Originally written in June 2003
Jogging the memory dial
By Chris Murphy
It is amazing the things that were once a daily part of our lives are filed away in stacks of vinyl records, preserved in their cellophane sleeves with price tags of $5.99. Why is it that we move in phases archiving all along the way?
But every once in a while, something jogs you and brings it all out to the front. There are those who want to endlessly relive their high school glory days and there are those who never look back. I usually fall into the latter category but hypocritically, I am one of the biggest packrats of the souvenirs of my experiences, from a cocktail napkin from a Mexican bar where I nursed a broken ankle, the boy scout merit badges earned in 6th grade, a plastic bag from Penny Lane records in Liverpool or a ticket stub from my first Paris Metro ride. Official market research indicates that the deep trends, music, experiences and brands that you enjoyed during the high school and college years are the ones that we keep and prefer as we get older. Makes sense. Most people my age typed, yes typed, their term papers to the infant sounds of MTV all night long, the day before they were due. These are how memories are made and how easily we file them away.
But sometimes they make it back. Look at bands like, Notorius and the Cheeseballs that are making the circuit. The cabaret of the 70s and 80s live today, reborn by the A-Teens, Stung, Mama Mia or the original artists. Very few 80s people remain as legends other than the rare Sting, Boss, Madonna or Bono. With no radio format to support them, too many are relegated to the novelty section like Flock of Seagulls. But are they any less memorable?
Colin Hay of Men at Work recently played the State Theater. The energy was amazing. My college memories were set free and I went home wondering why Men at Work was not in my CD changer. It is now. This band accidentally got swept under the rug at the close of the 80’s
Many 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s artists are coming to Modesto now, courtesy of the State and the Fat Cat. Each and every one of these artists jogs a little piece of our memory, unlocking a college or childhood experience, bringing a vivid replay of our past. Just what were we doing when we listened to these songs? In the case of Eric Burden of the Animals, many Vietnam Vets had very emotional attachments to We Got To Get Out of this Place and Sky Pilot. Powerful indeed, and with the sounds of a few notes, it takes you to another place. A recent Eddie Money concert took me back to Beyer High. My wife and I were transported back to our first wedding dance when the Association played Never My Love at the State. And you thought time travel was not possible. All it took was a song.
Music is a powerful thing and reaches farther into our minds than you might expect. Nostalgia, when safely consumed, is a wonderful thing. It makes us pause for a minute when we think where we are going to go in the future. Just how powerful are the arts and music? We may never know.
But one thing we do now for sure that every once in a while we remember just a bit and take a well needed break from the high-speed-broadband-Technicolor-microDV-2.6 ghz –internet messaging world that we live in. Who is coming to town next? Better dig through the vinyl now and get ready because you never know what memory will be released next.
