My Tastes in Music

As you've realized by now, my musical tastes are rather unique and unusual for someone my age. I tell people I'm a hippie at heart. Honestly, I think I must've been alive during the '60s in a past life. The music is so rich because it's fun to listen to and because the lyrics are so deep. I'm not trying to put down contemporary music because some modern songs do a great job speaking to love, pain, politics, and war. Yet, there seems to be more depth to hippie music, and these songs definitely apply to modern times. Look at the lyrics to "Eve of Destruction" or "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends."

I'm listening to Susan Boyle as I type this. No, she's not a hippie, but she has one hell of a voice. This woman is so angelic--she makes my heart melt every time I listen to her. I honestly don't think anyone can top her rendition of "I Dream a Dream," and I'm looking forward to her next release. I just hope she's able to take it easy every now and then. Cass Elliot is now playing on my iTunes. Now THAT'S a singer. There's so much emotion behind her music that it feels real every time I listen to her. Elliot's friend Leon Bing hit the nail on the head when she described Cass' singing as comfortably settling into a hot bath. Remember when "Make Your Own Kind of Music" played during the second season of LOST? That was vintage Cass Elliot. I wish there were more singers like her.

Recently, I've gotten into '80s music. I know describing the tempo of these songs as groovy is anachronistic, but it's the only term that comes to mind. I think some of the greatest love songs came from that decade. However, the most unusual singer on my list is Sheila, an internationally renowned French singer who surprisingly is not as popular in the U.S. as in other countries. Her career spans from the sixties to the present, not to mention she looks FANTASTIC for someone who will turn 64 in a few months. I was first introduced to her when we watched "8 Women" in my French cinema class; one of the characters sang "Papa, T'es Plus Dans le Coup" ("Daddy, You're Not With It") during a segment, and I've been drawn to Sheila ever since. The only reason I continue to understand French is because I keep listening to Sheila.