Monday, December 31, 2012

My Eyes Stay Fixed But the Picture's Kinda Out of Focus

0 Thoughts Posted by Punk Rock Dad at 6:37 PM



At the end of any given year, you can find popular media outlets describing the best albums of 2000-blah, the best songs of 2000-blah, the best selling artist of 2000-blah.  While the latter of those examples is nearly indisputable based on retail sales figures, the other two are quite subjective and based on the author of the article, their credentials in music, and just who they’re trying to impress with their writing. Usually, there’s some Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift song on the list which to me further reduces the credibility of such a list.

Now, I’d be no different if I chose to write about MY ten best albums or songs.  So a twist on the idea of a top ten of the year came to me between curses at the inability of Washington drivers to successfully negotiate traffic and merge.  I decided that I wouldn’t be limited by a year and I also wouldn’t subject readers to ‘my greatest’ albums.  If I’m going to be subjective, I’m going to go all the way; All the way to the end that is.

As dark and brooding and depressing as it sounds, I decided I’d write about the top 10 songs that I’d want to be played during at my funeral.  Yes, this concept is a little gloomy but anyone who knows me knows just how important the appropriate music at the appropriate time is to me.  My life is about the legacy I’m leaving behind.  And in a final ceremony celebrating life, I want it to be scored with the music of my life and the loved ones that touched me during it.

You can learn a lot from people by their listening interests.  I beg you please to take the opportunity to listen to the playlist below.  Each song below is there for your enjoyment.


Our Own Country from cshindle1 on 8tracks Radio.
So without further adieu, let’s get after it:

10.       I can remember hearing a different song by this group on a digital music channel, I Shazam’ed it, downloaded it, and discovered this song on the record.  “Lonely Road” by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus really takes me back to the talks I had with my grandfather while fishing which feels like a millennium ago.  He was a man of few words but his guidance was always profoundly accurate and relevant.  I began to realize over the years that symbolically the path of right was unexpectedly lonely but soulfully rewarding.

9.         Now I’m not a fan of country music but I can appreciate the soulfulness of some of the greatest musicians of our time.  Even more, I appreciate people in my life that are willing to let their guard down and play the strings of their heart.  My brother-in-law is one of those very rare souls.  He sent me this song and reminded me to keep an open mind while listening.  “When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley is truly an amazing song about letting go of the pain of existence and embracing the peace beyond.

8.         The gift of music is awesome, especially when it’s given under the pretense that the gifter has her own connection to the gifted music.  My sister-in-law knows me well.  As I listened through this album, I was entertained by the music but when I got to that last track, I stopped cold in my tracks.  That song was “Free” by Street Dogs.  It vividly captured the challenge of finding your way along life’s path.  In its earnestness, its message just makes sense like the advice of an old friend.

7.         I love the blues, soul, and rock music.  Put them all together and you have me.  When I heard this song for the first time, I was fast forwarded to the future, with a beautiful family, successes, and happiness in my life.  But the song also chronicled the struggle and the torment of living up to expectations.  “Only God Knows Why” by Kid Rock from that very first listen always outlined the very vision I had of myself.  I didn’t feel so alone after hearing it.  To this very day, a listen to this song takes me back to that first listen, that first glimpse of my future.

6.         I think a lot about the how fortunate I’ve been over the years.  And a majority of it has to do with who you choose to have on your journey.  No.  It’s really more about who chooses you.  Without a long sappy drawn out sentiment here, I’m the most fortunate person I know.  I’ve been blessed to have a partner that has accepted me for the damaged goods I am and carried me when I couldn’t do it myself. This song was our first dance.  It was a journey just getting to the wedding.  Down the path now, I can see that I’ve never been as loved as I am by her.  “So Far Away” by Staind is about appreciation for her choosing me.

5.         Sometimes the music that resonates with your hero is enough to influence you.  Plenty of my youthful days were spent listening to the greatest entertainers of any generation.  Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra were the staples of my youth.  When my father told me that “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” by Elvis needed to be played at his funeral due to its gospel bluesy beauty, I knew it was an undeniably moving song without ever hearing it.  And once I heard it, I too connected to it through its message and through my father.

4.         Such a somber song about remembering someone who deeply touched you who has now passed on.  I recall hearing “Black Gives Way to Blue” by Alice in Chains and actually feeling the loss in Jerry Cantrell’s voice as he reminisced over the loss of Layne Staley.  It was exactly what I was feeling with respect to the loss of my brother.  There was such a big gaping hole in my heart.  With headphones on, I felt we were both listening to it together.

3.         Call it a commentary on our existence.  This is minimal in instrumentation but deep by soulful standards.  The message in “Long at All” by Everlast is a testament to the way we live our lives, how short our time here is, and how we need to value that time we have.  Hearing this song reminds me of leaving the world in a better state for my children.

2.         This song could have easily been my first choice being that it’s one of my favorite punk groups of all time.  However, it has reached just enough of the mainstream market that I couldn’t place it as first just out of my principles alone.  Mass market appeal is not my thing.  But I’ve always loved “Good Riddance” by Green Day for its direct and comprehensible message of enjoying your life.  Not to mention, everyone knows it, it’s thematically appropriate, and my oldest son loves Green Day.

And finally…

1.         My list would not be complete if I didn’t include my favorite band and favorite song.  These guys are some of the most creative and thoughtful guys I’ve ever met.  But the choice of this song as my #1 has nothing to do with that.  The setup to this song on the album uses an emotional soliloquy by Dr. Martin Luther King. The proper mood is set by this and the effective use of piano.  “Iridescent” by Linkin Park is epic in its journey from the minimal vocals, piano, and message of failure to its soaring anthemic rise to overcoming all that pains your soul by letting go of the bitterness.  This is the one song that precisely captures the feeling I hope my children can carry embrace.  My only wish.

A playlist for your own memorial may seem dark and disturbing to some.  It’s the opposite for me.  And anyone who knows anything about me knows that a major foundation in my existence is music and its innate ability to capture an emotional context.  I find solace in great music.  That makes composing a thoughtful list for the end of my days quite appropriate.  Eventually, I’ll want to be remembered for the passions I had in this world.  My family, my beliefs, and my music.

But these ten songs are mostly about the journey, the struggle, and the happiness found after persevering.  The problem is I love them all but all of them are missing one important piece of my character.  Defiance.  That being said, I expect my funeral to be a disturbing raucous party.  And the last song of the evening should be something that leaves those who are a part of me diving off stages (or my casket) and swilling loads of fine malted brew.  This is a song that my ‘type’ of people ‘get.’  It’s the code of ethics I want my sons to ingrain in their core.  We do this our own way and never really listen to what anyone says. Watch the video here:


 

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