How’s that for a title?
See, I’ve been working out at home during the spike in Coronavirus cases. Although my South Carolina-based Y is open, I haven’t felt taking the risk of working out publicly — according to the experts, it’s almost as dangerous as worshipping. Sigh.
Anyway, while I warm up on the stationary bike at home I put in my air pods, click on Apple Music, then Songs, then Shuffle. So the five that came on recently (based, I’m sure on algorithms of songs I listen to and those I skip), said everything about when my musical tastes were formed … circa 1975-1979.
1. The Eagles, Take It To The Limit Live. Randy Meisner’s falsetto never fails to bring goose bumps, whether I’m 16 or 58. The Eagles don’t allow their stuff on YouTube, so there’s no link but please know: even the best versions without Mr. Meisner cannot compare to the original.
2. Thin Lizzy, The Boys Are Back In Town. Is this one really cheesy or really cool? Yes.
3. Boston, More Than A Feeling. This one was cool when I was 16, hopelessly sellout at 18, and then in my 30s I realized it’s always been good. In my guitar playing days, brief as they were, I did learn to play the intro, albeit in slow motion. Super slow motion.
4. Bob Dylan, Neighborhood Bully. This one came out in 1986, so not in my “coming of age musical sweet spot,” but there’s a lot of Dylan in my Apple Music. Dylan treats YouTube much like the Eagles do, so there’s no link, but if you’re in the mood for a scathing look at Middle East geopolitics, you can’t do better than this one.
5. The Rollings Stones, Beat Of Burden. John Mellencamp’s the one who tells us to hold on to 16 as long as we can, but this is the song that does it for me.