At fika this morning we discussed how the advent of digitized music will change how children remember music as adults. Even though CDs, cassettes, 45s, and LPs still exist in many households and second-hand stores, the electronic medium eliminates the physical ownership of something that can be seared into memory because of the cover art, or the sound of the needle hitting the vinyl, or the place in the record where the scratch affects the sound, for example.

When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, I was given an album at Christmas every year. Underneath the stocking, which was hung with care, I would discover a new album leaning against the fireplace. In my small family we opened our presents after lunch, so this gift was to keep me occupied and out of my mom’s hair while she prepared the food. My dad was, and is, a huge music lover, and Scottish country dance teacher, so he would choose the gift.

A nod to Discogs because I found the album details quickly and easily…and seeing the cover art brought back a lot of memories for me.

ABBA for Christmas

I am currently living about 7 km from one of the ABBA singers. Which is hilarious and strange because I grew up in Nova Scotia, about 7000 km from Sweden. ABBA is forever ingrained in my memory banks and a number of their songs are the only ones I can maybe sing reasonably well if I were challenged in a Karaoke contest… Here are the five albums my dad gave me. The links are to more information on Discogs.

• Arrival (1976)
• The Album (1977)
• Voulez Vous (1979)
• Super Trouper (1980)
• The Visitors (1981)

Do you remember these?

I clearly remember the album cover for the LPs below. Although I replaced most of my LPs with cassettes, and cassettes and LPs with CDs, (and now almost everything is replaced with Spotify), I kept these albums. Somewhere in my house they lean against the inside of a tea chest, next to the turntable that has nowhere to plug into…

Somewhere in these tea chests, my LPs are still with me.

And in the twist of a life getting older and a person who ponders such things, the magic of the Internet and YouTube enabled me to rediscover my childhood today.

• Sid & Marty Krofft – Pufnstuf Original Soundtrack Album (1970). Absolute most favorite song is Different with Mama Cass and second favorite, Living Island (links to YouTube clips).

• Ray Conniff Singers We Wish you a Merry Christmas (1962). Favorite song, Ring Christmas Bells (link to YouTube)

• Also by Ray Conniff Charlotte’s Web and other Children’s Favorites (1973). Charlotte’s Web my favorite (YouTube)

• Songs from the Wizard of Oz (1971). Favourite song is Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead.

• Star Wars London Philharmonic Orchestra (1977). I was only 10 and snuck into the movie 7 times (you were supposed to be 12 or something). So more a memory of that than the album.

• This one is the anomaly. Walt Disney Presents: All the Songs from Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1964). I gave it away! I regret few things, but I do regret this. My favorite song is simply, Winnie the Pooh. But Rumbly in my Tumbly could also be.

Coolness…I am, am I?

In case this musical interlude leaves you wondering about my music tastes…I want to say that I am an avid and varied music listener. Someone once said to me that there are only two kinds of music, good and bad. What is good for one person may not be for another (this can extend to many things of course). My LPs, cassette tapes, CDs, iPod, and Spotify collections all support my HUGELY varied tastes. Stay tuned as I am sure there will be other posts about music in the future.

PS. I still know all the words to Blister in the Sun and Add it Up (Violent Femmes, 1983), First and Last and Always (Sisters of Mercy, 1985), Nightporter (Japan, 1982), Tainted Love (Soft Cell, 1981 although I loveMarilyn Manson’s version even more)..and many more…but of course my dad would never give me that kind of music!

Psst. Pass it on. 

Music is everywhere.