Thursday, December 16, 2021
another day come and gone, oh well
I'm assuming this is obvious, but this isn't what my favourite song was during that actual year or this one would've been whatever my mom or dad was singing. I think my favourite song at the time and favourite song of that year now might match up around 1999, but for the most part, there's necessary revisionism going on.
1984 - Bruce Springsteen - I'm Goin' Down
another day come and gone, oh well
On Saturday, I turn 40. For the most part, I don't feel particularly one way or the other about it. Even though I've lived enough years to forget things I do remember thinking just how old I thought 40 was when I was a kid, but being a couple of sleeps away, it's not bothering me too much.
Honestly, I don't think I'd be thinking about it too much, until I decided to think of my favourite song for every year I've been alive.
As a quick tangent, I am still going through all my records alphabetically, but I got bored of writing about them... hopefully that doesn't happen with this when we get to, like, 1988 or something.
Anyhow...
1981 - The Replacements - If Only You Were Lonely
With that said, obviously I didn't know the Replacements in 1981 and it was pretty far after they'd broken up before I found out about what would become one of my favourite bands. I think it was shortly after the Singles soundtrack--that featured two Westerberg solo tracks--came out. And I heard "If Only You Were Lonely" years after that, since it was the b-side to the "I'm in Trouble" 7" and not an album track.
But this tracks! I like mopey songs and I grew to love alt-country (is that redundant?) and this fits right in there.
As I approach (or am already firmly in) middle age, it's weird to think about how much I think "wait this band is getting back together?" and how thrilled I was to catch the Mats last reunion jaunt.
These were close: Black Flag - TV Party, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - The Waiting, X - Johnny Hit and Run Paulene
1982 - Misfits - Skulls
There was some interview with Danzig where he said some dumbass shit about how the Misfits couldn't be founded today because of cancel culture. And to be honest, there's some songs that I probably would've put on here years ago (Remix to Ignition, I'm looking at you") that I'm now like, "huh, no", but none of those songs are clearly fictional and about haunted pumpkins or collecting children's skulls.
Anyhow, this song still rules.
These were close: Yaz - Only You, Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City, Orange Juice - Rip It Up, Fear - Let's Have a War
1983 - The Violent Femmes - Add It Up
I'm sure it's some latent contrarianism that explains why this isn't "Blister in the Sun", but this has always been my favourite Violent Femmes track.
I saw them in 2004, in Auburn, Washington for Endfest and they played right before Franz Ferdinand, who sounded like they only played some crappy radio festival because they got to play with the Violent Femmes.
These were close: The Replacements - Color Me Impressed, New Order - Age of Consent, The Smiths - This Charming Man
Look, this could be any other song on this album, but this is the one I like to sing most at karaoke.
These were close: REM - So. Central Rain, The Replacements - I Will Dare, Wham! - Everything She Wants
1985 - The Jesus and Mary Chain - You Trip Me Up
When I was in junior high, my cousin Reagan sent me a couple of mix tapes with a bunch of bands that will show up on this list. But the one that completely blew my mind was the Jesus and Mary Chain.
I remember driving down to see them in Seattle 15 or so years ago and while they didn't have the big hair, they sounded just like they did on that cassette that I almost wore out.
These were close: Prince - Raspberry Beret, The Cure - Close to Me, Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill, The Replacements - Bastards of Young
now playing: Fear - Let's Have a War
