Nostalgic Music Month Day 24

Queen by Jon Hilton

Today I choose the music of Queen and the late great Freddie Mercury.  Not only does their music stand the test of time, it also takes me back to the late 1970’s and 80’s. They are also responsible for some of my greatest nightmares as a kid because the album cover of the killer robot scared the crap out of me. But eventually, I was able to get over my fear and just enjoy the music and receive the message.  Queen created songs that were motivational and moving. If you don’t like Queen then you don’t like good things in life. You need to readjust your priorities or the killer robot is going to get you.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody– Classic Queen that was made even more popular when it was used in the movie Wayne’s World. It became a classic sing

   

   along song. For me, it is also used as a code word. I had the good fortune to work with a great group of people. One thing we always wanted to avoid was running into the owner of our business. Because life was easier if you didn’t. The code word for when the owner was around was “Bohemian Rhapsody”, that warning would allow people to make themselves busy or scarce whatever the best plan of action for them was.  A great song which brings back nothing but great memories of those great people. I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango? Thunderbolt and lightning Very, very frightening me. 

2. Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls– These two songs always went together on the radio when I was a young kid. The thing is that when this came out I was pretty interested in riding my bicycle and I wanted to ride it where I liked. There was a time of innocence in most people’s lives that change over time. The second song is about that type of change. As you grow up and hormones take over, the preoccupation with the fairer sex is inevitable for most young men.  Not Freddy Mercury so much I guess, but for me. Fat Bottomed Girls made me laugh and still does. These songs go together for me as an ode to my personal development in life. You say Rolls; I say Royce. You say God; give me a choice! You say Lord; I say Christ! I don’t believe in Peter Pan, Frankenstein or Superman All I wanna do is bicycle./  Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin’ world go round.
3. Under Pressure– There is no force less talked about but more prevalent in the lives of people than pressure. We all put pressure on ourselves to be successful, happy, or perfect. Or at least to create the image of perfection.

   

   Today more than ever Facebook lives are not real but they are an image someone creates that they want the world to see. The pressure is really in being who you are and saying to hell with the world and what they think. This song always takes me back to the times in high school where it felt like you would never fit in or never get to a point in life when you could just be yourself. Don’t wait to be who you are, it is the greatest gift you have. Why can’t we give love that one more chance. Why can’t we give love give love give love give love. Give love give love give love give love give love. ‘Cause love’s such an old fashioned word. And love dares you to care for The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of Caring about ourselves.

4. Another One Bites the Dust-Throughout my life there has always been competition. I enjoy competing and I enjoy winning. Especially when there are factors you can control, strategy, planning, and execution that can be better than others. Most people think that they are smarter, or more deserving than others. We are all the star of our own reality show. This song has always been in the background of every accomplishment or victory I have experienced in life. Winning isn’t everything, in fact, it is the cooperation that competition brings about that is most important.  Competion is isolated, but cooperation is a true team sport and in cooperating the best of all people will rise to the top.  A group becomes a

   

   team and true victories are achieved.   Are you happy, are you satisfied?How long can you stand the heat? Out of the doorway the bullets rip
   To the sound of the beat.Look out!

5. We Will Rock You/We are the Champions– Stomp, Stomp, Clap! Stomp, Stomp, Clap! Where would we be without this simple Queen contribution to the world? It is fun to do and brings people together. Combine that with the simple phrase, We will, we will, Rock You. You have a winner.  This is a perfect introduction into We are the Champions. The true measure of a champion is the journey they take to get the prize. In sports as in life, the obstacles overcome to achieve greatness are the very things that give them their real value.  We have all been down at some point in life and had the choice to quit or fight back. Fighting back and rising again is the great human story.  But it’s been no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. I consider it a challenge before the whole human race. And I ain’t gonna lose!

Def Leppard by Mike Martin

I clearly remember the first time that I heard Def Leppard- an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield, England. I was riding around Greenville, Maine in my dad’s truck with my lifelong friend Danny Daigle-something we did often.

Def Leppard strongest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. I got my driver’s license in the summer of 1982. Their 1981 album, High ‘n’ Dry helped the band define their style, and the album’s standout track-Bringin’ On the Heartbreak  -became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982-a TV program that still not available on regular cable n Greenville, Maine.

Someone, please correct me if MTV is now available, I understand that

Moosehead Cable finally fell to the pressure and recently sold to the monopolized corporate cable company that now controls cable TV in most of Maine, so things may have recently changed.

When I heard the unique sound of the new wave of British heavy metal

movement lead by Def Leopard, I was hooked and couldn’t hear them enough. The band’s next studio album, Pyromania was released in January 1983, the lead singles from this album turned Def Leppard into a household name in the U.S., and changed the sound of the carnival rides at the summer agricultural fairs here in Maine forever.

To this day when I hear the songs from Pyromania, I’m instantly transformed into a teenager and remember fondly when I could ride the rides at the Skowhegan State Fair (a setting for the great barnyard story Charlotte’s Web) without getting sick to my stomach-oh how things have change

 

Photograph 

Photograph I don’t want your
Photograph I don’t need your
Photograph all I’ve got is a photograph
But it’s not enough

DEF LEPPARD – “Rock of Ages”

Gunter gleiben glauchen globen
All right
I got somethin’ to say
Yeah, it’s better to burn out
Yeah, than fade away

Please, have a great day, and if you have any questions, drop us a line and please partake in #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth and while you are at it take a trip to Greenville, Maine-I understand the foliage is majestic this time of year! #visitGreenville

#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville