Saturday, February 28, 2015

It's My Party by Kait Carson

I had three musical childhoods. How did that happen? Easy, I was what is known as a ‘late child’ or maybe SURPRISE would be a better word. To hear my parents tell the story, they don’t know how I got here. I’m figuring that’s not true. I have a much older brother. So, I have three distinct musical heritages.

My parents swung to the orchestras of the 1940s and early 1950s. My brother to rock and roll from the days of Bill Haley (and Patience and Prudence) right though the 1960s teen death songs and early Beach Boys. I showed up in time to groove to the psychedelic rock era, big hair, broad shoulders, and disco. Who else is nodding in time to Bee Gees besides me?

The big band era passed with little notice from me. That era belonged to my parents, and although
my mother taught me to cha cha and Lindy, it was more a chore than a delight. Frank Sinatra made me roll my eyes in long-suffering LP silence while I waited my turn to put Cream or Donna Summers on the turntable. Yes, turntable. On a big console stereo unit in our living room.

My brother’s music probably made the biggest impression on me. First, his records all played with something called a ‘spider’ in the middle. As a child, I thought that was really cool. Second, he was my big brother, and I idolized him. He was and is one of the people in the world that everyone loves. Whatever he did, I wanted to do. Whatever he liked, I liked. That included music. So the soundtrack of the late 50s and early 60s provided the backdrop of my life.
 
Lesley Gore died last week. For some reason, I felt her death more than other idols of my generation. I remember wanting to cut my hair so I could wear it in a flip, just like hers. Never happened. And I remember wondering what boy would be so stupid to jilt her. Most of all, I remember going to my friend Judy’s birthday party. Her mother put Judy’s Turn to Cry on the playlist. Judy swore her David would never make her cry. Seems to me at one reunion or another I discovered that they had married, and divorced. The fact that they married was awesome (in the real definition of the word) enough for me.

Many of the musical artists of my ‘natural’ childhood died early. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll took their toll on my generation’s music. Although I was sorry for their loss, I never felt it. Not the same way I felt Lesley Gore’s death, Jan Berry’s death, Carl Wilson’s death, and Dennis Wilson’s death, among others. The death of these and other artists of the era told me time was marching on. Lesley Gore in particular. When I read of her death, I was visiting a friend named Judi. Judi is four years younger than I. The name was unknown to her. Until I hummed a few bars of Judy’s Turn to Cry. She knew the song, not the artist. I understood then that I had leapfrogged a musical generation. The knowledge somehow increased my loss.

How about you? What is your musical generation?

15 comments:

  1. I'm a four generation music affectionado. I like some music from my parent's generation (Dean and Frank), from the "in between generation," I like early R & R like Bill Haley, Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, to name a few), but I also like "my music," like the Stones, old Rod Stewart, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Aerosmith, etc. What makes up my fourth generation--my kid's music, which is 1990s and 2000s- Gun 'N Roses, REM, Godsmack, Nivana, Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi, etc.

    I was sorry to see that Lesley died so young. I wonder what she did the last twenty years of her life.

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  2. One of her song was "You don't own Me" expressing her independence and self value.

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  3. @EB Wow, four generations! That's amazing. I've heard of some of the later entries but not ever heard the music. I'll have to look them up. Wouldn't it be fun to do a playlist of your life? It always amazes me how sound and scent are the two biggest memory triggers.

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  4. @ Warren - yes, she certainly did. She was an early proponent of women's rights from what I have read of her. Well before Ms. Magazine.

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  5. Oh--that's an interesting project, Kait--song stories of your life. My story "Maybe Baby" explored a bit of that. Behind each song would be a story, would you, Kait, leave the story behind the story untold? Some songs evoke memories in a sentient way.

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  6. My songs go back to my parents' songs during WWII. Yes, Nat King Cole as well as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, etc. I have CD's of the old crooners. Yes, there were the songs of the Elvis period and others, but my very favorite singers and songs are from the folk music era of the 60s and 70s. I have stacks of those CD's I listen to; Tom Paxton, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, etc. Then I got hooked on Celtic, bluegrass, current folk singers, old time string bands, and some country western. I go to at least one or two folk concerts a month and almost always buy one of the group's CD's. However, I also like the classics. Beethoven's fifth with the Emperor's Suite has me stopping whatever I'm doing to direct the music along with the conductor wherever he is. The same is true for Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto #2 and Paganini Rhapsody, of Aaron Copeland's Rodeo to name just a few.

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  7. It's amazing to think that before the invention of radio (which, in terms of human history, wasn't that long ago) one had to be present where and when music was produced to enjoy it. How far we've come!

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  8. There are generation gaps in my family too. My parents were from the Big Band era. My sister listened to late 50s/early 60's songs like "The Twist." I relate to New Wave music groups like Duran Duran, ABC, and Culture Club.

    It's amazing the variety of music available on Internet radio and iTunes. Very different than when I was growing up.

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  9. Sorry all for the break in responding. Laid low with a migraine. Back in fine fettle now.

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  10. My musical tastes are fairly eclectic, but harmony is important and I want to be able to hear the words, so loud is not my thing.

    ~ Jim

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  11. @EB - I would like to think I could tell the story behind the song. Many are moments, but some, are feelings. The smell of the sea breeze to under the Boardwalk. It's A Hard Days Night evokes the hallway scent of musty carpet in a Florida hotel where I stayed with my parents and an image of myself in boywatcher sunglasses. Extra points for those who know what boywatcher sunglasses were. Others, Rock Around the Clock brings to mind an image of my brother's friends dancing up a storm at one of his parties. I feel the marks the baulsters make on my hands and the sides of my face as I press forward to try for a better view.

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  12. @Gloria - that is a very eclectic collection. I too love the folk singers, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez, Buffy Ste. Marie. So many. My husband likes both kinds of music, country and western. He reminded me when I told him of my blog topic. I love that you live in an area that has folk concerts. Here on the Florida west coast, it seems most bands are either 1960-1970s reconstituted bands or cover bands. I would love to hear live folk singers again.

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  13. @KM - right you are. Radio was quite the magic box in its day. And it wasn't so awful long ago either. Our across the street neighbor is 103. One day I got him talking about the changes he's seen. He remembered when radios were a novelty owned by very few. He looked at me with wonder in his eyes and said, "Now we have the Internet." The time progression of his statements took my breath away.

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  14. @ Kara, sounds like we might have been separated at birth! It is amazing how much you can find on the Internet. And how it can take you home - OH BOY John Denver just flashed through my mind. Now I have to find that CD.

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  15. @ James - YES. Every song needs to tell a story. One you can listen to and understand. I wonder if there is a tradition between oral history, music, and creative writing. Seems there should be.

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