My Musical Pedigree

Earliest Musical Influences: Bubblegum Music of the 70's- mainly cartoon bands like The Banana Splits, The Archies, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and Sesame Street bands like Little Jerry and the Monotones. Also prefabricated TV bands like The Monkees, The Bugaloos, Lancelot Link, The Short Circus, The Brady Bunch Kids, The Partridge Family, etc. These memories were rekindled by the excellent book, Bubblegum Music Is The Naked Truth.


Earliest Influential Records: Many movie soundtrack which were bought by my parents in lieu of being able to see the movies again (pre-VHS days)- soundtracks like Popeye, The Muppet Movie, Star Wars, one of the Alvin and the Chipmunks records, one of the Brady Bunch Kids records- I remember listening to these albums for hours and hours.


First Record Bought With My Own Money: Michael Jackson's Thriller- the year was 1982 and along with a kazillion other people, I slapped my money down for Thriller. Still a great record- I totally recommend the remastered CD reissue. (In spite of his sad recent troubles, Michael back in the day was awesome- admit it!)

First Band I Was Religiously Into: Public Enemy- went through a huge hip hop phase in my rebellious and socially anxious late-80's high school years. And Public Enemy were my gods. Imagine a 16 year old white kid rapping to all of PE's lyrics in art class, every word memorized.

First Rock Band I Was Religiously Into: R.E.M. round about 1990, and my worship of the band has not yet abated even though Into The Sun kind of sucked. From Public Enemy to R.E.M.- how the hell did that happen?


First Concert: Believe it or not, it was Metallica- 1988, And Justice For All Tour. For mysterious reasons, my older brother dragged me and my younger brother to the Meadowlands to see a heavy metal band we knew nothing about. Great experience and cool bragging rights. Clad in requisite black tee shirt, I recall making my sweaty-handed way through the parking lot full of intimidating tailgating metal-heads, a Bataan Death March of social group awkwardness. After that trial though, it was a headbanging awesome time (everything post AJFA sucks, BTW).


Beatles or Stones?: Beatles, no question. Don't own a single Stones record and probably never will. The Beatles on the other hand, are a big part of my life. The depth of their genius is truly awe inspiring. Over the last few years, the early Beatlemania days have dominated my Beatles fandom (those Bubblegum leanings again).

Last Record Bought: Went to Amoeba the other day and picked up the CD single for De La Soul's "Ring Ring Ring", Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over The Sea, and a used copy of Not In My Airforce cause mine is still back in New Jersey.

Currently In My CD Player: I think its a Bollywood film music mix that I downloaded off of the internet. Great stuff by the way, especially the 60's Bollywood soundtracks- a catchy combo of 60's pop/rock and traditional Indian music.

Currently Playing On My Itunes: I think I was last playing the live version of Boxing About from the recent Southern leg of the Bob tour. No Itunes here at home, only at work :(