Many Thanks From The Boy Behind The Buzz

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog followers and any who harbor wishes of becoming followers. In honor of the day devoted to being appreciative for everything from life to food to safety I'd like to step out from behind the curtain and share with you just how deep passion for what I do runs. For me music appreciation class in the school of life started when I got my mitts on the original London soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar. I was drawn into it by the raw anger, the hard rock fury. As proof of my accumulated respect I can tell you one of the original vinyl LPs has been played so much part of the vinyl has been worn to powder. From "What's The Buzz?" to "I Don't Know How To Love Him" to the various instrumental interludes this soundtrack was and to my mind still is jaw-dropping. It exemplifies what hard rock at its finest should sound like. Much of my 1970s music tastes ran to TV theme songs, not exactly a surprise considering I dined on TV watching with quite a bit of regularity. I'm a huge fan of Rhythm Heritage's version of the theme from S.W.A.T. You listen to that and impression No. 1 is usually "Hey, I want to go there and separate some sexual deviant's head from his neck" You're flat out pumped up!! Props go out to "Suicide Is Painless" better known as the theme from M*A*S*H. I also liked The Rockford Files theme quite a bit as well. During the '70s I didn't really have a musical taste preference per se. Then, in 1979, Blondie entered my orbit. I know "Heart of Glass" was the monster hit but its B-side, "11:59" was viciously satisfying in its own right. Debbie Harry supplied with my first crack at having cool taste in music rather than just gliding by on whatever usual kiddie fare was available. I am forever in your debt, Ms. Harry. Thanks to you my love affair with rock began in earnest. MTV cranked up in 1981. Most pop culture hordes know this chapter and verse. But what you don't know is, while others wanted their MTV and subsequently got their MTV August 1st, 1981. I didn't get mine until November, 1982. First video my peepers were exposed to? Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean". The game, as they say, was on. I very much got into the tunes of 1983. Everything that year had a special zing that I likely won't hear again in my lifetime. Everything from Kajagoogoo, to Taco, to Spandau Ballet, to Bow Wow Wow, to Peter Schilling seemed programmed from another planet, and I wanted the first rocket ship ride taking me there. By the late '80s hard rock snagged my cojones in a vise like grip. I don't apologize for owning a few Winger 45s. I don't have to apologize for owning anything from Warrant's catalog simply because I don't own anything from said catalog. Enter the 1990s. I respect everyone who thinks Kurt Cobain's suicide was a tragedy of epic proportions but I never thought of grunge as too terribly motivating a force in my life. This guy's supposed to be the voice of Gen Xers like me who those before me see as slackers with no real direction? If I wanted to stare at my navel and sing along to the "Life sucks" mantra I'd turn on the news. That said I do confess "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a true American original. There's no song in the known universe that's so jarring, so discordant, so up in your grills. The late '90s were a breath of fresh air for me because both the teen pop and Latin invasions brought fun back onto the charts. Nice break from flannel grunge and honky despising gangsta rap. If you can't at least crack a smile at "Livin' La Vida Loca" then you're in fact not human but a repressed cyborg bent on destruction. After we stopped pissing our pants over Y2K the 2000s burst into view. J-Lo's career continued its upward trajectory. Destiny's Child romped along. Do like me some "Bug A Boo". That's effective on so many levels. Beyonce runs the show but as a quartet then trio then Beyonce gets bit by the solo player bug act, they were riotous to watch. The 2000s brought Muse to my attention. Many years later I still lick my plate clean whenever the trio pops back onto the scene. I did admire everyone from Puddle Of Mudd to Staind, to Texas grown Blue October during the aughts but Muse turned out to be the towering skyscraper dwarfing many thoughtfully erected but much less ambitious walk-up apartments. I'll admit to dropping Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" into guilty pleasure status. I admire Lady Gaga's brass but Katy Perry's music captivates my attention. The 2010s appear poised to heighten Halestorm's lead vixen Lzzy Hale's potential as a major player on the hard rock scene. Thanks for allowing me the vanity of giving you my music loving history in encapsulated form. If you'd prefer I spare you excessive word barf and stick to reviewing the art form I'm so crazy about, message received. You can expect future tune talk in the not too distant future. Rockin' Robert out. Be sure to save room for pumpkin pie!!