Soundtrack

Last night I was doing some work on the computer. It was pretty late and Mr. Little Man was already sleeping. Whenever I am doing any work I usually have music playing in the background. For some reason I was feeling particularly sentimental and I was reminded how certain music reminds of certain times of my life.....kind of like a soundtrack.

Cowboy Junkies, Depeche Mode and the Cure take me straight back to Junior High. I listened to a lot of U2 back then as well. I still listen to a lot of U2 and I always think of Tom Campbell when I hear “With or Without You”. I don’t know why, but it is safe to say I was a little moody in Junior High. Tom was a boy in my class who I had a huge crush on. He was Scottish and had a great accent and always listened to U2. Clearly, he was gay, because my feelings were not reciprocated.

Whenever I hear Salt and Pepa’s Blacks’ Magic or Snoop’s Doggy Style I always think of my first year in college. A friend of mine taped those 2 CDs for me so that I could listen to them on my way to college (back in those days nobody had CD players in their cars) I remember driving from NJ with the windows down, hair blowing in wind, listening to Snoop discuss the merits of both gin and unprotected sex.

Anything by Charlie Musselwhite, BB King, Jonny Lang or any other Blues artist reminds me of all of the great weekends I spent of Beale Strret when I was in college. Those were some of the best nights of my life. Great music, lots of dancing, cold beer. Everything you need in life.

Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill ....God, That album takes me back to a weird time in my life. “Tell Him” and “Ex-Factor” both remind me of McDreamy because “Tell Him” always wanted me to admit my feelings and “Ex-Factor” explained every single feeling I ever had about us. When this CD came out, I listened to an interview with Wyclef Jean where he said that he and Lauryn Hill had that Tammy Terrell and Marvin Gaye kind of love. When things were good they were phenomenal and that they could speak without talking, but when things were bad they were “in the gutter” bad. He explained every feeling I had perfectly.

R. Kelly - Chocolate Factory. One of my favorite R & B albums of all time. Clearly even perverts can write amazing music. The album is a masterpiece; “Forever” reminds me of everything that could have been. I listened to this a lot when CT lived with me. It is a little unnerving having your brother sing these songs as loud as possible on your way home from the beach (just imagine Eddie Murphy singing Roxanne in Beverly Hills Cop. Its a lot like that)

Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake” reminds me of every single man I’ve ever slept with. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Not because I regret sleeping with anyone, but in their own ways each of them was a good mistake.

John Mayer - Reminds me of cold crisp fall mornings when I take Mr. Little Man on hay rides or apple picking. We always listened to JM when we went on our fall expeditions.

James Taylor. James Taylor, Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis are - HANDS DOWN - my favorite musicians ever. Whenever I hear James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” I am instantly transported to 1998 when I slow danced in a church parking lot in South Carolina to that song. That was easily one of the most romantic moments of my life.

James Taylor also reminds me of cleaning out my grandparents house after they died. The rest of my family viewed it as a task that the needed to complete as soon as possible whereas I tried to hold on to everything I could because I felt like if I held on to their stuff I’d hold on to them. Sad, but true.

This list could go on forever, but I’ll leave it at that and not even attempt to tell the story of how TLC’s “Creep” reminds me of my stalker and why I was scared to take a shower when I was home alone.

CONFIDENTIAL TO THE GUE: I have started my diet and exercise program, but I desperately need to know why “Mr. Pib + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious”. I dislike both red vines and Mr. Pib, but is the combination so crazy delicious that I should throw caution to the wind, forget about diet and exercise and exist solely for these two things?