The songs that matter.

jackhammer · 09-07-2010, 06:23 PM

THE PASSIONS

I have two journals on MB but I have been through a lot over the past year or so that ultimately ended in me seemingly losing my own identity and I really want to get back to what makes me tick.

This is a journal about the songs that still matter to me and make me who I am and isn't that what a journal is about?

My father is someone I came very close to despising for many years when I was a teenager. As far as I was concerned he tore my family apart through his infidelity when I was 14 and consequently my parents split. Through adult and not child eyes, I know he was just another man to end up loving someone else other than his wife for better or worse and once I recognised this I realised that we we were not too dissimilar character wise.

My father did and still does today; love music. We share very few bands together but he adores music and collected 7" singles for over 20 years and labeled them and wrote them down in a notebook he had and I know he was devastated when he had to part with them when the divorce came through and although his priority was his kids (indeed despite my hatred at the time i ended up sharing a home with my dad) I know it broke his heart to let them go and even now over 20 years later when he visits me, he brings his PC hard drive over and asks me if I want any music.

This love of music has absolutely shaped me and it still shapes me today ( he loves films too but that's another story) and whenever I meet my dad his utter enthusiasm and love for music keeps me going.

He used to regularly tape the charts (top 40) onto cassette in the 80's and certain songs stood out even though they had no particular relevance at that time other than being good tunes.

One of those tunes was by a band called The Passions and the only hit they had 'I'm In Love With A German Film Star'. i was 9 when I first heard this song and although I loved music, I couldn't conceptualise what it meant or understand the genre or the lyrics etc

However upon discovering the song a few years later I found that despite the nostalgia attached, I could still enjoy the song on it's own terms.

Obviously I think about my father whenever I hear this as he recorded the track (unwittingly) over a few cassettes and it ended up being played a lot more than the usual fare at that time.

Many many years on (in the mid noughties) I rediscovered the track and to my amazement found that it still sounded damn good. Is it the monotonous beat? The guitar track with that wonderfully simplistic guitar echo that seems to guide a light into the past and stay imprinted on the brain? Or is it the production? I didn't know what production was when I first heard it but even now it sounds vibrant with a hint of melancholia that I look for in music today.

I don't want people to say 'oh what a great track that was' or 'it's boring'. I just want people to understand WHY I like it and on a forum such as this I still hope that many tunes have an emotional connection as strong as a cerebral connection and enjoy the stories behind the music.

Music is not just something I listen to. I live it and breathe it and could NOT survive without it.

jackhammer · 09-09-2010, 06:29 PM

MADONNA

What? Madonna? Are you sure? Well of course I am. This is 1984 don't ya know? The track Like A Virgin was everywhere but I never liked that track and still don't but a much more important thing happened in that year. I acquired my first walkman. I was 12 and about 4 foot nothing with music still a facet of my personality even if I didn't know it yet.

I already had a paper round at that time for money (as my dad said that he would not pay for a pair of decent trainers unless I paid for them myself- feck you dad I did it!) so I managed to buy a cassette walkman and the very first cassette I bought was Madonna's Like A Virgin.

Again music provided a soundtrack to my life, specifically summer 1985 and with this being one of only 3 or 4 cassettes I had at the time (cannot remember the rest), it was on constant rotation whilst doing my paper round in what seemed like a never ending summer of blazing heat and naivety.

Even then certain songs stood out for whatever reason and the second half of the album (the B side of the cassette) being particularly stronger.

Like A Virgin was one of the very first CD's I bought when first getting a C.D player and I think my copy is around 20 years old now but it still get's a listen (in fact I played it less than 2 weeks ago) and despite some obviously dated pop, it still boasts some decent tunes for what is essentially throwaway Pop music. The cover of Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore is genuinely top class and Stay remains a solid Pop song too.

Nostalgia is an overrated word but when certain songs still work and hold up then I feel that I should acknowledge them as essential stepping stones to bigger and brighter things.

Goblin Tears · 09-09-2010, 07:35 PM

I LOVE that Madonna song you posted, too bad it's completely overshadowed by singles like 'Material Girl', which is inferior imo. Into The Groove is probably one of the best pop songs I've ever heard, but if I remember correctly, it was only included on later versions of that album. Second half of that album is pop gold, and first half comes darn close.

jackhammer · 09-17-2010, 06:09 PM

IRON MAIDEN

I have mentioned the story behind this before, so apologies for any deja vu for older members and for that I will make a much more condensed post.

1986. My parents split in the summer of this year. I was 14. That's a hard enough time as it is without them arguing etc but solace was found by really finding music which gave me an identity.

To cut a long story short the guy who introduced me to this band is still my best friend after 24 years (we met up last week for a gig) even though we live in different countries now. Rarely has a sense of belonging (no matter how small or insignificant to others) been attributed to a piece of music and said piece of music STILL raises the hairs on the back of my neck today.

Iron Maiden are not everyone's cup of tea and Heavy Metal is not to everyone's tastes either which I am completely understandable about but for a piece of music to still be eminently listenable after listening to literally thousands of bands since and enjoyed by us both is no mean feat.

This track was the catalyst for me and it's why I'm a mod now and why I still listen to music and love it. That first solo still gets me every time and is a first stop for when things ever get too much for me.

c91329 · 01-29-2011, 10:51 PM

Madonna is a true icon. I love her and she continues to make good music.

09-07-2010, 06:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	The songs that matter. THE PASSIONS I have two journals on MB but I have been through a lot over the past year or so that ultimately ended in me seemingly losing my own identity and I really want to get back to what makes me tick. This is a journal about the songs that still matter to me and make me who I am and isn't that what a journal is about? My father is someone I came very close to despising for many years when I was a teenager. As far as I was concerned he tore my family apart through his infidelity when I was 14 and consequently my parents split. Through adult and not child eyes, I know he was just another man to end up loving someone else other than his wife for better or worse and once I recognised this I realised that we we were not too dissimilar character wise. My father did and still does today; love music. We share very few bands together but he adores music and collected 7" singles for over 20 years and labeled them and wrote them down in a notebook he had and I know he was devastated when he had to part with them when the divorce came through and although his priority was his kids (indeed despite my hatred at the time i ended up sharing a home with my dad) I know it broke his heart to let them go and even now over 20 years later when he visits me, he brings his PC hard drive over and asks me if I want any music. This love of music has absolutely shaped me and it still shapes me today ( he loves films too but that's another story) and whenever I meet my dad his utter enthusiasm and love for music keeps me going. He used to regularly tape the charts (top 40) onto cassette in the 80's and certain songs stood out even though they had no particular relevance at that time other than being good tunes. One of those tunes was by a band called The Passions and the only hit they had 'I'm In Love With A German Film Star'. i was 9 when I first heard this song and although I loved music, I couldn't conceptualise what it meant or understand the genre or the lyrics etc However upon discovering the song a few years later I found that despite the nostalgia attached, I could still enjoy the song on it's own terms. Obviously I think about my father whenever I hear this as he recorded the track (unwittingly) over a few cassettes and it ended up being played a lot more than the usual fare at that time. Many many years on (in the mid noughties) I rediscovered the track and to my amazement found that it still sounded damn good. Is it the monotonous beat? The guitar track with that wonderfully simplistic guitar echo that seems to guide a light into the past and stay imprinted on the brain? Or is it the production? I didn't know what production was when I first heard it but even now it sounds vibrant with a hint of melancholia that I look for in music today. I don't want people to say 'oh what a great track that was' or 'it's boring'. I just want people to understand WHY I like it and on a forum such as this I still hope that many tunes have an emotional connection as strong as a cerebral connection and enjoy the stories behind the music. Music is not just something I listen to. I live it and breathe it and could NOT survive without it. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-09-2010, 06:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	MADONNA What? Madonna? Are you sure? Well of course I am. This is 1984 don't ya know? The track Like A Virgin was everywhere but I never liked that track and still don't but a much more important thing happened in that year. I acquired my first walkman. I was 12 and about 4 foot nothing with music still a facet of my personality even if I didn't know it yet. I already had a paper round at that time for money (as my dad said that he would not pay for a pair of decent trainers unless I paid for them myself- feck you dad I did it!) so I managed to buy a cassette walkman and the very first cassette I bought was Madonna's Like A Virgin. Again music provided a soundtrack to my life, specifically summer 1985 and with this being one of only 3 or 4 cassettes I had at the time (cannot remember the rest), it was on constant rotation whilst doing my paper round in what seemed like a never ending summer of blazing heat and naivety. Even then certain songs stood out for whatever reason and the second half of the album (the B side of the cassette) being particularly stronger. Like A Virgin was one of the very first CD's I bought when first getting a C.D player and I think my copy is around 20 years old now but it still get's a listen (in fact I played it less than 2 weeks ago) and despite some obviously dated pop, it still boasts some decent tunes for what is essentially throwaway Pop music. The cover of Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore is genuinely top class and Stay remains a solid Pop song too. Nostalgia is an overrated word but when certain songs still work and hold up then I feel that I should acknowledge them as essential stepping stones to bigger and brighter things. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-17-2010, 06:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
jackhammer Ba and Be. Join Date: May 2007 Location: This Is England Posts: 17,331	IRON MAIDEN I have mentioned the story behind this before, so apologies for any deja vu for older members and for that I will make a much more condensed post. 1986. My parents split in the summer of this year. I was 14. That's a hard enough time as it is without them arguing etc but solace was found by really finding music which gave me an identity. To cut a long story short the guy who introduced me to this band is still my best friend after 24 years (we met up last week for a gig) even though we live in different countries now. Rarely has a sense of belonging (no matter how small or insignificant to others) been attributed to a piece of music and said piece of music STILL raises the hairs on the back of my neck today. Iron Maiden are not everyone's cup of tea and Heavy Metal is not to everyone's tastes either which I am completely understandable about but for a piece of music to still be eminently listenable after listening to literally thousands of bands since and enjoyed by us both is no mean feat. This track was the catalyst for me and it's why I'm a mod now and why I still listen to music and love it. That first solo still gets me every time and is a first stop for when things ever get too much for me. __________________ It be my music and film collection. “A cynic by experience, a romantic by inclination and now a hero by necessity.”

09-09-2010, 07:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
Goblin Tears Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Ireland Posts: 337	I LOVE that Madonna song you posted, too bad it's completely overshadowed by singles like 'Material Girl', which is inferior imo. Into The Groove is probably one of the best pop songs I've ever heard, but if I remember correctly, it was only included on later versions of that album. Second half of that album is pop gold, and first half comes darn close.

01-29-2011, 10:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
c91329 Groupie Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 18	Madonna is a true icon. I love her and she continues to make good music.