I’ve been loading up all my CDs into itunes on my new computer and it’s been quite a journey down musical memory lane. With thousands of songs to choose from covering indie rock, alt-country, regular country, plain old rock ‘n roll, pop, dance, folk, hip hop, classical, blues and God knows what else, yesterday I listened to the soundtrack from the Broadway show “13” twice in a row. I am my gay brother’s sister. There’s just something about one of my Saturday afternoon neurotic cleaning episodes that is sometimes best accompanied by show tunes.
Last night I saw a group of Old Town School folks do a tribute to Springsteen’s Darkness tour at the Viaduct. That means all stuff from Springsteen’s first 4 albums, which are my favorite 4 Springsteen albums. So many of the songs gave me intense memories. “Candy’s Room” took me back to the basement at 18 Holly. I was about eight years old and discovered the “Darkness On The Edge of Town” 8-track in the little wooden homemade 8-track holder, somewhere between ELO’s Greatest Hits and the soundtrack to “Grease”. I would usually play the first track only which was “Badlands”, “Adam Raised a Cain” and “Candy’s Room.” Over and over. Listening to those songs now, I can smell the musty basement air, see the puke-green painted basement stairs and that creepy clown paint by numbers that still hangs on the concrete wall to this day.
“Spirit in the Night” takes me back to the summer of 1992. I was home from college on my break, and my summer temping job hadn’t yet begun. It was a hot and sunny afternoon, and I got in my red Pontiac Grand Prix and drove to pick something up at Caldor on Route 10. When I was on my way home “Spirit in the Night” came on WDHA, “The Rock of New Jersey.” I did the obvious, and blasted it, singing along at the top of my lungs. One listen wasn’t enough so I popped the “Greetings From Asbury Park” cd into my player (which was of course a separate contraption that hooked up to the cassette player in the car). I just kept driving and driving, screaming along to Springsteen, watching the heat rise from the pavement in front of me. I was so happy. I had no real responsibilities. It was summer. I was in love. I finished up year one of college and was excited for year two. I felt free. I was, in that moment, the best of Jersey stereotypes in action.
Get off the porch. Get into my car. Let’s drive down the shore.
The smell of freshly poured asphalt, cherry Slurpee, Forsythias, salt water and funnel cakes with music blasting and my friends and I cracking up over pretty much nothing... Jersey is a lot more than mobsters and sluts. Snooki and The Situation aren’t even from Jersey, fer Pete’s sake.
That said, stereotypes are born in reality. This conversation once happened when I was in high school:
Mom: Who’s the guy that called?
Me: (Super Italian name)
Mom: He sounded nice. Do you like him?
Me: I’m not sure. He asked me out.
Mom: What’s his Dad do?
Me: He’s in waste management.
Mom: DON’T GO OUT WITH HIM.
(I didn’t wind up going out with him and I think my Mom’s instincts were correct on that one.) Also, I’m hoping there are no long-term health effects from second-hand Drakar Noir inhalation because if so, I’m screwed. But I digress…
“Born To Run” comes with a ton of different memories. One of my favorites was when my friend Judy and I, both super fans, saw Springsteen play for the first time at Madison Square Garden. “Born To Run” was playing and the entire stadium of thousands were on their feet, singing along to every word. I remember thinking how there was nothing in the world like being in a room full of thousands of people who are all singing the same song. Then I turned to my friend and she took a quick break from screaming the lyrics at the top of her lungs, to yell to me, “I’VE NEVER BEEN THIS HAPPY IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.” Thinking about that moment cracks me up and makes me get a little choked up. Musical bliss.
As I continue to load up these cds, no matter how much I’ll wind up listening to Neutral Milk Hotel, Iron & Wine, or The Smiths, or maybe James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald and The Beatles or even Timberlake, Bruce Springsteen will always be the boss of me.
"I remember thinking how there was nothing in the world like being in a room full of thousands of people who are all singing the same song."
ReplyDeleteThat was EXACTLY how I felt when I finally saw Springsteen live (the Born in the USA tour) at the Meadowlands. It was magical. (and I, too, am creeped out by that clown painting).