Sir Dave

Taking a break from writing about memories and albums to expand on a random thought I had during the middle of the night. By no means is it scholarly analysis, but certainly great conversation over a beer after work.

I've always been a Beatles fan. A very, surface level Beatles fan. I did not get into them heavily until college, but I knew many of their songs growing up. I mean, who didn't? I'm a huge fan of their psychedelic years. I admittedly get goosebumps when I turn on the Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band album and every external distraction around me immediately fades away. I feel a bit like Chuck Klosterman when I say the Beatles were ahead of their time. Duh!! Enough of stating obvious facts about the Beatles that the whole world knows. I'm writing now to talk about Sir Paul McCartney. For many, Paul McCartney is a god-like figure and rightfully so. He's had enormous success in whatever he's touched. Whether it be from the Beatles, Wings, and a successful solo career - Paul has been relevant in almost every decade since the 60s. When people see Paul they are immediately transformed to their youth listening to Beatles records. When The Beatles broke up in 1970, there was a huge void left in pop music. Paul filled that void for millions purely based on his love of music. As icons from that generation have come and gone - Paul has remained relevant with more than one musical venture. He receives genuine joy from creating art for others. He knows his significance, not based on popularity, but what his art has meant to people's lives. He could be a recluse quietly basking in his success, but he chooses to be present because he knows his work is important to people. When James Corden featured Paul McCartney on Carpool Karaoke it was one of the best moments I've ever seen. To see James get emotional talking about his dad and grandfather and their recollections of their favorite Beatles' songs is what this blog is all about. Music creates memories - ones that last a lifetime. You make connections based on the emotions tied to songs. Wherever he went, someone had a story relating to some moment in Paul's career. I watch that video over and over. It just brings me so much joy.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that my generation has a Paul McCartney. He may not be as accomplished as Sir Paul (plus he's not in his 70s), but he embodies all of the same qualities. That person for me is Dave Grohl. That's right, I'm comparing Dave Grohl to Paul McCartney. My reasoning mirrors many of the points in the paragraph above about Paul. Nirvana was one of the biggest bands of the 90s, if not a generation. When I think of alternative/grunge I immediately think of Pearl Jam and Nirvana. The band's run ended in 1994 after the death of Kurt Cobain - leaving a musical void for many. When I watched an interview with Dave on CBS Sunday Morning, Dave talks about how lost he was and then details the dark times that followed. He was heartbroken, to say the least. Dave knew that he had to continue to create music not only for himself but for those who felt the same as he did when Nirvana's run ended. Dave is being completely real and you feel it. You watch that segment and you see the genuineness in his answers and more importantly - the laughter coming out of the interviewer's mouth. Dave Grohl is a guy that I want to hang out with, not because he's a mega-famous rockstar, but he's a guy that understands his importance to others. He ends the interview on CBS Sunday morning with this quote, "I love music and I love life." From Nirvana to the Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl has been that bridge for my generation. When I see him or hear his work, I'm immediately transported in my memories just like those who grew up in the Beatles-era are with Paul McCartney. He's a link to Kurt, flannel, and that Seattle sound.

If the Queen of England were still in charge of America - I'm almost certain that Dave Grohl would be knighted, thus the title of this post - Sir Dave. Thank you, Dave Grohl, for not only making fantastic music but for being a fantastic person. I hope that one day I can hang with Dave and the Foo Fighters.

P.S. James - please do the Carpool Karaoke feature you did with Paul with many more musicians. It was incredibly powerful.

Boy Meets World

One of my favorite shows of all time is Boy Meets World. To me, it sums up growing up in the 90s. I wanted to be a mix of Cory and Shawn. At this time in my life I was the quirky, rule-following Cory, but definitely wanted to be the rebellious Shawn (if that is how you would characterize him :)). I wanted the girlfriend like Topanga and the hangout like Chubbie's Famous. I remember even trying to dress like Cory. At that time, bowling shirts were making a big comeback. This was the first time that I did not ask for a pair of basketball shoes for my back to school shoes, but something more fitting - a pair of Airwalks. Boy Meets World was such a great show and one that I continue to watch over and over. It was definitely TGIF era, but always maintained a realness about adolescence in the 90s. Without Cory, Shawn would have never made it and without Shawn, Cory would have been too naive for any situation. That is what friends are for, right? We all knew a Shawn, a Cory, and a Topanga. You may have even had an air-headed sibling like Eric. The show also mirrored the last year of my middle school experience. Up to this point, music was just music, it was for enjoyment, but I started to notice one thing amongst my peers - life imitating art.

I often comment to my wife that I miss the hidden, melancholy messages of 90s music. I'm not talking Dashboard Confessional emotional, but the type of emotion that you really had to listen to the lyrics. If you go back and re-listen to some of the albums I'll list below during this time period - you'll understand. Smart lyrics written by smart people. This was the time in my life where I started to realize that people were actually taking some of these lyrics seriously. Friends talking in class about trying marijuana, exploring their peer relationships further (very pc way of stating that), and expressing that their lives truly weren't that great. Grunge was huge and it was emotion-driven and expressive. The eighth grade was a bit like Blade Runner. It was a melting pot of rap, alternative, and classic rock. Much of everything reflected that from clothes to get-togethers.

One singular moment sticks out to me during this time period that sums up that I was not in Kansas anymore. I have no idea why I remember it, but I clearly do. The Foo Fighters first album had been out for a short time. Someone in my school clearly read the lyrics in the CD jacket and made a big deal about it. The song was This Is a Call and the lyric states, "Ritalin is easy, Ritalin is good". This was 1995 and I had no idea what Ritalin was. At the time, it seemed huge, but I'm not sure why. There were far worse songs with far worse lyrics, but this was the first mention of something that you would not necessarily see or hear on an episode of Cops. Definitely, a Boy Meets World moment, but one that shows how we grow accustomed to changes in society once we hear or experience them over and over. I think I remember one classmate in the entire grade (maybe the entire school) on Ritalin in the mid-90s. To me, that is crazy to believe.

That's it for middle school. Like most people's experience - a transition period. A period of finding out who you are and where to go. Man the music was great and still holds major weight today. I instantly see these album covers and know just about every song. From the awkward slow dances on a Friday night to skating around Angola on my cheap rollerblades - it's all there. It's an instant transport to my own Cory Matthews world.

95-96 album releases that summed up the melting pot:

• Jewel - Pieces of You
• Collective Soul - Collective Soul
• 2Pac - Me Against the World 
• Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
• White Zombie - Astro-Creep 2000
• Friday Soundtrack
• Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
• Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters
• 311 - 311
• Dangerous Minds Soundtrack
• Monica - Miss Thang
• The Presidents of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America
• Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
• Garbage - Garbage
• Oasis - (What's the Story?) Morning Glory 
• No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
• The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
• 2Pac - All Eyez on Me
• Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
• The Wallflowers - Bringing Down the Horse
• Sublime - Sublime
• Cake - Fashion Nugget

If I had to pick one that defined that time of my life it would have to be Oasis' - (What's The Story?) Morning Glory. Such an incredible album. I wish the Gallagher brothers could have a Shawn and Cory relationship.