"THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE" PAUL MCCARTNEY (2005)

July 25, 2022

One of the most powerful things about music is that it is the soundtrack of our lives. Fellow music fanatic Sharon Hepworth started a music challenge on Twitter for the month of July. Each day, fans around the world will select a song from their life and describe what it means to us. These are my songs. #SoundtrackToYourLife

Day 25

The Beatles are definitely a part of my music journey. But what I can’t explain is, why they were more of a pit stop for me, not the destination. I listened, revered, and then quickly moved on. Perhaps because their larger-than-life pop status labeled them as mainstream, which they were. But I believe Lennon, McCartney, Ringo and Harrison don’t get enough credit for their experimentalism. Their non-hits are some of the most experimental music to come out of that era. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is as conceptual, daring and unexpected as a rock album can get. Of course, The Beatles are more celebrated for their songwriting prowess. Lennon and McCartney, particularly, are wizards with words and melodies. My wife and I stumbled upon McCartney’s “This Never Happened Before” when we saw The Lake House. The movie left much to be desired, but the song was so good we decided to make it our first dance song at our wedding.

“This Never Happened Before” sounds like the song that someone should’ve written years ago, but no one did. Paul McCartney pulled another gorgeous melody and love song out of his heart and into the song. A simple, but poignant concept. A soaring, accessible melody that you can and want to sing along to. It’s the way the words are strung together that make it so warm and so human. It’s straight from the heart, like so many McCartney and Beatles songs before it. In our first dance, we swayed to the music with friends and family surrounding us. And nothing else mattered.

“I love you and now I see. This is the way it should be.”

"THESE ARE DAYS" 10,000 MANIACS (1992)

July 24, 2022

Day 24

Well, I certainly can’t share the soundtrack of my life without covering our wedding day. 10,000 Maniacs’ “These Are Days” is one of the most uplifting songs I’ve heard both recorded and live. I knew its beautiful, energetic sense of optimism had to appear at some point during our wedding. My wife Carol and I chose to include it in the ceremony as the recessional music. Well, I chose it, and she agreed. While my wife did some planning solo, and we did a ton of the prep together, the music selections were almost all mine.

“These Are Days” hails from my second favorite 10,000 Maniacs album. In My Tribe is tops in my book, but Our Time In Eden isn’t far behind in second place. The album sounds like a band that still has its sense of humbleness still intact. But it also sounds like a band that’s confident in its evolution. I love all the songs, but “These Are Days” is the one that stirs my emotions the most. Natalie Merchant sings with a sense of bewilderment. Buck – who co-wrote the song with Merchant – along with Drew, Gustafson and Augustyniak, ooze with merriment and wonder, each contributing signature instrumental elements to one of my favorite 10,000 Maniacs anthems.

“It's true that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you.”

"SILENCE" JARS OF CLAY (2002)

July 23, 2022

Day 23

One weekend during my early 30’s, I remember getting away for a weekend in D.C. I wasn’t necessarily looking to escape. I think I was searching for something. Looking back, I remember I was looking for some kind of sign from God following a failed relationship. I needed to be reminded once again that the creator of the universe didn’t fall by the way side, or suddenly become an entity too busy to deal with the little details of our lives. Music helped me through this voyage – specifically a lesser known album called The Eleventh Hour by Jars of Clay. It was just one weekend, but the album – and the song “Silence”, in particular – is a significant part of my life’s soundtrack.

“Silence” is that rare song that’s about both faith and doubt. It’s a song that has more questions than answers. And the key question is: “Where are you?” It’s a line that’s sung over and over and over again. Looking back now at how gripping this song was to me, I realize that the question isn’t posed simply to receive a response. It’s a lament. The question is almost rhetorical in nature. It seems a bit brash to be saying that to the God of the universe. But the vocals, the instruments and a constant record-spinning static effect all seem to be calling out to God in this way, because He is God, and He can take it. I never experienced a song – or really anything – quite like it before.

“I got a question. ‘Where are you?’?

"NYC" INTERPOL (2002)

July 22, 2022

Day 22

The first two albums from Interpol comprise one of the greatest two-year stretches in modern music history. That’s not an exaggeration. Turn On The Bright Lights is universally viewed as one of the finest albums of the 21st century. And many Interpol fans would argue that Antics is even better. More cohesive. More confident. Antics is a sign of a band firing on all cylinders. Musically, “NYC” is not my favorite Interpol song. However, it’s the one track that I’ve felt most attached to. NYC, after all, has been my home for the past 25 years. And it’s where the band met and first made a name for themselves by playing at small venues in the Lower Eastside. This is a song about my city that I truly get and can relate to.

The song begins like an ending. It doesn’t depict the city’s bright lights. If anything, it shines a bright light on the dark underbelly of the city. The opening line is one of Paul Banks’ finest: “I had seven faces. Thought I knew which one to wear.” Anyone who’s lived in the city for a few years can understand this honest sentiment. Daniel Kessler’s grating guitar riff is an outpouring of emotion. And on the original recording, Carlos D and Fogarino man a rhythm section that reminds me of walking city streets where, with great effort, we manage to put one foot ahead of the other. My love-hate relationship with this city, expressed beautifully and hauntingly in one of Interpol’s signature tracks.

“I had seven faces. Thought I knew which one to wear.”

"BLESSED BE YOUR NAME" MATT REDMAN (2002)

July 21, 2022

Day 21

My love for music, in many ways, started in the pews of churches. I attended services as a kid because it’s what my family did on Sundays. Then after college, I realized I actually liked church – and started going on my own volition. Faith in Jesus Christ became something I found tremendous meaning and purpose in. It was no longer just head knowledge. And music played a big role in this personal discovery and journey. I’ve discovered some incredibly moving and beautiful music through church – and Matt Redman’s “Blessed Be Your Name” is one of them.

It’s hard to think of another song that has had as much significance in my life as this one. The melody and lyrics aren’t meant for passive listening. They’re meant for the listener to join in. To absorb the words – and then to sing them back to the Lord. But they are words that are very difficult to swallow. Many people view God as someone who’s there to arrange good things for you when you ask for it. But when bad things arise, they might be dismissive of God – and feel they have no need for him. “Blessed Be Your Name” is about praising his name even when things are at their worst. The song was such a paradigm shift for me. And it has become a guiding force for me, a sober reminder that when things get tough, this God is going nowhere. He’s right there in the thick of the good and the bad.

“When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

"ANGEL" GAVIN FRIDAY (1995)

July 20, 2022

Day 20

So much of our life soundtrack is tied closely to love, loss and laughter. Perhaps we look back at our soundtracks and cringe a little bit. How were we so naive? How were we so this or so that? On Day 20, that’s where I find myself. This is the song that a girlfriend and I played constantly. We saw Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet and bought the soundtrack. I was head over heels for this girl. And she was absolutely the wrong girl for me. How ironic that the song we listened to together was tied to the story of Romeo + Juliet: two star-crossed lovers from opposing families.

The interesting thing about “Angel” is that it was written before Romeo + Juliet, despite feeling like it was made just for the movie. The song mirrors the complicated situation that the main characters found themselves in. Like my then-girlfriend and I, they were helplessly in love to the point where it becomes impossible to put the brakes on it despite the impending doom. Flanked by gorgeous swirling synth layers, Friday’s falsetto feels like the whispering angel on one shoulder at times and the deceitful demon on the other. Everything seems ethereal and euphoric when you’re in love. But sometimes there’s something darker and deeper lurking beneath the surface that we’re blind to.

“Angel.... hold on to me, love is all around me.”

"ONE HEADLIGHT" THE WALLFLOWERS (1996)

July 19, 2022

Day 19

Truth is, my impression of The Wallflowers was really low at first. I saw them in ‘92 as the opening act for a band that literally exploded overnight: The Spin Doctors. I think we all had unfair, yet high expectations for the band, which seems to come with the territory when you’re the son of a legend. Jakob’s band just wasn’t quite together. But that all changed for me five years later. That’s when Bringing Down The Horse was released, a pub rock record that seemed right at home in smoke-filled rooms in the wee hours. The standout track was “One Headlight”. It’s a relic of the era and, for me, a poignant memory as well. One night, I remember dancing to the song on repeat until the wee hours at a party. We just couldn’t pull ourselves away from the song.

The tinny, yet emphatic snare hits drew me in quickly. And the guitar work is exceptional and underrated, in my opinion. Its bluesy demeanor seemed to thrive in space, creating these incredible intermittent moments before going full force at the 4:15 mark. Then, there’s Jakob, of course, whose voice is much less nasal and much more raspier than his father’s. “One Headlight” has a fantastic vocal performance. The heartbeat of the song, however, is that steady, insistent and unforgettable bass line, which carries the song along in this groove from beginning to end. I remember one night dancing to “One Headlight” at a house party on repeat until nearly dawn. There just aren’t many songs out there that can grab us like that.

“Me and Cinderella, we put it all together. We can drive it home with one headlight.”

"FREE" THE MARTINIS (1995)

July 18, 2022

Day 18

Hailing from one of my favorite soundtracks of all time, “Free” fueled both my imagination and my ambitions after graduating from college. I was living at home and commuting to the city for work. Some of my friends in the area were already living in the city and I was envious of their city lifestyle. The Empire Records soundtrack – and this song in particular – gave me a moment of respite as I daydreamed of life as a city dweller with my own apartment. Somehow these songs became synonymous with my desire for independence.

Hearing The Martinis today I’m pleasantly surprised that “Free” has stood the test of time rather well. The Breeders may be the more renowned Pixies side project. But The Martinis was no slouch in my mind. Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago teamed up with his then-wife to record two albums of unpretentious, melodic alt pop — a far cry from the pioneering two-minute musical rants from the Pixies. “Free” wasn’t the headliner on the soundtrack, but its sense of ease allowed the track to be right at home as part of an ensemble of great rock & roll songs. It was simply easy to get, easy to listen to and easy to like.

“So free for the moment. Lost somewhere between the earth and the sky.”

"BRAVADO" RUSH (1991)

July 17, 2022

Day 17

Since elementary school, Rush has been a band that I enjoyed and respected tremendously, despite that high-pitched vocal range from Geddy Lee that some music listeners simply can’t stand. I remember borrowing the Signals, Moving Pictures and Grace Under Pressure cassettes from our town library. Rush cassettes stood out with their ugly beige plastic cases. Later in middle school I think I had enough money to buy my own cassettes. That’s when I discovered the genius of 2112, and a couple of other goodies like Exit… Stage Left and Permanent Waves. I loved all of these albums, but when it comes to individual songs, “Bravado” is right up there with the best of Rush in my opinion. This is a song that started to resonate with me more and more during college and the years that followed.

For me, “Bravado” became a guiding force during challenging times. It also carries deeper significance with the passing of drummer Neil Peart. Was it a foreshadowing? One thing’s certain, this wasn’t about a sci-fi or mystical world, like many other Rush songs. This was real. It may have been a song about not giving up, but for me it was more about living life with no regrets. “Bravado” also didn’t put the spotlight solely on one member of the band - as it seemed to have the perfect blend of instrumental contributions paired with Lee’s reflective and more subdued vocal approach. I read somewhere that the band was in love with several recorded parts for the song, but realized that by pairing it down it would result in a stronger track. I think that level of restraint paid dividends.

“We will pay the price. But we will not count the cost.”

"LIGHTNING CRASHES" LIVE (1994)

July 16, 2022

Day 16

My college years were the era in my life when my passion for music exploded. Going to school in Boston, I was lucky to catch so many great bands coming through the New England corridor. I was also writing album reviews every week for the school newspaper, combining my love for music and writing. And I was surrounded by people with all kinds of musical interests. I absorbed the music in all kinds of environments: bars, stadiums, theaters, mosh pits, and raves. Throwing Copper is one of my favorite albums from this special season in my life. I caught them at Brandeis University’s Gosman Center. The Oklahoma City bombing occurred earlier that month – and the band dedicated their power ballad “Lightning Crashes” to the victims and the city.

“Lightning Crashes” is a bit of a musical anomaly compared to the rest of Throwing Copper. Throughout the album, Ed Kowalczyk’s vocals and the music give us heavy doses of quiet-loud-quiet dynamics. The shifts are sudden and explosive. But with “Lightning Crashes”, the track is one steady crescendo. The tension doesn’t catch you by surprise. Instead, it lures you along past the second verse and chorus only to finally unleash itself in the bridge, like a grunge-era “Stairway to Heaven”. The song brings me back in time when it seemed Live was on top of the music world.

“Pale blue colored iris, presents the circle, and puts the glory out to hide.”

"ROUND HERE" COUNTING CROWS (1993)

July 15, 2022

Day 15

The best music may be the kind that has exerted the most influence, but I firmly believe the best songs are the ones that have helped us create the best memories. The ones that remind us of beautiful souls we knew, strong friendships we forged and unforgettable moments we experienced. When August and Everything After came out, it quickly became an album full of these kinds of songs. I was in college at the time — comfortably stuck in that space of being an irresponsible kid and a responsible adult. The album’s songs carry so many memories with them for me, but none more so than “Round Here”. I think it’s why I may like this song a lot more than the average person.

“Round Here” is the song that reminds me of two roommates who have left this world way too early. One was a college friend who I found out died from a drug overdose several years after we graduated. The other was a roommate we had for one summer who died from cancer leaving behind a husband and two children. “Round Here” was a critical part of our soundtrack in that season where our lives intersected. It’s simply impossible for me to hear this gut-wrenching and highly personal song without being reminded of Dennis and Monet. But it’s also a song that reminds me of a friendship forged with a guy who I met at church several years ago. He’s not just a friend, he became a brother. Counting Crows is one of his favorite bands and, because of Justin, I think I took this band a little more seriously and have seen them live twice. I love the instrumentation and lyrics of “Round Here”, but it’s the specific memories of these people, these friendships and these moments that make it not just great song to me, but a transcendent one at that.

“In between the moon and you, the angels get a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right.”

"WALKING IN MY SHOES" DEPECHE MODE (1993)

July 14, 2022

Day 14

One day during my freshman year at Boston College, I went with a buddy to the review section meeting for the college newspaper, The Heights. That day was the moment where I first combined my love of two things: music and writing. I quickly started to enjoy the process of album reviews: picking up the CDs on release day (Tuesdays), listening to them over and over again, and then offering up my assessment of the recordings. Those years writing for The Heights were the early inspiration behind Mental Jukebox. And one of the first albums I reviewed was Depeche Mode’s Songs Of Faith and Devotion – and “Walking In My Shoes” was one of my favorites from the LP.

Did DM turn into a rock band overnight? The instrumentation showed a rougher edge to the band with live drums, muscular guitar riffs and large doses of feedback. But the songwriting was still Martin Gore at the core. The exceptionally crafted lyrics straddled that delicate balance of vulnerability and brashness as told through the voice of a convict inside a courtroom. I got to see the band perform this song live on the Devotional Tour. There was no question that the infighting happening with the band affected their energy. For a few years, Depeche Mode had earned a reputation for being great live performers. While the showmanship just wasn’t there, it was clear that DM turned a corner. By expanding their sound to include more rock elements, somehow they found their sweet spot musically.

“Now I'm not looking for absolution. Forgiveness for the things I do. But before you come to any conclusions, try walking in my shoes.”

"REGRET" NEW ORDER (1993)

July 13, 2022

Day 13

Even with the epic influence that Joy Division had on the music world, New Order was always the band that I connected with more between the two. Bernard Sumner’s vocals and lyrics were at my level. I think I understood him, but I couldn’t say the same for Ian Curtis. And while I believe New Order peaked in the late eighties, no other song from the band resonated with me more than the nineties hit “Regret”. It’s one of my summer songs.

The track brings me back to the Summer of ‘93. I was home from college, spending my days working a crap internship and my nights hanging out with old high school friends. It was a great, great summer, and “Regret” was on full rotation on my go-to radio station WDRE. The big concert of the summer for us was New Order with 808 State at the old Brendan Byrne Arena in Jersey. The acoustics sucked, but the song still radiated. “Regret” contained one of Sumner’s more memorable guitar hooks with the band, which had these pregnant-like pauses built into them, which helped frame Hooky’s infectious bass lines that skittishly danced along the upper octaves. As Hooky said himself, I think “Regret” is one of the last great New Order tracks.

“You used to be a stranger. Now you are mine.”

"NIGHTINGALE SONG" TOAD THE WET SPROCKET (1991)

July 12, 2022

Day 12

Fond memories of freshman year at college play vividly in my mind when I listen to the Fear album. Blasting the tracks in the halls of Duchesne Hall East at Boston College and hearing them live at Boston’s Paradise Club with the band members less than six feet away from us. Mainstreamers were familiar with “All I Want” and “Walk on the Ocean”, but TTWS fans counted “Nightingale Song” as one of their favorites with its tambourine pulse and signature melody.

“Nightingale Song” chooses a steady and repetitive rhythm guitar sequence over flashy solos or memorable riffs. It keeps pace together with the tambourine and hand claps. The melody unfolds into a beautiful three-part harmony. It’s rather simple. A song where the verses seem to bleed into the chorus and you can barely delineate between the two components of the song’s structure. Its power and appeal lie in its invitation to the listener. An appeal to sing our own refrain into the night like the nightingale.

“We might be different, but our hearts won't lie.”

"LITHIUM" NIRVANA (1991)

July 11, 2022

Day 11

Neil Young may be the Godfather of Grunge. The Pixies and The Melvins may have inspired Kurt Cobain. But it’s Nirvana that defined the grunge era. That was certainly the case for me and the guys in Duchesne Hall at Boston College in the fall of 1991. The entire Nevermind album was on non-stop play in my college residence hall my freshmen year. It didn’t matter what kind of music you listened to before. We had guys who were into Ministry, the Chili Peppers, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Iron Maiden and the Aladdin soundtrack. But everyone was fixated on Nevermind and the quiet-loud-quiet genius of “Lithium”.

“Lithium” has an explosive quality to it—going from soft and dormant to loud and ignited. This was a dynamic that I started to really appreciate with the Pixies. A couple of years after the Doolittle album, I saw the quiet-loud-quiet construct truly mastered on “Lithium”. Cobain oscillates between singing and screaming in a manner where it flows seamlessly. This stands in direct contrast to Black Francis’ approach which feels more ragged and disruptive. The quiet segments are pretty much all Cobain, but the loud parts put Cobain, Novoselic and Grohl on a maddening collision course. What’s not to like for a college student?

“I'm so happy because today. I've found my friends. They're in my head.”

"THE PERFECT KISS" NEW ORDER (1985)

July 10, 2022

Day 10

It’s hard for me to find a song that has been more entangled with my life than this one. It’s a song that played on the dance floor at a club that I started going to during my senior year of high school. Fridays were alternative rock nights – and that’s when I begged my friends to go. Not Saturdays or Thursdays, Friday night was the night. That dance floor felt like freedom, especially when “The Perfect Kiss” came on. I also can’t separate the song from my first relationship. My girlfriend loved singing to it, grooving to it, and dancing to it. “The Perfect Kiss” is undoubtedly a key part of my life’s soundtrack.

One of my favorite New Order anthems, the song contains some of the band’s most iconic moments. It all starts, of course, with Hooky’s trademark bass line that skids and skirts along the upper octaves like it’s the lead guitar. Then there’s Gillian’s shimmery synth chords that wash over you like a tsunami. And then we have the unforgettable percussion. Ahh, those electronic drums. No drum kit here. The dance-infused drum machine wasn’t just keeping time, it created a brand new groove defined largely by those hand clapping moments for the New Order faithful. “The Perfect Kiss” is, just, irresistible.

“Now I know the perfect kiss is the kiss of death.”

"MIAMI 2017" BILLY JOEL (1976)

July 9, 2022

Day 9

As a New Yorker, the music of Billy Joel has always resonated with me on a deeper level than with the average casual fan. My first show was a Billy Joel concert at Giants Stadium. An Innocent Man, The Bridge and Storm Front were the albums of my youth, but my favorite album from the Piano Man is Turnstiles. It is a quintessential New York album. A record that signals Joel’s return to New York after his time in Hollywood. Several songs reference New York, including the apocalyptic masterpiece “Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)” – a prog rock anomaly from the Piano Man.

It might be my favorite Billy Joel song because even as it portrayed the downfall of New York City, it seemed to celebrate it with a sense of pride and nostalgia that can’t be fathomed with any other city. The song is narrated by a grandfather telling his grandchildren about the fictitious fall of NYC in the 70’s as he sits in his retirement home in Miami some forty years later. “Miami 2017” did something very few art forms are able to accomplish. It used a fictitious story to remind us of the things in reality that we really love and the things we might even die for.

“They sent a carrier out from Norfolk. And picked the Yankees up for free. They said that Queens could stay. They blew the Bronx away. And sank Manhattan out at sea.”

"JOEY" CONCRETE BLONDE (1990)

July 8, 2022

Day 8

1990 was an interesting year in music. Synth pop seemed to be having a late resurgence with acts like Electronic and Anything Box. Grunge was laying down its roots with Nirvana, Alice in Chains and others. And a new genre called shoegaze was taking shape off the heels of Cocteau Twins and new artists like Ride and Slowdive. But that same year, a simple, straight ahead rock song called “Joey” made its way onto the radio and I couldn’t get myself to stop listening to it. It was released as a single the same year I got my driver’s license – and it often accompanied me on those drives through windy roads.

I never got into Concrete Blonde as a band, but “Joey” might be my favorite song of 1990. It lived in this vanilla, mid-tempo world, but the lyrics were so personal and sincere. It’s a song about being in love with an alcoholic, but it turns out lead singer Johnette Napolitano was writing about her boyfriend Marc Moreland, guitarist for Wall of Voodoo. Like some of the best songs in history, “Joey” was able to go from a deeply personal song from Napolitano to a song that every listener could make its own. You didn’t have to be in love with an alcoholic to have that song mean something to you. That’s the power of the song.

“I know you've heard it all before, so I don't say it anymore. I just stand by and let you fight your secret war.”

"GLORIA" THEM (1965)

July 7, 2022

Day 7

I was never part of a real band, but there were a few afternoons in high school when a few friends of mine and I had a small taste of it. We huddled into our friend’s basement where we had a couple of amps, guitars, a drum set, keyboard and a mic set up. It was our playground. “Gloria” gave us the satisfaction of knowing we could play a song from beginning to end. Only one of us was musically trained. Our drummer could barely keep a beat. But all of us were crazy about music. We had a lot of fun together. We felt like rock stars for a couple of hours. And we played “Gloria”.

Three chords. One hard rocking number from the annals of rock & roll. With Van Morrison on lead vocals and songwriting duties, Them put together a garage rock classic that had that rhythm and blues groove, that distorted, raw edge, and Van Morrison soul. Like many of the great songs from the 60’s, “Gloria” was a b-side. The single “Baby, Please Don’t Go” wasn’t too shabby either. But it wasn’t a Them original. This made “Gloria” more important in many ways. While The Velvet Underground may get credit for getting countless listeners to start their own band, “Gloria” made it possible for many of them to actually play. E - D - A - E - D - A, etc.

“G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria. I'm gonna shout it all night.”

"BYE BYE BAD MAN" THE STONE ROSES (1989)

July 6, 2022

Day 6

I’ve loved music from a relatively early age. I grew up in a home that had Mozart and Bach playing on our piano and Cantonese adult contemporary music playing on our car stereo. My foray into classic rock is when I started to dial things up – Rush, Floyd, Zeppelin. Then I found my way to alt rock. The day I discovered The Stone Roses’ debut album was a watershed moment for me. Looking back, I think this is when I became a serious fan of music. I got lost in the music – and I couldn’t help but dissect every element of those songs. The Velvet Underground was known as the band that made its listeners want to start their own band. Well, that’s what The Stone Roses did for me. One of the less heralded tracks on the debut record would be another band’s anthem track. “Bye Bye Bad Man” is resolutely a significant part of my life’s soundtrack.

The melody is exceptional. So exceptional, in fact, that I can’t imagine another band concocting it. It gives “Bye Bye Bad Man” that rare juxtaposition of smooth flow and hard edges. Instrumentally there are no slouches here. Every band piece is so critical to the sound. Each member adds serious muscle to the track – from Ian Brown’s Manchester drone and Squire’s jangle fest on guitar to Mani’s chunky bass meanderings and Reni’s garage rock sound on drums. The song is a reminder of how endearing Tracks 1-12 were, not just the single releases. An extraordinary track from one of the most impressive debut albums of all time.

“Choke me, smoke the air in this citrus-sucking sunshine. I don't care. You're not all there.”