Friday, June 06, 2008

Friday Question

Let's do more algebra. That was fun. Wow, never thought I'd put those sentences together. (Damn you, Mr. Presas at Sacajawea Jr. High!).

Last week we talked about things that you just couldn't enjoy even though other people did. The response was great although just a tad, shall we say, fueled by white hot rage. So we'll go positive this week.

You have a music collection, whether you use the Compacted Disc format still or the iTunes or the what have you. And there's something in there that if some people spotted it, well, they'd make fun of you. Something cheesy, something out of style, something that may have been a little out of style even when it was in style. BUT YOU DON'T CARE WHAT PEOPLE SAY BECAUSE YOU LOVE IT.

And sure, yeah, it might not be the latest hip band like Oh My God There's Something Wrong At The Disco or that other band There's A Fire In The Arcade Run For Your Lives, but it's music that you like. Maybe you're ashamed of it and love it anyway or MAYBE there's no shame at all. Let's tear down the wall here. Let's proclaim our love for the music that the cool kids say we shouldn't like. Let's put the system on trial.

"You might make fun of me for having z in my music collection but I am proud of it!"

What does z equal?


I had to use a new variable in the question because X is already a band.

For me?
z= Meat Loaf. I can't consume Meat Loaf every day but sometimes a big helping of the Loaf just hits the spot. I love Loaf. And that cell phone commercial never happened.

Here's Meat looking all sweaty and dangerous.


And here's a picture of a sunrise on Mars. Not related to the topic but, you know, hey wow.



_

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spice Girls and Neil Diamond!

KikiRiki said...

z = Harry Connick Jr.
z = Vonda Shepard (more specifically the Ally McBeal soundtrack)

Kate said...

z = ABBA

My best friend says that my entire music collection falls under the heading "guilty pleasures." That's what she says to my face, at least...

Bruce Harrington said...

z = Any version of "Dancing Cheek to Cheek." I love singing this to my daughter.

Ju said...

z = Pretty In Pink: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

I loves it, dammit!

Amy said...

z=Guns N' Roses "Appetite for Destruction." (For a small fee I'll do the Axl Rose shuffle dance.)

z="Queer as Folk" soundtrack, seasons 1 and 2. It's like clubbing in Ibiza, only in my dining room!

Anonymous said...

Bruce -- that's the sweetest thing I've heard all day!

Z = Adam Ant. We don't follow fashion!

Scott Chicken said...

I'm going to go with Z=Billy Squier. If only he'd never made that stupid video...

Jennifer said...

z=Neil Diamond
z=Andy Gibb

But why oh why am I telling you this publicly? It was meant to be a secret!

Agen said...

I think my friends and family could agree that I have far too many z's in my music collection, but I think the biggest would be...

z = Bread

There's just something about Davd Gates' voice and that early 70s SoCal soft rock sound.

"Post-Google" by TAR ART RAT said...

the Cardigans. there isn't really anything to be embarrassed about with the Cardigans, except that lesser-informed folks seem to just assume that all their music must sound just like "that one song from the Romeo and Juliet" soundtrack.

Anonymous said...

z = Rush

Although, with how crappily most bands play their instuments these days, I am becoming less embarrassed actually proclaiming that I listen to this band - where each member can be said to be a virtuoso of their respective instuments.

Anonymous said...

I am all about the New Wave hits of the 80's.

When the 20 year olds listen to "retro" on the radio, I remind them just how good it was the first time.

Oh, yeah, and Abba.

P.S. Bruce's daughter rocks out to the 80s and ABBA because no one has told her yet it's not cool. SHHHHHH! Let's keep the secret

Tina Rowley said...

z = 88% of my music collection. 12% is a very generous estimate for anything with remote cred.

I'm not sure where to start, breaking down 'z'. It's massive, systemic. Will Smith is getting jiggy with it in there. Def Leppard is high and dry in there. Black Oak Arkansas. Rupert Holmes. The Doobie Brothers. Something like fifteen or so New Wave compilations. Billy Squier. STYX, I love Styx. Morris Day and the Time. Blue Oyster Cult. A Gerardo cassette roams around, never to be thrown out. I'm nowhere close to conveying what I have in there. In the name of all that is holy, *Lou Bega* is in there.

As you can tell, I'm very proud of the whole thing. My music collection brings joy to all who behold it. Behear it. I buy these things so you don't have to.

john said...

posted on Facebook by Mr. John LaPlante:

Well - now I hate to confess this because I am not really sure I love them any more. I mean - I really was infatuated at one time. They were unbeatable - at the top of their game, really. And as a result, multiple albums by this group made their way into my collection.

And in spite of the vigorous disapproval of my better half - they still remain part of my collection to this day. And yet, out of multiple albums collected over several years (it was the hazy college days - I swear!) - I really think there's only one song from this group that I can listen to and enjoy to this day.

For me: z = Dread Zeppelin.

Don't ask. Don't tell. Don't even listen. And shudder - it's a reggae Led Zeppelin cover band with an Elvis impersonator for a lead singer in case you didn't know.

Anonymous said...

z = Debbie Gibson. Her entire catalogue, I love it. Not every day, but sometimes a bit of nostalgia is what I need.

Also U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer. And Paula Abdul. And some Milli Vanilli. Actually most of my ipod is filled with z if (as many people do) you think z = 80s. I used to get defensive about it but now I just stick my headphones in and ignore comments.

umgrego2 said...

z=Whitney Houston - Bodyguard Soundtrack

and

z=Johnny Kemp - Just Got Paid

"on the floor, rockin' to the beat, ahhh ways, sure looks sweet. Fine young lady, standin' by, come on baby, sweet adelaide" (I know, I'm notorious for misheard lyrics)

Mr. Smith said...

I fall on the shameless side when it comes to my musical pleasures. If I like it, it is ipso facto cool, right?

When I got my first ipod I was going about my business enjoying the peculiar juxtapositions of the shuffle function when I ran into a friend. "Jump Around" was blasting out of my headphones. Since he was also in the same 30+ age range we could share our love for that song and recollection of parties in the 90s etc. It was a moment.

But as it happens I ran into him the very next day. I still had my brand new ipod on shuffle and what song should pop up next? That's right "Jump Around " again. At this point I did feel some embarrassment. I don't mind being thought of as someone who will listen to and enjoy "Jump Around", but I do mind being thought of as someone who goose-steps through his day exclusively listening to "Jump Around"

So, (Z = Jump Around N) when N = a number greater than 1.

kat said...

z = Jimmy Buffett
z = Cat Stevens
z = E.L.O.

Heather said...

z = um, okay... no, I have to say it... ugh, it hurts! Okay, ready... No. Ok, wait wait, let's try again...Ok...
z = LeAnn Rimes. There, I said it. Or, ooh ooh!! Taylor Swift. That kind of thing.

I like to think that they have their roots in the greatest Z of my life, though, the one, the only, Miss Barbara Mandrell. Ah. I was country, when country wasn't cool.

Barbara has a lot to teach, really. Just tonight, I was thinking about how drinkin doubles alone don't make it a party.

It's true.

Anonymous said...

z= Linda Ronstadt singing "Blue Bayou"

Oh, and for the record, x=Twitter.

nancymcjensen said...

z = Kate Bush's Lionheart. It's so piano-y! And a heartsick reminder of my teens. In fact I'm going to play it right now.

z = Supertramp.

z = Boomtown Rats. On a mix tape made for a forgotten college crush. What WAS his name??

Andy Joe said...

z = Sugar Ray

Anonymous said...

z=bonnym

Anonymous said...

Britney Spears! You happy now?