Tuesday - Music: (What's the Story) Morning Glory?

To those not in the know, I am a huge music geek. I'm that guy you know who can tell who is what band and what they played on each song of any given track. As such, I get the feeling that my music Tuesdays will be my favorite days. I'll take these days to profile not only albums or songs that I love, but also to spotlight my own instrument collection or give you tastes of my own musical output. My thought was, however, that since this is my first post on the subject I'd start by giving a rundown of the first album I ever owned.

No question, I'm a child of the 90's. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be the Dad that is constantly showering his kids with music from halcyon days, having no idea at all as to why they don't appreciate it, but I was not like that at all. In fact, until the age of about 12, the only thing I was ever seen listening to was whatever my Dad played for me. Though I still have a deep appreciation for music made before I was born, I would not be the person I am today had Oasis not been so determined to replace the Aerosmith t-shirts in my wardrobe.

My Dad bought me Morning Glory on a trip to a Coconuts music store, but only after making sure that there would be no foul language to affect me. I swore to him there was not. Logically, in my mind, there was no foul language in Wonderwall, so why should there be any elsewhere? We got into the car and put it in (Yeah, cds in the car in 1995, my Dad is pretty cool.), only to blow my father away with the line '...so wipe the shit from your shoes.' within the first minute of listening. He coyly ignored it, and I, fulfilling any cliched rock and roll youth stereotypes, was drawn in instantly. Because of that cataclysm alone, and even though I've since collected words with much more bite and profanity, it might be the single most vulgar lyric in my collection.

Every song on the record, from front to back, is something that fills me with nostalgia and something I don't have a word for. It's not sadness, but it's not happiness either. It's whatever makes ex-hippie bikers who have a total of $19.67 at a cash register say "Now that was a great year...". To me, it's not so much the sounds of my childhood, but what paved the way to what would make up said sounds. It makes me remember a time when a band could put out a song like 'Champagne Supernova' or 'Don't Look Back in Anger' and have them played on the radio in the middle of the day.

I'm the geek, I told you that. As such, I keep a running list of my top 20 albums of all time. Albums that, when played, are played one song at a time, front to back. Some come and go and many never come close to making the cut while still being fantastic, but this is one that has been in since 1995 and has never left. It might be for more sentiment than anything, but that's not to say it's got any fat to cut. I don't think my old man could have had any idea that we was spending 13 bucks that I would never personally forget. If he reads this, hats off, eh?

bth