Top Of The World

I wanna rock.

I love music. But it's a love that has evolved. In high school, when I wasn't listening to jazz and blues and preparing to be a professional saxophone player (true story!), I filled my ear with a lot of Top 40 hits. I loved just about every song from the 80's. I liked Duran Duran when it wasn't cool (or advised) to do so. My favorites were Rush, Van Halen, Depeche Mode, Def Leppard, ABC, The Human League, and the Cars.

Then, when I was a junior in high school, an older co-worker at Doc's Drugs got me hooked on classic rock. I started listening to groups like Clearance Clearwater, the Rolling Stones (their old stuff), and the Who. And the Guess Who.

My college years were a succession of phases. Freshman year was Pink Floyd, Men At Work, and old "pre-Invisible Touch" Genesis (first semester) and XTC (second semester). Sophomore year was Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and some more XTC. Junior year was AC/DC and another helping of XTC. Senior year was the best: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers ... and some more XTC. (I did nothing to help the popularity of XTC with the five people who were unlucky enough to be my roommates in college).

One year out of college, I embraced Steely Dan and (The) Urge Overkill. While in Manassas, I drew the first "Brenda Monarch" cartoons while listening to a mix of Adam Ant, Alice In Chains, The Meat Puppets, The Lemonheads, The Grays, and The Judybats. When I was on the road for Baseview, I went through a rotation of listening to Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, The Rentals, Fountains of Wayne, Neil Diamond, Metallica, Collective Soul, Bush, and 311 ... but especially They Might Be Giants. When Charlie was born, I was listening to a lot of K.M.F.D.M. (to my wife's horror). These days, I've been playing a combination of everything mentioned above. I still, to this day, listen to a lot of They Might Be Giants and XTC - I guess they're my favorites. (It seems fitting then that TMBG wrote a song called "XTC vs. Adam Ant." Weird, I know).

So what's playing at my house today?

The Carpenters. They rock.

Jena got me a Carpenters CD for Father's Day. I've always loved Karen Carpenter's voice. It's really sad that she's no longer with us (she died in 1983 of heart failure; she was a recovering anorexic). I'm sure that if she were still alive, both her and her brother, Richard, would still be making beautiful music today. I'm a fan of the Carpenters - not afraid to say it.

Now don't you wish you were my roommate?