If You Like Pina Coladas & Getting Caught in the Rain.....

How, I mean HOW does a single song, or even the first few lyrics manage to transport a person to a particular adventure or age, and cause one to relive an entire decade of life, love and sadness, through the association of music and experience?

Yesterday I was searching my cd's for something to play for R&P to enjoy with me. I find it very easy to enjoy some mad crazy dancing around the room with my children, letting-my-hair-down kind of dancing with them, spinning them around in my arms, dancing like I'm singing in the shower (i.e. where no one will suffer!), when I am in love with the music.

I am most certainly an 80's girl. I suppose this is because I was between the ages of six and sixteen - a most influential period of music appreciation and a period where many new experiences were to be....well.. experienced.

This reliving the 80's all started on Mother's Day when my children decided to entertain me with a bit of their singstar talent! The singstar range of dvds is very limited, and so when I bought one for my son's birthday  I chose the 80's one because I figured he would learn to sing along to songs if he had company - not that I particularly wanted to inflict the pain of my singing on my children, but they have grown up with it so I figured it wouldn't damage them permanently at this late date! Any other disc and I'm afraid I would have been literally lost for words!

Anyhoo, my son's favourite (read 'favourite' as permanently repetitive, almost stuck on replay, and is there actually more than one song on the disc?) song on his singstar disc is Karma Chameleon...a perfect example of how excellent the 80's really was. I believe that my introduction to the song in the 80's, which has thus given me over 25 years exposure to the song, has meant that I am immune to suffering the repercussions of replay, replay, replay (...did I mention replay?) on singstar! Thus I thoroughly enjoyed their rendition or five!

So I was therefore inspired to enjoy more than my favourite local radio station the other afternoon and searched out a cd. I fell upon my '1983' cd which has a lot of excellent (and a few questionable) examples of songs released in 1983. The disc kindly begins with Karma Chameleon (though I was a bit worried I might not enjoy it so soon after being exposed to it on replay). This turned out to be the start of my trip through the 80's. Lord was it a slow and often grimacing (you know face buried in feather pillow crimson red kind of recall) trip down memory lane.
I remembered best friends, horror movies (think event association), first crushes, first jobs, soap-operas, and so much more. It was kind of scary but more than that it moved me physically.

Not only did I experience memory recall, with vivid image flashbacks, but actual physical feelings were conjured up! Much can be said for word association but music association is a whole new ballgame baby! I was grateful that during that period of time I experienced a lot of wonderful, happy experiences so that the feelings were primarily brilliant! I suppose this comes of my disposition being one of getting over the pain of something negative and refusing to let it keep me down, never worry prematurely or before the fact and then, well, it's just plain too late to worry! (This ability also saw me cruise through University examinations and tests (aside from the very first one I had). But that's an entirely different period of life and nowhere near the 80's!).

Let it be said that the 90's music isn't too shabby either, but from there on through I'm kind of regressing to the security of the 70's, 80's and 90's, lest I be disappointed! Though I might note I have highly eclectic taste because I do like a bit of Eminem. Hmmm. I swear there is just no explaining nor defining me!

I always find it a good idea to remain in one's comfort zone in many instances, thus you will primarily find me purchasing my Starbucks Venti Green Tea Frap with cream (yes I said with, obviously most people are far too health conscious to take the 'with cream' option....not me...and people you are missing out I tell you!). I thus find I will never be disappointed by my purchase (especially considering it costs me $8.20 a pop). Should I feel the need to venture into new ground (interpret that as seize an existing opportunity more likely) I have my lovely sister to visit Starbucks with - she's sure to try something wild and wicked...like a Cherry Chocolate something or Pumpkin Latte or-other (are they even drinks??).

Thus I retreat to the 80's with glee, lest we forget the better years! But I do keep one foot in the door of the present just incase (I'm not sure what but just in case).

Madonna defined fashion.....long lace gloves, mussed-up hair, the leotard under skirts (highly fashionable yet again though now called footlewss tights and leggings (see I do have one foot in the present even if I don't subscribe to the fashion necessarily!)) and...well///being fashion-conscious in general. Jon Bon Jovi created the image of attraction (I vividly remember being a teenager at a signing with my camera literally flashing in their faces lest I miss an opportunity to have them on film...for posterity) with mussed-up hair and a voice that melted any girl that happened upon its sound. I could just go on forever here but must curb my 80's energy because I am currently penning two more blogs and really need energy reserves for those too since I become mentally, emotionally, and madly involved in each blog!

Should you wish to travel through the 80's you might like to begin with the following few examples of pure genius! I'm sure they will kickstart a long and hopefully memorable journey or an introduction to something you might have missed but are sure to enjoy!


Escape - (The Pina Colada Song) - two versions as I couldn't decide on one! Simply too good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsZ5a5UQvrs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyYmNC-gwec&feature=related

Let's not forget Madonna (as if) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s__rX_WL100 or Bon Jovi (really not possible) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOUtsybozjg

Better not forget The Boss either http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPhWR4d3FJQ Love!

I have to add another....an almost-80's song.....just because I LOVE it and because it's my blog (I think this song is my almost-only country song passion aside from Dolly Parton's Working 9 to 5...sigh) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn481KcjvMo