Right about this time in 1986, a catchy song with a simple chorus that - on the whole - wasn't so simple was peaking on the Billboard charts. "Life In a Northern Town" appealed to me when I first saw it on MTV. I had never been to England, which is depicted in the video. Hell, … Continue reading Days of future, past: The Dream Academy, “Life In a Northern Town” (1986)
growing up in the burbs
Glittering prizes and endless compromises: Rush, “The Spirit of Radio” (1981)
Sometimes a song has two distinct memories, and it's hard to decide which one is more powerful. Today is your lucky day, for you get both of them. In 1982 I was a freshman at Victor J. Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. My formative years were spent between Tinley … Continue reading Glittering prizes and endless compromises: Rush, “The Spirit of Radio” (1981)
Great lost hit: David and David, “Welcome To the Boomtown” (1986)
In the summer of 1986 David Baerwald and David Ricketts paired up to record a series of stories set to music. At least that's how I describe the songs on Boomtown, an album that managed to get to number 39 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart despite little support on the singles chart. It's … Continue reading Great lost hit: David and David, “Welcome To the Boomtown” (1986)
Happy birthday, Boss: Bruce Springsteen, “Growin’ Up” (1973)
Bruce Springsteen turns 67 today. Proving without a doubt that age is merely a number, The Boss has been touring the last several months, continually breaking his own record for longest concert appearance. His shows on this tour have been clocking in at over four hours. I've seen him twice, and both times the shows … Continue reading Happy birthday, Boss: Bruce Springsteen, “Growin’ Up” (1973)
Now here’s something we hope you’ll REALLY like: Boris Badenough, “Hey Rocky” (1986)
(Above: Take that, moose and squirrel.) Oh, where to begin with this one.... Further to the subject of mixtapes from the other day: for every one that was completed, I probably came up with ideas for another three. One that was started and abandoned - for reasons that shall become clear - was called "Obnoxious … Continue reading Now here’s something we hope you’ll REALLY like: Boris Badenough, “Hey Rocky” (1986)
The song that inspired this blog – Simon and Garfunkel, “My Little Town” (1975)
So what was the song playing when I thought "I should share these thoughts?" Oddly enough, it was "My Little Town" by Simon and Garfunkel. The song made it to #9 on the national charts in late 1975. (Word of warning - expect a lot of chart stuff on this blog. The dissertation that I wrote is … Continue reading The song that inspired this blog – Simon and Garfunkel, “My Little Town” (1975)
45 Ruminations Per Megabyte 