My Other Love

Wow, an entry that doesn't pertain to The Boy, Baby Girl, The Husband, or pregnancy. This is dedicated to my other love.

Music.

I've been trying to come up with my list of top ten bands/artists. I've been really thinking about it and there are certain requirements that allow a band into my top ten: did I have a random obsession with this band, do I know a lot about this band, do I own at least three albums by this band, do I know most of their songs, and do they make me giddy with delight when I hear them at random times?

Then I had to decide the order based on these certain requirements. I also feel that a person's taste in music says a lot about them. According to my taste in music I am a very jumbled and confused person. Makes sense. Yes, you can all make fun of me but I dare you to challenge me on my love for these people.

10) Electric Light Orchestra. ELO. What can one say about ELO that would do them justice? Their songs are so original and what's great is that not one song sounds like another, yet when you hear a song by ELO you know it's ELO. I once used the song Evil Woman as my mom's ring tone. I'm pretty sure she'd cry if she knew that. This is the most fun band ever.

9) Hall & Oates. Yes, I can hear you snickering but gosh one great song after another with them, and they didn't just stop at their own music. They wrote songs for so many other people. So much fun. They are terrible actors though. But gosh, their hair was the best. And no one had a sexier moustache than Oates.

8) Supertramp. Seriously. Love. This. Band. I only have two albums. I haven't heard a lot of their songs, but this band falls into the category of giddiness when heard. I once had a blog named Supertramp. Love Supertramp.

7) Led Zeppelin. I can't think of one bad thing to say about Led Zeppelin. They have some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written. If you take the time to actually listen to them, they are very poetic at times. Baby baby baby baby oh baby. Great musicians and a voice that is distinct. Doesn't get much better. There is so much more to this band than Stairway to Heaven.

6) Dave Matthews Band. I'll be honest, I haven't stayed current with DMB in the last few years because they went from putting out amazing albums to average albums and then there was the whole taking a dump on Chicago incident. But, this is a band that played a very important part in my life from 1995 to 2000. This was my band. When I was in high school, none of my friends liked DMB (obviously didn't know good music if it came up and bit them in the butt) but my brothers did and we used to sit around and play Monopoly or Rummy and listen to Crash. Then I worked at Chili's for awhile and my closest friends there were also huge Dave fans so it was easy to keep up on his music then.

5) Pink Floyd. Let's face it; there isn't another band that I have an entire day set aside each year to celebrate. I am really looking forward to PF Day 2009 when I can sit back, watch The Wall, and enjoy a bloody mary. I just need an evening when The Husband, The Boy, and Baby Girl are all gone because PF Day is meant to be just me and PF and no one else. Or else I'll have to move the DVD player up to the bedroom and keep everyone out...except Wriley. The Dog is allowed to celebrate with me.

4) Alison Krauss [and Union Station]. I always find myself coming back to AKUS. She is incredible. The whole band is incredible. They seem to have a song to fit anything I am feeling and bluegrass is just so much fun and enjoyable and makes me want to run around naked in a feel of wheat.

3) Porcupine Tree. Along with Bela Fleck, I have seen this band [in concert] more than any other band. Who are PT, you ask? You should look them up, listen to In Absentia, and never look back. I was hooked from the first moment I heard Blackest Eyes. Steven Wilson (and all members) is an amazing musician and song-writer. I am honestly thankful that PT has not found fame the way other bands have because it makes them more accessible to their fans. This band helped me learn about other bands out there and find a whole new world of music to enjoy.

2) Abba. God Bless Abba. Phenomenal voices, phenomenal song-writing skills, phenomenal band. I "discovered" Abba my senior year of high school and managed to find old records of theirs and spent most of my time memorizing their songs and actually attempting to learn Swedish. Plus, Benny's hot. Teehee.

1) The Beatles. Sounds pretty generic, I suppose, but anyone who knows me knows that my love for The Beatles goes beyond the norm. I have read books, own many albums, and have been obsessed with The Beatles since I was 15. True fans of The Beatles know that George was the real musician of the band and that Ringo, despite his mediocre drumming style, was the glue in the end. They also know that John was on brilliant yet truly messed up individual and Paul was and is a sell-out. Okay, I know these are really my own opinions and you can completely disagree with me and that's fine. I also think people need to leave Yoko alone. She did not break up The Beatles; The Beatles were looking for any excuse to break up and go their own way and Yoko worked out to be a pretty good scape goat. Yoko may have the worst voice in the entire world, but she is full of love and is a pretty rad artist, in my opinion.