Michele
    Billy Joel - Michele's locker in the early days
    Ramones,The Clash, The Producers - Julia
    Prince - Curtis and the scalped concert
    UB40-Greg
    Juluka - everyone
    New Order - Greg
    Big Chill - everyone since we all saw it together and tried to figure out who would be who in 20 years.

    And finally, I agree with Curtis' assessment that Michele introduced us to some of the best music off the beaten track.

     

  • At 12:23 PM, Blogger Unknown said…

    Yikes, Curtis.

    It's amazing how much my musical taste has changed. I'm much more of a Bach, Vivaldi, Purcell, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Steve Miller, Boston, Steely Dan, Rush, Genesis, They Might Be Giants, and Cake kind of guy these days.

    (OK, and I have a soft spot for the original Star Wars music by Williams. :^)

    Don't really listen to the New Order flower album much these days. I pretty much can't stand Depeche Mode from "People are People" onward, though I did like listening to Yaz in undergraduate days. "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" did seem fun 20 years ago, but it doesn't hold much for me now.

     

  • At 9:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hey Curtis,
    Sorry about the delay signing on. I spend each day reviewing a few hundred messages from operational submarines and determining what actions I need to do to support them and I get burnt how looking at a computer. I don't like get on one much, I much prefer a book. But back to reason for the comment,
    Mirror in the bathroom - Curtis, Russell and the Bug.
    It was the first time I rode in the bug, met Russell, slept over for the weekend at Curtis and played light fixture basketball. Watch out for glass doors.

     

  • At 9:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hey Curtis,
    Sorry about the delay signing on. I spend each day reviewing a few hundred messages from operational submarines and determining what actions I need to do to support them and I get burnt out looking at a computer. I don't like get on one much, I much prefer a book. But back to reason for the comment,
    Mirror in the bathroom - Curtis, Russell and the Bug.
    It was the first time I rode in the bug, met Russell, slept over for the weekend at Curtis and played light fixture basketball. Watch out for glass doors.

     

  • At 11:10 AM, Blogger jmeriwether said…

    My musical tastes have changed, too, Tom, but there are certain associations that don't go away.

    U2 - Greg, because I saw the WAR concert at the Meadows in Austin my Sophomore year of high school with Greg and his older brother (whose name completely escapes me)
    Big Chill and St. Elmo's Fire - Curtis
    Ramones - Russell, because I saw them at the Bonham Exchange with him
    Melt with You (which band is that?) - Tom, because I have a photo of him singing it. How can I tell that's the song he's singing? He's doing the MMMMM part.

     

  • At 11:16 AM, Blogger Unknown said…

    Modern English, I think.

     

  • At 7:02 PM, Blogger R said…

    Julia, you disappoint me! Doug Shaw was our pipeline to great music, via Greg. He drove the 3 of us all up to Austin for that WAR concert (which to this day people my age and younger are ultra jealous of), and gave us a tour of all the best sights that I later came to love, such as the 360 bridge (Walter, remember the night we went for a drive and got lost and all of a sudden out of the blackness that bridge was looming over us?). Doug turned Greg on to Ultravox Reap the Wild Wind (but I think I heard Vienna at your house via Susannah, who I give 2nd billing to next to Doug for musical influence), New Order, and Joe King Carrasco, who he took us to see at SAC at the end of Freshman year. Michele, you have definitely the biggest influence now, but I'm pretty sure the only thing I remember hearing first via you in high school was Heaven 17. Curtis, my main music memories for you are Harry Nilsson Lime in the Coconut and always popping out whatever tape I had in to put in Purple Rain Soundtrack. I think you are pigeonholed me to my middle school musical tastes in your list!

    Here is an interesting thought: I would guess that Tom and I spend more time commuting than a lot of you, and his list sounds like he must listen a lot to the classical station in Denver, which is pretty much what I listen to in the car. Mostly because it plays music without ads during the rush hours, and not NPR! Although I liked classical music well enough, I wasn't really a *fan* but I think I am now becoming one. Kim (White Erlanger) told me basically the same thing about herself the other day.

     

  • At 7:03 PM, Blogger R said…

    Oh by the way, I still have the album for "Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" which I bought after hearing it at Hogwild Records. If anyone knows how, I can probably post an MP3 here...

     

  • At 6:42 PM, Blogger jmeriwether said…

    Hey, I have to respond to Russell's billing of Susanna (no h) as influence number 2. I don't remember you being a big fan of the Judy's, Teardrop Explodes, the Buggles, or XTC, which are the bands that S introduced me to. Ultravox (yes, Vienna) Madness, English Beat, Adam Ant, Squeeze and others were introduced to me by a boyfriend of my oldest sister, Anna-Maria. Sean Tuttle lives in DC and I even tried to get Russell and Lark to look him up at the hotel restaurant (Tabard Inn) where he tended bar when they went on that Latin trip to DC when we were Juniors at Mac (at least I think we were Juniors. Sophomores, maybe?). I can see now how that would have been uncomfortable or even pointless for them, but Sean was so much fun and had such a good ear that I wanted to share him with my friends. I kept in touch with him long after A-M and he stopped seeing each other. Anyway, I'm just giving credit where credit is due. By the way, Nena came to me via my oldest brother David, from a friend of his who was stationed with the Army in Germany. There are lots of advantages to being the youngest of so many...

     

  • At 6:57 PM, Blogger jmeriwether said…

    p.s. I never paid much attention to the Ramones or the Clash before Carl Martin made me a few tapes. So, he goes with those bands, too.

     

  • At 8:23 AM, Blogger R said…

    Lark and I had a funny time trying to find that fella in DC during our Latin trip. We were also in seach of the AMEX office, as Lark had lost or left his traveler's checks at home; I'm not sure if we found the AMEX office, but we definitely didn't find the pub that we were looking for; it probably wouldn't have been open anyway, as I remember it being early on a Saturday morning.

    The next year we were also on a failed quest at Curtis' behest, looking for an oak tree in a park in Boston that had a bunch of money stashed in it, as part of some HBO show; I guess today it would be called a reality show. I think they had hidden a bunch of money somewhere, and dropped clues as the series went on. Curtis thought he had it narrowed down to this old tree.

     

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