What a Long Strange Trip it's Been Part 1

Gustav's Groupie asked his readers to share their personal musical taste evolution. It made me think about my own journey with it's ebbs and flows. Well without further ado here is my best attempt to describe my own musical evolution. It's a lengthy history so I thought I'd share it in parts.

I grew up listening to whatever my dad listened to. He ordered a lot of greatest hits albums from one of those music catalogs. So my childhood music memories are filled with vision of Dire Straits, Hall n Oates, Huey Louis and the News, Billy Joel, Steve Winwood and Peter Gabriel. I also remember calling a radio station when I was young to request Say Say Say by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney. We were not allowed to watch MTV so I didn't really know much about music during the 70's and 80's.

Once I got a little older (10 years old) my dad started to let me pick out some albums from the music catalog. Even though I loved my Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Expose', New Edition, Bobby Brown, INXS, and Jet's albums I'd say with the exception of INXS they weren't the most intelligent of picks.

I continued to live in the "Dark Ages" musical knowledge throughout Junior High and into High School. My musical taste included whatever Dick Clark told me was on the countdown this week. I don't think I purchased many albums during this Dark Period. But don't despair dear Heather a Renaissance is about to occur.

When I was 14 I started to listen to the college radio station. For the first time in my life I heard about groups like REM, Sonic Youth and The Smashing Pumpkins. Things are about to change. More to come.