I had fun thinking back about the music that influenced me in one way or another over the years and have picked "6" diverse story songs that I've enjoyed over the years.
Music and Me
Growing up I didn't listen to a lot of music mainly because my parents couldn't afford to buy me a nice stereo system. This didn't stop me from knowing all the popular music growing up because my friends had stereos and I just listened to their music all the time. This led to some of my first ever paid art gigs too because my friends couldn't draw and would pay me $3 to draw a KISS band member on their pee-chee or $5 to draw Iron Maiden's Eddie on the back of their jean jacket. Not bad coin for an 11 year old up and coming artist. It also funded my baseball card and MAD magazine purchases as well.
I do have to say that my parents did get me a small record player but the only record I really played on it was my Star Wars Talking Record. I'd sit in my room listening to it an drawing pictures. Because of that I still to this day have nearly all of Episode IV dialogue memorized. Handy when you're a geek like me.
In high school the walkman and ghetto blasters hit the scene and all of a sudden music was portable. Sure my brother had an 8 track stereo he saved up and bought, but if I touched that and he found out I'd get some major body blows. The Eagles "Hotel California" wasn't worth that kind of pain.
As a kid I enjoyed all kinds of various music, even some of the albums my parents liked had grown on me like John Denver and Roger Whittaker. I kind of look at this now as audio indoctrination of sorts. ;-P
Each year our family would take summer trips and we'd always drive. On one of those trips we went to visit family friends in North Dakota so we listened to a lot of radio along the way and I grew fond of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy", not so much because of anything it was saying it was just the rhythm and melody I enjoyed. My dads audio penchant for big band resulted in some cool Jim Flora album covers that played a big part in inspiring my artwork actually.
Growing up I had friends mixing and sharing their own custom compilations as well. My music tastes over time became very eclectic to say the least. I had my favorites of course but nothing that completely dominated my attention.
We now live in the digital age where music is every where and easily accessible both legally and illegally. The quality of the recordings has improved and new genres have developed both good and bad.
My Six Picks
Below are six specific songs from various points in my life which captivated me not just because of their mere melody or beat but rather because of the story they tell. I am a visual thinking person being a designer and illustrator so when I listen to these songs it flips that movie projector in my mind and images start flashing before me as I listen to the artist sing the lyrics. They may not all be well-known songs, but I sure do enjoy listening to them because they managed to hit on a deeper cord, the one not found on a music sheet anywhere.
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1. Rush - Moving Pictures
The first time I really noticed and picked up on the story within a song was in high school. A friend of mine let me listen to his tape of "Rush" and their song "Tom Sawyer." I still love this song, it's classic rock and the story behind it is just cool. If a music video was done today I could easily see it done in a graphic novel style.
Song Title:
"Tom Sawyer"
Listen to sample via iTunes here.
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2. Chris Rice - Smell the Color 9
I have to admit the title of song was what attracted me at first. But after listening to the music it just made me smile at how clever the concept was. The tune was awesome but the story was even better.
Song Title:
"Life Means So Much"
Listen to sample via iTunes here.
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3. George Frideric Handel - Water Music
I remember years ago pulling the CD insert out and reading about the history behind this music and now every time I listen to it the unique scene forms in my minds eye. Read more about it here.
Song Titles:
"Suite in F major, HWV 348"
"Suite in D major, HWV 349"
"Suite in G major, HWV 350"
Listen to samples via iTunes here.
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4. Classic Sinatra - His Greatest Performances, 1953-1960
Love crooners in general. Whether it's Blue Eyes, Dean Martin or Tony Bennett, I've probably listened to this song more then any other song in my life. In a certain respect it sums up my life in many ways and that aspect of the story makes it resinate with me.
Song Title:
"Young at Heart"
Listen to sample via iTunes here.
• • •
5. Harvest Worship Band - Praise Worthy
Lets face it life is short in the grand scheme of things. Our time in this horizontal hold we call life quickly comes into eternal perspective when you take into account what really matters in the end. This songs story does this for me, it's a healthy audio diagnosis of my life priorities every time I listen to it.
Song Title:
"Better Than Life"
Listen to sample via iTunes here.
• • •
6. Louis Armstrong - Golden Greats Vol. 1
I love the scratchy quality to Louie's singing. Every time I listen to any of his songs I have the vicarious urge to suck on a throat lozenge. A few years back I bought some of his music on iTunes and this song about life in the south intrigued me.
Song Title:
"Blues in the South"
I couldn't locate the exact song but Louie has a ton of good tunes.
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You can also listen to all of this music listed above in it's entirety for FREE by setting up an account on Pandora.com or download the FREE Pandora iPhone app here.
