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Nostalgicmusicmonth

Mrs. Robinson’s Cats in the Cradle

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Nostalgic Music Month Day 14

Simon and Garfunkel by Jon Hilton

The songs of Simon and Garfunkel are what nostalgic music month is all about. When I look back over the entirety of my life, these are songs that have been along for the ride from the time I was 7 until today at 51. As I have grown and matured, so have the significance attached to each song. In high school, these songs were there. In college, it was the same. Even as I navigated the ever-shifting waters of adulthood, the music of Simon and Garfunkel has been there.  The difficult part for me is choosing just 5 songs that most impacted me throughout life.

  1. Mrs. Robinson– There are few songs that have stood up like this one. The lyrics can be applied to today just as well as the 1960’s. The facade that people portray in life. Under the surface there are issues and no life is perfect. Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?  Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you.  There is also to the seemingly hopeless political divisions of 2017.  Laugh about it, shout about it, when you’ve got to choose, any way you look at this you lose. 
  2. Bridge Over Troubled Water– There are few songs that transport you to an exact moment, and you can vividly remember all of the emotion, thoughts, and feelings surrounding that event. Life is an experience of highs and lows, bitter and sweet, that makes it an interesting journey. I hope that I have been a bridge over troubled water for those who needed it. I also know I have been troubled water to others. For that, I am sorry.  All I could do was my best to ease your mind.  Sail on silver girl. Sail on by. Your time has come to shine. All your dreams are on their way.
  3. Kathy’s Song– If you are a thinking human being, you realize that many of the things you believe in the morning of life are going to be rendered lies or useless as you move into the afternoon and evening of your life. This song reminds me of all the special people who have helped me understand some of those changing beliefs over the years.  Love is the greatest teacher if you pay attention to the lesson. My mind’s distracted and diffused
    My thoughts are many miles away. They lie with you when you’re asleep. And kiss you when you start your day.
  4. Homeward Bound– Looking back on all the different phases of my life, I think all of the struggles and easy moments have all been for the same purpose to find home. I have been fortunate to find some home in many places and to make the best of most situations. Much of what we have to do in life takes us away from being with the people we love.  Ideally, I think work should be something that you are passionate about not something that you do for a paycheck and stability. I know, not realistic.  I wish I was, Homeward bound, Home where my thought’s escaping, Home where my music’s playing, Home where my love lies waiting Silently for me.
  5. The Boxer- Your life can best be symbolized as a line graph. There are times that all factors align to place you on the high end. Then others put you down toward the bottom. This song reminds me of the spirit that we all have of courage to bounce back from adversity. To reinvent yourself, find some growth and keep going forward even when it is dark.  The fighter is there always in all of us to overcome any obstacle. In the clearing stands a boxer And a fighter by his trade. And he carries the reminders. Of ev’ry glove that laid him down

The Sounds of Silence, I am a rock, Scarborough Fair, America, Cecelia, April She Will Come, A Hazy Shade of Winter, 59th Bridge St song, For Emily wherever I may find her, Blues Run the Game

Harry Chapin by Mike Martin

My father has many sayings. My favorite, “if you are going to hire out tough you’ve gotta play the part”

My brother Kevin and my cousin Shawn know my father’s sayings well. We heard them often while we were moving cords and cords of firewood from the big woods of Maine to our homes in Greenville, Maine

Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known for his folk rock songs including a number one hit Cat’s in the Cradle.

The song’s lyrics began as a poem written by Harry’s wife, Sandra Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband and his father a Brooklyn politician. This is a tribute to Harry Chapin character to record a song written by his wife about her former husband.

Watch the video (Harry Chapin – Cats in the Cradle) Sandy says that Harry put the poem aside until the birth of their son, Josh, born on November 15, 1972.

A dirty, old tractor

Josh, who is still involved with the family’s website, www.harrychapinmusic.com , and contributes to the release of new Harry Chapin material under the family’s label Chapin Productions, says that people want to touch him when they meet him, and he hears many stories of how Cat’s in the Cradle helped heal their relationships with the fathers.

From this line in the song,

And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed
Said, I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him

It seems that Sandy’s first husband’s father didn’t have much time for his son and it makes sense because love them or hate them, politicians are busy people attending daily work sessions and late night meetings- a huge time commitment that is most definitely a hardship to the family.

My dad has many talents but earned the majority of his income from fixing the big equipment used to harvest the trees for the State of Maine’s paper industry. He said often that he wished better for us that we didn’t have to earn a living lying underneath a dirty old tractor. This astonished me because, when I was ten all, I ever wanted was to make a living lying underneath a dirty old tractor.

Luckily, when I was a kid, my dad always had time for me. I got to go to work with him often and I always came home covered with grease. Of course, that was a day when they let a 10-year-old boy got to work like a man. Those were great days, filled with great lessons, mostly taught by example.

My son was born October 14, 1999, and turns eighteen today. Happy Birthday Coop, may the World bring you hope, joy, and prosperity, and

I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then

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

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Operator, Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright

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Day 13 – Nostalgic Music Month

Bob Marley- by Jon Hilton

One of my hidden talents in life is being one of the world’s preeminent dashboard musicians. That is, no matter where I travel, the time always goes faster, and is more memorable when you have good music to sing along with.  I have given performances lately on a nightly basis, and one of the artists that bring the most enjoyment is to sing along with the music of Bob Marley. The point of this project has been to celebrate the many ways that music has highlighted our lives. To rise above petty jealousy and foolishness and remember the happiness in life. The music of the late great Bob Marley always takes me to times and people who were golden in my memory.  Just thinking about writing this makes me smile and know that everything’s gonna be alright.

  1. Could You Be Loved– One of the basic fundamental principals of the world should be that love is the most important thing. More important than money, status and who’s right or wrong. This song reminds me to put the judgment away and accept the differences in people I encounter every day. Put aside differences and look at the similarities that exist in all people. The road of life is rocky and you may stumble too. So while you point your fingers someone else is judging you.
  2. Three Little Birds- Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing is gonna be alright.  That sentiment will get you through life. Worry never brought anything positive to your life. It is paying for tomorrow’s imaginary troubles today. All days have something positive in them and our job, as I see it, is to find them and appreciate them. This is a finite journey of fixed time through life and it is your choice how you spend it, miserable or happy. The simple choices you make moment to moment dictate that, choose wisely.
  3. Get Up Stand Up-This is a song that seems more relevant today than ever before. We live in a time of division, us and them, there is little understanding. I think we need to get up and stand up for the human being in all people. Rather than approaching things from a perspective of fear, we should be approaching problems from a perspective of love. You can fool some people sometimes. But you can’t fool all the people all the time. So now we see the light (What you gonna do?)We gonna stand up for our rights!
  4. Is this Love-We are all on a journey in life to find our other half.  The person who will complete us and allow us to become the best version of ourselves. This is a song about that search for me. Often I have to ask myself this question and have gotten all types of answers. In my mind now looking back, the answer was sometimes yes and sometimes no. This song reminds me of the many wonderful times I have researched this question and all of those answers I have received. I, I’m willing and able
    So I throw my cards on your table…………
  5. Redemption Song– The greatest stories in life are about redemption. No life is free of challenges, mistakes, miscalculations and foolish behavior. These things only define us if we allow them to. There is always a chance for redemption for all people. The greatest story is a comeback story and the triumph of overcoming our circumstances of pain to become a better version of ourselves. Whatever your struggles, keep moving forward today and move toward the ideal tomorrow that you dream of.  Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.

I shot the sheriff, No Woman No Cry, One Love, So Much Trouble in the World,

 “Jim” Croce- by Mike Martin

James Joseph “Jim” Croce was an American folk and rock singer from Philadelphia, PA. He released five studio albums and had two number one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Bad Bad Leroy Brown 

Well the two men took to fighting

And when they pulled them off the floor

Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle

With a couple of pieces gone

A song about a man from Chicago that Jim had met in Fort Jackson, South Carolina while attending the Army’s lineman school. “Leroy” went AWOL after a few weeks but came back at the end of the month to get his paycheck. They put handcuffs on him and took him away.

Jim said that he listened to him talk about how ‘bad’ he was and knew someday he was going to write a song about him. I met a similar man from Chicago when attending boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station in North Chicago, IL,

We called him “Shy Town.”  He claimed to be a gang banger and tried to persuade, the nine of us who arrived early and spent the first weekend of boot camp together, to shave our heads bald-just like his. Seven compiled, at the delight of the little Yeoman from Connecticut. I said no and gained a friend and a place at the front of the mail and paycheck line for the eight weeks of Navy boot camp.

Shy Town swan like a fish, so I was convinced he was a preppy private school kid, and just like Leroy, Shy Town only lasted three weeks.

On Thursday, September 20, 1973, during Croce’s Life and Times tour and the day before his single,  I Got a Name (1973)  , was released, the plane crashed an hour after a concert in Austin, TX. Croce died in the crash and was 30 years old.

Two of my favorite Jim Croce songs include the ultimate love song (have a great day Shannon) as well as a song about how to recover when your best friend runs off with your girl. Happy Friday the Thirteenth folks!

Time in a Bottle

If I could make days last forever
If words could make wishes come true
I’d save every day like a treasure and then
Again, I would spend them with you

Operator

Isn’t that the way they say it goes? Well, let’s forget all that
And give me the number if you can find it
So I can call just to tell ’em I’m fine and to show
I’ve overcome the blow, I’ve learned to take it well
I only wish my words could just convince myself
That it just wasn’t real, but that’s not the way it feels

Party-on folks, 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

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Round and Round In Your Eyes

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Day 12 Nostalgic Music Month

Peter Gabriel by Jon Hilton

The college years in a person’s life are transitional as you move from the foolishness of youth into the “seriousness” of adulthood. You need to learn to balance the fun quotient of life with getting tasks completed.  The music of Peter Gabriel reminds me of my own struggles putting fun and work into proper perspective throughout my college years.

I was fortunate enough to attend two different institutions and earned a degree from both. However the lessons I learned in life there were far more valuable than any organized degree. Some of those lessons are here in the music of Peter Gabriel.

  1. Sledgehammer – During the summer of 1986, I worked security at SMVTI. We lived on campus in a dorm called Harborview.  There were 5 of us, 19-year-olds with no supervision. This song reminds me of the lessons learned that summer about time management and responsibility.  Sometimes when you want to have fun and meet young ladies, it is important to be a sledgehammer.  I’m going to be the sledgehammer
    This can be my testimony. I’m your sledgehammer. Let there be no doubt about it.

  2. Mercy Street– This song should be called Hobart Street because that is what I think of. An apartment we rented in South Portland, Maine the second year I went to school there. It is the place I watched the Red Sox blow the 1986 World Series and made a lot of youthful memories. We almost always had something happening. Friends visiting from neighboring colleges or from high school. One of the times in life when there was nothing but positive memories until the time it had to end and we all moved on with life. I often dream of that time and look for that type of happiness again, even though I know like all things, it has passed. Looking down on empty streets, all she can see. Are the dreams all made solid. Are the dreams all made real.

  3. Big Time– When you are young, you think you know everything. Or what you don’t know you can figure out when you need to. Life has not slapped you hard yet. I was sure that I had hit the big time back at that time. Living in the “big city” and getting my first car. It was a 1975 Ford Pinto. I paid $300 for and drove everywhere for a year. It was not pretty, it was not flashy, but it provided me with a freedom that I have enjoyed since. I have owned many other cars over the years but none put me in the big time like that ugly, pea green, potential explosive, Ford Pinto. Big time
    I’m on my way-I’m making it. Big time big time. I’ve got to make it show. yeah. Big time big time. So much larger than life. Big time. I’m going to watch it growing. Big time.

  4. Solsbury Hill– Friends are important throughout your life. When you are a young man trying to figure out how the big world works, friends are vital to the knowledge you gain and the lessons you learn. From how much you should drink, how to stand by those you care about in times of difficulty. This song reminds me of all of those brothers I grew up with in South Portland. All of us have had experiences after but I think the foundation of knowledge we learned on and around the campus of SMVTI has stuck with us. This song reminds me of this always. To keep in silence I resigned. My friends would think I was a nut. Turning water into wine. Open doors would soon be shut.

5. In Your Eyes– Anyone my age has the unstoppable urge to hold a boom box over your head whenever you hear this song. Seriously, right now I am listening to it and holding my computer over my head. This, of course, is the iconic scene of John Cusack in the movie Say Anything.  I think there were many times that “love” has ruled my life. As we get older, we seem to lose some of that passion of youth. The part of yourself that found love to be so vital to your existence.  Always remember the part of yourself that would do the romantic things to make your significant other feel special. I am not sure I want to hang out with anyone who wouldn’t hold a boom box for someone in 1986-87.  When I want to run away. I drive off in my car. But whichever way I go. I come back to the place you are.

HM- Don’t Give Up, Games without frontiers, Red Rain, Shock the Monkey, Digging in the Dirt

 Ratt by Mike Martin

I’ve seen Ratt twice both times in San Diego.  We have three rats- Mocha, Morticia and Cookie. I am not very fond of them.

Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant success and contributed heavily to the big glam pop metal movement of the 1980s.

I moved to San Diego in the late summer/early fall of 1985. After spending the coldest winter of my life at Great Lakes Naval Station in North

Great Lakes Naval Base

Chicago, IL, I was ready for some sunshine.

I was a little nervous walking aboard the USS Jouett CG-29 –affectionately known as the Jolly J buy its crew. But, those feelings faded face when I ran into a familiar face. Mike Shandik and I knew each other from Snipe school. The training you receive from the Navy to prepare you on how not to get caught sleeping on watch.

Mike landed on the Jolly J about 4 months before me. I was “push button” Snipe, so I got to hang out in Illinois and Wisconsin for an extra 4 months getting some extra Snipe training. I was happy to see him, and it didn’t take long to feel as though I was right at home.

In retrospect, it seems like several years between the day I was welcomed aboard the Jolly J and the New Year’s Eve that Mike and I (Dave Walsh weren’t you there?) saw Bon Jovi open for the Ratt, a San Diego Band, at the San Diego Sports Arena, but in reality it was less than 4 months.

We’ve had our rats- Mocha, Morticia and Cookie since Christmas 2016, and it seems like three weeks. Why is that?

Rats are considered the dogs of the rodent world. Shannon and the kids tell me they are warm, cuddly, loyal, and loving- not at all like their reputation or the rock band who shares their name.

Ratt came “Out of the Cellar” in 1984, followed that with “Invasion of Your Privacy” in 1985, and then “Dancing Undercover” in 1986. During this time, Ratt was very popular-selling out venues across the United States.

They are still touring and have had no less than 10 different members. They have broken up-reunited –broken up-reunited-broken up-reunited and are currently in a court battle –paying lawyers to decide who gets to use the “Ratt” brand.

Seems like Ratt – Round And Round   Predicted their future.

Tightened our belts, abuse ourselves

Get in our way, we’ll put you on your shelf

Another day, some other way

We’re gonna go, but then we’ll see you again

Party-on folks, 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

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People are People In the Air Tonight

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Day 11 Nostalgic Music Month

Phil Collins by Jon Hilton

1985 was an important year in my life, it was the year I graduated from high school and first left home to venture out into the world. The music of Phil Collins always takes me back to those times, when I was getting ready to leave high school and the first tentative, scary and exciting steps into life. Growth and change are a part of the living process and to move forward to find new things, old things have to be left in the past.  This music reminds me of some of the things I left behind but still carry pieces of around inside. Our lives are literally defined by the stories we tell, and these are the stories that Phil Collins brings back to me. Welcome to 1985!

  1. One More Night– I don’t know the name of the band that played the prom at Lincoln Academy in 1985 but I do know that they only knew one slow song, and this was it. They played it about 6 times and by the end of that evening, I was sick of this song. I was never a prom kind of guy but thought I should go to one to have the experience.  I remember it was fun, I got stopped for speeding in Bristol because I was distracted. Lost my license for 30 days. I blame Phil Collins and this song for that.  Like a river to the sea. I will always be with you. And if you sail away, I will follow you.

  2. You Can’t Hurry Love– Even though this is a remake, this version of You Can’t Hurry Love reminds me of that entire senior year of high school. So many lessons I learned and have carried with me. I often marvel at the amount of information that has a major impact on your life in those early years. Why do people stay stagnant in life? They seem to stop learning and developing as they travel through life and then we realize later that we should have been embracing change all along.  One lesson that has lasted, you can’t hurry love.   How long must I wait how much more can I take
    Before loneliness will ’cause my heart, heart to break?

3. Long, Long Way to Go– 1985 was just the beginning, and this song reminds me of the long distance I have come since then. I have experienced much, met many people both good and bad. All have had an impact on me. The positive ones have enhanced my life journey in some way they are easy to appreciate. The negative people have also provided influence that is ultimately positive. Appreciating them is more difficult but I do this as well. Even now I know there is a long, long way to go in order to be the best version of myself and to be a positive influence on those I meet.  Turn it off if you want to. Switch it off it will go away. Turn it off if you want to. Switch it off or look away.

  1. Take Me Home– Home has been a concept that has changed over the years for me.  In 1985 I thought it was a physical place, where you would go for acceptance and support for all that you are trying to do in life. Life has taught me that those things and that place in just as much in your mind as it is in reality. The feeling of home can come to you almost anywhere, and that love and acceptance of the circumstances you are in today are home to you. Embrace them, accept them and if you want them to change, take action to do that.  Home is not a place, it is a feeling. Thank you 1985 for being a home for me. There’s no point escaping
    I don’t worry anymore. I can’t come out to find you. I don’t like to go outside. They can’t turn off my feelings. Like they’re turning off a light.

1.In the Air Tonight– From the unique beginning to the end this song reminds me of the year of 1985.  In my life, like all others, there have been many moments of change and growth. Life has taught me that people will let you down sometimes.  You will let others down sometimes. Nobody is perfect. It is taking the lessons, both good and bad and using them to become better that counts. Not allowing the negative to make you bitter, or hateful toward others. That is a waste of time. What others think of me is none of my business and I don’t have time to care. Life is short. That is what I think of when I hear this song by Phil Collins. I’ve seen your face before my friend, but I don’t know if you know who I am.

HM-Don’t Care Anymore, Two Hearts, Groovy Kind Of Love, Do you Remember, I missed again, Another Day in Paradise

Day 11 -Depeche Mode by Mike Martin

Thank you, Shipmate, Dave Griepsma, for checking in and offering your selections for #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth. Your help is greatly apprenticed and very much needed.

Last night (Thank you, Shannon, for picking up my slack) was my weekly Belgrade boy’s night out, and this morning, I had to go to BCS to discuss my youngest-oh that Maddy Girl-you are the best of both me and your mother.

I met Dave in 1985-my first day aboard the USS Jouett CG-29 which was commissioned December 3, 1966, a little less than 6 months after I was born. Dave Griepsma is at least two years older than me. I remember this because when I was 19 and 20, I borrowed Dave’s California Driver’s license which helped me get into places that I wasn’t allowed otherwise.

Now Dave and I both have blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bit of a Scandinavian look about us, but Dave is 6’7’ and I am a tad under 6 ft. But, that was the 1980’s- back when the majority of Americans were more interested in having fun than trying to run others down and get them in trouble-oh how the world has changed.

So, thanks to my Shipmate- Dave Griepsma- my Day 11 #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth selection  is the English electronic band that formed in Basildon, Essex, England -: Depeche Mode – People Are People 

I can’t understand

What makes a man

Hate another man

Help me understand

’s #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth. Contributions-Thanks Brother!!!!!!

Depeche Mode: Everything Counts 

The Smiths: How Soon is Now 

Billy Idol: Rebel Yell 

The Cure: Pictures of You 

Oingo Boingo: Private Life 

The B52’s: Roam, Private Idaho 

Echo and the Bunnymen: The Killing Moon

Soft Cell: Say Hello Wave Goodbye 

Party-on folks, 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!

#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville

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Born to Be Ironic

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Nostalgic Music Month Day 10

Bruce Springsteen by Jon Hilton

It would be hard to think of nostalgia and music for me without including Bruce Springsteen. For many of the formative years of my life, the music of the E Street Band punctuated the activities and defined many of the moments.  Even though I have never raced cars in the streets, or even been to Atlantic City, there is a message in the music that a kid from Maine could definitely relate to and find comfort in. Growing up, I listened to Bruce as I fell asleep many nights, to the dismay of my brother who I shared a room with. The people I shared these times with are very special to me and always will be.

  1. Rosalita– This song reminds my of my own Rosalita, we were the best of friends and in a world where most people suck, it was good to have one who was awesome to hang out with and have fun. There were many nights we would listen to Bruce Springsteen, sing, laugh and just enjoy being alive. Those nights with my Rosalita are bright memories and I think of her now whenever I hear this song and wonder why I made the mistakes I did. Rosalita is still in my heart and always will be.  “Someday we’ll look back on this and it will all seem funny…..”

  2. Hungry Heart– When it comes to decisions in life, I think sometimes we make choices in the moment and we don’t see the long game. I was never good at expressing how I felt, and when feelings I didn’t understand came into my heart, I shut down. The whole thing, I would just avoid the situation. Not the best coping mechanism. Like a river that don’t know where it’s flowing. I took a wrong turn and I just kept going. Too many times this has been the case as it was with Rosalita.

  3. Atlantic City-There is something magical about the Nebraska album that resonated with me and still does to this day. The desperation in life that a person can feel and the hope of a new day.  The message of this song is exemplary of the quiet desperation filled with hope that I had as a young man and still do today. Oh, everything dies, baby, that’s a fact
    But maybe everything that dies some day comes back.  

  4. Spirit in the Night– There are many times that the spirits in the night remind me of. I knew Hazy Davy and we used to drink Black Label and talk about what life would bring, even though we really had no idea beyond the day we were in.  Rosalita is always a prominent memory from this song because of the many times we spent together just talking about life. Again we had no idea what was in store, it was all ahead of us then. Now not so much.  Spirit in the night (all night), in the night (all night)
    Stand right up and let her shoot through me.

  1. Racing in the Street– I have never raced a car in the streets, but as a metaphor, this song captures how I feel about life. People have dreams and over time many of them have been forgotten echoes of who we used to be. Life has a way of making you forget your dreams sometimes as obligations and expectations replace those dreams. It is important to remember that it isn’t too late to do what you dream of, even if that is just racing in the streets.   Some guys they just give up living
    And start dying little by little, piece by piece, Some guys come home from work and wash up, And go racin’ in the street………

Honorable mention- Thunder Road, Born To Run, Born in the USA, Badlands, Jungleland, Dancin’ in the Dark, I’m on Fire, Human Touch, Brilliant Disguise, The River, Because the Night, No Surrender, The Rising, Prove it All Night, The Promised Land, Backstreets

 Alanis Morissette by Mike Martin

Today is a day to discuss Irony. What’s irony? Thanks to Alanis Morissette-Jon Hilton, My Spiritual Advisor, and I talk about ‘it” on the rare occasion when we have nothing else to discuss. Isn’t it “Ironic” , don’t you think.

Alanis Morissette is a Canadian American alternative rock singer-songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and actress. She was born June 1, 1974. In 1995, she released “Jagged Little Pill” which sold more than 33 million records, and more importantly, she gained me as a lifelong fan

Her best work came when she played God in “Dogma”, a 1999 American fantasy comedy film, written and directed by Kevin Smith, who stars along with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, George Carlin, and Janeane Garofalo. . I have always thought that God is a female. This movie proves it! -Is that ironic? I’m not sure.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary “irony” is “a figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite of that expressed by the words used”

Let’s face it, the irony is a confusing concept. I guess “Ironic” isn’t technically ironic, but the verses are rich with situational ironies-defined as “the state of affairs or event(s) that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects to happen”.

An old man turned ninety-eight

He won the lottery and died the next day.

This circumstance is situationally ironic-Jon Hilton-you really must think!

“Ironic” was Morissette’s highest ranking hit reaching number four on the US Hot 100 chart on April 13, 1996. Jagged Little Pill was only expected to generate enough money for Morissette to make a follow-up album, but the all changed with the success of the album’s first single, “You Oughta Know”–a raunchy tribute to an ex-lover–a much easier concept to understand than irony, I really do think!

And I’m here, to remind you

Of the mess you left when you went away

Party-on folks, 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!

#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville

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Tangled Up in Teen Spirit

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Nostalgic Music Month Day 9

Bob Dylan- by Jon Hilton

It is hard to find an artist with a broader reach of influence than Robert Allen Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan. He has been singing and performing since well before I was born and influencing people much older and much younger than myself. His music has been relevant in the turbulent 1960’s all the way to today.  His music has been part of the soundtrack of many movies and has punctuated memories in the lives of millions of people.

My personal connection to Bob Dylan started in the 1980’s, in a time when I was trying to answer some of the key questions of the world. Why are women so hard to figure out? Why are people so mean to each other? Why do older generations seem to not understand or care about youth? What is this life all about?  Many of the answers came from the music of Bob Dylan. At least his songs were a roadmap to start to look for the right answers. There is a flood of nostalgic memories and thoughts that come from hearing the thoughtful words of Bob Dylan.

  1. Don’t Think Twice– Relationships end, that is a part of life. Sometimes it’s hard and sometimes it’s a good thing.  This song was the first to state my feelings about when it is good to move forward, leave a relationship behind and it was a good thing. Sometimes people don’t treat us the way we deserve and it is good to move forward. Goodbye is too good a word, babe. So I just say fare thee well, I ain’t sayin’ you treated me unkind
    You could have done better but I don’t mind. You just kinda wasted my precious time.

  2. Shelter from the Storm– In all lives there are storms and these are the times when we are challenged to change and survive. The storm is raging and you feel like a piece of debris. It is that these moments, shelter from the storm is most appreciated. I have been fortunate to find shelter from the storm several times in my life and I am grateful. This song always reminds me of those moments I needed help and got it.  Try imagining a place where it’s always safe and warm. Come in, she said, “I’ll give ya shelter from the storm.”

3.  The Times They Are A Changin’– The words are as true about politics and our country today as they were in the early 60’s.  The generations and misunderstanding. Leadership gets more convoluted, and the divisions in the world become bigger. Until we change and accept each other and our differences we are in trouble.  Come senators, congressmen. Please heed the call. Don’t stand in the doorway. Don’t block up the hall. For he that gets hurt. Will be he who has stalled. There’s a battle outside and it is ragin’. It’ll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. For the times they are a-changin’. 

2. Forever Young– This song is my wish for all the people I have ever cared about in life. I wish you the best and that you are able to stay forever young. To hang on the essence of you, that made you uniquely who you are. The world will try to change you and cover up your abilities. Don’t change to be popular, don’t hide because you’re afraid.  Be brave and be the best version of yourself.  May your hands always be busy. May your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation. When the winds of changes shift.

  1. Tangled Up In Blue– Bob Dylan took a phrase that meant nothing and supplied it with a story. One that many people could relate to. We have all been tangled up in blue in our life’s narrative at one point or another. Nostalgic music month allows us to look to the past, relationships, regrets, triumphs, and positive things.  The many times that I was tangled up in blue. But all the while I was alone. The past was close behind. I seen a lot of women. But she never escaped my mind. And I just grew. Tangled up in blue.

Honorable mention- Like a Rolling Stone, Hurricane, Gotta Serve Somebody, Subterranean Homesick Blues, A Hard Rains Gonna Fall, Rainy Day Woman #12 + 35, Blowin’ in the Wind, It Ain’t Me Babe, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Nirvana by Mike Martin

I like listening to Nirvana. At the time their music became mainstream listening to them made me feel angry and invincible-now it kind of makes me a little scared.

As I’ve mentioned prior, I use music to help educate my children, and playing the ‘grunge” rock sound of Nirvana is the right time to have a discussion about the dangers of heroin, depression, and mental illness.

Nirvana was formed by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in 1987. Dave Grohl, who later became the front man for the Foo Fighters, joined the band as their drummer in 1990.

They released their second album Nevermind in 1991. The success of the albums first single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” introduced alternative rock music to the masses-a new music sound that was embraced by Generation Xers like myself.

For about a second, Nirvana was the hottest band in the world, but Cobain’s personal demons and battles with drugs lead to a quick and violent end to the band from Aberdeen, Washington.

On April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain was found dead in Seattle, Washington. It was quickly determined that he had killed himself with a shotgun. After reading the lyrics written by the Cobain and the other members of Nirvana, I can’t help but speculate-why did my power go out this morning? It Indigenous Peoples Day for peat’s sake?

And please always- Come As You Are

“Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend, as and old enemy
Take your time, hurry up, the choice is yours, don’t be late
Take a rest as a friend as and old memoria
Memoria, memoria, memoria, memoria”

And, if that doesn’t work, there is always – Lithium

“I’m so happy because today
I’ve found my friends
They’re in my head”

Please. Party-on folks, 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!
#OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth #visitGreenville

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Sweet Baby Desperado

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Day 8 Nostalgic Music Month

James Taylor by Jon Hilton

Music punctuates moments in your life with meaning and allows you to resurrect those time when you hear a song after a week or after 30 years. Like a time warp, you are transported to that place, feeling those emotions. The music of James Taylor does this for me for sure. It takes me to a time when I was youthful, hopeful and hadn’t made a lot of mistakes in life. A time when possibilities were seemingly endless.

It was the 1980’s and I was out in the world for the first time, seeking my fortune. I first went to South Portland to go to school first, and that was the classroom I started to learn about “real life” in. When I completed two years there, I went on to the University of Maine at Farmington, for more life lessons.  The Music of James Taylor accompanied me on that journey.

  1. Carolina In My Mind– I don’t really want to go to Carolina I think, but the sentiment of the song reminds me of my life in Maine, and childhood in Greenville in particular.  I have always idealized the experience and the place. To me, it was the best location to grow up. It was safe, fun and full of great people and experiences.  I never wanted to leave, and I still visit that place and time if only in my mind. The signs that might be omens say I’m goin’, I’m goin’. I’m gone to Carolina in my mind
  2. Steamroller– James Taylor defined how I felt when I was 20. I was a steamroller, guaranteed to blow your mind. It seemed like there was nothing I couldn’t do or acquire if I set my mind to it. Life tends to take that out of you. But at the time, I was a steamroller baby and I’m gonna roll all over you. I still feel that way on occasion today.
  3. You’ve Got A Friend– Friendships have been a big part of my life, and during that period of life, living in South Portland, life would have been nowhere near as good or as interesting if not for the friends I had.  The troubles we faced were few, and we had a lot of fun learning how to navigate life.  Friendships in adulthood have not been the same. As deep or as reliable, so as the years go by I cherish those times and the friends that made them great!
  4. Sweet Baby James– Being a country boy from Maine, this has always been home but I still had a healthy wanderlust, and still do, to see the places I have never been. This song reminds of some of those travels I have had and those still to come.  With 10 miles behind me and 10,000 more to go.  I think that our lives are all a song we sing so that others of like mind and sentiment will understand. He sings out a song which is soft but is clear as if maybe someone could hear……..
  1. Something in the Way She Moves– When you are young and in love, you think that nothing could ever be like that again. It is the biggest, the best and most wonderful connection that can never be duplicated. Yet, these things tend to end, and leave you with memories and the realization that good times will come and other relationships will hit you just as hard in the future. BUT …It isn’t what she’s got to say, But how she thinks and where she’s been. To me, the words are nice, the way they sound I like to hear them best that way. It doesn’t much matter what they mean……….

Honorable mention- Mexico, Fire and Rain, Mockingbird, Never Die Young, Shower the People, How Sweet it Is, Your Smiling Face, Country Road

 Ten Lesson from the Eagles by Mike Martin

If I had to pick one friend to accompany me on a road trip, without a doubt (apologizes to my other friend) that friend would be Daryle Doustou.

I met Daryle at Ruby Tuesdays in Presque Isle, Maine. Daryle had moved to Maine to manage a sneaker store in the all-new Aroostook Centre Mall which opened on November 1, 1993.

Daryle has family roots in Fort Kent, Maine, and since no one else from the Midwestern athletic apparel company had ever heard of Maine than again Presque Isle, Maine, Daryle was given his first shot at store management.

He did a great job and was basically the de facto Mayor for the Aroostook Centre Mall-everybody knew Daryle.  Which is why Larry (can’t remember his last name right now) the bartender at Ruby Tuesdays was shocked that Daryle and I had never met.

I had moved to the area about the same time as Daryle, but I was in a relationship and spent most of my nights either at home or working on my dirt removal business. So, we never met until that day. We instantly became friends, each happy that we found someone else in the area that was both brave and stupid enough to enjoy life to the fullest.

With saying such as—“If you’re not living on the edge…..”, and “My name is……take me as I am or……” Daryle and I always have much fun and make the best of every situation.

I have many funny stories about the adventures that Daryle and I have shared which include getting arrested for doing laundry, watching Daryle try to ride a baby moose while traveling on the “Golden Road” and our “Planes, Trains and Automobile” moment when I jumbled in Daryle’s bed after learning about The Centennial Olympic Park bombing on July 27, 1996.

Me: “Do you have any close on?”

Daryle: “No”

ME: “AHRG—how about those Bears?”

A few months after I met Daryle.  We took a two-day road trip to Montréal, Canada to see the Eagles. The trip was memorable and we did not get arrested.

I have always loved listening to the Eagles for reasons that are difficult to put into words.

Jim Valvano the famous basketball coach who led the NC State Wolfpack to an impossible championship in 1983 said this in a famous speech while his body was riddled with cancer.

 “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

I guess the Eagles just help move me to something special. Thank you, Daryle Doustou for completely understanding my bullshit and for being one incredible friend.

Ten Lesson from the Eagles:

  1. You are never alone: Linda Ronstadt “Desperado” Live
  1. Lying sucks: Eagles – Lyin’ Eyes
  2. You won’t be the new kid forever- Eagles / New kid in town (Live 1977) 
  3. Don’t get lost: The Eagles – Hotel California 
  4. Mornings are best: Tequila Sunrise – The Eagles
  5. Always do your best: Eagles – Best of My Love (Live at the Capital Centre,1977)
  6. All time is good time: The Eagles – Wasted Time (Live-2005)
  7. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself: Eagles – Take It To The Limit (Live at The Capital Centre 1977)
  8. There is no time for hate, judgment, and jealousy: Eagles – Get Over It – Hell Freezes Over
  1. And, take it easy: The Eagles – Take It Easy (1977) Live 

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

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Kiss It on Over

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Day 7 Nostalgic Music Month

Kiss- by Jon Hilton

When I think back on growing up in the 70’s and the music that I liked as a very young person, Kiss would be at the top of the list. Their music is and was like sugar to the brain. It hits a spot in your brain and makes you want to sing along. Even now, many years later I remember all the lyrics to songs.  The funny thing is that I had no idea what these songs were about.

So choosing the top 5 Kiss songs was difficult. I am ignoring their later

The best toy ever!!!!

1980’s stuff because by then I had moved on to music with more depth. The Kiss songs I am choosing are the ones I listened to while playing with my  Evel Knievel motorcycle action figure. There was a developing depth but it was years away. At that point, I was satisfied with Shout It Out Loud, and crashing things. Here are MY top five Kiss songs for Nostalgic Music Month.

  1. Love Gun- Understand that when I was listening to this music, I was very naive and didn’t really understand the message of most of the songs. I just liked singing the words Love Gun really loud. I think I was really loud at that age and wanted to know how someone pulled the trigger of my love gun.
Let’s eat cake every night and Ice cream every day!
  1. Shout it Out Loud– This was a natural for me because I like to shout things out loud all the time, so I was really happy there was a song encouraging me to do this. Getting the party started is a great remedy for what ails you and at that point, a party included cake and some sort of game playing so who wouldn’t want to do that?  I mean cake? Yes, Shout it out loud.

  2. Calling Dr. Love– When I was 11 or 12 I think I considered myself Dr. Love. Of course, I thought love was all about holding hands and stealing a kiss now and then. I knew nothing about sex at all. Other than girls were awesome, I fell in love daily and figured there are no bills, there are no

Me at that age. Clearly thinking about cake and shouting things out loud.

fees.  And I knew what the first step of the cure is.  They call me Dr. Love.

  1. Rock and Roll All Night– I have to point to my previous reference to cake when I heard this song.  I liked the cake and that happened at any party I had ever been to, so yes I did want to rock and roll all night and party every day. This song also satisfied my need to shout loudly simple phrases in rhythm.  So how could the 70’s me go wrong here?  He couldn’t.
  1. Detroit Rock City– Here is the Kiss song that has it all. The diner noises at the beginning remind me of breakfast (My favorite meal), then it involved driving which I would come to love. I also it was talking about some sort of elaborate musical chairs game.  Get up, everybody’s gonna move their feet, sit down everybody’s gonna leave their seat.  It also offered me the chance to shout, and understand the tragedy of a shortened life. One I would become more familiar with later in life.  But then, life was good and Kiss was part of it.

Honorable mention- Love Gun, Beth, Deuce, Strutter, Cold Gin, Shock Me, Hotter than Hell

George Thorogood and the Destroyers by Mike Martin

Yesterday-I missed a text from my lifelong buddy Rich Daigle. I have known Rich and his brother Dan forever.  (Dan is way too cool for Social Media Interactions-so I’m I tagging his oldest daughter–again-Sorry Danielle!!)

Rich was in town, but we failed to connect; hopefully, next time brother. FYI: I prefer the phone because I am much better talker than typer and I am not accustomed to checking text message especially on Friday. But, I try to get better every day–at least that is what My Spiritual Advisors (Jon Hilton) tells me I should do.

Yes- I always love to see my lifelong friends our connections run so deep that a small part of the Daigle Brothers is always with me.

Rich Daigle in his natural habitat

When you’re teenagers and live in a small remote and isolated town, you ride the same roads over and over again. This was one of the best forms of entertainment that we shared as young men.

We were lucky as children, Growing up in Greenville, Maine. As I have stated more than once, I feel I was raised with privilege. A huge reason I feel this way as much to do with the amazing automobiles that I got to share with the Daigle Brothers. There was the Toy, the Hornet, the Comet, and the Wildcat to name a few, and when our cars were broken or out of gas, my awesome father was always there to lend us his truck for the day or evening.

Of course, the loan of the truck came with conditions: 1. a strict curfew 2. a demand that the truck was returned with all its bumpers and without dent or scratches. We most often complied because if we didn’t, we would suffer a short banishment. This only happened on a few occasions, and luckily- I have very forgiving parents.

My dad had two cassettes in the first truck I got to drive after getting my

Welcome to Greenville

driver’s license.  Eddie Rabbitt – Greatest Hits Vol. II and Move It on Over– the second album by George Thorogood & the Destroyers.

Needless to say, though we did listen to Eddie often, we spent a lot more time listening to George & The Destroyers- Hearing the songs of George Thorogood & the Destroyer second album always reminds me of the hours I spent riding the streets and back roads of Greenville, Maine with the Daigle Brothers.

So, without any more fanfare-My Day 7 #OctoberNostalgicMusicMonth selection is George Thorogood & the Destroyers.

Who Do You Love  Written by American rock and roll pioneer Bo Diddley in 1956.

Move It On Over  Written by American country music singer-songwriter legend Hank Williams in 1947.

My third George Thorogood & the Destroyer music chose was released in 1982 and a George Thorogood original.

Happy Halloween

It is Halloween seasons. Every October, this beautiful guy hangs in the window closest to our dining room table. He reminds me often that he is truly Bad to the Bone 

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

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The Kinks in the Congos

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Day 4 Nostalgic Music Month

The Kinks by Jon Hilton

Never be afraid to dance

It was June 9, 1983, when two young men set out for a day of youthful antics with the ultimate goal of attending The Kinks in concert in Portland, Maine.  We had just completed our sophomore year in high school and it seemed like life was before us.  We started early and got back late and in between, we undertook a quest, on which we found out about the people that we wanted to become.  The Kinks always remind me of that day and the people I went to that concert with and the adventures of the day. The stepping stones that Ray Davies and the Kinks provided great memories and nostalgic music month

The Kinks always remind me of that day and the people I went to that concert with and the adventures of the day. The stepping stones that Ray Davies and the Kinks provided great memories and nostalgic music month is about remembering those events and people who shaped us.   I also remember that the opening act was Robert Ellis Orrall.  People threw tennis balls at him.  Unlike Robert Ellis Orrall, this was a time in life when I was untouchable.

My top 5 Kinks songs of all time……………..

  1. Lola– Any list of songs by  The Kinks starts with L-O-L-A  Lola.  Hearing this song in person was even more awesome to be singing along with a few thousand other kinks fans.  A classic moment of youth, Well that’s the way that I want it to stay. And I always want it to be that way for my Lola.
  2. Low Budget-The story of my life in high school. I was a cut-priced person in low budget land.  However, I never let the budget determine the fun and it always seemed to work out for the best. We didn’t have much that day in 1983 except my friend’s white Chevy Chevette and plenty of grit.
  3. Don’t Forget to Dance– Great advice for Kinks fans of any age. Life is full of distractions and things of greater importance and sometimes we forget that life is meant to be lived.  That’s no excuse to just give in to a sad and lonely heart    We should never forget to dance, leave our troubles behind and enjoy life.
  4. You Really Got Me– a Classic riff that simply defines the bulk of my life.  Girl you really g0t me simply describes many relationships in the high school era of my life and singing it at the Cumberland County Civic Center with the Kinks was a transcendental moment.
  5. Destroyer– No other song describes that day and concert in 1983 better than this. Paranoia the destroyer! There was a lot of paranoia that night for some reason. Silly boy ya’ self-destroyer

A moment captured in time by a concert and the associated shenanigans of development. Youth is often wasted on the young, but that night in 1983 that wasn’t the case.

The KONGOS- by Mike Martin

Sometimes music doesn’t have to be vintage to provoke a feeling of nostalgia. On Valentine Day 2015, the KONGOS brought their Lunatic 2015 Tour to the Port City Music Hall in Portland Maine. Shannon and I were there front row center stage enjoying the alternative rock band from South Africa.

The band is a true family affair consisting of four brothers: Johnny (accordion, keyboards, vocals), Jesse (drums, percussion, vocals), Daniel (guitar, vocals), and Dylan Kongos (bass guitar, lap slide guitar, vocals).

Any band that uses an accordion, to augment its sound, ranks high for me-you can thank Henry Breau-His nieces and nephew will understand.

I have much more to say about the 24 hours Shannon and I spent preparing and watching the KONGOS, but due to time constraints and an unplanned trip to the MHS-my time has expired, so those stories must wait for another day.

So, if you have never listened to the KONGOS, Come With Me Now. I’ll bet that you’ll be glad you did !!

Woah come with me now
I’m gonna show you how

I think with my heart and I move with my head
I open my mouth and it’s something I’ve read
I stood at this door before, I’m told
But a part of me knows that I’m growing too old

Confused what I thought with something I felt
Confuse what I feel with something that’s real
I tried to sell my soul last night
Funny, he wouldn’t even take a bite

Far away
I heard him say (come with me now)
Don’t delay
I heard him say (come with me now)

Or, maybe I’m Only Joking 

 And I don’t believe a thing I’ve said

Have a terrifically awesome day! 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