Music that Imprinted on you as a Child

[CCoburn]

Music that Imprinted on you as a Child


Everything is always changing and evolving. New minds meld with musical melodies while lyrics linger on into longevity with a layering of lacunas and generational gaps and styles inevitably.

There is this one that was apparently written by Boz Scaggs and became a hit for Frankie Valli, but what I remember most and ultimately "imprinted" on me for a time was this version by Rita Coolidge from around 1977:

We're All Alone



I think she really gave this song some soul and depth and definitely made it memorable.

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

Music has always been important, but how young?

Do you really want to be tortured with Paula Abdul, Madonna, and then Boyz 2 Men?

My music tastes didn't get cool until 1993. I skipped around hair metal which I didn't get into until high school (GNR), but as an early 80s kid, Nirvana eventually became my favorote band. They had a lot of songs that were impactful, but of all them my favorite was Lithium. Here it is performed by St. Vincent at the Nirvana Hall of Fame Indiction..

As I got older, after Mr. Seattle shot himself, I got into darker more "gothic" things like the bad influence 17 year old next door. By 1996 it transitioned to Marylin Manson, White Zombie, Type O Negative, and even Cradle of Filth. I still liked pop, like Semisonic type stuff, and even liked techno, but the dark tastes were the favorite.

It took until 14 or 15 before music got profound. The following music event got me political.  Something very traumatic, small-minded, and humiliating happened regarding religious BS, and like a "sign" this performance happened at the right time.

It contributed to becoming really angry at organized religion and oppressive religious people.



It started a rebellious streak that never really ended. Though it's not angry at christian indoctrination anymore.

[argentus]

My 'impressionable' music is much too old to be showcased here.   It's not that I'm embarrassed about loving it, it's just that I think it needs to be protected.

[Encia22]

Lots of Italian 1960s songs for which I can't find videos with English subs, some Beatles songs, but...

The first song I ever learned by heart and that I still sing to myself regularly, especially after I meet unbelievably stupid people...



Oh, and nearly forgot... 

[CCoburn]

I mention "evolution" because I've moved beyond the ability to be captured by any of this music in a way that I once was although of course I still do have recollection of it and the way it made me feel, and music is so multi-faceted that it's not only the lyrics, but the voice as instrument, and also the melodic energy that a particular piece projects.

It would be nice to just 'forget' and enjoy these pieces as I once did, but like I said: "everything's always changing", so I can at least write about it, document it, and make the attempt anyways.

My experience with music that imprints extends backwards to maybe around the early 60s, but mostly late 60s and 70s I'd say, and speaking of the "Beatles" this one definitely made a mark on me. It reminds me of sunny days that were new while playing on the radio with those walks to the beach like I wrote about in Short Stories here a while ago:

[Maxmars]

I don't know if this memory has a place here... I expect to be made fun of...

but I remember being mesmerized by this woman's song....

[jaded]

Well this will cement my reputation as a complete simpleton!
Hahahahahaha!! 

The very first song that imprinted me was Ripple by The Grateful Dead. 
It's not what you think! First heard it on my crappie little transister radio in the middle of the night as I was sleeping. It woke me up abruptly. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. But that's the tip of my tiny iceberg. 

By the time I'd first heard it has already as a kid had a solid 4yrs of NHI experiences under my belt with virtually no access to info or anyone to discuss it with. I also misheard the lyrics. The change was instead of "music played on a harp unstrung" it was "music played on the heart unstrung". 

The song described a roadmap of working with what we now call the NHI. Back then I just knew 
it was "unseen" but just another part of the world. It described to me how it worked, how you had to be to work with it, most importantly this was a solo path. You would have to stand alone
but it might not go well. 
I was DELIRIOUSLY thrilled!!! IT sent me helps!!!!

Was 12 or 13ish, never did drugs, or drink alcohol. Call me naieve or a idiot but to this day I still see that song as a high strangeness roadmap. "Ripple in still water?" how the energy runs. (now we know it as sine waves or whatever, keep looking the song in hindsight it's all there)
Can also sing it at the drop of a hat. It was the first lullaby I sang to my grandkids. 

[UltraBudgie]

fair wore out the victrola with this one



haha im not that old haha that would be weird haha

part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlIDKnn5WKE


eta: oh the way he claps during pop goes the weasel... ah that brings me back... "pop!"
it wasn't until years later that i figured that song out

[putnam6]

Music has always been important, but how young?

Do you really want to be tortured with Paula Abdul, Madonna, and then Boyz 2 Men?

My music tastes didn't get cool until 1993. I skipped around hair metal which I didn't get into until high school (GNR), but as an early 80s kid, Nirvana eventually became my favorote band. They had a lot of songs that were impactful, but of all them my favorite was Lithium. Here it is performed by St. Vincent at the Nirvana Hall of Fame Indiction..

As I got older, after the Mr. Seattle shot himself, I got into darker more "gothic" things like the bad influence 17 year old next door. By 1996 it transitioned to Marylin Manson, White Zombie, Type O Negative, and even Cradle of Filth. I still liked pop, like Semisonic type stuff, and even liked techno, but the dark tastes were the favorite.

It took until 14 or 15 before music got profound. The following music event got me political.  Something very traumatic, small-minded, and humiliating happened regarding religious BS, and like a "sign" this performance happened at the right time.

It contributed to becoming really angry at organized religion and oppressive religious people.



It started a rebellious streak that never really ended. Though it's not angry at christian indoctrination anymore.

We used to play a name-that-tune game while driving on long trips. My stepdaughter couldn't believe I knew Marilyn Manson and Beautiful People. Got a little pissy about too, as if I couldn't appreciate it cause I was in my 40s

For bands/songs and albums that imprinted on me...my older sisters played Black Sabbath's Master of Reality all the time. I was 7 they were in thier teens and they had loads of great bands the Beatles, Grand Funk, Three Dog Night etc but Black Sabbath stood out and nothing compares to the opening tempo and building of Children of the Grave, ends pretty wild so theatrical hell the whole album was. When I hear Children I always expect to hear Orchid and Lord of this World following because imprinted...  

The whole album holds up still extremely well 53 years later....

Black Sabbath 
Master of Reality
Children of the Grave

[IdeomotorPrisoner]

I went full metal in college (early 2000s) and Black Sabbath was a mainstay. Had the Hot Topic poster of them in giant crosses on my wall. I actually turned on Led Zeppelin after i read that they used to make fun of Black Sabbath for being terrible. They shared the same rehersal building in Birmingham. 

That lead to Pantera, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, and even some Nu Metal, like Slipknot and Inbubus. And then I went through an Avengened Sevenfold phase which led to metal core and more technical prog musicians.

An uncle (sterotype aside), heard me listening to them, heard "the rev" and told me to check out Rush. Liked their popular "radio" songs (Like Subdivisions) and admire their unmatched skill, but I still get bored listening to prog rock at length, I'm truly sorry. Like Tool's later music. "Yes, you are the masters of unnecessary time signature changes, but this new song is boring as shit." 

Then I learned Angela Gossow existed. This song changed my music tastes towards today's version. 



Like almost everything but metal is my favorite. And since 2011(ish) its gone to Europe where all the best metal singers and music festivals in the world are.