Track Six: Bad (Revised)

I still remember the day that Michael Jackson died. I was at home painting my room bright green, because I was a middle school girl who thought that having a room with a toxic green glow would be the coolest thing ever. I had been painting for a few hours when I began to get tired, so I told my mom I was taking a bathroom break, which turned in to a thirty minute break complete with snack and drink. I opened my mom’s laptop to watch some funny YouTube videos, when I read the breaking news on her internet homepage: Michael Jackson had been found dead in his Los Angeles home. The king of pop. Gone. I rushed upstairs to tell my mom, and she didn’t believe me at first. It’s hard to think that someone so famous and influential could be gone so quickly.

When I was deciding what artist and album to look at, I immediately thought of Michael. Last post I looked at Madonna, which was released in 1983. This week I’ve decided to look at Michael Jackson’s career during the 1980s. During that decade, he released two albums: Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987), which reflect the change in culture of that decade. Their release made his status increase dramatically, as Thriller sold sixty-five million albums, and with Bad selling thirty five million albums.

Culture during the 1980s was a time of rebuilding. The United States had just gone through Vietnam, economic decline, and overall unrest in the country. However, out of the troubled times emerged a new group of people: the yuppies, “a baby boomer with a college education, a well-paying job and expensive taste” (“The 1980s"). The baby boomers were a generation that emerged from parents who had suffered through or really felt the effects from the Great Depression. Now that they were grown adults with well-paying jobs, they wanted to buy the materialistic things that made them happy. My parents remember the 80s well, as they were in their teens and twenties. When I talked to them recently, they said they remembered the yuppies and how concerned they were with having the best and most expensive luxuries. In fact, Newsweek declared 1984 the Year of the Yuppie. (Dorsey, 594)

But the materialism wasn’t just with the yuppie movement. The early 1980s was a time characterized by lots of greed and loose morals. Sex wasn’t just something taught in school, kids were learning about it from watching cable. People spent money on small things, such as going to the movies, or large things like buying a second house. (Dorsey, 594) It sounds to me that people were simply spending money because they could. As someone who grew up the daughter of a banker, I know this frivolous spending would drive my dad crazy. And as much as people think these ‘possessions’ will make them happy, they probably won’t. Popular TV shows and movies, such as “The Big Chill,” (1983) suggested that young people were also anxious and unhappy. Furthermore, not everyone was prospering from this movement. The poverty level grew from 1.4 million in 1979 to 2 million in 1986.

Thankfully, traditional values made a comeback in the late 1980s. “Newsweek noted that ‘Nearly 50 percent of respondents to a recent Gallup Poll say they are involved in charity or volunteer work, up from 31 percent in 1984.” (Dorsey, 594) It appears that people finally got their senses back and realized how selfish they were being in the early 1980s. I find so much gratification in charity, that I am sure they remembered that satisfaction and wanted to go back to it. Overall, it appears that the eighties was a diverse spectrum of wealth and values. Where did Michael Jackson fit in to this spectrum? And how did his music reflect his beliefs on wealth and charity?

After completing some research, I found that Michael Jackson embraces some of the yuppies’ values, but then also experienced that shift back to traditional values in the mid to late eighties. Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His elaborate music video for the title song boosted sales and increased his stardom. The album as a whole doesn’t reflect value in material things, but Jackson does sing about love. And it’s not of everlasting love, but of hook ups and groupies, such as in, “Billie Jean.” Michael Jackson makes it very clear that he did not father a child, and that Billie Jean is not his lover, just an obsessed fan. He is too good for her and would not be so reckless as to get her pregnant.

Michael Jackson continued to partly be a yuppie throughout his entire life. Even until his death, Michael Jackson lived an extravagant life. He continued to produce successful music and tours, building up his wealth along the way. If you look at pictures of him from the 1980s, his clothes are always fashionable make a statement. The jacket he wore for the Bad tour (picture below) featured gaudy accessories with the silver plates and buckles. Michael Jackson had the wealth, so he flaunted it. He could have worn a simple outfit and mainly focused on the vocals and choreography, but he didn’t. My parents remember watching his music videos on MTV and how they were like mini movies because of their complex story lines and digital effects. And the premiers were such a big deal that you planned out time to watch their release on television.

But like the yuppies, Michael Jackson moved away from extravagance in the mid 1980s. That change probably started with the release of, “We are the World,” in 1985. Jackson helped write the song, whose proceeds went to help the people in Africa, who were starving due to famine. The theme continued in his album Bad. In “Another Part of Me,” Jackson calls for a world-wide movement to help one another. He sings, “This is our planet. You’re one of us,” and “Can’t you see? You’re just another part of me.” Then in, “Man in the Mirror,” Michael Jackson looks at himself and realizes he needs to change. This is the song the really captures the change seen in the yuppies. By looking at ourselves and evaluating our lives, we can become better people and change the world. It sounds cliché, but I believe it. Doing something good for someone else can start a chain reaction of good deeds.

It appears that Michael Jackson falls into this grey category, as he doesn’t always fully embraces the values of being a yuppy. “He was listed in the 2000 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records for breaking the world record for the "Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star." He had supported 39 charitable organizations either with monetary donations, through sponsorships of their projects or the participation in their activities” (“Charity”). At the same time, he built an amusement park at his home for him to use whenever he liked. So it appears that Michael Jackson is almost in the extreme ends of the scale. He spends thousands of dollars on silly things, but then gives tremendous sums of money to charity. Michael Jackson is not the type of person you can fit neatly into a box. My mom remembered how unique and diverse he was, which allowed him to appeal to so many different groups of people.

What I think we can take away from Michael Jackson and the culture of the 1980s is a simple lesson: material things do not always make you happy. The economy is always fluctuating, and there will always be times of economic growth and wealth. But just because you have the money, doesn’t mean you need to spend it. My dad always emphasized that instead of spending money on material things, spend it on trips and things that you will always remember. It took some time, but the people of the eighties finally realized that. Going forward, I think yuppies still exist today. They did not die with Michael Jackson, but will continue to be a part of every culture. However, if someone as wealthy and talented as Michael Jackson can change, so can a bunch of young professionals worshiping their designer handbag.

Works Cited

"Charity." True Michael Jackson. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

Dorsey, Eugene C. "Giving Yourself Away." Vital Speeches Of The Day 54.19 (1988): 593-596. Academic Search Complete. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

"The 1980s." History. A&E Television Network. Web. 6 Dec. 2015.

Track Five: Madonna (Revised)

When choosing an album for this week’s post, I again called my parents to find out some of their favorite albums. I have worked through the 1970s, so I needed an early 1980s album. My mom instantly thought of Madonna’s 1983 album, Madonna. My mom was a junior in college when the album came out, and she remembers playing all of the songs really loud in her dorm room while she and all of her friends sang along. I imagine that Madonna’s songs were a lot like Taylor Swift’s are today, almost everyone knows them even if they don’t like Taylor Swift. My mom wasn’t always a huge Madonna fan, but she did listen to her early albums.

Madonna was a big hit when she came out, and her first album did well on the charts. Madonna went on to peak at number 8 on the Billboard 200 and helped define the sound for dance-pop in the decades to come. Her upbeat songs and sing along feel makes all of the songs on this album ones that you can just sing along to. Even today, Madonna is still a relevant name in pop culture and the music industry. She continues to pull from her youth so that she can continue to sing about current topics.

The album opens with, “Lucky Star,” complete with twinkling star sounds in the beginning of the track. It’s your typical love song, with a boy and girl who are madly in love. He is her guide and will always be, “by [her] side.” The tune is very upbeat, with an emphasis on the electric guitar, and Madonna’s high pitched vocals. Her voice sounds juvenile for a twenty-five year old, but it works in the context of her album. She sounds more like and eighteen or 19 year old girl singing, but this younger sound allows her to connect to a larger audience. Madonna also sounds like a young girl head over heels in love, so the more juvenile sound adds authenticity to her lyrics. This way, teenage girls that fall in love for the first time can really relate to this song in particular.

Madonna then moves on to the song, “Borderline,” where she sings about how she’s tired of having her heart played with. She says, “You just keep pushing my love over the borderline.” Again, Madonna sings about love, but now she has moved on from the honeymoon phase of the relationship, and is having problems. The change in music reflects this, as this song is not as bright and upbeat as “Lucky Star.” This song had more of a keyboard sound, and even had a minute and a half interlude. I didn’t understand the purpose of the musical interlude, and thought it could have been cut from the almost seven minute song. However, I really liked this song, and felt that I could relate to it. I envision myself singing along to it in the car with a bunch of my friends. I think that part of Madonna's success is that her songs can continue to be relevant, even today.

Trouble in paradise continues in the next track, “Burning Up.” The male character is playing hard to get, and she is tired of it. Parts of the song are sung in a lower vocal range, which I really enjoyed. It made her sound more mature and that she really was upset with the guy for not loving her back. The instrumentation also has a more rock feel, so it was definitely the least pop sounding.  This song also begins a shift into songs more about the power of women. As Madonna became more and more famous, she started pushing the boundaries of what was deemed appropriate. Many people believed her to be too sexual, but for others she was a perfect symbol for feminism. In, “Burning Up,” she knows that he needs her love, and she is dying to give it to him.

“I Know It,” and “Think of Me,” are both breakup songs, but they have similar underlying themes of female independence. In “I Know It,” Madonna is being broken up with, and in, “Think of Me,” she is the one ending the relationship. However, by the end of “I Know It,” Madonna has moved on and sings, “I’m not going to cry for you anymore.” It has been researched that physical pain and emotional pain affect the same areas of the brain. So it would make sense that Madonna cries over the emotional pain of being broken up with, as crying is usually a reaction to pain. By the end of the song, Madonna has realized she is better than crying over a boy, so she gets over him. In, “Think of Me,” Madonna is telling her ex-lover that he is going to miss her when she’s gone and realize he should have treated her better. Both songs have a strong keyboard, almost techo sound to them. Also, they both feature back-up vocals from women, further emphasizing women power.

In, “Physical Attraction,” Madonna tells the story of having a one night stand. The beat is very dance-y with a lot of keyboard sound. However, I found the sonic elements of the song to be kind of boring and monotone. The beat doesn't change much, except for the chorus, which still isn't much of a change. She talks about the intense attraction they have, so it doesn’t matter if it only lasts for one night. She even says, “You’ll leave me tomorrow, I don’t care.” The bridge of the song is spoken, which makes it sound like she is directly addressing the man. This song was definitely the most sexual off of the album. During the 1980s, there were sex wars where many people fought over the dangers and powers of sex. It is clear that Madonna believes sex does have a lot of power, and even describes her attraction as a “chemical reaction.” When advocating for feminism, the barrier isn’t so much age. Just because Madonna was young when the album was released, doesn’t mean she automatically sided with the pro-sex feminists. In, “Physical Attraction,” it is simply that Madonna and the man have such strong, mutual feelings for each other that they can’t stop their passion.

Second wave feminism occurred during the 1960s and into the 1980s. During this time, there was a long dispute over whether feminists were pro-sex and pornography. Opposition and arguments still occur today. As far as Madonna goes, I think it is clear that she sides with the pro-sex feminists. “Burning Up,” even has a reference to oral sex. Other songs refer to pleasure and Madonna needing their touch and love. About half of the album advocates for this acceptance of sex. She believes that sex should be widely accepted and practiced because women deserve to feel good about their bodies.

One of the most popular songs, “Holiday,” is simply about having time to celebrate. The song is upbeat and features the keyboard, but it has much more of a funk feel to it. It also features drums, which helps create the funk sound found in bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire, who I discussed in a previous post. Madonna explains in the song that, “Let love shine and we will find/ A way to come together/ And make things better.” By reflecting on the good times and letting go of your worries, everyone can simply relax and enjoy life. This is one of my favorite tracks, because everyone can relate to it. Everyone has had a time where they just need to get away, but not everyone has been in love. Which makes sense that the tune became so popular, the majority of people understood what she was talking about.

Similarly, in “Everybody,” Madonna expresses a love for simply dancing and singing. Music can, “turn your troubles upside down,” and just make you feel better. The beginning of the song is spoken, which sounds very sexual and out of place. The rest of the song is all about getting lost in the music. I liked the message of the song, but found the spoken verses to just be weird. However, the upbeat tune does make me want to dance. I also found it to be the most diverse in her singing. Part of the words are spoken, some of the words are sung low, and others are sung higher. It was probably my least favorite song, and definitely not the track I would choose to end the album with. I think Madonna could have ended with, "Holiday," and left the listener with a much lighter feeling.

I could definitely envision myself listening to this with my mom, especially on a road trip to the beach during the summer. The album is definitely girly, so I don’t think I would want to listen and jam out to it with my dad, even though he would probably know most of the songs. Madonna had an overall upbeat feel with lots of catchy melodies that make you want to move, even if it’s just nodding your head or tapping your foot. I have always been a pop music fan, so I could also see myself listening to this album without having the restraint of listening to music that we both know. It's the kind of music that would come on, and my mood would instantly improve. I would give Madonna five out of five stars, because of its story telling lyrics of love and female independence. I mean she did name the album after herself, so she clearly thought it was good.

Track Four: Hotter than July (Revised)

             When I think of culture, I imagine a group of people that live in the same geographical area, with similar ethnicities, and shared values and beliefs. However, living in the United States, we have a constant clash and mixing of cultures as people continue to move to the U.S. from all around the world. In the album Hotter than July, Stevie Wonder uses his songs to speak to the culture of 1980, but specifically African American culture, while also trying in some religious values. Hotter than July came out after the failure of his previous album, Journey through the Secret Life of Plants, so Wonder needed a successful album to start off a new decade. The album did do well, reaching number three on the US Billboard chart and number two in the UK.

            Stevie Wonder is known for his strong vocals and blend of African and pop sounds, and this album did not disappoint. His sound reminded me a bit of Earth, Wind & Fire, who I reviewed last week. And I think that their similar sound is why my parents are fans of both artists. Both of my parents remember growing up and listening to Stevie Wonder, and some of his famous songs such as “Superstition,” and “Sir Duke.” They said his songs were always playing on the radio, and all of his albums were eagerly anticipated.

            Multiple times in this album, Stevie Wonder discusses and alludes to African American culture, while keeping a “Pan African” ideology. This mentality focuses on the need for unity in order to uplift the people descending from Africa. In “Master Blaster,” Wonder uses a reggae sound to allude to Bob Marley, as the pair had met earlier in the year before the album was released. Wonder talks about celebrating, as “Peace has come to Zimbabwe.” Here, Wonder is referring to the fact that Zimbabwe finally got independence from Great Britain on April of 1980, after being a colony for ninety years. In the song, the instruments are softer, which allows the vocals to really pop. And Wonder sounds authentic when he uses a Jamaican accent when singing the word, “jamming.” By combining the uplifting music and lyrics, Wonder expresses that blacks being able to have independence is definitely something to celebrate. And by including a reference to a historical event, it makes the song and message more realistic.

            Wonder also advocates for black culture celebration in his song, “Happy Birthday.” Wonder uses narrative lyrics in order to advocate for making Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday. His tone is almost disbelief, he cannot understand why his birthday has not already been made into a holiday. Throughout the song, he references some of Dr. King’s accomplishments, such as Dr. King’s I have a Dream speech, and says that people cannot see the dream of celebrating equality like Dr. King could. He acknowledges that Dr. King was, “a man who died for good,” and should have a, “day that would be set aside for his recognition.” Wonder balances verses with serious messages about Dr. King with upbeat hooks which say, “Happy Birthday.” By using these different tones, Wonder shows the reality of civil rights in the United States. It took many years of struggle for blacks to have equality in the United States, as reflected in the more somber verses. But now that equality has been achieved, the nation needs a day to celebrate, specifically Dr. King’s birthday. Overall, I think this song had the strongest and most meaningful lyrics. I found it very clever to advocate for a national holiday on Dr. King’s birthday by doing a remix of a classic birthday song. I don’t usually enjoy listening to narrative songs, as they can sometimes sound almost academic, but the message is so important in this song that I didn’t mind.

           In the song “Cash in Your Face,” Stevie Wonder uses narrative lyrics again to discuss African American discrimination. In this case, Wonder even goes as far as using different voices for the two characters in the song: himself and the apartment owner. The man is trying to find an apartment to live in with his very pregnant wife, but the apartment owner denies him, saying it has already been filled with a new tenant. However, it is clear that the apartment owner is refusing the man because of his race, as he says, “But you can not cash in your face, We don’t want your kind living here.” By showing that racial discrimination still exists, Wonder draws attention to a problem that still exists in the culture of the 1980s. Even though the black man in the song has the money to pay rent, the owner still doesn’t want to take him in. Again, even though the song has an upbeat feel with the electric guitar, the message is serious. Wonder argues that blacks and whites are equal, so it is disappointing and angering that people continue to be racist and prevent unity. 

            Overall, I found this album to be enjoyable to listen to. Stevie Wonder’s vocals are strong and consistent in every song. I found the softer music to be easier to listen to, while allowing the vocals to stand out. They lyrics were deep in their meanings and gave ideas for the listener to think about. The songs were tied to African American culture, and reflected how society in the late 1970s and early 1980s was still far from being completely equal. I would give Hotter than July 4 out of 5 stars, and definitely an album I would enjoy listening to with my parents and family.

Track Three: Spirit

           

                For this post, I again called my parents to get suggestions for albums. My last album, Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, was released in 1973, so I knew I wanted to do an album a few years after that. My dad instantly suggested Spirit, his favorite Earth, Wind & Fire album. Spirit was released in 1976 and reached number two on the Billboard Pop and R&B Albums Chart. My dad remembers playing this album when taking my mom on their first couple of dates in high school. He loved to sing along to it, and even started singing some of the songs when I called him to get his opinion on the album, which just goes to show how catchy all of the songs on this album are.       
               Funk music is one of those genres that just puts you in a good mood. Between the upbeat melodies and lyrics that make you think of better times, funk music almost always makes me want to get up and dance. Funk music started in the late 1960s, mainly in the African American communities from genres as soul music, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Furthermore, it was artists such as James Brown and Parliament that really started to create the funk genre. Instruments such as the electric bass, electric guitar, synthesizer, drums, and various horns are most often included in funk music. Over the years, funk music has continued to influence the music industry, and has made way for new genres such as disco, boogie, and funk rockfunk music.

            Overall, this album is a funk album through and through. Even without the lyrics, the instrumentation of this album clearly indicates a funk genre. Earth, Wind & Fire is known for their use of horns in their songs, something that is also very common in funk music. In “Getaway,” the first song on the album, the trumpets are apparent throughout the whole song, which is one of the reasons that I find it to be so catchy. However, pretty much all of the songs include various trumpets. And they aren’t simply in the background of the song, their sound makes a strong presence in the songs, something I find to be quite refreshing compared to the studio created beats you find in most music today. However, some current songs like “Uptown Funk,” also use trumpets to create a funk sound in their otherwise pop song. Because of funk music's popularity in the 60s and 70s, it is understandable that current artists would want to play on the success of past artists' sounds. 

            Earth, Wind & Fire also heavily rely on the sound of bass guitar and drums in their music. Funk music focuses on emphasizing the downbeat of the measure, which can be heard in the drums and bass. In “Saturday Nite,” EW&F uses the drums to maintain the upbeat tempo and the bass to emphasize beats one and three. The trumpets are also loud in this song, but if you make an effort to hear the drums then you will see how they deepen the instrumental sound of the song by creating a sort of base layer of sound. Throughout this album as a whole, EW&F uses their various instruments, but especially the trumpets, to stay in the funk genre.

            On top of the sound, Earth, Wind & Fire create lyrics that maintain the funky, relaxed sound that they are famous for. One way I noticed they did this was through rhyming, which makes their lyrics unique in the funk genre. Many of their consecutive lines of lyrics will end with rhyming words. For example, in “On Your Face,” two lines go,

“Now a frown will bring your spirits down to the ground

And never let you see, the good things all around.”

And it’s not a consistent ABAB pattern by any means, but just the fact that they make the effort to throw in the occasional rhyme is significant to how the listener hears their songs. For me, rhymes remind me of childhood, and just simpler times in general. And for a funk song, I think that tone of simple makes a lot of sense. Funk music is supposed to help you relax and create an atmosphere of good times only. Furthermore, I think rhymes keep you interested in a song. As soon as you begin to lose interest, a simple rhyme can pull you right back in to dancing to the beat and having a good time. In addition to the rhymes, the themes of the songs keep an easy-going mood. Both “Getaway” and “On Your Face” discuss being positive and escaping reality to be happier, while “Spirit” talks about the beauty of friendship. Earth, Wind & Fire achieved creating lyrics on Spirit that are timeless. Almost forty years later, I can listen to their songs off this album and be able to sing along and relate to what they are singing about. I think music, and specifically funk music, can be a great escape from reality, and Spirit does not disappoint.

            On top of the sound and lyrics is the way that the lyrics are delivered by the artist. In most of the funk music I’ve heard, the singers have a way of drawing out specific syllables in words to create a funky sound. And I’m not technical enough to call it by its real name, but the way that funk artists sing is definitely unique. Not only are the lyrics and sounds supposed to make you relax, but then the way they are sung also makes you want to stop worrying about everything. The drawn out sound makes the song seem to slow down, even if the temp is very upbeat. It’s like being in the South, where everyone and everything moves at a much slower pace. The drawl sound can be heard well in "In Your Face" in the first couple lines of the song when EW&F sings "feel" and ''hide."

            The more I listened to this album, the more I grew to love it. The melodies continually got stuck in my head, but I honestly didn’t mind. Spirit is a timeless album that I definitely wouldn’t mind listening to in my free time. Personally, I can’t wait to listen to this album with my parents and see my dad try to pull out some of his cheesy dance moves that he used to win my mom over back in the 70s. Overall, I highly recommend Spirit for just about any occasion. I didn’t hear any profanity, and there were no times that I was listening to a song and thought to myself, don’t play that with the parents. So, I would have to give it five out of five stars in terms of appropriateness and ability to be listened to with family.

Track 2: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Revised)

When picking an album for this first review, I didn’t really know where to begin. I called my parents to get their favorite 8-tracks from the early 70s, and started doing some of my own research. When my dad suggested Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, I was a little skeptical at first. But I figured such a popular album wouldn’t be so bad to listen to and review. My dad remembers when this album came out, and how much of a big deal it was. He said it played on the radio all the time, and had around seven hits that everyone knew the words to. My dad’s sister was the one that introduced him to Elton John because she drove him to and from school, so they would always listen to the radio together. 

Elton John was one of the United Kingdom’s biggest pop stars of the 1970s. However, one of the reasons that I enjoyed listening to this album was because of the combination of soft rock and pop. This was evident in “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding in my Hand,” which opens with a six minute instrumental featuring an almost techno sound, but also with an electric guitar added in. I noticed that this wasn’t the only song with an instrumental. And not just a thirty second one, but ones that went on for a couple of minutes. Both “The Ballad of Danny Bailey” and “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” end with over a minute of just music. No words, just Elton John playing his piano accompanied by other various instruments. The first time I heard those songs, I was confused about the lack of words and why there was such a large space between the lyrics ending and the end of the song. But the more times I listened to them, I began to appreciate it for what it was: good music. And I wish I could see Elton play these songs live, because I feel like being able to watch him rock out on the piano would add to an even deeper appreciation.

In two of the songs, “Jamaica Jerk-Off,” and “Social Disease,” Elton switched into a different sound. In “Jamaica Jerk-Off,” Elton used a Jamaican sound, complete with a Jamaican accent. Personally, I found it to be weird. Elton John has such great vocals with his piano, and I didn’t think it was necessary to try and bring a new sound on the album. Even though he had the resources to switch his sound, it doesn’t mean he should have. The same thing applies to “Social Disease.” The song had a country, almost red-neck feel to it, and I didn’t think that it was fitting at all. At the end of the song, some bird and ocean sounds were added, which were not my favorite either. Granted, the song does have a beachy feel, but I could have imagined myself at the beach without hearing seagulls in the song.

My two favorite tracks on the album are “Bennie and the Jets,” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” I partially think I love “Bennie and the Jets,” so much because of the scene in 27 Dresses where the two love interests drunkenly sing this song at a bar. However, I would have to say Elton John's voice sounds much better than their drunken yells. Elton hits some high notes in this song that show off his large vocal range. They're even high enough that I have trouble hitting them with my alto voice. My other favorite was “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” because I felt it had the best combination of lyrics, vocals, and music. It’s one of those songs that I would belt out to in my car with my friends and would never get tired of listening to. It starts off quiet but continues to build and then releases with the line "beyond the yellow brick road." It's infectious melody with the "oohhs" and "aahhs just makes me think of happy memories and puts me in a good mood.

Goodbye Yellow Brick road is an album filled with nostalgia. In "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," Elton John yearns for the less chaotic time before becoming famous. In "Love Lies Bleeding," it's for a lover that has left. And in "Candles in the Wind," it's for Marilyn Monroe. This makes Elton John sound like he's living in the past. This is a common theme in music though, lots of artists write about things that have happened to them.

            Overall, in terms of enjoyability, I would give Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 4 out of 5 stars, and 4.5 out of 5 stars in terms of appropriatness. With minimal mentions of drug, sex, and alcohol, I think this album does have the potential to turn minutes into hours on a long car ride. I would actually enjoy listening to this with my parents, and think we would both be happy with this selection. I normally listen to pop music anyway, but now my parents and I can listen to pop that we both know. With its consistent upbeat feel, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a great album for any occasion.

Track 1: Intro

Whenever I take road trips, music is one of the few things to me that can turn hours into minutes. Because my parents grew up in Myrtle Beach, SC, and I grew up in North Carolina, I spent many weekends making the four hour trip down to see my family. In my elementary school days, I passed the time with Hillary Duff and Hannah Montana, two artists that the rest of my family could only stand for about three and a half minutes.


As I have grown up, my taste in music has grown to include some songs that probably aren’t the best to play in front of your parents. If you’re like me, you probably have an entirely separate playlist just of music that would be okay to play with your parents in the car. My mom and I love to take road trips together, but there is nothing more awkward than when a song such as Beyonce’s ‘Partition’ comes on and Queen Bey is singing about sex in the back of a limo.


If my parents could have their choice, we’d listen to groups such as Earth, Wind, and Fire or Chairmen of the Board, who they have seen in concert countless times. They would choose the songs that they grew up listening to on their own car rides and road trips. When I asked my parents to reflect on their own road trip music, they told me about their 8-tracks. If you’re again like me and don’t know what those are, they are similar to cassette tapes.

Between 1975-1980, my parents had 8-tracks from artists such as: The O’Jays, The Commodores, the Bee Gees, Elton John, Barry Manilow, and the Beach Boys. As my parents went off to college in the early 80s, they listened to Madonna, Chairmen of the Board, and Lou Rawls.

Recently, I have started listening to some of these artists, but I haven’t listened to all of my parent’s favorites, just some select songs here and there, and never an entire album. So, this blog will be centered around me listening to some of my parent’s favorite 8 tracks. And not just the popular songs, but the entire album. I will start with their recommendations from the mid 70s, and work my way into the early 80s. I will post album reviews and critiques for the 8-tracks and hopefully include some videos of my favorite songs.

These groups and artists had upbeat but yet relaxed tones that were good for any occasion, something I hope to imitate in my own blog. I am hoping that as this project continues, I will have broadened my music horizons and have a new genre of music to enjoy listening to and adding to my own road trip playlists. So now when I am in the car with family, we can have common ground in music tastes, and everyone can like what we choose to play. And as readers, I hope you too will grow to love some older music and can have that bond with your parents. Or if you grew up listening to this music, I hope that my blog is a way for you to reminisce on a simpler time. And I encourage you to share the memories you have with these songs, because I know I love hearing memories from my parent’s college years and realizing that my parents weren’t always so uptight after all. Whatever it is, I hope that you find this music to be enjoyable, so that families never have to endure the awkwardness of Beyonce’s ‘Partition’ together ever again.