track 24: the wheel

In the late summer of 1991 after my graduation and having healed enough to get off the crutches, I went on vacation with my brother, Dave and our dad. We drove up to Georgia where we visited my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Bill as well as spending sometime at the home of our friends the Forbes on beautiful Lake Burton. We went whitewater rafting, which was insanely fun. While driving through the Blue Ridge and the Smoky Mountains, we'd take turns playing music. I always had to choose music that I thought my dad wouldn't mind (clearly Madonna was out) that wasn't "too weird" for him. I figured one good choice would be Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. I had their cassette, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, which I had gotten because of their single "What I am." I really loved their music, especially "Circle" which is an all-time favorite song. (Blog drinking game, every time you read that something is an "all-time favorite song" take a shot!) It's lyrics are still really personal to me today:

being alone is the best way to be
when i'm by myself it's the best way to be
when i'm all alone it's the best way to be
when i'm by myself nobody else can say
Me, i'm a part of your circle of friends
and we notice you don't come around...

However, the song that reminds me of this trip is actually "The wheel" with it's chorus that went:
the wheel keeps on turning and turning and turning and
nothing's disturbing the way it goes around
the wheel keeps on turning and turning and turning and
nothing's disturbing the way it goes around...
It made us all laugh as we rode through the winding and curvy, twisting and turning road through the mountains.



The band's second album, Ghost of a Dog was one of the first albums I bought for myself on CD. I hadn't heard one song from it, but loved their debut so much that I knew I couldn't go wrong. It's true. I enjoyed that album as much as the first, especially the amazing "He said" and "Woyaho," which I remember singing along to as I played the song on my Discman in the back of my stepfather's truck as we were on a trip somewhere with poor Dave forced to listen to me sing along.



Edie's first solo album, Picture Perfect Morning was beautiful and laid back and the title track? Another all-time favorite.

and when my plane flew through the rain
it shook the wings and people screamed
but i was so sure that i'd see you again
i was not afraid of anything

I didn't get into her Volcano album much and still haven't heard her reunion with New Bohemians from a few years back, Stranger Things but the first two discs are always going to be in heavy rotation.

track 2. vacation

The first full LP I recall having (that is, the first one that wasn't Disney-related children's music) is The Go-Go's second album, Vacation from 1982.



I got it probably a year or two after it had been out. I was 9 or 10 years old and they were my favorite band. Vacation was a gift from my Uncle Ron, who was visiting Miami with his wife Michelle. There was a mall that would have been pretty new at the time where the family would usually go to every Friday night. My brother and I would spend our allowances on G.I. Joe figures at Toys R Us (where I'd end up working a decade later). We could usually afford one a week. Or I'd buy 45s at Camelot Music or Record Bar. Then we'd all go have dinner in the food court, Taco Viva or Sbarro's Pizza. After, we'd go home and my mom and Granny would watch "Dallas" on TV. On weekends, my brother and I got to sleep in our sleeping bags in the living room after staying up late watching "GLOW: The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling!" Anyway, I remember going with my uncle and his wife to International Mall and picking out the record. I think when we got home, I immediately played it on my little Mickey Mouse record player for them out in the patio.

The Go-Go's would continue to be my favorite band during the 80s, despite the fact that they broke up after their third disc, Talk Show came out. I actually saw them on the tour for Talk Show with my mom. Okay, so usually when asked what my first concert was, I say with pride, "The Go-Go's!" But it's not 100% true. It's the first concert I went to as a fan. In reality, my first show was Melissa Manchester. My mom was going to see her with some friends, but when a friend was ill, she agreed to let me go instead. I don't remember where it was. But I had a set of binoculars. However, in 1985-86, when The Go-Go's came to Miami I somehow got my mom to get tickets for us to go. I was so excited. And then I got sick. No matter. I went to the show anyway, at Sunrise Musical Theatre. The opening act was INXS, who I didn't know at the time. It might have been around the time Listen Like Thieves was released, but definitely before Kick came out and everyone knew INXS. All I remember was that they were loud and I was miserable and during intermission, vomited in the restroom. Finally, The Go-Go's came out and you know, I don't remember much because it was so long ago, but I'm sure they rocked. Once the set was over, we made our way out as I was still not feeling well. Once we were out in the lobby, heading out the door we heard them start up again for an encore. One of my favorite t-shirts ever was my Talk Show tour shirt. It's still somewhere in a drawer, and obviously far too small for me now, but it's one of the few musical souvenirs of my youth that I would still wear with pride. For a few years, I had this amazing poster of the band above my bed. I had got it at Atlantis, this water theme park, of all places. It was my favorite poster that was eventually torn (by mistake...?) by my stepbrother. Every once in a while I check out ebay to see if I can find one like it, but I've never seen anything even close. To this day, hearing the title track, or frankly any song from their first three albums, makes me want to jump up and down with joy. The Go-Go's and their music are always going to be favorites of mine.

Watch the video and do "The Belinda!"