Still Not the Answer You Were Looking For?

Kate explores the impossibility of explaining what kind of music she listens to.

Almost anything can be improved by a great song. And for me there is something to the element of surprise: the treat of a song that has retreated to the back of the memory, but suddenly like a ripe strawberry wakens the tastebuds, my ear-buds spark some kind of pavlovian response of bubbling over joy. The best part is the songs don't have to be by definition "good songs" or by "respected musicians"... I can get the same mile-wide smile from "Ice, Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice as I can for "La Vie En Rose" by Louis Armstrong (two songs I heard recently!)

All for You by Janet Jackson

Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band

The Circle Game by Joni Mitchell

Flowers on the Wall by Statler Brothers

Ain't Nobody Home by B.B. King

I like the radio for its element of surprise, but I'm not rewarded as often as I'd like. (though Spencer thinks that perhaps this radio station on our sidebar might be just the thing!) A couple months ago I bought an MP3 player and spent hours upon hours uploading all my music. Now I find that as I do the random play function on it that I actually don't know half the music I own. That is good and bad. Good--because I don't need to shop to find new stuff; I can explore my own music collection. Bad--because the sheer number of songs I uploaded means I will have less chance of hitting the favorites on a "random" setting. The songs peppered through this post are not my all-time favorites or anything, but they were songs I didn't bypass as I typed this... a sampling of what I DO listen to. (of course these ones are good but just now "Talk to Me" by Stevie Nicks started playing and ahhhh....)

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk by Rufus Wainwright

Honeycomb by Jimmie Rodgers

Prince of Darkness by Indigo Girls

Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line by Waylon Jennings

One of These Nights by The Eagles

At trivia a week ago, I was asked what sort of music I listen to and I stumbled and stammered through that one and was frustrated later when I realized how difficult it is to answer that question. Too bad I didn't have the list of musicians Spencer and I had listed on our profile. My mind was blank.... I thought he was looking for " genre".. I settled on classic rock. But what does that even mean? My friend leaned over and said.. she likes folk. I am not sure I can comfortably settle on one slice of music.

I'll Think of a Reason Later by LeeAnn Womack

We Can Work it Out by The Beatles

My Best Friend's Girl by The Cars

Something in the Air by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Happy Together by The Turtles

In fact, I am a hyper-grab-you-by-the-hand-listen-to-this sort of music person .... a girl who can barely finish the song before rushing off to play you the next one... I would love nothing better than to sit you down and play you songs that I loved when I was a kid or a teen... in college or one I discovered yesterday... songs that aren't even GOOD but are memories and maybe my enthusiasm makes them better... it's like a scrapbook of sound... a slip into my memory album... singing Patsy Cline in the kitchen with my mother, crying my 11-year-old eyes out to Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" and listening to it so much that the words rubbed off the cassette... Hearing the Eagles for the first time cruising Main at 14 in an orange Chevy truck... Feeling the rush of a train whipping by our vehicle on a summer night while Great White played "Once Bitten Twice Shy." Passing a bottle of Southern Comfort and listening to "The Jack" by AC/DC pounding so hard through the car speakers that my heartbeat seemed to slip into the rhythm. I have prom memories to the song "Angel Eyes" by Jeff Healey Band. (the funny thing is that I don't even know WHO that is... I just know that one song that mattered for a time).

Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf

Nothin' at All by Heart

Except for Monday by Lorrie Morgan

You're Beautiful by James Blunt

Cocaine Blues by Johnny Cash

A lot of music in my life is linked to people... but some of it has become so woven into me that it is simply a song that makes me throw my head back with a giant sigh of pleasure or sets my feet to dancing... I like nearly every kind of music. Lyrics are VERY Important to me and I tend to prefer songs that have their power there. I don't often like the long intro or the lengthy guitar solo (impatience, really). One thing that makes me love a song even more is if I can SING ALONG to the song... which I will any chance I get. I just love songs that reside more in my vocal range. Of course these factors are only a couple elements in the mystery of what makes me like a song. Another thing that I love is the way a song can build to a point of bursting and then there is a belting out of music at some point. (I guess crescendo, might be a word to describe this... but I am not sure I really explain...) I love powerful vocal sounds and I love delicate acoustic songs. I love live music, old country, folk, oldies, protest rock, British bands, 80s hits, classic rock, funk, blues, soundtracks, songs from musicals, alternative rock (what does that even mean?), easy listening, big band, crooners, motown, disco, bluegrass, coffee shop stuff, some current top 40, some country, some punk, even some tits-and-ass-rap-crap...

Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac

Martyrs and Thieves by Jennifer Knapp

Girlfriend by N'Sync and Nelly

Call Me by Blondie

Lonely Girls by Lucinda Williams

What kills me is to talk about all of this and not play you one note ... It's wrong. I just don't know how to upload music to our blog and even more.. I am guessing it's not legal! Instead each of these links should bring you more info on the musician. Some of the sites have their music there begging to be played.

River by Bruce Springsteen

Lonesome Wind Blues by Rhonda Vincent

Singing the Blues by Marty Robbins

Substitute by The Who

Stayin' Alive by The Fugees