Sorry to offend, if I did, with the old Statler Brothers "Counting Flowers on the Wall" number as a post title that I'm still sometimes subjected to when riding passenger in my dad's car. Actually, that's probably the Statler Bros. tune I enjoy the most, so I shouldn't crack on it. Some of the other artists I'm lucky enough to be exposed to in when in my dad's ride -- or he's cranking his music at our family get-togethers:Oak Ridge Boys
Anne Murray
Elvis Presley (YES!!!)
Freddie Fender
If I'm lucky, I get some:
Johnny Cash
Emmylou Harris
And my brother has since introduced him to:
Over the Rhine
which he likes, and I can be very,very thankful for that. Dad seems to get annoyed when I put my music in, and I still can't figure that out, but oh well.
Now, growing up, the kids in my family heard more than our share of Anne Murray, who seemed to be his favorite, but we also had a lot of this:
Vicki Carr
Tom Jones
Bobby Gentry (one album I remember with Glenn Campbell)
Crystal Gayle
The Kingston Trio (who were his favs)
The Brothers Four (was that the Kingston Trio plus one?)
Roger Miller (whom I still look fondly upon)
Roy Clark
Waylon Jennings
Barbara Steisand
Let me just say for the record, the Vicki Carr lounge lizard stuff:
You're just too good to be true,
Can't take my eyes off of you,
You're like heaven to touch,
I just want to hold you so much,
You're just to be good to be true,
Can't take my eyes off of you.
(Music: BA DAM BA DAM BAM BAM BAMP BAM, BAM BAMP BA DAM BAM!)
I LOVE YOU BAAAAAAAAABY...
Yeah, that stuff. That stuff was merciless. So, too, was Babs, for the most part.
But my questions to The Realm at large are these:
1) What was the music your parents listened to?
and, more importantly (relatively speaking)
2) How do you look back on it?
As major or minor influences in your life or music appreciation? As those silly folks of mine? As in "Please, please no, not that... THE HORRRR-RRRRRRAH!!!"? As in thank you Mom and/or Dad for this or that but NOT THAT?! As in you never give it a second thought? As in "My parents were cool"?
And then the reciprocal question for those that might have children:
What do you think your kids think of your musical tastes now and what will they think when they're older?
Because, despite what I'm saying about my dad, I'm just sure, sure, sure, SURE, SURE... that my kids will think"
"My dad is COOL!!!"
Well, they better.
5 comments:
This post put a smile on my face. My mom loved Vicki Carr she even had an autographed album
Greenfields by The Brothers Four ROCKS!!
Well, I specifically remember Dad's Rally 'Round (Brothers Four CD), and I think we had The Greatest Hits as well.
The Brothers Four FOLKS more than ROCKS, for what it's worth.
Have you seen the movie A Mighty Wind?
It might be a good Christmas present for dear, old Dad.
From the guys who brought us Spinal Tap, but it spotlights the folk music industry.
My Dad loved/loves Wanda Jackson. Ever been awakened by yodeling? Snork!
Anyway, he had all these really old albums from stars of the Grand Ole Opry, so I got a huge dose of it growing up. Even now I can twang you a song. :o)
My hubby, on the other hand, is a rocker from way back. And the girls like a lot of his old stuff. But they DON'T like the old disco stuff and groan loudly when we tune into Funkadelic Friday. :o)
WandaV
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