Songs (And Ultimately Albums) That Changed My Life [Part 1]

I have always had, in my head, certain albums, songs, or musical moments, which have had a significant effect on my life one way or another. Finally, just to get it out of my system, I am going to talk about them here. Now most of you might not agree with what I’m laying down, but for me, these will always have a special place in my iPod (and heart).

1. “Jeremy” by Pearl Jam

When I first heard this song, I was in sixth grade. I was going thru the typical grade school slump: I had like three friends in my school; most of my best friends went to the public school (I was stuck in the very narrow-minded catholic school), I got made fun of by all the “cool” kids b/c I was short and a total geek; swimming wasn’t a cool sport yet.

I wasn’t really into music yet either at this point in my life other than the occasional listen to my Dad’s old Who and Jethro Tull albums. It was the first part of my sixth grade year, fall of 1992; Ten was released in 1991. I had been ratted out by a supposed friend of mine for stealing communion hosts or some stupid shit and got detention. I remember being really pissed at him and hated school in general and really despised going. After I had gotten home from detention, I put on MTV (back when they 1.) played music videos and 2). played good music videos.

As I was saying, I never listened to popular music at the time, so the first time I actually heard Pearl Jam was when I saw the music video for “Jeremy.” I remember watching it, and then just sitting there, on the floor of our living room, shocked. Going to this sheltered grade school, and not having a ton of friends, along with a lack of good radio, all really hindered my musical growth at this time, so when I saw the gruesomeness of a kid who kills himself in front of his whole class, I was stunned. Needless to say, I spent the next couple of weeks saving my allowance until I had enough cash to go to The Wall with Alex and buy Ten on cassette.

Ten was my first venture into modern music. I don’t remember much from my life before 1995, but the emotion and feeling that album gave me was surreal. Eddie Veddar is the reason in 7^th grade I started to grow my hair long, which led to a number of detentions and warnings; I had hair touching my shoulders, which was forbidden at a catholic school.

PS: This of course led me to purchasing Pearl Jam’s Vs. the following year, which for me, is the quintessential Pearl Jam release. As great as Ten is, Vs. blew my mind even more. Every song on that album is brilliant. From “Go” to “Animal” to “W.M.A.” to my favorite all-time PJ song “Rearviewmirror.”

2. “Basket Case” by Green Day

Now, fall of 1994, 8^th grade, same stupid school. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg released their debut albums at this time (which I had both). For me, nothing in music really stuck out in my head. Personally, I was now one of the “cool” kids. For some reason, once we all got into junior high, no one really seemed to care about popularity as much, everyone kinda hung out with everyone. Football players were now playing hacky-sack with the geeks. Girls hung out with every dude, not just the ones who they thought were attractive. I was playing football with the jocks. It was a crazy time.

A little older now, my parents gave me a little more freedom. I was allowed to ride my bike all over town. My best friend Alex and I used to ride to the music store, Coconuts, at least once every two weeks (if not more) to see what was new on the shelves. Now of course at this time, there was no internet to go check out if you liked a band or not before you bought their album. If you didn’t hear a single on the radio, you didn’t know the band existed.

So, when “Basket Case” first entered my ear drums, I was again, blown away. I had never heard punk music before. How could I have never heard punk music before? Where was my Dad on this one? He totally dropped the ball. How did I spent 13 years on this planet and never heard punk. That next weekend, there we were, Alex and I, allowances in hand, purchasing Dookie like every other kid in our class.

Now, many people may argue Green Day sold out, and isn’t really punk, but this is my column, so we’re not going to have that argument. This was punk, and it was being played for the masses. Dookie began my life-long love affair with everything punk, and everything which followed.

PS: As great as Dookie is, I feel to truly appreciate Green Day, all Green Day, you have to go back and listen to their Lookout! Records releases: 1000 Hours EP, 39 Smooth EP (or now you can only get the album 1039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours) and Kerplunk. Then go back and listen to Dookie and the rest, and then you will hear the greatness which is Green Day.

More to come...