One post one song. Not any song, but those that have once opened a window, still do or simply just did. Old songs, new songs, long, short, master pieces, out of tune... simply my songs.
The idea is to share them, no aim to influence you in any way. You may like them, you may not, but at least, I will have told you about them.
A day like today, 20 years ago an unknown punk rock band from Seattle released their second album. They were more than happy with the result, but really not expecting much. It can be said that Howie Weinberg mastered a master piece, and 2 decades later all 12 songs (+ hidden track) have the same strength and dynamism. One of those albums that will overcome time. The three long haired guys worked hard, and the result could not have been better. I’m sure one day you would feel the same way I did when I first listened to it. The day you will discover Nevermind, let me know!!
My favorite track… I dun’no, depends of the day, the mood… The single “Smells like teen spirit” marked the birth of the so-called grunge scene. Were we grunge? I think this is what I told grandma whenever she complained about my outfit. We just wanted to be like them, explosive, no rules, living each day to the extreme.
I don't care
Care if it's old.
I don't mind
Mind. I don't have a mind.
Get away
Here goes Song #3:
Birth – Nirvana
2nd album of the band
Nevermind (1991)
When I sang with a garage band on my teens we made a cover of Polly. I remember we didn’t know the full lyrics, so we made them up. I guess nobody noticed! One of my favourite covers of the albums single, is the one from Patti Smith. Here’s a little bonus.
Overwhelmed, this is how I feel today. A decade ago, the exact same feeling, and I was not the only one. 3651 days later, I still remember what I was doing on 9/11. Unfortunately, another date we’ll never forget (as if we did not have enough...)
It was a weekday and I was about to get back to my books, preparing September exams. I turned the radio on, as usual not paying much attention at first. Chaos,
accident, destruction,
attack killing… these words drove my attention. I checked other stations; same appalling speech.
What was going on? Till then, I was not sure of the what, the where or the who. I turned on the tv and I simply could not believe it! I yelled my mom to join me. I think I needed someone to hold my hand firmly and to reassure me by saying that it was just fiction. But it was unspeakably true. Then, more shouting, “there’s another plane”, “what the…”, “Dios mio…”
Then silence
A second plane crashed and dissapeared. Did it really hit the second tower??
Those images run speechless in mi mind, like in super 8. I went mute, there was an explosion, smoke, fire, more chaos, more killing… Too shock to express any emotion, we just sat and stared.
Human insanity. And I feel overwhelemd today 'cause it's the same abominable film that goes on and on. We will remember this date, but we should not forget that every day there're people suffering their own 9/11...
Today I scream…
despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage
someone will say what is lost can never be saved
despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a caaaaaaaaaaage
there goes Song #2:
Bullet with Butterfly Wings - The Smashing Pumpkins
Lead single from the band’s 3rd double album
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
On the video clip we can see Billy Corgan’s last filmed appearance prior to his charismatic shaved head look. And the Zero shirt, an icon!
Song #1:
I though it would be hard to chose the 1st song, but I heard it this morning in the car and I knew this was the one for today.
Creep – Radiohead
Their debut single in 1992
Later included in their 1st album - Pablo Honey (1993)
I think I first heard it when I was around 15; and sometimes I can’t help going back in time when I listen to the G-B-C-Cm chord progression. Back then, we always carried our walkman, old version of the mp3 players, but brick-size and weight too! Oh yes, we listened to cassettes! CD’s were already in the market (I'm not that old yet), but far too expensive for our pocket money. So we registered our own song sets on tapes. It was easy, cheap and portable (let’s say).
So, there was this guy, some years older, good-looking and charming, you know the kind… We’ll you don’t know yet, but one day you will. Anyway, he made this tape for a friend of us, to impress her of course. Well, the truth is he impressed us all. I don’t know how many times we played it, we just loved it. And “Creep” became one of our favorites, a hymn to those wild teenager days.
And this is how it all started, "grunge" was a new concept. We were cool, young, messy, a bit pesimistic, but that was part of the process. And we were all special, in our own way. Even if one day people might let you think that you're a creep, you are special, even creeps are special!
