Music.

Listen and Enjoy.

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• Quote of the Week: “Music is the soundtrack of your life.” — Dick Clark

An exaggeration from Dick Clark? I do not think so as many of us, upon hearing a song from the past, reflect on where we were, and just as importantly who we were at that time. One example: The bar at The Mutiny Hotel in Miami’s Coconut Grove district, made famous by the documentary Cocaine Cowboys III, the television show Miami Vice, and most recently by Netflix’s Griselda, always had interesting patrons and great live music. One of many nights at The Mutiny a band was covering Weather Report’s song Birdland. For some reason, from that night on, when I hear that song, it brings me right back to that evening in Coconut Grove.

There are other songs and music that also make me reflect, so I agree with Dick Clark’s quote about music being the soundtrack of our lives. Is there a song or music that brings you back to yesteryear?

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• Released in 1969, the Age of Aquarius was the fourth album from the group The 5th Dimension. I was a kid with an older brother who in some ways was beyond his years. He wanted to join ‘the movement,’ the counterculture, and of course attend the historic outdoor music festival, Woodstock (my father put the no-go to that idea). The Age of Aquarius was popularized by the 5th Dimension and the Broadway musical “Hair.” It was a new beginning, it was pop culture, and it was a song that became “a soundtrack of my life.”

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• There was no better theme song and more horrifying movie than The Exorcist (okay, maybe Jaws). There were many stories from across the country that people were throwing up all over each other and leaving the theatre. The atmosphere and intensity when The Exorcist made its way to the big screen was insane. Decades later, when I hear Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, I instantly go back to that Miami movie theater and my nightmares that followed :). This theme from The Exorcist is really well done but I am good with never hearing this song again. Mike Oldfield and the theme from The Exorcist – a soundtrack of my life.

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• Led by Donald Fagen’s lead vocals and keyboard, my memories of this jazz, yacht rock, pop, and fusion band bring a smile to my face. They have sold more than forty million albums worldwide and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame way back in 2001. How can you not remember Rikki Don’t Lose That Number and the song Do It Again? Great memories from a great band.

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• Along with the famous clubs including Limelight and the salty Elan, there was a club on Roswell Road in Atlanta called Confetti’s. The club was filled most nights, with loud dance music, six-foot-tall speakers, and people of all types dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. I have mentioned and asked this before: Do you know who handled the guitar riff on the song Beat It? 🙂 Go to the 3:00 minute mark of the video.

For someone who grew up listening to my brother’s rock music, Michael Jackson’s music became a soundtrack of my life.

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• Formed in 1983, The Cult brought post-punk and a bit of gothic rock from Bradford, Yorkshire in England. They were the forefront of this type of music, and it has stuck with me ever since. She Sells Sanctuary is my favorite from The Cult, and band and a sound that I really enjoy to this day.

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• The early to mid-90’s brought us alternative and grunge. My daughter’s first concert was REM and at that same time Dave Grohl was leaving Nirvana to start Foo Fighters. I am not a fan of all Foo Fighter songs, but their fifteen Grammy Awards make them one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Foo Fighters were elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021, their first year of eligibility. Grohl’s vocals and guitar really are something special.

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• This rap artist made a big impression on me. He came from nothing, as represented in the 2002 movie 8 Mile, and for the most part he kept out of the limelight and stayed humble. Eminem, in so many ways, was and still is a leader and a megastar. All of this has led to my admiration, and as a friend once told me: “Everyone is a celebrity until Eminem walks in.” Nicknamed “Slim Shady” Eminem is among the best-selling music artists of all time, with estimated worldwide sales of over 220 million records. Fifteen Grammy Awards are among the countless honors Eminem has earned. His song Lose Yourself was never done better than at the 2020 Academy Awards Show.

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• Last Sunday was Father’s Day. I thought of my father and everything he did to ensure our family lived a comfortable life. As I reflect on my upbringing, my dad and I were similar in some ways and in other ways opposites. We were a sports family, so whether it was college or pro football, baseball, or basketball, we were always going to or watching a game on tv. He enjoyed the fact that I played all sports, but questioned why I took to a sport that he never understood. Though he did not follow soccer, I know my father was proud of me for the time I spent training. He did get to a few of my college games, and win or lose he would always congratulate me for the effort I put in. A great guy, a proud father and husband, and as Neil Young sings in this song “…old man, take a look at my life, I’m a lot like you were…”. My dad has been gone for a very long time, but I do think of him often. A week late from Father’s Day but always a salute to my dad from Neil Young.

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• These were just a few thoughts on the artists who provided me with great memories. I have not forgotten about Prince, Shania Twain, The Rolling Stones, Adele, The Weekend, Luke Bryant, Jimi Hendrix, Eagles, Metallica, Chris Stapleton, Blondie, Santana, and Madonna. Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. Music takes you right back to the very moment certain things happened in your life. Music is uplifting, it is encouraging, and it can be very inspirational.

• Though today’s post focuses on music that influenced me over the years, I would be remiss in not mentioning Willie Mays, regarded by many as the greatest baseball player of all time. RIP Willie Mays.

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, listen to some music, and have a Sunday Funday!